The last two weeks were different though. I had been…distracted.
Flynn and Liam talk a little while longer, giving me the opportunity to slip into the bathroom and wash the sand off me. It required an outfit change; my choice nothing fancy. A coral-colored blouse that fell off my shoulders and some white shorts. Then, I realized how burned I was and that color did nothing to hide it. I ended up changing into something more subtle.
My hair—irritatingly long in this sticky heat—is whisked up into a bun and away from my face. I wore makeup most of the time but decided on some lip gloss since my face is bright pink and no amount of foundation could cover this.
Back in the living room, the boys are still chatting away. I motion silently for Liam to follow me to my room; a gesture he notices, quickly wrapping up the conversation. Luckily, Flynn is distracted by his bandmates, allowing us some privacy in my room.
“Nice digs you’ve got here.”
“Really?”
“Okay, no. It’s nothing like back home. It actually makes back home look like a palace. I think I interrupted a drug deal downstairs,” he tells me, worried.
“Oh Frank? Yeah, he likes to smoke weed.”
“Weed, huh?”
“Oh c’mon Liam, people do this kinda stuff back home. We were just oblivious to it. It’s more in your face here.” I sit down on the edge of my bed, gazing as he stands against my door. “So, you’re here.”
“I’m here.”
“But you hate flying.”
“You can’t really hate something you’ve never done. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
“Well, you’re alive.” I smile, playing nervously with my bedspread. “That’s a start.”
“You’re burnt.”
“Really? I thought the tomato look was so in. I went to the beach today with Emerson and Charlie.”
“Charlie?”
“Emerson’s friend and lawyer. Remember, she was one of the women on the panel who interviewed me. Not the bitchy one.”
“Oh,” he breathes, almost a sigh of relief. “Charlie is a woman.”
I laugh, scrunching my face. “Yes, she is. Would it have been different if she wasn’t?”
He shuffles his feet uncomfortably. “I’m starving.”
“Me too. There’s this awesome Chinese restaurant around the corner. They make the fortune cookies themselves and I swear they print them out while they watch your every move.”
“Sound like a plan, but first…” He shuffles closer to me, standing in front, lowering his face so our noses touch. “Just one more kiss.”
I pull his shirt, bridging the gap between us. I missed his scent. The way his skin smelled like man sweat. How warm his lips felt against mine, and how my senses are heightened as he explores my body, hands moving into my blouse and against my breast.
In a desperate attempt to ignore this niggly feeling I couldn’t quite pinpoint, I clasp my hand on his belt buckle and welcome a quick ‘hello’ before heading out to dinner.
“Milly!” Flynn bangs loudly on the door, calling my name. “You wanna head out for something to eat?”
It was enough to kill the moment, the two of us pulling away with gentle laughs. I quickly fix my blouse as Liam adjusts his pants.
“Let’s go before he goes on a hunger rampage.”
We head into the living room, engaging in small chitchat with the band and inviting them out. They were keen, laughing like boys as we head out into the foyer in a group. I grab the keys and my cell off the table, following the boys outside. The second my foot is out the door, my body stops abruptly when my eyes meet Wesley’s.
Fuck.