Page 63 of Those Summer Nights (Sweet Cravings 2)

"I'm going to need one more shot."

"You got it." He ordered another round. He was smiling at me.

"What?"

"I've never convinced a girl to take her clothes off so easily."

I laughed and pushed his arm. "It’s a bikini contest, not a striptease. But thanks for your help." I kissed his cheek.

“He really is the best.” Kristen kissed his cheek too.

I hoped that J.J. was watching us now.

"Are you sure you want that last drink? You're awfully flirtatious when you're drunk,” Kristen said. “Sometimes in a bad way.”

"I know, but I need it." I lifted the glass and downed my last shot. I drummed my hands on the bar. "Okay, wish me luck, guys."

"You don't need it." Reggie smiled at me as he wrapped his arm around Kristen. She sat on his lap. She was really good at acting.

“Knock him dead!” Kristen called after me.

Chapter 18

Monday

I was so nervous. I had never done anything like this before. The first few girls had already walked up on stage to the cheers of the crowd. They were all much more well-endowed than me in all the right places. Kristen would have been a better fit for this contest. I was about to run in the opposite direction when I spotted my lifeguard in the crowd. He was standing with a few of his male friends, the blonde girl nowhere near him. I wondered where she went.

Kristen was standing a few feet away from J.J. She gave me two thumbs up. I gave one weak one back, hoping it didn’t look like I was about to piss myself.

"You'll have to take off your shirt and shorts," a woman said to me who was standing by the stage directing the other girls. "It's a bikini contest. The judges need to see you in your bikini,” she added, like I was dense. Maybe the other girls on stage needed it explained to them five times, but the idea was pretty straightforward to me. A bikini contest meant showing off your bikini.

"Right." I unbuttoned my shorts. Can I really do this? Any confidence I had when I came back here had suddenly disappeared. But seeing J.J. had made the flight response searing in my brain come to a halt. Sure, he'd probably just tease me about this afterward. Or maybe…he’d finally see me the way I wanted him to see me.

"Actually, do it on stage. Everyone will get a kick out of that. Like a striptease, minus the actual stripping."

I buttoned my shorts back up. I can't pretend strip on stage! Fuck, I can't do this. I was about to bolt when the woman grabbed my arm.

"Okay, you're up." She directed me toward the stage. It felt a little forceful, but only because I had been stepping in the opposite direction.

"I don't think I..."

"You'll do great." She lightly pushed me up the steps.

Shit. I couldn't not do it now. I was already halfway up the stage. I took a deep breath and walked up the last few stairs. The stage was slightly blurry. I'm so drunk. Or maybe I was about to blackout from nerves. I didn’t even like when professors took attendance and I had to say “Here.” What had I been thinking agreeing to this?

I walked toward the middle of the stage and stopped. All I could see was J.J. He smiled at me. I had finally gotten his attention. I needed this to work. I didn't have any more tricks up my sleeve. And I wasn’t wearing sleeves for that matter, so this was my one and only shot.

"Take it off!" someone yelled.

J.J.'s smile faded. He turned his head toward whoever had said it.

I needed him to look at me again. I slowly pulled my shirt off over my head and tossed it toward him in the crowd. He looked back at me just in time to catch it. His lips were slightly parted. He was shocked by what I was doing. Was that good?

My semi-striptease had gotten a few whistles and hollers from the crowd. Even though I was still wearing my bikini top, I felt so exposed. But J.J.'s eyes were glued on me. I couldn't stop no

w. I unbuttoned my shorts and turned to the side. I arched my back and bent forward slightly as I let the fabric slide down my hips and to the floor. I kicked my shorts toward J.J. He had to take a few steps forward and snatch them away from some random guy.

I was glad I was wearing my nicest bikini. I twirled around during the applause. This was actually super fun. Why had I been so scared? I was a natural stripper. Well, down to my bathing suit, not my birthday suit. I’d never actually strip.

---