Page 26 of You're The One
Tomorrow will be better. I’ll reset. Regroup.
And I’ll have myfirstgroup date.
THE LOVERS, THE MOON, AND THE MISMATCH
WEEK 1
TEN
I was wrong.
Group date? Check. Calmer? Absolutelynot. Mia’s outfit—or lack thereof—has me tenser than ever.
“Could you not afford a swimsuit? You should’ve told me. I would’ve bought you one,” I mutter.
Her brows pull together, two sharp lines forming between them. “Ha ha. Very funny.”
She bends to shimmy out of her jean shorts, and it only gets worse. The bottoms look like they’re made of shoelaces.
I pull off my T-shirt and try to tug it over her head, but she swats me away before I can get it down her body. The fabric ends up bunched around her neck.
Bodhi picks the perfect time to make his way over, coming up behind Mia, and very clearly checking out her ass.
I shoot him a look, one that hopefully says,stop looking at her like that.
He doesn’t notice. Or doesn’t care.
As I’m distracted, glaring at him, Mia tosses my shirt back at me. It hits me in the chest and slides to the ground.
Bodhi lets out a low whistle. “I like the suit, Mia.” Then he winks.
Fuck, this woman is going to make it impossible for me to follow through on my promise towatch out for her. I get the whole “I had to beat him off with a stick” thing now.
“Thanks.” She flashes him a smile, then turns to me with a scowl. “At least someone likes it.”
Bodhi claps his hands once. “All right, you guys ready? The instructors are waiting on you.”
The reason for Mia’s barely there outfit: today’s date is paddleboarding.
A guy who looks like he could be Bodhi’s cousin is already set up on the beach, standing in front of a row of seven boards facing the ocean behind him.
We each take a spot. I grab one in the middle, and Mia ends up at the far right.Probably for the best.
The instructor launches into the basics, which I don’t need. I’ve got a cabin on the lake where I spend most summers, so I’m no stranger to water sports. Still, I stand there and pretend to listen like everyone else.
Mia follows along for a bit, moving through the steps until she seems comfortable. Then she starts stretching like she’s in a yoga class. First, she drops to her knees, folding forward with her arms reaching out in front of her. Then she pushes up, straightening her legs, her ass in the air.
Is she trying to fuck with me?
I force my eyes to her face, which is upside down, so most of her features are hidden as her hair falls forward. It’s so dark it nearly absorbs the light, but as she moves, it shines softly. She could be in one of thosePantenecommercials?—
Why the hell am I looking at her hair?
Summer, to my right, nudges my side. “Ready for this?”
I smile and pretend I wasn’t staring at my teammate’s little sister. “Yep.”
Some of the girls are already struggling with their balance, and that’s on solid ground. Once we’re out in the ocean, this is going to be chaos.
