THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS

[33]

I followed her out the door and towards their hotel room. Julia glanced back at me, "Eden's getting ready,"

As she said those words, a shadow of a smile stretched her lips and I found my body burning up as my mind visualized what she would look like today. The way she dressed left me breathless every time.

When we got to their door, Julia slid her key and pushed it open. Eden was on her bed slipping on her socks and shoes. When she heard the door open, she looked up and her face paled before it reddened. She stood up and pressed her feet together, holding her hands behind her back. I smiled at her, "Hey,"

She opened her mouth and closed it and opened it again, "Um-- H-- Hey,"

I cracked a smile and as she turned around and let my eyes skim up and down her body. I sucked in a breath. She was dressed in a skirt, similar to the one she wore yesterday. For a top, she was dressed in a cropped turtleneck that stopped right in the middle of her stomach. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and softly swayed whenever she moved her head. I blinked away the urges to do the worst to her.

She turned back around and smiled, not meeting my eyes, "I'm ready,"

Julia smiled and led us out the door, closing it after her. Eden was now standing next to me, shuffling from foot to foot. Julia smiled at the both of us and told us to follow her.

As we walked down the hallway to the elevator, my fingers brushed against hers and I watched her cheeks burn red.

In the elevator, she almost bumped into this man and I pulled her away from him, my hands on her bare waist. She sucked in a breath, but made no move to shrug my hand away from her. I didn't either.

In the taxi, her leg was pressed against mine and I could've moved... But I didn't want to. She's taking up every inch of my mind.

She was everywhere and she was nowhere. I felt her hands on my back, her hands on my face, but when I looked over to her, her hands were pressed between her thighs. I felt her on the tip of my tongue and I felt her against my lips, but every time I looked at her, she wasn't she wasn't she wasn't.

When we finally got to the restaurant, my eyebrows rose in surprise. The place was beautiful and extravagant. Julia smiled proudly at her choice and Eden's lips parted in surprise.

She looked so beautiful, it hurt.

The restaurant darkened the deeper you walked in, but was illuminated by dozens of warm chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Waiters dressed sharply in crisp shirts and black slacks darted around, pouring new drinks and smiling at customers.

Eden gasped, pointing to the wall to the left, "Oh my, God! Fish!"

My eyes fell to the wall she was talking about and my eyebrow rose in surprise. The wall furthest from us and to the left was covered completely in glass, holding back a colorful aquarium. About a hundred different types of fish were swimming around in shoals.

When we were finally seated, I took a deep breath. Then Eden took a seat next to me and suddenly I wasn't able to breathe again. She smiled nervously at me and I offered her a smile back.

Everything! was! so! fucking! awkward!

The waiter, Adrrie,n who would be taking our orders, smiled at Eden and Julia. He asked us what we would be drinking tonight and I said water, Julia asked for a sweet tea, and Eden asked for a Sherly Temple with no ice.

He nodded and walked away. Julia was beaming with excitement. I smiled at her, "Excited much?"

She blushed in embarrassment, "I love sushi, okay?"