"I've heard the pizza here is good..." Connor mentioned from across the table of the small Italian restaurant in the outskirts of Malibu. He looked beyond gorgeous in jeans and a white polo shirt that brought out his tan and stretched nicely across his muscles.
"Oh yeah? I've heard that too..." I said politely, failing to mention the fact that I knew first hand that the pizza here was good. Eli and I had gone the last time I saw him around Christmas three years ago.
We ultimately agreed to split a pepperoni pizza and a bottle of red wine that Connor bought, seeing as I was only nineteen. I sipped on the house red blend and smiled as he dove into another story about his water polo accomplishments. He was pretty, and kind, but honestly kind of boring.
"What are you doing after this?" I blurted, interrupting him before he could get to the part about scoring...again.
"Nothing. I don't think." He swallowed a gulp of wine. "What did you have in mind?" The way he licked his lips made me almost laugh. I knew he was a twenty-one year old guy but he honestly couldn't think I would put out on the first date.
"There was a show filmed down the beach from me today, and I got to be an extra." I failed to mention the fact that it was Eli's show and me and my mouth had more of a starring role.
"That's cool!"
"Yeah. So they're having a wrap party tonight and invited me if you wanna join."
"That would be cool." He grinned easily and I grinned back. God he was pretty.
**********
We walked easily from my house down the beach hand in hand. My red floral dress billowed around my knees as my white tennis shoes dug into the sand, looking like a fucking modern day Taylor Swift music video.
"I have a confession." I smiled weakly turning to him as we approached the beach party in full swing.
"The show was one of Eli's."
"I figured as much." Conner smiled dryly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You could've just told me. I'm not really the jealous kind." He squeezed my hand once and I wondered if he would still feel that way once he saw my scene.
"I'm glad." I smiled genuinely, chastising myself for being so judgmental during dinner. Connor was a nice guy.
"Beach Girl!" Jean-Michelle waved at me once, and I waved back, but steered us over to the drink station instead. I accepted the glass of red wine Connor poured me, despite having had two at dinner and feeling a little dizzy already. My eyes scanned the crowd while I sipped, not knowing what I was searching for until I saw him.
Eli stood laughing loudly in a black button down dress shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, casually paired with heather grey golf shorts. He was the perfect mix of professional and west coast casual. A couple of interns moved in front of him and that was when I saw Denise's petite body standing next to his. She was gazing up at him as if he hung the moon, and I turned my gaze back to Connor.
"This is cool." He motioned to the lanterns in the sand and the people milling about munching on finger foods.
"It is. Thanks for coming with me." I said, the relief apparent in my voice.
"Thanks for inviting me..." He squeezed my hand again and leaned down, his eyes glued to my lips and I blushed, remembering the way Eli had looked at them the same way earlier.
I leaned up onto my tip toes, stretching myself as high as I possibly could, his 6'5" frame not helping this exchange. Just before our lips could touch, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.
"Beach girl!" Eli shouted, and I sank back down onto the sand, searching for him immediately. He swayed toward me, pulling Denise quickly by the hand. He was so obviously drunk it worried me. The Eli I knew could have a good time, but always knew his limit. He was a bit of a control freak in that way.
"Hello, Eli." I replied coolly, allowing him to pull me into his arms and crush me to him. "Denise..." I acknowledged as I pulled back, and grabbed for Connor's hand again.
"Avery." She nodded once and clutched onto Eli like he was the last life preserver on the titanic. He barely noticed from the way he was openly glaring at Connor.
"Nice to see you, Collin." Eli smirked and Connor chuckled, not even bothering to correct him.
"Yeah, you too man."
"You guys wanna go and sit?" Eli asked, pointing to a scattering of white chairs set out on the beach. Denise looked at them as if they were the last thing she would want to sit on, but Eli ignored her and pulled her toward them, slumping down on one while she climbed directly onto his lap.
I stood for a few moments, not wanting to make a scene, but also not wanting to stick around to watch Eli and Denise perform a drunken grope fest.
"You know what? I think Connor and I should just head back." I set my still full glass of wine down on the armrest of the chair.
"What?" Eli asked. "You just got here."
"Yeah. I'm just tired." I admitted. "I'm sorry Connor, do you mind walking me home?" He nodded, unbothered by the turn of events and offered me his hand.
"Have a good time." I said waving at Eli, but I couldn't look him in the eye.
**********
I ended up bidding Connor ado without a parting kiss. I hugged him tightly, and thanked him for a lovely evening, before I collapsed into my bed. I made shapes out of the patterns on my ceiling until at least three A.M. My restless mind alternated between the kiss Eli and I had shared, and what him and Denise had been up to since I left. I was sure it was a clothing optional bout of cardio. Or two.
