Page 93 of Pick-Up
“Okay, because, I had fun with you last night.”
I swallow hard. “I… had fun too.”
“And I don’t mean to complicate things, but I think there’s something—”
But it is in this moment that we reach the narrowest part of the spit, and our bodies are suddenly flush together again, my upper arm to his lower arm, my thigh to his thigh. His skin is warm, solid. I can’t take any more of this push and pull today. And my body is flooded with a jolt of electricity that throws me off course, literally and figuratively.
Before I know what’s happening, I’m catapulting sideways and landing on my ass in the water. Splat.
“… here,” says Ethan, finishing his sentence.
I can see he is trying to hold back laughter, and who can blame him? But I can’t handle all the things happening in my head at this moment and, when he extends his hand to help me up, I turn to flee instead. Like a child, I dunk my head under the water and swim away.
The ocean is not deep here and, even when I swim farther out, I am still able to stand, the water not cresting my shoulders.
“Sasha! Come back!”
I should. I should go back. For all the reasons. This is not Professional Sasha’s most shining moment. And I am about to get my shit together and swim back to the spit, when I realize something vibrant and floral is now floating several feet away, being swept up by the current.
“Shoot!” I yelp. “The sarong!” I swim after Stephanie’s cover-up, trying to grab it, but it keeps slipping farther from my grasp. And just as I clasp it in my hands, I see an unidentifiable sea creature venture near me. This one is not my friend. I know it right away. It looks at me like I’m an intruder in its house. Within moments, searing pain radiates from my thigh as I yelp at the top of my lungs. And all the while I’m thinking, this is not how I wanted this to go. Not at all.
In a split second, Ethan is next to me, scooping me and the sarong up and carrying us both to the shore. All in a single bound.
Even the pain and shock can’t obscure the heat I feel with his hands on my wet body, palms pressed to my upper arm and thigh. Even the mushroom cloud of embarrassment gets pushed to the back burner with his abs against my side. His strong arms encircling my ribs, inches below my chest. There is so much bare skin against skin. I’m lucky there are other people around to stop whatever wild impulses might take over.
He lies me down on the sand.
His perfect white T-shirt is now soaking wet and clinging to his body. He’s got supermarket rain hair. This spells true disaster for me. I am a goner. Either from the poisonous bite or from his hotness. Whatever kills me first. I am a chalk outline waiting to happen.
“Where does it hurt?” he asks.
Nowhere. Everywhere. Only the actual bite is on my inner thigh, and I can’t even show him without feeling like I’m giving him a money shot.
I level him with a look. His eyes track down my body to where a big pink welt is forming inches below my bikini line.
He opens his mouth to speak. Closes it again.
He is saved by the bell, as Jimmy rushes up. “Are you okay, miss?”
“I think I just got stung by something,” I manage.
“Yes,” he says. “I suspect you have met one of our minor predators, the thimble jellyfish. They usually come in groups, but I’ve not seen one here for many months. Quite an unusual sighting.”
He says this like perhaps I will be thrilled. Take a photo of my contusion. Put it in a scrapbook.
“Okay,” I say, breathing as the stinging sensation worsens. “What now?”
“Unfortunately, miss, we’ll need to get you back to Citrine. It’s not serious, but you do need some medicine and should have the doctor look at it.” He turns to Ethan. “Perhaps some ointment?”
Is there a less sexy word thanointment?
“It’s not far,” Jimmy continues. “I can take you back and give the others time to relax here, then return for them.”
Stephanie and Jackie rush up, and now I’ve drawn a crowd. “Are you okay?” Jackie asks. “Was it a lizard? I don’t trust those motherfuckers.”
“Jackie!” Stephanie rolls her eyes. “WTF! The lizards are harmless. And not in the middle of the ocean! What is your deal? Were you attacked by a dinosaur in a past life?”
“Maybe!”
