Page 25 of Between Now and Forever

He’s tall, over six feet. And he’s built. Not like Duke’s steroid-pumped, running back’s body. No, he’s lean and ripped like someone who plays basketball or swims.

I watch and am unable to look away as he throws his head back and shakes the water out of his dark wavy hair.

From here, I can only see his profile, but even with his sunglasses hiding any glimpse of his eyes and the top part of his face, his strong brow and chiseled and lightly-bearded jaw hint at a classically handsome face with the straight sloping outline of his nose and the curved silhouette of his full lips.

He stops and turns as if he heard someone call his name, and I watch as his gaze sweeps the lakeside where I’m standing.

I can’t see his eyes, but he appears to be looking right at me. I stand there like a deer caught in the headlights. But, as mortified as I am to be caught staring, I can’t look away.

Then, I remember Etta’s jibe about my wig being askew, and my stomach falls. I have to stop myself from reaching up to fix it, but I want to die. He grins suddenly and I start to smile back.

A loud shout from behind me makes me jump and just then, a tall, statuesque blonde in a red bandeau bikini, with her hair caught in long, swinging pigtail braids, runs past me and jumps onto his back.

I watch as he carries her off, both of them laughing. A single trickle of sweat runs from under my wig and plops into the corner of my eye and stings. That droplet is the proverbial drop of water that sent the bucket overflowing. I’ve had enough.

I turn and stalk off. I rip the wig off my head and moan in relief when the breeze moves through my hair and cools my scalp. I drop it into the first trash can I come across.

As my head cools off, so does my anxiety. This is fine. None of these people know and after today, I’m sure I won’t see any of them ever again.

There’s no point hiding who I am.

It’s a beautiful day, I’m in a beautiful place and I may not have a group of friends clambering to party with me or girls eating their words with a side of envy like I hoped, but I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to be somewhere like this again.

I’m going to enjoy this afternoon of freedom and solitude and when the sun goes down, I’ll find a fire to sit by and draw.

I press my nose to my shoulder and grimace at the horrible stench of the drink I spilled all over myself.

The smell overwhelms my earlier qualms about stripping. I can rinse my dress in the lake and it’ll be dry by the time Duke’s ready to go. With one last look at the beautiful man and the equally beautiful woman he is with I turn and walk away.

Beauty, I decide is overrated and I’m finished chasing it.

4

DANCE

CARTER

“There aresomany hot women here tonight,” my brother says as he eyes the crowds of people who have descended on the lake today.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” I don’t bother to look up from my phone.

Until he lets out a low whistle and a groan. He’s been talking about women all night, but a whistle from him is high praise indeed. So, I follow his gaze. But all I see is the hint of a shapely back, a long neck, and flash of dark hair before the crowd swallows her.

“What a spectacularass,” he groans. “God, sucks to be you. I mean, how you’ve sworn off getting laid, I don’t know.”

“I haven’t sworn off getting laid… it’s just gotta bereallyfucking worth it for all the trouble it takes.” I turn back to the book I’m reading.

“I hear you. And soon you’re going to have to get anyone you fuck to sign a NDA.”

“Uh—nah man. That’s you. I’m not pretending be a saint. I don’t need to pretend I’m saving myself for marriage like you do.”

“I hate my life.” He groans up to the sky.

I squint at him in disbelief. “Right. It’s so hard being a famous, rich, successful pro athlete who has his own television show in the off-season. It’s much better to be me. Publicly fired by my own father and so unknown that I don’t need a baseball cap to sit around in public.” I say dryly.

He adjusts the brim of his hat and shakes his head. “Carter, all you have to do is agree to do that tour and Dad will let you back on the show.”

“I don’t want to. And there’s no guarantee that he won’tstillsay no when it’s all said and done. He’s such a hard-ass,” I snap irritably.

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