My phone buzzed and lit up my dark room. I rolled onto my side and unlocked the screen to find Eli calling. I ignored it and shoved it beneath my pillow, where it started buzzing again.
"What do you want?" I hissed.
"Open your window."
"What?" I asked even though I was already on my feet.
"Open. Your. Window." He repeated and he sounded more sober than earlier.
I pried my window open slowly, inches at a time, listening for my dad or Collins in the hallway. When the house continued to sit silently, I opened it the rest of the way. Eli was already up the trellis and waiting just outside.
"What're you doing here?" I hissed as he climbed his legs through the window.
"Coming inside."
"I can see that." I huffed closing the window quietly behind him.
"Where's Connor?"
"I don't know...home?"
"Oh, that's good." Eli flopped down on his back on my bed, tucking his hands beneath his head and gave me his best million dollar smile.
"Where's Denise?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"I don't know...home?" He repeated my response.
"Oh, that's good." I teased and sat down next to him on the bed.
"Come here." He held his arms out for me to lie in them, but I shook my head. We had cuddled in my bed before, back when we were friends, but after the kiss today, however scripted, I couldn't let myself go there the same way again.
"Nah, I'm good." I folded my hands in my lap, below my ratty grey shorts and oversized white UCLA t-shirt. My hair was loose around my face which was makeup free, making me look younger.
"Would you just come here?!" Eli grabbed ahold of my wrist and pulled me back onto him. "What's up with you lately?"
"Nothing." I said defensively, my muscles stiff against his side.
"Don't lie to me, Aves. You've been off ever since my party." I was quiet for a moment, considering my options here. Old Avery would've lied and said everything was fine, glossing over my own issues to keep the peace. Four years older Avery didn't feel the same way.
"I just don't know if I can do this anymore." I admitted and he stilled.
"Do what?"
"Pretend like everything's okay. Pretend like things don't bother me."
He pulled me up in the bed so our eyes were level. I could smell the whiskey on his breath and the ocean in his shirt.
"What's bothering you?" His voice was raspier than usual as he trailed his fingers up and down my hip, trying to soothe me, but turning me on instead.
"You." I licked my lips a little.
"What about me?" His fingers were now trailing up my side toward my shoulder.
"You kissing Denise. You being with her tonight...."
"Yeah?" His hand tickled my hair, until his palm eventually came to a rest on the back of my head. "Why would that bother you?"
"Because I don't like to see you guys together." I sulked, trying to turn away, but his hand on my head kept me still.
"You think I like seeing you with Connor?" His other hand traced the wrinkles between my eyebrows as I scowled.
"Why would Connor bother you?"
"Because I don't want to think of that Neanderthal's hands all over you." My heart kicked up a beat. "I would rather my hands be all over you..." He trailed his free hand down the valley of my breasts and gripped onto my hip, pulling me closer to him.
"Stop messing around, Eli." I insisted, rolling my eyes, but he held perfectly still.
"I'm not." His hand began to rub my hip in the most delicious way. "Coming back here has been really confusing. Seeing you like this..." His eyes trailed down my body. "has been absolute torture." It had?! "Today in the shower I wasn't acting..."
"Eli." I warned. "Stop messing with me."
"I already told you, I'm not. What do I have to do to convince you? Kiss you again?" He licked his lips and stared down at my own.
"You're with Denise, Eli. I saw you guys." I blurted, trying to regain my distance, but his strategically placed hands kept me still.
"That's why you've been so off..." He laughed a little. "You've been avoiding me since she kissed me at my party. It makes total sense."
"What does?!" I snapped. "The fact that I don't want to be around the two of you sucking face anymore?!"
"No. The fact that you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous." I growled.
"Sure you are. And it's honestly kinda hot." He moved his head a little closer on the pillow. "Even if it's completely unfounded."
"Yeah? And how's it unfounded? It looked like you both were pretty damn on at the party tonight." I moved closer too in spite of myself.
"Looks can be deceiving." He laughed again. "When she kissed me at the party I was so stunned I faltered for a moment, but then I pushed her away and went looking for you..."
"Oh yeah? What about tonight?" I countered, but felt the corner of my mouth lift a little.
"Tonight I sent her packing after you left. I only invited her so I wouldn't have to be solo and watch you all over Connor..."
"I was all over him?" I challenged, and he pulled my leg up and over his hips, rolling me so I was lying on top of him. "Because to me, it feels like I'm all over you..." I let one of my hands wander into his hair and the other slide up his arm, grinding my pelvis against him. His hand in my hair tightened and his other hand grabbed onto my ass.
