“Her name’s—” I stop.
She’s hiding. She probably doesn’t want her name spread everywhere.
“What?” Nemo asks. “What’s her name?”
“She wouldn’t tell me.”
“Easy enough to find out. I can get the guest list from Manuel. Which hut is she in?”
For God’s sake. He’s right. Any staffer can find out who she is. “Emily,” I say. “Her name’s Emily. And the two of you keep your hands to yourselves.”
“Why the ‘she wouldn’t tell me’ thing, then?” Nemo asks.
“She’s trying to keep to herself,” I say. “I don’t want you guys bugging her.”
“Dude,” Lyle says, “if you like her, we’ll stay away. Buddies’ rule book and all. Bros before hoes.”
“Would you stop saying that?” I give him an evil eye. “It’s degrading.”
“I gotta agree, Lyle,” Nemo adds.
“Okay, okay.” Lyle straightens his posture. “Buds before chicks. Is that better?”
“Slightly,” I say. “Not really.”
“You’ve got it bad,” Lyle says, mixing a drink for a colonist. “Friends before women. Does that work for you?”
I take a sip of water. “I do like her. Thanks.”
“I’m off in thirty,” Lyle says. “Siri and Angel are having a beach party on the staffer beach. Somehow they got their hands on a couple kegs. We should go.”
“That’s where I’m headed,” Nemo agrees.
“A kegger, guys? Really?” I shake my head.
“Since when are you too good for a kegger?”
“I’m not. It’s just…”
“It’s just your fantasy woman won’t be there,” Nemo says. “Am I right?”
“So invite her,” Lyle says.
“To a staff party? I don’t think so. I don’t need to get my ass fired for fraternizing.”
“You already had dinner with her,” Nemo reminds me.
Good point. We’re actually supposed to mingle with the guests. It’s encouraged. Roy and Charlie Wolfe want this place to seem like a home away from home for the artists. A place where they can study their craft and also have a luxury island experience. Meet people, know the staff members who are helping to make their stay comfortable.
No one brings colonists to the staff parties, though.
“Nah,” I say. “I’ll bach it with you two tonight.”
Siri Campbell and Angel Akina are lifeguards at the beach. Excellent swimmers, both of them, so they have rocking bodies. We call them night and day. Siri was born in Jamaica and has gorgeous dark skin and hair, and Angel, despite her Hawaiian last name, is blond and fair.
And of course they’re both knockouts.
Lyle and Nemo have sampled Siri and Angel, respectively.
I haven’t yet had the pleasure.
Siri, clad in a white bikini that accentuates her gorgeous brown skin, is the first to welcome me.
“Scotty!” She grabs me in a hug and shoves a red plastic cup containing beer in my hand. “Good to see you!”
“You see me every day, Siri.”
“Yeah,” she laughs, “and it’s always good! Welcome to our kegger!”
“Thanks.”
“I can’t believe Angel got her hands on these kegs,” Siri continues. “Her cousin is a distributor, and he sneaked a few extra into the last shipment.”
“Lucky break,” I say.
“Isn’t it?” She gulps a swallow of beer. “Have a good time!” She flits away and joins another group of staffers.
I watch her. Siri Campbell has the best ass on the beach.
Except maybe for Emily’s ass, which I’ve only seen with a wet skirt clinging to it.
It was fine.
Lyle and Nemo are already in party mode and making the rounds. Normally I’d be with them, but something holds me back tonight.
Not something so much as someone.
Within two minutes, though, Nemo finds me and drags me into the circle where he and Lyle are holding court with a bevy of female staffers, Lauren Suvac among them. Lauren’s another bartender, and she and I hooked up once. Nothing serious. She’s a gorgeous blonde with massive tits and a cute spray of freckles across her nose.
“Hey, Scotty.” She puts her hand in mine. “How’s it hanging tonight?”
“Good, Laur. How about you?”
“Feeling kind of lonely.” She squeezes my hand. “And horny.”
Yeah. Normally I’d be all over that. Lauren’s great, because she was an anthropology major in college. She doesn’t believe in monogamy. “There’s just no science to support it,” she told me once. “Most mammalian species never form monogamous relationships. They have different partners for different times in their lives.”
Yeah. I kissed her to get her to shut up.
Funny.
Monogamy doesn’t sound quite so bad to me tonight.
“You interested?” She tugs on my hand.
“Maybe later.” I kiss her cheek quickly. “Want to take a swim?”
“Sure! Last one in the water’s a rotten egg!” She peels off her fire-engine red one piece and runs into the ocean in her birthday suit.
So it’s that kind of party, huh? I disrobe quickly as well and follow her into the water. It’s warm, and the sun has fallen below the horizon, casting a blue veil over everything. Lauren’s huge tits float on the water and draw my gaze.
But…
Been there, done that.
I dive under for a minute, let the water cover my body. When I reappear, Lauren has set her sights on Nemo, who’s joined us in the water.