There’s no time to react. Suddenly, the jet ski launches off the crest like a rocket. For a brief, glorious moment, I’m flying.
Unfortunately, gravity quickly does what it does best.
With a mighty splash, I’m no longer airborne. The jet ski lands first, and I follow close behind. Right in the water.
When I surface, I’m coughing and laughing, and spot the jet ski floating a few feet away, still running, mocking me.
My friends, meanwhile, are several yards away, laughing hysterically.
Slicking my wet hair back, I grin. “Alright,” I say to no one in particular as I swim toward the jet ski. “Round two.”
For the next two hours, we are whooping it up and having a fantastic time. I fall off more times than I want, but so do the guys. When our time is up and we have to return to the dock, I am exhausted in the best possible way.
“Holy crap! That was amazing!”
Zayne claps me on the back. “See? I told you! I thought you were going to give up after that wave took you out the first time.”
“Yeah, we were betting on it,” Mike chimes in. “But now Zayne owes me twenty bucks!”
“Thanks for your confidence in me,” I murmur. We head into the rental office and pick up our personal belongings before heading out to Zayne’s truck. “So? What’s next? Lunch, I hope!”
“Sounds like a plan.”
There’s a sandwich shop a few blocks over and we opt to go there. I can’t speak for anyone, but I know I’m starving. We sit down and place our orders, and it’s the first time we’re just chilling.
“Do we actually have to stay out of the house the entire day?” Zayne asks. “I heard about what happened with Roxie last night, but it would really suck if we were banned from the house from like…ten in the morning until six at night. I’m not cool with that.”
Mike glances at him. “Did you tell Vanessa that?”
He nods confidently. “I did! This was supposed to be a fun group trip. I get that Roxie’s going through something, but she knew we were all coming.”
I’m about to comment when Mike beats me to it.
“She did, but it’s one thing to think about it and another to find yourself in the middle and you’re all alone. When Ash and Olivia hooked up, she seriously felt left out.”
I hate that phrase, but I don’t correct him.
“So…what, Roxie wanted to hook up with Ash?”
Mike sighs loudly. “That’s not what I’m saying. We’re all…you know…coupled up and she’s the odd man out.”
“I get that, but it’s never bothered her before. Why pitch a fit when we’re all on vacation?”
This time I do speak up. “This is all new. When we’re back home, she can go home to her own place or opt not to go out at all. Here at the beach house, we’re all kind of up in each other’s business, and it’s all right in her face. You both know there’s zero privacy there, even with our own rooms.”
“Please, I’m just happy the place is fully soundproof,” Zayne says with a wink. “You guys are like brothers to me, but I do not need to hear what you’re doing with your girls, and I sure as hell don’t want you hearing what I’m doing with mine.”
“That is the truth,” Mike agrees before looking over at me. “How are things with you and Olivia going? You looked tense last night after you got back from walking Gunnar.”
I think of Olivia’s admission last night about our friends and how involved they are, and I opt not to divulge too much.
“You know, this is all new, but we’re having a great time.”
Both their gazes narrow before Zayne blurts out, “Way to be vague, Ash. We weren’t asking for specifics, but you didn’t need to go all politically correct.”
He can egg me on all he wants; I’m not saying more. Instead, I turn the tables and face Mike. “How did things go with you and Loren last night? It seemed like she was setting the stage for something big.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing when I first went outside, but after a while, she got kind of pissy with me. When I asked her what was wrong, she put me on the spot about setting a date for the wedding.”