"It certainly does." He lifted his head, trying to kiss me, but I pulled back.
"If you kiss me again, I can't be your friend anymore." I said more seriously.
"Well that's good, because friendships are highly overrated..." He licked his upper lip and I bent, my tongue taking the same leisurely journey across his lip.
His grip in my hair tightened and he held my face in place so I couldn't pull back again. Not that I wanted to. His full lips pressed firmly against mine and I felt tiny explosions burn through my chest like fireworks. The intimacy of him kissing me, in my bedroom, without being coerced into it made this kiss ten times hotter.
I fisted both of my hands into his hair, grinding my hips slowly against him, matching the rhythm our tongues were making. He groaned into my mouth, and I could feel him growing hard beneath me and I moved quicker, finding myself pooling in my cotton boy shorts from the delicious friction.
Not to be outdone, Eli's palm moved from my head down to my chest, palming my breast through my shirt.
"I like these..." He breathed against my lips. His thumb slowly circling my eager nipple, and he tugged it through the material. I moaned at the pattern he was creating.
"You like when I touch you?" His voice was cocky, but sounded relieved.
"Of course I like it. I've wanted it for so long..." I panted as he snaked his hand up beneath my shirt. His palm was warm against me and the skin on skin contact almost made me lose it right there. I ground my hips harder against him, his huge erection sliding up and down my slit.
His face pulled away from me, staring deeply into my eyes, before moving down to my chest, pulling my shirt up so it was tucked into my arm pits. His tongue brushed my nipple and I threw my head back, clutching the back of his head and freezing on his lap. His hand on my hip gripped and pushed me forward and pulled me back, a wordless plea to continue moving against him. I smiled at his need until his teeth nipped at my nipple as his other hand cupped my breast.
"Fuck..." I moaned loudly, and I could feel his laughter against my sensitive skin.
"Shhh...." he moved to my other breast as I continued to grind my hips against him, chasing a high I knew only he could give me.
"You need to be quiet...I would rather not die tonight." His tongue teased my other nipple, and I shoved my greedy breasts toward his mouth. When his teeth locked down, I had to put my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming.
I pumped my hips against him and he moaned against my chest. "You keep doing that, and I'm going bust in my pants like some teenager..."
I grinned down at him, biting my lip as I picked up my pace, feeling him harden impossibly more beneath me.
"Aves." He warned.
My breath came in short gasps, matching his as the friction pushed me higher and higher until I was free falling into the most delicious orgasm I'd never known I'd been missing.
I screwed my eyes shut and felt Eli's hands dig into my hips as wetness exploded through his thin athletic shorts and onto my own. "Fuuuuuck..." He came in a rush and I slowed my now sloppy movements.
"Damnit." His laugh was hoarse as I climbed off of him and snuggled into his side. "I've never come like that before. It's so embarrassing." He groaned, putting his forearm over his eyes, but I pulled it back off kissing him softly.
"I'm glad to be your first." I smiled, something deep inside of me hoping he would return the favor...
As if reading my mind, his body language tightened and he shifted a little.
"Avery, I-"
"Avery Adams!" My father's voice on the other side of the door sent him flying off the edge of my bed. "I thought I heard something. Are you alright?"
"Shit." I hissed, hurrying to open back up my bedroom window for my sexy best friend with the cum stained shorts.
"Avery!" My father's voice sounded more accusatory, and the door handle jiggled as Eli stepped out onto the trellis.
"Hold on!" I called to my door, turning from the window, but Eli caught my wrist.
"Goodnight, Aves." He lips lingered on mine one last time, sending me reeling until the knocking turned to pounding on my door.
"Now get out of here, so my dad doesn't murder you and we can do that again..." I laughed and closed the window, but not before I saw a flash of trepidation flash across Eli's beautiful face.
"Avery! Fuck!" My dad was now screaming and I hurried to the door and flung it open, pretending to rub sleep from my eyes.
"Daddy. What's wrong?!" I asked, yawning and stretching my arms.
He narrowed his eyes and surged past me into my empty room. "I coulda sworn..." He grunted and my mother joined him in my bedroom.
"See Ash. I told you no one was here..." Samantha Adams rolled her pretty green eyes, looking more like my twin than my own mother. She was blonde and beautiful and the only sign of any age difference were the small lines around her eyes. Much different than the years of plastic surgery her mother, my grandmother, had enjoyed.
She grabbed onto my father's tattooed hand, admiring his angry face in the way only she could. "Let's go back to bed." She insisted tugging on his hand and after a moment he softened for her and allowed her to lead him from the room.
Before they could reach their door my mother turned and gave me a small knowing smile, making me wonder how I had gotten so lucky to have such a badass mom.