Page 48 of Girls Will Be Girls
He looks at me expectantly, so I kick off my other shoe in a huff, making him laugh as he shuts his eyes again.
I unwrap the towel from around me, holding it in my hand. I shyly check to make sure my bikini is still in place, and when I look up again, Lou’s eyes are on mine. I can feel the strain behind his gaze to keep it from dipping, like it’s a game we’re playing, and if he wavers, I win.
I turn around, as if tempting him to look at the high rise of my bikini, and drop my towel on the chair nearby. I perch down onto the side of the tub and drop my legs into the warm, bubbling water. He watches me keenly under hooded eyes as I dip in opposite him. I cross my legs onto the wide bench as he shifts his arms into the water.
We stare at each other for a beat, until it becomes unbearable not to talk, or touch, or do anything.
I forfeit the game first. “Good day?”
His lips tilt up playfully, knowing full well what we’re both doing. “Long day.” He says. “You?”
“Good day.” I nod.
“No one call you baby girl today?”
“No.”
“Would you like someone to?” He teases.
“Stop.” I splash at him.
He shakes his head, grinning. “So immature.”
“By the way.” I change the subject. “It’s me Willie loves, not you.”
He shakes his head again. “Not possible.”
“I have proof.”
“Proof.” He scoffs. “What proof?”
“On the hike, he showed me andonlyme the best spot to see the sunrise,” I say smugly. “I got to watch it all by myself.”
He scrunches his face. “I don’t think that’s proof.”
“It definitely is.”
“Maybe he just wanted you away from him.” He says. “Maybe he feels the opposite of love for you.”
I scoff. “Now you’re just reaching.” I gesture at myself. “Have you seen me? I’m adorable.” I echo his words from yesterday.
He laughs, and the sound washes over me. It’s that old song I haven’t heard for so long.Pure joy.
“You may have a point.” He admits. “You look very adorable in this get-up.” He looks me up and down quickly.
“Is that what you’d call it?” I smirk at him. “Adorable?”
He smiles, biting the inside of his cheek like he’s trying to stop himself from saying something. “It is in the PG version.”
“Mm-hm.” I nod as if in thought. “And what about in the R-rated version?”
I know I’m steering straight out of flirting directly to overtly explicit, but I can’t help myself. It’s like I’m desperate to goad him into taking it further.
He studies me, his eyes dipping to the water’s surface in front of me like he’s trying to see past it. See what’s underneath it. I can feel my whole body heating up and not just from the bubbles.
He lifts an arm up onto the side and rests his head on it lazily. He looks at me with an almost amused but pained gaze, as if he wants to explore the shallows, but he won’t.
“How was the hike?” He finally says, bursting the tension.
