Four Good

“You know what’s really fun?” Corbin gestures for me to come closer again, and I lean in, even though doing so puts me close enough to smell the warm, spicy scent of his skin. His blue eyes go dark as they look from my eyes down to my lips and back.

I’m not breathing as I wait for him to finish. His mouth is only a few inches from mine and I wonder how he would taste. What the texture of his kiss would be like. What he and his brothers would do to me to deliver the pleasure he described.

Finally, his voice low and smooth, he says, “What’s really fun is breaking the rules.”

4

Much-needed relief

A blur of movement over Corbin’s shoulder catches my attention. It’s Valerie, hustling through the bar at her usual brisk pace. Grateful for the distraction, I straighten again and put some distance between myself and Corbin’s mesmerizing lips.

“How old are you?” I look at each of them before fixing my gaze on Jonathan.

“We’re in our thirties,” Corbin says.

“I’m thirty-three,” Jonathan says.

“You’re the youngest,” I say, more a statement than a question.

He grins, his eyes sparkling. “I’m old enough to have plenty of valuable experience.”

“I’m nearly seven years older than you,” I say.

Brendan tilts his head, looking at me thoughtfully. “Age is irrelevant.”

He’s right, I suppose. Maybe after thirty, age doesn’t matter, except that my body shows the wear of four decades, while these men appear to be in their physical prime. Also, despite the fact that I’m older than they are, they no doubt have much more sexual experience than I do. While I’ve typically found men easy to please, I’ve never had to handle three at a time.

“So what do you say?” Jonathan asks, interrupting my thoughts.

Gripping my cleaning cloth in both hands, I pull until it’s taut. “I’m going to say … no.”

“Are you working tomorrow?” Brendon asks after a long pause. When I nod, he says, “How about we give you time to think about it? We’ll come back tomorrow night and see you again.”

I shake my head once, but then shrug. This is a public place, and they’re not putting any kind of pressure on me, or being creepy or insistent. If they want to come back, that’s fine, though I presume they’re going to find another woman to take home tonight. They can return tomorrow, but I still won’t be saying yes.

“In the meantime, do you have any recommendations for what we should see and do on the island?” Brendan asks.

“Sure,” I say. “Are there certain types of activities you’re looking for?”

“Anything you recommend.”

Other customers are flagging me down, and Becca is waiting at the counter. “I’ll be back,” I tell Brendan.

Drink orders have been piling up. Scott appears with requests, and Becca returns. In between providing what they need, I serve several customers seated at the bar. When I glance at the Hayes brothers, they’re still watching me, not scanning the bar for a new prospect, as I would have expected.

At least ten minutes pass until I return to them. They’re engaged in conversation with one another but break it off as I approach. “Ready for refills?” I ask. Corbin and Brendan’s glasses are empty and Jonathan’s nearly finished with his second one.

“I think we’re good. We’ll be going soon,” Brendan says.

“You asked about island highlights,” I say. “There are the island’s namesake scenic points.”

Brendan nods, seemingly familiar with those already.

“The beaches by the southeast point are the best around,” I continue. “It’s not the time of year for swimming, of course, but you’ll probably want to check them out anyway.” I give them tips on the best boating and fishing guide companies, with the warning that some of the companies only operate seasonally. I don’t use these services personally, but bartending in Rusty’s for the past ten years — listening to and participating in countless conversations about the island — has supplied me with a lot of tourism information.

We talk for several minutes, until new customers arrive, taking recently vacated seats just to the left of Brendan. “I need to go,” I tell the men.

Corbin hands me a credit card to cover their drinks; I ring up their tab and return a receipt to him. “It was nice to meet you all. I hope you have a fun time on the island,” I tell them.