Page 9 of OneTime Lovers
Jasmine certainly isn’t falling all over me like I’m used to. In fact, I’m still not even sure she likes me.
Not easily put off, I take my seat, prepared to go another round with her flirty, sharp tongue and quick wit. Pushing her buttons and receiving another of her put downs is entertaining. But I also want to delve deeper.
Once I’ve settled into my seat, I attempt to learn more about her. “I heard you and Lily went to college with Cassie in Florida.”
Raising an arched brow she quips, “Really? That’s your best conversation opener? You disappoint me, Scott.”
Wow, this woman is a ball breaker, and I need to up my game.
“What? You’d rather I said, I really want to take you to bed and do rude things with your gorgeous body?”
Jasmine looks amused by my response.
“I guess it would sound more honest, but maybe you’re right, that’s not really a suitable dinner conversation. So, I’ll respond to your first statement. Yes, Cassie and I met on day one of college then a couple of weeks later we met Lily.”
“You disappoint me, taking the safe option. I would have thought you were more a risk-taker.” She twists her head sharply toward me, glaring. I continue casually, “But I’m willing to overlook this if you’ve got some good dirt to dish about you girls in college.” Jas strikes me as a girl who lives in the moment.
She shakes her head, her humor already restored. “We certainly had some fun. But maybe the only dirt I have to dish would be on me.”
That sounds about right and something I’d like to get the chance to explore further with her.
“I’m not surprised by that at all. In fact, I’d be shocked if you didn’t do anything dirty.”
“Ah, very clever. You do like to twist my words. What about you, where did you go to college?”
“Canberra in Australia where I did my pilot training. And before you ask the Air Force didn’t leave me much time for naughty misadventures, unfortunately.”
“Poor you. No stories of a misspent youth.”
Laughing at her summary, I reassure her, “Don’t feel too bad for me, I have plenty of stories of my misspent youth and I’ve made up for those lost years since I left the military.” The smile tugging on those glossy red lips, tells me she wants to know more but is not going to ask.
Over dinner, we continue to talk but this time about our work. Hers, as a New York real estate professional running the residential sales section of her father’s property development company and mine as CEO of my surfboard designing business in Florida. A business that has me increasingly traveling the globe.
Jas talks a little about her childhood growing up with two big brothers, in a large high-rise Manhattan apartment, a few blocks from 5thAvenue. And I share a bit about my upbringing in Sydney Australia, living in the family harborside home with my parents and younger sister.
It’s interesting how we have come from similar privileged, wealthy backgrounds but half a world away. Same, but different. From our surprisingly easy conversation I gather we have another thing in common, working hard and playing harder.
Honestly, the more I learn about Jasmine the more I want to know. It’s an unusual situation as I’m more of a casual dater. Some, like the media back home, even call me a playboy. I’d disagree.
My business is my focus, and it keeps me busy. Most of my time is spent designing new boards, working with my team of craftsmen making them, or the best bit, testing out new designs in the waves off West Palm Beach, about an hour drive north of Miami.
Jasmine’s attention shifts to the general table conversation, which is probably a good thing as I’m becoming a bit too focused on this woman.
Blake is trying to organize us into a tennis tournament tomorrow morning after breakfast. It sounds like a fun idea. I don’t mind a game of tennis. Growing up, I was always outdoors playing all kinds of sports––some competitively, some only for fun. And tennis was one of those sports I occasionally played with friends.
Cassie, grinning from ear to ear, throws down a challenge that is impossible to resist. Girls against boys, and each game will be the best of five. It’s quickly agreed, Cassie will take on Luke, Blake will play Lily, and I can’t wait to play Jasmine.
Predictably, Blake is all about establishing the wager, and it’s soon agreed the losers will have to be the winner’s personal butler for the day. Not sure what that means but it sounds fun, and it reminds me a bit of the bets I had with my friends when I was a teen. And as was the case back then, I’m looking forward to winning. Yep, I’m really going to enjoy having Jasmine running after me.
Blake and I are very competitive by nature, Luke a little less so. He’ll probably want to let his bride win so we’ll give him a leave pass this time. It won’t matter as Blake, and I are sure to win our games. Bring it on.
Once the rules of the challenge and game start time have been settled on, Luke and Cassie excuse themselves from the table on the pretext of needing an early night.
“You do realize it’s only 9 o’clock?” I point out looking at my watch.
“Tomorrow is a big day with the tennis challenge in the morning and our guests arriving in the afternoon,” Cassie insists.
I look around the table and nobody is buying her weak excuse. Especially since they haven’t left each other alone all afternoon. The way she’s been ogling Luke, it’s obvious she can’t wait to get him naked again. I’m just glad we’ve each got our own bungalow.
