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 out 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.
"Can I buy you a drink?" Jenny said, flirting shamelessly. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, especially since I knew she would be hitting Kimberly and me up for the cash later to pay for it.
"Of course," he said. "Whiskeys all around, then." He grinned at her as he called to the bartender and ordered the house whiskey. I wanted to play in this game too, so I slid in between him and the blonde friend. Kimberly was hot on my heels.
"I'll take one too," I chimed in.
The dark-haired man turned and raised his eyebrows at me. I finally got a look at those crystal clear blue eyes of his. I could lose myself in those eyes. "You like whiskey?" He gave me that cocky half-grin, and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Make mine a double," I said to the bartender as he poured out a row of drinks. Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome gave me an approving nod as we all reached for a drink.
"What are we toasting to?" Blondie asked as we raised our glasses.
"To meeting new friends," Jenny shouted right away. We all grinned, clinked our glasses, and drank. The amber liquid gave a satisfying burn as it went down, and a happy warmth starting to tingle in my limbs. This was going to be a good night.
Jenny set her empty glass on the bar. "I'm Jenny. This is Rachel, and that's Kimberly."
"I'm Dean," the dark-haired man said with a smile. His blue eyes twinkled in the dim light.
"I'm Matt, and this here's Anthony," Blondie added, tipping his head toward the tannest of the three.
"Call me Tony." Redshirt gave all three of us girls a big grin, but his brown eyes lit up when they met with Kimberly's. I could practically hear Cupid's arrow fly past me and skewer the two of them, even with the bar music playing overhead.
"So, Dean, where are you boys stationed?" Jenny asked, fluttering her eyelashes. I gave Matt a shy smile as I played with my glass, rolling it around between my fingers. He was big and tall; I guessed he had probably played football in high school given his build, and I would have happily had another drink with him, but his eyes were glued on Jenny.
"What makes you think we're stationed anywhere?" Dean said, leaning his back against the bar, able to see Jenny on his right and me and everyone else on his left.
"Your tattoos." Jenny brushed her hand against his arm where the eagle's claws poked out under his shirt sleeve. "I like tattoos. You wanna see mine?"
Dean stiffened slightly at her touch. It was as though he finally realized that she was focusing her attention on him, and that the rest of us were watching to see what happened next. He frowned slightly as he tried to figure out what to say without turning her down.
"Dean's not big on tattoos, but I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours." Matt jumped into the conversation before Dean found the words he was looking for. I hid a small smile as I turned towards the bar, looking for the bartender to order another drink. Matt's eyes hadn't left Jenny from the moment she walked in. There was no way he was going to let her walk out with anybody else.
Jenny looked Matt up and down for a moment, then glanced at Dean. A slow smile crossed her face as she realized she had a sure thing with the muscular blonde man. How did the saying go? "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." It was almost magic as she shifted herself away from Dean and next to Matt.
"Buy me a drink?" she purred, oozing desire. Matt's face broke out in a goofy smile, and he waved the bartender over. The bartender actually paid attention to him, and scuttled back down the bar with two fresh beers.
Matt threw some money on the bar and wrapped his big arm around Jenny, leading her off toward a booth. I knew she was going to be having company tonight. I managed to catch the bartender before he disappeared again, ordering myself a beer.
"I guess that leaves just you and me," Dean said, putting money on the bar for my beer before I had the chance. I glanced beside me to see that Kimberly and Tony had vanished into a dark corner of the bar together. Looking at Dean, though, I wasn't sad. I was glad to have him all to myself.
"I'll get the next one, then," I said as the bartender whisked the money away before I could tell him otherwise.
"Deal." The man had a wicked grin. It was just lopsided enough to give him such a cockiness that I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack it or kiss it off his face.
"It was Dean, right?" I asked. I was doing my best to play nonchalant, but it was hard. With those blue eyes, and rippling arm muscles, he could have had me on the bar right there.
Dean nodded. "So, what are three lovely ladies doing in a town like this?" The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled and sipped on his drink from before we arrived.
"We just got out of school. We're celebrating while we still have loan money and before real life sets in. What about you?" I asked. It took conscious effort not to inch closer and touch him.
"We're on leave. We have to head back out at the end of the week." He said it like it didn't bother him, but his jaw tightened and his arms crossed his chest. I could tell that he wasn't looking forward to returning to whatever real life was for him.
"Why'd you come here?" I asked, guessing that if he didn't mention where he was going, he didn't want to talk about it. "I would think you would want to go to a bigger city for a vacation. Someplace like Miami or Vegas, not a tiny tourist-trap beach town like this."
