Deviation

One of the first class lavatory doors opens and out walks a grinning Shelby. I look away, hoping we don’t make eye contact. I’m glad Edith is asleep. She’d be mortified to learn that Shelby and Aiden are Mile High Club members.

I pretend to read the Cloud Miles magazine, shopping for outdoor garden lights, and feel rather than see Aiden plop down in the seat in front of me. Shelby has her iPod on, earbuds in her ears.

“Dude, thanks for not saying anything.” Aiden pokes his head around the aisle to my seat. I don’t want to look up and discuss this with him.

“Won’t hear me talking about it, although I do question the sanitary conditions of such a place.” I flip through the magazine, deciding I will buy the entire patio set if Aiden doesn’t shut the fuck up.

“Don’t ask.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

The pilot smoothly lands our plane, not even disturbing Edith when we touch down, jolting on the runway for a fraction of a second.

Leaning over, I whisper in her ear, “Baby, we’re here.”

Chapter Eighteen

Edith

Miami is home to palm trees, the Monroe Matchmatchers, cruise ships, and the beach. I feel blissfully numb and groggy in the midday heat.

Shelby is bouncing around excitedly. “I love the beach. Promise me we’re going there first.” She grabs my arm, pulling me toward our waiting car.

Thirty minutes later, Jack pulls up to a pink house with white trim on a private beach, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love. Shelby and I hold each other up as we get out of the rented SUV, and I look around. Nothing could be better right now. There’s no pending court testimony, no looming semester, and no one who can identify Jack as my former professor. It’s finally all good.

“Last one in sleeps on the beach!” Aiden races into the house. Shelby leaves me to chase after her boyfriend who has a good lead on her.

“Please tell me there are bedrooms at either end of the house,” I say, pleading.

Jack looks at me, smiling. “Don’t worry. After getting to know your friends, I got a house with bedrooms on different floors.”

“Thank you, God,” I joke, laughing, as we walk into the house. Cool blues and greens decorate the walls, and white furnishings look out a big bay window towards the ocean and private beach.

I look at Jack, smiling. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

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“Hey, perfect house for my perfect girl.” Jack and I hug in the open foyer.

Hearing laughing, we pull apart to see that Shelby and Aiden have stripped most of their clothes off and are heading back up from the water in their underwear, completely soaked and smiling.

They both nod, challenging us to their game. “Last one in the water is rotten, like the turnpike.”

They playfully push each other out the door, and all we can do is shake our heads. A few days in the sun should have me thinking clearly and figuring out what to do when we get back.

Jack

Tonight is Christmas Eve and I want so badly for everything to go right. I went to a jeweler who does custom work, designing a necklace for Edith. It’s platinum and the wordLOVE, in my handwriting, is hanging from the chain. I didn’t think it had enough flash to it, so I had him add small diamonds so it would sparkle. The box feels like it’s burning a hole through my messenger bag right now.

We’ve been out to dinner already, a restaurant Aiden chose because of the tables on the beach under candlelight and tents. I couldn’t argue with the incredible surf and turf on their menu, either. Music plays on a patio above us, some Latin jazz that forces your body to move to the beat. Aiden and Shelby seem engrossed in their sexy dance on the sand, and Edith watches them, slowly swirling the wine in her glass.

“Babe, wanna dance?” Her eyes glow, reflecting the moonlight, and she seems much more relaxed. Nodding, she gets up from the table and leads me out to the sand.

A part of me shouldn't encourage her bad behavior, but this is the first time we've been able to spend together without the pressure of being discovered. I'm almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I figure what the fuck is one more drink, one more kiss into oblivion? Especially when she's grinding that sweet ass of hers into my pants.

When Aiden finally nods, indicating he wants to head back to the house, I couldn’t agree more. We drive back, the two tipsy girls hanging on each other and giggling. When we get there, we quickly say our good nights and head to our separate bedrooms.

“Finally.” I let my hands run down her bare shoulders. She’s wearing the red dress she tried cooking me dinner in back at home. The halter top of the dress, plus the fact I know she’s not wearing a bra, demands my undivided attention.