Someone was knocking on her bedroom door.
Emily moved the pillow off her head and rolled over to look at her phone. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as the blurriness took a minute to clear. After a few more blinks her mind registered that it was now nearly ten in the morning.
Kelly's voice called through her door, "Emily? Are you awake?"
"I am now." She yawned.
He continued to talk through her door, "I took the day off so we could... so I could... I mean... Do you want to go to the beach? John, Sam and I are going."
I do love the beach...
"Yes. Just give me a minute to shower."
She heard him laugh. "You don't need to shower to go to the beach."
I need to wash off Evan's scent that is clinging to me like a potent perfume...
"I want to shave," she said.
"I'll get a chair for you. Make it quick," Kelly ordered.
They were set up on the beach before noon.
"C'mon Em!" Sam called out laughing as John chased her down to the water's edge.
Emily yelled back, "I need to put on my sunblock."
Kelly sat down in his chair. "I'll wait for you."
He stared at her as she took off her shorts and tank top to reveal her pink string bikini. He pulled on his sunglasses as she started to spread the lotion across her arms. He continued to ignore the horizon of crashing waves and sailboats and gazed silently at her from behind his dark lenses.
It's a beautifully sunny day but the heat I feel is not from the sky... Nor in areas where the sun reaches...
"The view is that way." Emily pointed toward the coastline.
"Not for me," Kelly said.
She shook her head.
If he wants to watch, then I'll make it worthwhile...
First, she bent down to slowly coat one leg from ankle to hip and Kelly cleared his throat. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, but he didn't smile or move a muscle.
Not enough yet... On to the other side...
Emily turned her back to him to pick up the sunblock off her chair and get another handful of lotion. When she dipped down from her waist to coat her second leg, from behind her backside he cleared his throat again. She swiveled her head toward him and smiled innocently. Off came Kelly's sunglasses, but he didn't smile back.
Better safe than sorry...
Next, she painted the white cream across her stomach and he sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees.
Protect now or pain later...
Finally she squeezed some block on her breastbone and slid it around her cleavage, making sure to get it under the edges of her triangle top. Kelly licked his lips.
Almost done... At least what I can manage on my own...
Emily held out the bottle to him in invitation. "I could use some help with my back."
"Come here," he summoned in that tone she loved.
She walked over, handed him the block and presented her back. Suddenly he pulled her down onto his lap.
"I can't exactly stand up right now," he explained.
It was Emily's turn to clear her throat.
Kelly squirted the lotion onto her spine and proceeded to expertly coat her back, neck, shoulders and sides.
Luxuriating in the feel of his capable hands as he massaged her muscles, Emily let a small moan escape. Then she noticed a middle-aged man, on a blanket ten feet away, eyeballing them.
I guess I attracted more than Kelly as an audience...
Emily nodded in the direction of the man and said, "I think he likes the show." She leaned her head back against Kelly's shoulder and chuckled.
Kelly kissed her neck. "Well you are the best thing to look at on this beach."
He turned her face more fully towards him and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Emily easily forgot about the eyes upon them.
Soft sand swallowing my feet... Waves breaking in that hypnotic shushing rhythm... Kelly's chest slick against my back... His arms around my waist... Coconut scent enveloping us... I could stay like this all day...
But Kelly soon broke their kiss and pushed Emily up from his lap. "If I don't get into the water and cool off, I might give everybody out here a totally different show."
He sprung from his chair, grabbed her hand, and together they ran down into the frigid water. They spent the proceeding hours enjoying the sand and surf.
On the ride home, Emily sat in the front seat, while John and Sam made use of the backseat. She held Kelly's hand and swirled her finger around his palm.
I know this drives him crazy...
Kelly kept squeezing her hand and looking over at her. He shook his head. He raised his eyebrows. But never did he pull his hand away from hers. At one point, Kelly stopped short at a light because he had snuck a look Emily's way and nearly ran through the red.
John barked, "What the hell Kelly! Are you trying to kill us?"
"Sorry man!" Kelly apologized. He faced Emily, cheeks crimson. "Won't happen again."
That's the first time I've seen him blush...
So Emily agreed wordlessly to stop. Instead, she let Kelly's hand settle on her thigh. He rubbed circles on her skin the way he had that first drive home.
In a way that drives me crazy...