He gave me that wicked smile again. Something deep inside me started to ache to feel that smile kiss me. I hadn't felt this physically attracted to a man in a long time. I'd had a couple of boyfriends in college, but nothing had ever really stuck. My relationships were either all physical or all mental, and neither of those will last for long without the other.
"Frontera's mom has a beach house here. It's nicer than anything we could have gotten anywhere else," Dean said matter-of-factly. "She's not using it, so we got it for the week. Besides, this place is all Frontera ever talks about. We had to make sure he wasn't making it up." He took a long draw on his drink.
"Frontera?" I asked, confused.
"Tony. Sorry, he's Anthony Frontera, but we usually call him Frontera."
"Well, I guess if you need to, you can call me Weber," I said with a smirk.
He laughed and finished his drink. "All right, Weber. What's your plans for your 'real life' that you're delaying by coming here?"
Normally I would have been put off by such a question, but I opened up to Dean immediately. I bought the next drink, and he bought the one after that. My head was starting to buzz, so I slowed down, feeling that I had drank enough.
I talked about my hopes of working for a fashion designer in New York, about my dreams of opening my own design place. In the meantime, how I'd be happy just to get a job in the field. He listened attentively, nodding at just the right spots, asking questions that I was happy to answer. It seemed so easy to fall into a conversation with him, and I felt myself leaning closer and closer as we talked. He didn't volunteer any information about his job in the Army, and I didn't ask. I was happy to talk about myself for a while.
After talking for what seemed like forever, I decided to change the subject. "So," I said with a sly smile. "Where is this house that Tony couldn't shut up about?"
"Are you trying to get my address?" Dean asked with a mock-scandalized look, putting his hand up to his face like some Victorian age lady. I couldn't help but laugh. "It's right off the beach and about half a block that way." He nodded his head up toward the expensive houses. "It's the blue one."
"Are you serious?" I exclaimed. "That place is huge! You could fit half the Army in that house," If it really was the house I was thinking of, it was the biggest house on the beach.
"Yeah, it's probably the nicest place I've ever been," he said. He set his empty glass on the bar and gave me that smile again, this time with a little bit of conspiracy behind it. "You want a tour?"
"Hell yes!" I couldn't even hide my excitement.
June 5th, 1990- EveningDean took me by the hand, and we stumbled out of the brightly-lit bar and onto the sidewalk. I knew that the other girls would wonder about where I went, but I didn't care. I could feel the whiskey and beer buzzing through my system, making me giddy. We were outside before I realized that Dean hadn't let go of my hand. I could feel his heat seeping into my skin, sending little tendrils of electricity up my spine. I was lightheaded, and I knew it wasn't just from the alcohol.Since I'd seen the house while out on the beach with Jenny and Kimberly, I already knew the way to the house. I half-consciously started to lead the way. "What's your hurry?" he asked. "That eager to get me to my house?"I stuck my tongue out at him. "All right, big guy, what else do you have in mind?"He shrugged his shoulders. I couldn't help but notice the strength in them whenever he did that. "Have you ever checked out the shops in Old Town?"I smiled. "Yes, we went there earlier today
Present Day Half of a turkey sandwich stared up at me, daring me to eat it, but I just couldn't find the appetite. I had eaten the first half, and had even enjoyed it, but my aching heart was taking up all the space in my body and I just didn't have room to fit the sandwich. I pushed the food away, the plate making a soft grating noise along the wood table. The Saunders family portrait stared out at me from across the table. It was one from when the two boys were young. Jack stood next to his father, his hair neat and eyes bright. Robbie, his younger brother, sat on his mother's knee. Despite the outward calm of the picture, I remembered running around trying to catch Robbie to make his hair lay flat for the picture. He had run around the studio like a wild child, eventually tripping and scraping his knee. I could see the edge of the bandage poking out from beneath his shorts. The table vibrated. I looked askance at the plate, wondering if I had angered the turkey sandwich gods by
Two and a half years ago Bianca Saunders strode toward me with anger flashing in her eyes. I froze in my seat, quickly forgetting the memo I was typing. She should have looked demure in her dress suit, gold flowers shining out happily from a field of silver, but instead, she just looked like an angry bee. I hoped I wasn't the one about to be stung. "Jack needs a new bodyguard." She threw a newspaper at my chest as she stomped across my office and into the executive lounge, heading toward the coffee pot. She tottered on her golden heels, shaking in her rage and splashing coffee across the counter. Some of the dark liquid spilled on her jacket, and she cursed under her breath as she grabbed a napkin and began dabbing at the silver and gold embroidery. I fumbled with the newspaper and groaned slightly when I saw the headline. Billionaire's Bodyguard Assaults Photographer blazed out in bold letters across the heading of the page. In a blurry black and white photo, Jack looked on in hor
