Sipping on Fire

Chapter 3

Tyler's POV

I rolled up outside the address Lauren sent me in my motorcycle, beeping the horn to get her attention. I saw her hold up 1 finger from the window, telling me she'd be down in a minute. To be honest, I wasn't sure why I wanted to hang out with her since I barely knew her, I just felt strongly to do so. I pushed the small bit of uncertainty out of my head and tried to focus on what I did know about her. She was beautiful, funny, down to earth, caring and from what I could see so far - she didn't seem to care about who I was. My friends and family would probably think I'm going crazy for opening my life up to someone I barely know so quickly. She put off this mature, can-handle-anything, and trustworthy vibe that I couldn't help but trust her. 

Ideally, I would have liked to wait a little while longer to tell her who I was, but I fucked up. "Ohhhh noo we're not." She closed the front door and pointed at my bike. 

I nodded and held out a helmet to her, "Oh yes we are." She grabbed the helmet reluctantly after swinging a backpack on her back. "Hop on and hold on tight." I heard her whimper softly in protest before sliding onto the back of the bike. She looked so cute in a tank top & shorts over her bathing suit. "Just trust me." The way her small petite arms squeezed my waist let me know she didn't quite trust me just yet, but who could blame her? I was a stranger. I relished in the feeling of another woman's hands around my waist on my bike...a feeling I had missed tremendously since things had ended with my ex-fiancé. It took her a while, but 15-20 minutes into the ride, her grip relaxed. Occasionally at red lights I would yell back to her to see if she was ok, I would only get a nod in response. 

We reached the lake faster than I had wanted. Warm days out of the bike were the perfect remedy for clearing one's mind. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked her when the bike stopped.

She shrugged, "It wasn't terrible....except now I have helmet hair." She frowned as she slid off the helmet. 

I took my Bulldogs cap off and handed it to her. "Here, you can wear this."

She smiled a little, "Thanks..." I placed my hand on the small of her back and ushered her down to the dock where my friends and bandmates were waiting. I said a silent prayer, hoping and praying they would welcome her into the group with open arms.

"Hey T" Brian nodded my way.

I threw him the boat keys from down the dock, "Fire her up." One of the sweetest sounds on this earth was the sound of a boat engine revving on a beautiful day. "Guys, this is Lauren. Lauren, this is ...well...everyone." Lauren waved quietly, visibly uncomfortable.

Brian, being the most welcoming of the group, reached for her hand to help her onto the boat. "Welcome, darlin'!" I gave Brian a nod as a 'thank you' for making the first move. He sent me a wink in return. 

Following suit of her husband was Brit, which shocked me considering her best friend, my ex-fiance, was no longer around. "I'm Brit, so nice to meet you!" She ushered Lauren to the back of the boat and made her sit next to her. They immediately started, what looked like, 'girl talk', I suppose. 

"I see you already have her wearing your Bulldogs hat..." Brian nudged me in the ribs as we drove the boat away from the dock. I rolled my eyes and tried my best to ignore him. "You're into her. I can tell by the look on your face."

"Not here..." I begged him to stop. He sighed, handed me two beers from the cooler at our feet, and pushed me away from the drivers seat back toward's where Lauren and Brit were sitting. "Wanna beer?" I asked as I approached the girls, offering one to Lauren.

She grabbed it from my hands, muttering a quiet "Thanks." 

"THubb, why don't you sit here?" Brit offered up her seat. "I wanna go jump on my man, anyway." She sent me a quick wink before getting up and walking away, leaving Lauren and I alone. For the first time in two days, there was an awkwardness between her and I. 

"What's going through that pretty lil head of yours?" I asked as quietly as I could over the noise of the motor.

She raised an eye brow "Honestly?" I nodded in return. "I'm wondering why I'm here..." I frowned causing her to back pedal quickly. "I don't mean it that way. This is awesome. It's a gorgeous day. This is a beautiful boat. But we're strangers. You don't know me and I don't know you."

I smirked. "Isn't the point of hanging out with someone to get to know them so you're no longer strangers?" She rolled her eyes with a smile and took a swig from her beer. I put my arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Come on, lighten up and just have some fun." Something was telling me she doesn't trust easily. After a few minutes of continued silence, I couldn't bare it any longer. "Do you wakeboard?" 

She laughed lightly, a sound that I couldn't get enough of. "Not well, but yes."

I smiled devishly, "Good - because you're first." The boat slowed down to a stop.

"Are you crazy?!" She shrieked. "No way. Absolutely not. I barely know these people! I am not making a fool of myself." 

I nudged her a little with a smile. "Come on, darlin'!" She stared at me for what felt like forever in what seemed to be a battle. Her deep brown eyes were so fierce that my heart fluttered anxiously.

"Who's goin' first?" Brian yelled with the wakeboard in his arms. I held a finger over Lauren's head with a devilish smile. 

"I'll get you back somehow." She warned with a smirk before throwing my cap in my lap and standing up. She removed her tank top and shorts to reveal the perfect bikini body. I licked my bottom lip and watched her slip off the boat and into the water. BK handed her the wakeboard and handlebar. I winked at Lauren as she slid her feet into position on the board.

"Ready?" BK yelled out to her. She held her thumb up in approval. The boat lurched forward bringing Lauren to her feet. Everyone on the boat cheered when she stood up. Her run lasted far longer than I thought it would based off of how she explained her experience level. I smiled wide, like I would if she was 'my girl'. I nudged Brian, who was now standing next to me while his wife drove the boat, and nodded out her way as if to say 'that's mine'. "Nice catch." He laughed while bumping his fist to mine.

The boat slowed down once Lauren his the water in what looked like a pretty painful fall. We circled around to pick her up as she swam slowly to the boat. "Are you ok?!" I exclaimed once she was within arms reach.

She winced in what looked to be pain. "Can you help me up?" She reached her hand out and grabbed mine. Once our hands clasped together, her look of pain switched to a playful look. The next thing I knew, my body hit the water. When I resurfaced, Lauren and the whole boat were laughing. She splashed me in the face with the cool lake water. "Payback's a bitch." she smirked before climbing up the boat ladder. "Tyler's next!" I heard her exclaim happily. 

I couldn't help but smile. From that moment on, there was no more uncertainty of getting to know her. I had no choice. My heart was already fully vested. I had jumped in with both feet and there was no turning back.