“What?” I ask, lifting my head out of the water.
“Groundhog Day. You know, the movie where Bill Murray repeats the same day over and over.”
“Yes, I know, but why do you say that?”
“Isn’t this exactly how I found you yesterday?”
Oh. “I suppose so. But this will end differently. CK is joining me any minute now.”
He comes to sit on the side of the pool and dangles his feet in the water, I float off in the opposite direction and ask him, “Do you find Jess attractive?”
He looks startled. “She’s okay, why?”
“Just okay?” I press.
“Yeah, she’s pretty in an obvious kind of way. Hadn’t given it that much thought.”
“You don’t like obvious beauty?”
“Obviously, I do,” he leers at me. “But as you know, green-eyed blondes are more my thing.”
“And yet you find Xerxei attractive,” I point out.
“She is gorgeous. You are gorgeous, as her. Where are you going with this?”
“Nowhere very far apparently,” I mutter. “What is it about her that you find so gorgeous?” I ask suddenly, standing with my hands on my hips.
“Feeling a bit undervalued in your natural form, are you?” he asks sympathetically.
“Maybe?” I say reluctantly.
“I can assure you, Queenie, you are stunningly beautiful as you are. I am partial to Xerxei as she is a version of you that is kickass. Hardcore. I like that. And she has big tits,” he says.
“Oh,” I say, crossing my arms over my small, pert breasts.
“Don’t hide yourself. If I had a choice, I would choose you as you are,” he says softly. “As it is though, I don’t have one, so I get to have neither of you.” He shrugs. “Why does my opinion matter to you?”
Good question. “I don’t know, in all honesty. Somehow I was asking about Jess and ended up talking about me.”
“That tends to happen a lot,” he says wryly. “Conversations just seem to drift back to you.”
“Hey,” I snap. It’s one thing to admit to being vain but another to have it pointed out to you.
“Not only by you,” he laughs, “but by everyone.”
I peer over his shoulder. “CK should have been back by now.” I frown.
“I’m sure he will be along shortly. He isn’t one to pass up the opportunity to see you half naked and wet.”
“Humph,” I grump as I pull myself out of the pool and sit next to him.
“Liv?” he asks me.
“Yes?” I turn to him as he doesn’t say anything else. He takes my chin in his hand and focuses on my eyes intently. He kisses me, pulling me to him. He murmurs against my lips and my mind goes blank. I pull away from him, “Sebastian, stop. He isn’t supposed to know about us. I don’t want him walking in and finding us kissing.”
“I can’t help myself,” he says.
“Well, try. If you want to get your rocks off, go seduce Jess.”