“About time I got some sun on these puppies,” she said with a wink as she laid back on the lounge chair.
But Lila wasn't done shocking me. Oh, not even close. Before she got herself completely settled, she slipped off her bottoms. Seeing her laying there, entirely nude, made me flush and look away. It wasn't like I hadn't seen her naked before—we'd changed in front of each other countless times. But this was different. I didn't want to stare at my best friend's privates, especially not in public.
Part of me envied her ability to strip down and bare it all without a care in the world. I loved the idea of being free from my swimsuit, allowing my own breasts to get some color, and maybe even attract a little attention while I was at it. Though she'd been nude less than two minutes, I noticed that Lila was already drawing a little attention and felt a pang of jealousy shoot through me.
Men and women glanced down at her naked form, admiring her perky, small tits and thin body. If Lila noticed, she didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she sipped her cocktail and put on some sunglasses, getting cozy in the chair like this was your normal pool, and she was fully clothed. “It feels so nice having the cool ocean air on my body,” she said. “You're missing out, Josie.”
“I'm good,” I said.
Lila had talked me into getting my first bikini for this trip, though looking at the naked and half-clothed people around the pool, I didn't know why she bothered. I liked the bikini, though. It was a vintage style with a high waist and a halter style top. Navy blue with white polka dots. I'd thought it was cute and sexy, but now I felt overdressed as I stared at the folks around me. Even the folks with swimsuits were still pretty bare—G-strings and strapless bikini tops. And, of course, there were muscled bodies and toned abs everywhere.
It was a lot to take in. A lot to absorb and process. And I wasn't quite sure where to begin, to be perfectly honest.
“Oh my God, Josie, don't look, but there's a mega hot guy heading our way,” Lila whispered, adjusting her glasses and staring off to her right. “Do you see him?”
“You told me not to look,” I muttered, doing as she said.
Lila slapped my arm as if I should have been able to read her mind. I turned my head and glanced in the direction she was staring, and my eyes fell on him immediately. As I took in his form, I felt like I couldn't breathe for a second. It was a tired old cliché, but he looked like a Greek God. He clocked in at well over six feet and was built like a statue.
What stood out to me the most was that he wasn't naked. He was actually dressed really nicely. Very stylish and fashionable in a pair of black pants and a deep-blue, long-sleeved button up that hugged the hard angles and planes of his chest tightly.
His hair was chin length, maybe a bit longer, and a deep, rich brown that went well with the golden tan that dusted his skin. His eyes were dark and set deep into his face, above chiseled cheek bones and a sharp, angular jaw that was so perfect, it physically hurt. My heart raced as I stared into those rich, dark, almost black eyes.
“See? I told you he was hot,” Lila whispered.
He was also coming right toward us too. My pulse raced, and my body suddenly felt incredibly warm, even with the nice ocean breeze cooling my skin. I leaned back in the lounge chair and prayed that he wasn't actually coming over to us, but at the same time, kind of hoped he was. I was doing my very best to pretend I hadn't been ogling him, but was still very aware that he was only a few feet away. When I glanced back up, trying to look casual, like it was the first time I'd even noticed him, he smiled at me and set my heart stuttering wildly within my chest. I smiled back, but then looked away quickly, focusing on my chipped fingernail polish.
“He's looking right at you, Josie,” Lila whispered.
I so badly wanted to tell her to shut up, but my mouth and throat were dry, and I couldn't speak. I felt like anything I might say would come out wrong. Instead, I looked up and found him standing mere inches away from us, looking right at me.
“Having fun yet?” the man asked.
I looked at Lila who shrugged, leaving the answering to me. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, so I cleared my throat and tried again.
“Yes, thank you,” I croaked without being able to meet his gaze.
“That's good,” he said.
I should have said something else—maybe even invited him to join us—but I froze. I stared up at him like a deer caught in the headlights, and my brain got stuck. I literally could not think of anything else to say. There were no coherent thoughts in my head, which of course, led to a lack of coherent words coming from my mouth. I simply sat there, gawking at the Adonis standing before me.
Thankfully, Lila jumped right in and saved the moment—saved me from myself.
“Is this your first time on this cruise?” she asked.
The man laughed, a hearty sound that came from deep within his chest. “Me? Nah,” he said. “How about you ladies?”
Lila answered, and surprised me, “No, I've been on a few, but my friend here. Well, she's a bit inexperienced,” she said. “I thought it was about time she got her feet wet, at least.”
I glared at Lila, who stuck her tongue out at me playfully.
“Inexperienced, eh?” the man said.
I didn't answer and couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. Lila stuck her hand out, and it hit me again that she was still sitting there completely naked, yet the two of them conversed like this was absolutely normal and there was nothing at all amiss. “My name is Lila,” sh
e said. “And this is my best friend, Josie.”
“Gavin,” he said, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you.”