"Hey, would one of you put some more lotion on my back?" I asked. "I think I can feel it starting to burn." I pulled myself into a sitting position and dug under the chair for the bottle of sunscreen. Kimberly opened her hands like a football player so I could toss the bottle in her direction. I pulled my long dark hair out of the way as she squirted the white goop onto her hands and began working it into my skin.
"Are you painting on her back?" Jenny asked, watching Kimberly draw designs into my skin with her fingertips. I didn't mind; it felt nice, and I knew she would rub it all in eventually. If she left it and gave me weird tan lines, she knew I would get her back.
"Just seeing a pattern in her freckles," Kimberly said as she traced a circle on my skin. I looked at Jenny and the two of us began to giggle. Kim was renowned in the art department for her abstract art pieces. She had a tendency to see things very differently. All three of us had just graduated from college with our Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees. I sported a new Fashion and Design specialty, Jenny was Marketing, and Kimberly had Drawing and Painting.
"You get me burned with one of your abstract designs, and I will put cockroaches under your pillow," I warned her. Kimberly laughed, but she hastily rubbed her design out and focused on making sure I didn't burn. Jenny snickered and settled back into her beach chair with her book. It looked like she was getting as much reading done as I was.
"There, all done." Kimberly patted my back gently, and I turned and gave her a smile. She was small and petite with light blonde hair and green eyes. She fixed the floppy hat on her head, then rubbed some extra sunscreen into her pale arms before handing the bottle back to me.
I settled back down with my book, glancing out at the waves. Blue water glistened along the shoreline. It was a quiet beach attached to a small town on the gulf side of Florida. The sand was white and fine, the waves soft and refreshing, and the town warm and friendly. It was probably going to be the last time the three of us would be together, now that we had all graduated.
"You get any responses on those internships?" Kimberly asked me. I shook my head.
It was kind of a sore spot for me. Kimberly had a job lined up in California. Jenny had an internship in Chicago. I had applied for several positions with designers in New York, Chicago, and even Paris, but so far I hadn't heard any responses.
"I talked to my aunt last night, and there haven't been any phone calls," I said. "She checked our mail, but all we have is an electric bill." I shrugged my shoulders. My senior design piece was created with a pregnant woman in mind, and while my professors loved it, it wasn't exactly what high-fashion designers were looking for. I had meant to make something that would appeal more to the industry, but the fabric had just sewn itself together. The dress had willed itself into being. At least I had gotten an A.
"You'll hear something soon. Your stuff is good. You know I wouldn't be able to get dressed without you half the time," Jenny said. I laughed. Jenny loved the flamboyant colors and patterns so prevalent in the current trends. She would wear so many colors it would make my eyes hurt to look at her if I didn't tell her to at least tone it down a little. Maybe not wear the flannel with the neon blue and pink patterned shirt.
"Well, at least I've still got my job at Charlie's." I tried to sound upbeat, but compared to my roommates' successes, it was hard to be happy about my art-supply store job. Neither of my friends said anything, but just gave me supportive smiles as we all settled back into quiet. The gentle murmur of the ocean shushed at our feet as we all pretended to read.
I turned a page, finally making it past that last sentence, when I saw him. He was tall. And handsome. And just a whole handful of whoa. I was very glad I had dark sunglasses, because I was most definitely staring.
Just down the beach, the most beautiful man I had ever seen was emerging from the water. His dark hair was cut short, and he ran a hand through it, sending a spray of crystal drops through the air. I could see every perfect muscle from my chair, his body lithe and lean. His muscles weren't bulky, but instead were toned and perfectly proportioned. A tattoo of an eagle with spears clutched in its talons screamed out from his delicious-looking shoulder.
He glanced over, and I felt my heart stop. His eyes peered right at me, and I could feel a blush starting to form as that Adonis of a man looked at me. I pretended to be very interested in my book, not wanting to be caught looking. When I glanced back up, he was greeting two more perfect specimens of the male species standing at the water's edge. All three of them had the same tattoo on their respective shoulders and all three were drool worthy.
The three men walked casually down the beach and away from us. I was sad to see them go. They were so much better to look at than Speedo Guy. My beach chair shook as Jenny kicked it hard.
"Did you see those hot military guys?" she asked, excited.
"The ones with the tattoos? Yeah. Why?" I could hear the wheels turning in her head as she began plotting.
"I think the one with the dark hair was looking at me." She gave me a sly half-smile. He was looking at me! I wanted to yell at her, but it wouldn't matter anyway. For all I knew, she was right. He could have even been looking at Kimberly. "I think we should find them tonight."
"You're boy crazy," I told her with a roll of my eyes. She licked her lips, and I knew that tonight, we were going to be in for a man hunt. Jenny had a thing for men in uniform, and there was no way she was going to be talked out of having a good time trying to find them tonight.
"Yeah, but you know that you're going to benefit from it," she answered with a grin. "Besides, it's a vacation. We deserve a little something nice."
Kimberly groaned softly. I just shook my head at Jenny, but I knew we were going to have a good time.
Chapter 3
June 5th, 1990- Evening
That night, in the tiny beach town, Jenny, Kimberly, and I were dressed to kill. Jenny wore shiny black leggings that emphasized her dancer-like legs with a purple and gold shirt, while Kimberly chose some amazing acid-washed jean shorts with a neon green tank-top. I had on a hot pink mini skirt with an oversized teal t-shirt hanging off one shoulder. We had used up a bottle of hairspray getting ready, so our hair looked fantastic, despite the humidity. We were ready to have some fun.
We headed down to the main bar in town. It was called "The Pirate's Revenge" but everyone knew it as just "Revenge." Half of the venue was open to night air, music blasting o
ut and the lights twinkling into the darkness. It was the place to be. Jenny giggled and grabbed my hand, pulling me urgently toward the welcoming lights. If those military boys were anywhere tonight, they were at this bar.
We stepped inside, adjusting our eyes to the revolving colored disco lights, and there they were. All three of them were leaned up against the bar, their jeans showing off perfect asses. Their t-shirts were ripped, and I could see how muscular they were underneath their clothing. One guy's shirt was a particularly bright shade of red and another had a gorgeous mane of blonde hair. However, "Blondie" and "Redshirt" weren't the guys that I was really checking out. The dark-haired one I liked was laughing at a joke Blondie had told. I did a quick check, and while there were no girls currently hanging on them, hungry looks abounded. We would have to move fast if we didn't want competition.
Jenny sidled up to the bar, wedging herself between a bar-stool and the dark-haired one who had been looking at me earlier. He turned and gave her a once-over, a cocky half-smile crossing his lips. The other two raised their eyebrows as she used her sexiest voice, though it was hard to hear over the music. "Hey, Soldier."
The handsome, dark-haired man set his drink down on the bar, careful not to spill it. Behind him, Blondie nudged Redshirt. They gave us appreciative smiles before turning to hear what the dark-haired man said to Jenny.
"Hey, yourself." The dark-haired man's voice was even better than I could have expected. I could have listened to him talk all day.