Page 20 of Chasing Lynda

She giggles, and the levity in her laugh tells me she isn’t mad. “Not really. It’s a couple of croissants and I sat on them earlier by accident. So they were already a little worse for wear.”

Her eyes are the most intense blue I’ve ever seen. Lighter than Carter’s but darker than Bennett’s. They’re a unique shade, almost like teal but so bright that it’s hard to look away.

She has naturally pink lips and fair skin. She’s pretty pale, making me think that either she doesn’t like sunbathing or she’s just arrived here in Bridgeport. Raven colored hair descends on her slender shoulders and I close my hands into fists, fighting the urge to touch it. I bet it’s as silky to the touch as I imagine.

The words leave my mouth before I can even think about it. “Let me buy you dinner.” She opens her mouth to say something, probably to turn me down and I charge on. “Just as a sorry for ruining your croissants.”

I see the conflicted feelings in the way she bites down on her bottom lip as she considers my offer.

“That’s really nice of you, but ...” She smiles mischievously. “You just told me to beware of strangers and I don’t even know your name.”

Fuck. She’s right. I’ve been so busy with my studies and football this past year, that I haven’t really had any time for dating. Hookups? Sure, those are easy. It seems that I’ve totally lost any game I might’ve had in the past.

“Zane. Nice to meet you.” I remedy, offering her my hand to shake.

She hesitates for a second, almost recoiling back and away from my extended hand. I get the distinctive feeling that she doesn’t like being touched.

When I’m about to withdraw my hand, she makes up her mind, putting her hand in mine. “Lynda. Nice to meet you, Zane.”

Her hand is tiny in mine, the skin soft and smooth and it fits perfectly into my larger one.

“So now that we aren’t strangers anymore, what about that dinner?”

She hesitates again as I reluctantly let go of her hand.

“I don’t know, Zane. It’s very nice of you to offer but ...” Her eyes lower, skimming over her own bikini clad chest. “I didn’t take much with me when I left the house this morning and—”

I’m about to offer to drive her home and wait for her to change if she wants but I see that hesitation again. Whatever her living situation, she doesn’t look inclined to go home.

“Well fuck, I’m not exactly dressed for fine dining either. I’d have to go change too and I’m starving. How about we keep it super casual? There’s a ton of totally unpretentious places that sell delicious food on the boardwalk. And then we can check out some of the cool extra attractions on offer for Memorial Day weekend?”

I see her walls crumbling down and I conclude my elevator pitch with what I hope will seal the deal. “There’s also some extra food vendors just for this weekend and there’s a funnel cake stand I’m dying to try. They’ve won a ton of awards, so I bet that alone is going to be something to remember.”

Her smile tells me that she’s going to say yes. “That sounds awesome, Zane. But I’ll have my bags with me. I hope it isn’t too annoying dragging them around.”

I smile, standing up and offering her my hand to help her onto her feet. “I have an easy solution for that. Follow me.”

We stop by the lockers available at the beach so that the day guests who don’t rent a cabana have somewhere safe where to stow their valuables for the day.

I grab a key for Lynda and encourage her to leave everything in there. “Just grab your phone if you need it. Dinner and the rides are going to be my treat.”

She blushes and I can’t decide if she looks more adorable when she smiles or when she feels shy.

“I—I must’ve dropped my phone on the beach last night. I don’t have—”

“We didn’t find any phones after we took care of those motherfu—those guys who were bothering you. Maybe they took it? I could call the police station and see if that’s the case. They would’ve taken those men’s belongings when they were booked in. What make and model was it?”

Again, she pauses for a second. When she tells me a model that’s a couple of years old, I figure she’s embarrassed for not having something cooler and newer. So I quickly reassure her that I’ll see if we can find it.

“Don’t worry, Zane. I was due for an upgrade anyway. That phone was old,” she says, confirming my initial hunch.

This girl is a real enigma.

The way she talks and carries herself and the limited edition, designer bikini she’s wearing, tell me that she comes from money. The only other person I’ve seen with that bikini is Callie and I know for a fact that it comes with a four figure price tag.

But at the same time, she has an older phone model and she held onto the ruined croissants that she surely won’t eat tonight and will be stale come tomorrow.

Another thing that feeds my curiosity, adding to the contrast between her appearance and her behavior is the way she fumbles in her bags, as she offers to pay for the rental of the locker.

---