“Like you wouldn’t believe,” I said, plucking my hair off the back of my neck so the air of the fan could hit it.
“When are you going to take a break and have a dip?”
“I’m not a good swimmer,” I said.
“That’s what I’m here for,” he said, grinning. “I can teach you.” Charlie Hampton, shirtless, glistening in the water was something I would never say no to seeing. Too bad I actually had to work today.
“You’ve never seen me in the water. You’d have your work cut out for you,” I said.
He laughed at my lame joke. “Are you going to be at the bonfire tonight?”
I was looking down, messing with the display so I didn’t have to look at him. I wanted to squeal. I had wanted to go to the bonfire but nobody had asked me and I felt awkward about going alone. The crowd here was older than I was by a couple of years, some in college already. It had been a little difficult to make friends, on top of the fact that I was working most of the time anyway. I tried not to look or sound too excited.
“I was thinking about it.” I added a shrug to look like it didn’t really matter to me whether I went or not.
“You should. I hope I see you there. The summer’s basically over. It would be nice to have fun with everyone before we all go our separate ways,” he said. He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t know but it still hurt a little. We had been flirting the whole time that we were here, with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be anything but a summer fling but it still stung a little that it was going to be over soon. Might as well make the most of it.
“I guess I will then,” I said. He grinned at me and it was exactly what I needed. He was the cutest guy here and he wanted to talk to me. He wanted to spend time with me. He wanted to be at the bonfire with me. We chatted a little more before he had to go back to the beach.
That night, I took my time getting ready. I took a shower and dried my hair so it wouldn’t frizz out. My motivation from that afternoon had already subsided. I knew that Charlie wanted me there but that meant actually going. What if he wasn’t there yet? I hadn’t managed to get close to anyone else. Maybe I’d just go for a little bit and leave; just see whether he was there or not and if he wasn’t then I’d leave.
It wasn’t cold that night. I had on some shorts and a thin, kind of worn hoodie. I walked down to the beach, scanning the crowd of people that was already gathered around it. Some people were close to the fire, roasting marshmallows. One guy had a guitar out and was plucking a few notes. The buzz of conversation hung in the air. Most everyone was holding a sweating beer can or bottle. Perfect. I didn’t drink.
I couldn’t see Charlie. I was just about to turn around and leave when he appeared, walking right for me. I stopped and smiled.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
“I was starting to think you decided to ditch me,” he said. He handed me something, a can wrapped in a beer koozie. I raised my eyebrows.
“Thanks but you know I don’t drink,” I said.
“I know.” He popped the tab and handed it to me. I took a sip. It was Coke. He remembered. At least I wouldn’t stand out drinking a soda while everyone else had alcohol. We sat down and watched the fire for a while, chatting. It was nice. I was glad that I came. He asked after about twenty minutes whether I wanted to take a walk.
We took off together down the beach. I don’t know whether he slowed down to match my pace or if I changed mine to match his but we were walking in perfect sync, shoulders bumping once every couple steps, arms brushing once in a while. Hold my hand, I thought. I blushed, thankful that it was dark enough that he couldn’t see it. I was giddy. Walking down the beach with this guy, I couldn’t stop thinking about how close we were. How alone we were.
“You okay?” I heard him ask.
“Huh? Yeah. I’m okay.”
“Cold?”
“No, no,” I said. There was a breeze coming off the ocean but it wasn’t cold. It was him. He made me nervous. We walked a little more in silence.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure.”
He dug his hands into his pockets. “I like you a lot, Brenna. These weeks we’ve been here together.” he paused and laughed a little.
“What about the weeks that we’ve been here together?” my voice was so quiet, I barely heard myself.
“I’ve been thinking about getting closer to you this entire time. Since we met if I’m being honest.”
My heart started slamming against my ribcage. Yes, be honest. Honest Charlie was my favorite one at this point.
“I” I had to pause to clear my throat. “I feel the same way,” I said.