Beware the Quiet One

"I feel your pain!" Sally said. "Of course, once we're done here, it's off to the real world for us. I mean, I'm going to grad school in the fall, but it'll be a whole new scene. The four of us were roommates all four years, and this is our last hurrah."

"Glad you let us horn in on it, then," Nate said with a grin. "I guess we're lucky we overlapped."

Since Sally could feel herself falling almost in slow motion, she had to ask: "You will be here tomorrow, though?"

"Our last full day," Nate acknowledged. "Hope we can hang out with you again."

And Sally's heart skipped a beat! There was, of course, still all the time in the world for her to chicken out and have no one the wiser. At the same time, she was bursting to tell someone in advance, and Nate would be perfect for that...but she resolved once again not to. The surprise would be all the more fun for him that way. "That'd be great!" she said instead. "This is just the kind of break I like, really. I never wanted to do spring break down here, too crazy, you know? So much more fun just to hang out with a few close friends."

"My thoughts exactly," Nate agreed. "And the water not being crowded is a nice bit, too."

Throughout their conversation, Sally was scarcely aware of her friends or his, though they were all milling around in the shallow water, chatting and getting to know one another. She was very much aware, on the other hand, that Nate was fighting a losing battle to look only in her eyes as he spoke. Though he was clearly trying, he did drop a glance below every few words, and clearly he wasn't happy with himself for doing so. Normally Sally hated the way guys talked to her breasts -- once she had even told a particularly exasperating young man, "You know, they're a lot less sexy when you're the one who has to carry them around all day!" -- but she adored the way Nate was so clearly trying to be a gentleman and resist the temptation. He did look in her eyes more often than not, at least.

With that endearing effort of his in mind and a lull in the conversation, Sally got an idea. "Want to go for a swim?" she asked.

"I'd love to!" he agreed. "To tell you the truth, I was dying for the game to be over with so I could...so we could...I mean, if you wanted to..."

"I do want to, Nate, haven't I just invited you?" Sally was utterly comfortable now, unaccustomed as she was to being the less shy one in any pair. "Just one thing, surely you want to take your shirt off?"

Nate looked down at himself. "Oh, yeah, guess I should. I just kept it on because, you know, not everyone likes seeing guys half naked, at least not mere mortals like me. Not such a pretty sight, you know?" There was that cute grin of his again.

"Would it help if I said I want to see you that way?" Sally burst into giggles, shocked at her own forwardness.

"Why yes it would," Nate allowed. "Sorry, I wasn't really expecting that!"

"You think we don't check you guys out on the beach too?" Sally teased. "Or that we aren't shy about our bodies?" No one knew the half of what Sally was going through on that front!

"Wow," Nate mused. "I guess I didn't know." Once again, his gaze drooped downward as he said it.

That gave Sally a great idea, and she seized the moment. After a quick glance to ensure that it the others weren't watching -- and they weren't -- she placed her hands on her hips and thrust her big chest out. "Go ahead and look at them, Nate, don't be shy."

"Look at what?"

"You know what! They're 38D's, if you were wondering, as I think you probably were. I wasn't the first girl in my class to develop but I was usually the biggest, and they can get kind of uncomfortable if I can't wear a bra for some reason, and I can always count on too much attention from dirty old men on the beach. But I'm not ashamed of them, and you have nothing to be ashamed of under your shirt either, Nate." As she spoke, Nate had followed her order and was gazing happily at her breasts. Sally found it surprisingly liberating to address the subject head-on. She also felt her nipples getting hard with the intimate turn in the conversation, which added all the more to her titillation as she was sure Nate could see them poking out. "Now, I'm sure you won't object if I admire your body as well, right?" she asked.

"Not at all," Nate agreed, and he pulled his shirt off. He was pale and had a slight paunch, but Sally only found that made him all the more endearing as she remembered her own imperfections. His face broke into an uncertain smile that slowly gained certainty as he drank in the approving look on Sally's face.

"We'd better get some sunblock on you before we go in," Sally said. "May I have the honor?"

"Please do."