June 6th, 1990 I woke up nestled on Dean's arm, using it as a pillow. We were still in more or less the same spot that we had had sex in a few hours before. He was snoring softly, which was really cute. I looked at my watch and found that it was still really early. My head was swimming a little bit and I really had to go to the bathroom. I didn't want to wake Dean, so I tried to sneak out of the bed. However, my hair must have tickled his arm, because his arm shot out and grabbed mine. He took me by surprise, and I squealed a little bit. He laughed. "Where do you think you're going? We're supposed to go surfing," he said, obviously still half asleep. He blinked, then let go of my arm. His eyes focused, and he looked me up and down. I blushed. The sun's light was much more illuminating than the moon's, and I realized that he was drinking in his first clear sight of my naked body. This man was a stranger, and suddenly I felt extremely self conscious. I pulled the sheet from the bed up
June 6th, 1990 "Okay, now this time I'm going to just give you a little push on the back of the surfboard. Center yourself and get ready." We were out in the ocean. Dean was taking the time to show me how to surf and it was not going well. As he gave my surfboard a little tap, I found myself staying up on the surfboard for about a half second before crashing into the water again. Oh well, I thought. At least my top is still on. I came to the surface, sputtering once again. Dean grabbed my hand, steadying me before going after the surfboard. He grabbed it and brought it back to me. "Quick, get back on the board, I can see a great swell coming," he said, obviously excited. "You take it." I unlatched the surfboard from my ankle and handed him the strap. Dean had seemed excited about surfing, yet he hadn't even gotten on the board yet. "Please, just ride this wave. Then you can watch me surf for the rest of the afternoon," he said, pushing the strap away. I laughed. "Okay." I laid
Two and a half years ago I alternated between staring at the heavy wooden doors and glaring at my watch. A notepad with a new pen sat waiting at my fingertips, but I wasn't even tempted to doodle. Dean Sherman had my complete and utter attention, and he wasn't even in the room yet. What would I say to him? Hi, Dean. I sent you a letter every day for a month, but I never got one from you. That sounded too harsh. Especially since I knew he had never gotten a single one of my letters. I had sent them out religiously once I moved to New York to work for the Saunders family, but after a month of no replies, the postman had handed me a stack of unopened letters. Something in the address Dean had given me had made them undeliverable. You could have just told me you weren't interested. Instead I waited for you. I asked my landlord to forward all my mail, but I never got anything. Not even a postcard! No, that wasn't fair either. It was very possible that my landlord just was lazy and threw
June 7th, 1990 The sky was just beginning to glow with the promise of morning when I felt Dean slip out of bed. He padded quietly on the floor, picking up his clothes and dressing. I peeked one eye open to watch him wriggle into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, admiring the view. It was worth it to wake up a little to see his body move. His blue eyes caught me peeking and he came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Go back to sleep," he whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead. His lips were warm and soft, so soft that I never wanted them to leave. "Where are you going?" Sleep made my voice creak like an old door. Dean brushed the hair off my forehead, smiling down at me. He looked like an angel in the morning light. "Boy things today. Remember?" Dean's blue eyes twinkled with excitement. I nodded slowly, remembering that he had said something about going out with Matt and Tony today. "Have fun. When will you be back?" I asked, sitting up slightly. "Late afternoon." He kissed
June 7th, 1990The boardwalk creaked under our feet as we made our way along the sandy planks. Small local shops had their doors open to let in the warm ocean air and passing customers. The smell of hotdogs and popcorn drifted by, and music played softly from the inside the shops."I'm starving. You want something to eat? My treat." Dean let go of my hand, eyeing the food stand."Sure. I'll take a hotdog. Thanks!" I flashed him a big grin as he hurried over to the line. I was about to follow him, but something caught my eye.On the edge of the boardwalk, facing out toward the ocean, a street vendor was selling his paintings. They were amazing. The seascapes caught my attention, particularly one of a storm about to roll in. A woman stood silhouetted in the foreground, tiny against the powerful thunderclouds and swelling waves. I could feel the surge of the water, the light fading quickly into the clouds as the storm threatened to overcome her. Despite the storm, she stood strong and re