He pulled into the development and dropped Sam at home. Then turned around the corner onto the Randazzo driveway to unload the beach chairs and cooler into the garage.
When they walked into the backyard they found John Sr. grilling sausage. "How were the brakes?" he asked Kelly.
"Great. They were very responsive," Kelly answered.
"Thank God because Kelly stopped short a couple times. Distracted driving..." her brother mocked.
"I hope you weren't texting while driving," said Suzanne, as she set the patio table.
Kelly remained silent while John answered for him. "No, he was flirting while driving."
Emily felt her ears flush magenta. "Maybe he was distracted by the amount of face sucking going on in the backseat."
Her father brought the meat over to the table. "Okay enough teasing. Shut up and eat – all three of you!"
Emily heard her phone's text alert during dinner but didn't look at it.
With a quick glance up to Evan's bedroom window, she could see it was open and that his curtains were blowing in the breeze.
But I already knew he was home... His car was in his driveway when we pulled in...
After the meal was over she helped clear the table then excused herself, with the explanation of needing a shower but really wanting to check her phone.
Her bedroom door was quickly locked and her heart raced while she listened to the Violent Femmes' "Please Do Not Go" which Emily had always found to be a sexy song.
It makes my stomach churn while a different part of my anatomy aches... I imagine that's how Evan is feeling right now too... I wonder if he saw Kelly on the patio with me and that's why he chose this song...
The jiggling doorknob jolted her out of her contemplation.
Emily opened the door to find Kelly smirking at her. "Violent Femmes? Feeling horny?" he asked as he walked into her room.
He pulled her into his arms. "I can help with that," he said before kissing her aggressively.
It's all too much right now... I need to switch this off before I completely overload my circuits...
Emily pushed away. "Whoa! Down boy! My family is awake. Plus, I still have to finish homework and pack my stuff to be ready for school tomorrow."
Kelly grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms. "I know, I know. But you can't blame me for wanting to after the day we had together." He kissed her neck.
Emily untangled herself from his arms again. "Today was fun. Thanks."
She turned to pick up the shirt he had left Saturday morning, which she had washed. Kelly took his shirt and furrowed his brow.
"Why do I feel like I'm getting the brush off?" he asked.
Emily apologized, "Sorry, I'm just tired and I have to get my head wrapped around heading back to my real life tomorrow morning. And very early in the morning I might add."
"I can be... This can be... part of your life too." Kelly gestured between the two of them.
"How?" Emily asked.
"Your brother did it. He made his life the way he wanted it to be," he answered.
"But he was unhappy in Brooklyn. And I'm happy in Brooklyn. Well, for the most part that is."
Kelly pressed against her again. "Let me make you happier."
Emily conformed to his body. "That's one way of doing it I guess."
"The best way." He promised with his lips on hers and his hands on her body.
It is a good way to forget what is wrong and what is right... And it does feel like very much like happiness when Kelly kisses me...
Kelly continued to kiss her softly, until her phone chimed again a few minutes later.
Maybe it's another text from Evan...
Emily stopped Kelly's lips long enough to pick the phone up off the dresser, which they leaned against.
Oh Jesus! It's from Jenny...
Her body stiffened and Kelly felt it.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"It's a text from my best friend. We had a big argument on Friday," she answered while staring at the little text bubble.
"In that case, I'll let you handle it."
She looked up at him. "In that case?"
Kelly cocked an eyebrow. "Well, if it was from Evan, I would have continued to make you forget about him."
He kissed her again as evidence.
"Text me tomorrow," he said then left her room to say his goodbyes to her brother and father, who were sitting on the porch while John Sr. smoked a cigar.
Emily looked back at her phone and read the text once more.
I'm really sorry Emily. Can we please talk tomorrow?
She grabbed her towel, deciding to take a shower.
I'll think about how to respond to this in there... I can think more clearly with a clean body...
After she had washed away the remains of the day, she sent her answer to Jenny.
Fine.
And then she noticed a second text from Evan, which she must have missed when Jenny's came through. This time he had sent "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash.
He's probably impatient that I didn't respond to his prior song...
Emily peeked out her window to see that her father and brother were no longer in front of the house and the sun was starting to set.
So she put on a pink flowered sundress, white cardigan and her sandals.
Then she sent Joan Jett's "Do You Want To Touch" followed by one word.
Sunset.