Sally pranced up the beach to the deck, fielding knowing looks from Keisha and Grace and a polite nod from Dan, and collected the bottle of sunblock. She noticed, but did not care, that Gabe never acknowledged her. Turning to find Nate had followed her halfway up the sand, she bade him turn around, and happily slathered the cream all over his back. "You can do mine as well," she said. "I may have missed a spot when I put it on this morning."

"It'd be my pleasure," Nate agreed. And it was Sally's pleasure, too, feeling his firm but gentle rubbing up and down her back once she was finished with him. She would have liked to help him out in front as well, but that was moving a bit too fast.

Once they were both lathered up, she took his hand and they splashed off into the waves, attracting the attention of all their friends and the approval of both. "I had those two pegged as a perfect match," Dan said with a sheepish grin.

"I thought he might be a bit too much her type," Grace said. "But maybe not."

"'Bout time we can pawn him off," Gabe said.

Sally and Nate were both unaware for the time being of what their friends thought, for they were laughing and splashing too loudly off in the water. The conversation was stilted by their frequent turns underwater, often at the same time, but they managed to learn a lot more about one another as they played: their families, college, what he was studying and where she would be studying, the looming real world and how little they were looking forward to it, and a bit of dirt here and there about their friends. Dan was their big man on campus, Gabe had been riding his coattails for two years, Grace and Cindy were wonderful ladies deep down, Ron and Keisha were two of a kind with their too-cool-to-care style. "They ought to be perfect for each other, all right," Sally said, when Nate got done explaining how Ron was the only one he trusted completely among them.

"I wonder if they're thinking the same about us?" Nate said, turning to look at the shore, where they were all seated and chatting in a circle.

"I know the girls are," Sally said, half tempted to tell him about their free-gas deal but quickly concluding that was a terrible idea. When Nate looked at her quizzically, she realized she needed a cover story immediately. "I mean..." she said hesitantly, "You know how women are, don't you, Nate?"

"No more than any man does," Nate replied with a grin.

Sally laughed. "You are so adorable!" She wanted desperately to hold him...and on a moment's reflection, she saw no reason not to. "Come here, Nate." She held out her arms and he waded into them, a look of disbelieving delight on his face. Once they were settled in their underwater embrace, she continued. "I know they are because...okay, this is a little embarrassing even now, when we're both half naked and holding each other, but...we had a talk last night over dinner, and it turned out we're all kind of hoping to meet someone here. It's the end of the road for us, we're off to work and grad school, and we all figure no one really needs a boyfriend, but it'd be, you know, icing on the cake for a great summer." It wasn't too far from the truth, she mused.

"Cool," Nate said. "I mean, doesn't everybody think that way about their summer vacation? I always did."

"Me too," Sally allowed, recalling more lonely summer afternoons at the city pool than she cared to. "Plus, I think they all probably thought we were a good match because of..."

"The way we were dressed for the beach?" Nate prodded.

"Thank you! Yes. The others have been after me to wear a bikini and they just don't get that it's not my style. And you being the only one not in a banana sling..."

Nate laughed. "I know! Same here, except the guys didn't actually talk about it, they just knew I was too modest and think I'm kind of childish about it, or something. Anyway, Sally, that suit looks beautiful on you. Very flattering."

"Thank you!" Pregnant pause, and they both knew a kiss was imminent, but the anticipation was nearly as delicious. Sally closed her eyes and leaned in, and their lips met. They had a moment of blessed intimacy before someone on the beach -- perhaps Grace from the sound of it -- took notice and burst into a whoop of approval that was soon echoed by all their friends.

They pulled apart and dissolved into embarrassed laughter. "Don't look!" Nate whispered. "Don't give them the satisfaction!"

"Let's not!" Sally agreed. "But we might as well give them more to cheer about!" She squeezed him tighter than before and they kissed again. She could feel him getting hard against her, and considered reaching down to play a bit, but decided to take it slow for now.

Once the magical moment had run its course, they were back to playing in the water for a while longer. Neither of them knew or cared about the time, until Dan called to Nate from the beach. "We've got to go get cleaned up now, man!" he called.

"That's right," Nate told Sally reluctantly. "Gabe's dad's in town and we all agreed to go to some stupid presentation at his club. But we'll be free in time for a late dinner."

