Addicted

"Not at all. You look like a dancer with those long-ass legs. Almost too hot." Casey sat down on the edge of the bed. "You know that not everyone is like Jackson, right? Not all men cheat."

"I want to assume that, but having just gone through this shit, it's hard to think about trusting anyone." I ran my fingers through my long crimson hair before pulling it into a playfully high ponytail. "I'm just going to stay by myself for a while and see what happens. I don't need to get connected to this guy, Case. He told me that he travels fifty weeks of the year."

"So travel with him." She shrugged as I rolled my eyes at her. "What? It could work."

"It's not that easy, and besides, it's just a spring break fling type thing."

"What if it turns into more?" She got up and picked up her wallet. "It's a possibility, and you know it."

"It's not going to. Honestly. There's nothing to be worried about. I'm not." I pulled my purse strap over my head and fixed it to lay across my chest. I was lying as best I could about being interested in Easton. Just the nice dinner the night before had me itching to see him again. Saying no to his kiss and the so-called tour of his penthouse had been the hardest thing I'd done in a while. Denying myself anything after all of the shit I'd been through seemed like a travesty, but it was to protect the future. My ego wasn't going to handle much more in the way of men shitting on me, so I would avoid them as best I could.

"You ready?" Casey opened the door and smiled. "I have money to burn and bacon to eat."

I laughed and walked out into the hall, tucking away the hope that Easton would call. Casey and I needed a vacation, and this one had all the promise to be great.

We made our way down to the small cafe on the ground floor of the restaurant and got in line behind the other hundred people that had our same idea.

"Smells good." I glanced down to Casey as she picked up a menu.

"Yeah it does. I want us to check into that Thursday night event at Black's Beach that everyone keeps talking about. We can take the rental car if you want. Might be better

if we did." She turned her attention back to me.

"Yeah, I'm down with us checking it out. Not sure what the hype is all about, but if it's a bunch of naked people dancing on the beach, I'm out."

"What if it's hot naked guy's night?" She wagged her eyebrows as the elderly gentleman in front of us turned and awarded us a scathing look.

"Don't mind her. Her elevator doesn't go all the way to the top." I touched my head and smiled at the guy as he grunted and turned back around. "No on the naked man conga line."

She laughed and snorted as we moved up in line. "Alright, but I still want to check it out. You should see if Easton is free to go with us. Ohh...you should see if he has a friend, or maybe a twin brother?"

"Two brothers from what I gather, and both of them are younger than him." I shrugged. "There might be some promise there if you're interested."

"I'll need to see pictures of course, but I would sign up mighty fast if they look anything like your boy." She waved at the older guy in front of us as he turned and gave her another look. "Hi gramps."

"Casey." I nodded toward the cashier. "You're up next, mister."

"Thank God," he barked and moved up to order.

Casey shook her head and handed me the menu. "People nowadays. You can hide your attraction to the idea of a hot sweaty body, but we all have it. Period."

"Yep. I'm getting the double bacon stacker. What are you getting?"

"The triple dong sub." Casey crossed her arms over her chest as I let go of a sharp laugh.

"Stop it. What's the matter with you?" I moved up to the counter as the guy in front of us walked off.

"He just reminds me of my dad with all of his damn rules, and that horrible look of disdain that I'm not good enough. That I don't measure up." She shrugged and turned her attention to the cashier. "I'll have the special, but I need ketchup on the side."

"No problem." The girl turned her attention to me. "You, miss?"

"I'll have the same and a double bacon stacker. Add a glass of orange juice for both of us too, please." I pulled out my wallet and extended my card to her.

Her eyes remained on me as if trying to work through how I was going to fit all that food in my stomach. She glanced down and finished ringing us up without another word.

I took our drinks and sat down in the booth Casey had for us. "People will always judge each other, Casey. It's just part of life. You do it, I do it. Everyone does it."

"Yeah, well I hate it. If I want to be a social worker and spend my life giving back to society, but making little to nothing doing it, then it's my damn prerogative." She grabbed her orange juice, spilling a little on the table between us.