Page 37 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
Breathlessly, and so adorably unsure, Candace asked, “Was that okay?”
“I dunno… We’ll have to try again.”
Nervous, giddy laughter escaped them both. A beat passed, a mutual intake of bated breath. Then, their lips collided.
It was awkward and unrefined. More fumble than finesse, as they tested each other’s bounds with clipped kisses and tentative touches. Yet, before long, they eased into a rhythm, soft and swaying like reeds in the wind.
Candace relaxed over Daisy as they both sank against the dune. The grit of the sand, the annoying places it slipped into, was a distant afterthought compared to the yielding press of flesh. Daisy never knew how warm it would feel to be held like this, how goosebumps would rain over her skin with every needful shift.
The first slip of Candace’s tongue along Daisy’s lower lip caught her off guard. Daisy was ready for the second, and she met Candace’s tongue with her own. Sweet saliva tinged by mystery alcohol swept her on a journey of forbidden taste. Shewas not sure if the moan came from her throat or Candace’s, but she was unable to stop herself from adding another.
—followed by a gasp as fingers slipped under Daisy’s tank top collar and moulded around her breast. Breaking their lips, Candace asked Daisy in a hot puff of breath, “Do you want to slow down?”
“Fuck no!”
Daisy did not want to waste a single moment. She found Candace in the darkness. The pulsating thigh that her fingers grazed against was a drum beat urging her on. She ghosted her fingers from that low point, up and up, until she reached the miniskirt’s hem. As Candace kissed her again, Daisy took it as permission to go further. She did not want to overthink, or worry, or wonder. She wanted to know Candace, too.
However, the side she saw next was the worst part.
Being with Candace Perry should have elated Daisy. It should have made her belly flop, and her heart flutter. Instead, before she could enjoy any of those sweet sensations, an explosion rumbled the air. As the fireworks burst into bright, beautiful colors, sparks rained down below. Sparks that illuminated the bonfire attendees, Daisy and Candace included.
Over the crowd’s general “oohs” and “ahs,” a shrill voice cut above them.
“Oh my GAWD.Is Bagel Girl trying tokissCandy Perry?!”
It was impossible to tell who said the words as a wave of eyes turned to Daisy and Candace on the dune. Somanyeyes. Fellow students, teachers, and even Candace’s own Uncle Perry watched the pair like they were on a stage.
Daisy did not look at them. Her attention was locked on Candace, who sprang up so fast you’d never think she was the one who made the first move. Successive fireworks showed flashes of emotion over the girl’s face like photographs as she looked down at Daisy.
Embarrassment.
The lingering flush of lust.
Fear.
And total, gut-wrenching sorrow.
Yet, with the crowd looking on, it was like she became a different person. Tossing her hair back, she boasted, “Can you blame her? Who wouldn’t want a piece of me?”
Daisy stammered under her breath, “But you… I—”
“It was brave of you to make a pass, but I told you, I’m not that kind of girl.”
“Yeah,” some Pier Princess defender jibed, “keep dreaming, lesbo.”
Then, they laughed. Candace joined in, laughing along with her friends and both of their schools, while Daisy felt like she was sinking into oblivion.
It was only thanks to the finale, and all its glorious, attention-grabbing glory, that Daisy was able to escape. Scrambling through the sand, she stumbled up and away from the beach as fast as her shaking legs would carry her.
Where she got was here: Lonely. Directionless. And, worst of all, right back where she started, sitting next to the person who hurt her most.
Daisy shook her head to clear the past. The nature center and the simulated waves that lapped against the sides of Horace’s enclosure helped to ground her.
“You know why I don’t like social media?” Without waiting for a response, Daisy explained, “I was outed to my whole school. Hell, the whole island found out. They harassed me for years for trying to get with the Pier Princess. It was humiliating, and I just had to take it. You, though… You got to fuck off to New York like it never happened. So, Candace… If you were me, would you want anything to do with you?”
Chapter 11
Candace