"I'd love that," Sally agreed. The secret being out, they held hands openly as they made their way back to shore, where there were knowing looks from everyone.

"I take it Nate told you why we've got to go, Sally?" Dan asked.

Sally nodded.

"But we've all been invited to dinner afterward," Keisha said. "And we might go clubbing afterward if the swimming didn't wear you out."

"Sounds good," Nate said. He kissed Sally on the cheek, as if daring his friends to hoot at them; but they didn't. "See you in a few hours then?"

"Can't wait!" Sally said.

"Sally's got a boyfriend!" Keisha sing-songed as soon as they were all in the kitchen with the door shut behind them.

"I think maybe I do," Sally reflected with a dreamy smile. "How about that?"

Cindy snickered. "God, Sally, are you fourteen going on twenty-two or what?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sally's goodwill vanished into thin air.

"She means you sound like a little girl in a fairy tale," Grace said. "And I'm sorry, but in that bathing suit you look like one, too."

"That's enough!" Keisha snapped. "What kind of friends are the two of you, anyway, to mouth off at her like that at a moment like this? Or any time? Aren't we all here to spend quality time together?"

"We criticize you because we love you, Sally," Cindy said. "He does seem like a sweet guy. We just don't want you to ruin it with your naïve little girl act."

"Act?" Sally demanded.

"He's a guy, Sally," Grace told her. "You think he's going to be happy with your whole demure, shy little act for long?"

"He looks happy with it to me," Keisha interjected.

"He is!" Sally agreed. "You two have no idea what a bond we had just now!"

"What a bond," Cindy repeated haughtily. "God, I hope for your sake he really is as old fashioned as you are."

Sally looked ready to cry. Keisha stepped up again. "Sally, I think our friends might just be jealous because they aren't the ones falling in love and, just maybe, now they'll both have to pay for the gas on the ride home." She gave Sally a hug and added, "I'm happy for you, girl."

"Thank you," Sally said, feeling stronger now as she hugged Keisha back. She cast a cold look at Cindy and Grace, who looked at one another and then back at her.

"Okay, that was harsh of us," Cindy admitted. "Just...we do wonder sometimes if you pour on your innocence a little too thick, is all. We know guys, and they won't put up with that for long."

"You know guys, but you don't know Nate," Sally said. "Now, can we please drop the subject?"

"Just know we worry about you, Sally," Grace said, and with that she and Cindy retired to their room. Keisha gave Sally's hand a squeeze and followed. Alone in the kitchen now, Sally pulled off her swimsuit and tossed it in the sink, and turned the water on to soak it. Standing naked at the kitchen window, she looked out onto the now-empty beach and thought of Nate and of tomorrow, and smiled through her irritation at her friends. She gave some thought to running to get a towel or a bathrobe in case one of the others came out, but quickly decided -- literally and figuratively both -- she had nothing to hide. She almost welcomed the prospect of greeting Cindy or Grace in the nude, showing in the most literal way imaginable that she was no naïve little girl. They would understand that much soon enough, and on that realization she was able to put away her anger.

Alone in the shower a few minutes later, the sweet taste of Nate's kisses reasserted itself and Sally gave serious consideration to making use of the shower head. She presently concluded that what she was feeling just now was more sweet than sexy, and she preferred to focus only on the lovely memory of his arms around her. But on soaping up her breasts, she found her nipples were hard as ever.

With three hours and change to kill before dinner, a movie emerged as their best option for the afternoon. As they would be meeting the guys at the restaurant just afterward, Cindy, Grace and Keisha all opted for their dinner- and clubbing attire: tight tops, capri pants or short-shorts, awash in colors. Sally, never big on clubbing, opted for her usual more conservative style with a breezy offwhite knit top and a floral print skirt. Perhaps mindful of the earlier altercation, none of the others commented on the matter; it was not at all unusual for Sally to be the only one in a skirt anyway. Grace's "Cute outfit, Sally," was all anyone had to say about it.

Once again none of them wanted to bother with "the boat" (as Cindy called it yet again to Grace's irritation), so they walked to the theater in mostly companionable conversation. Sally was the least talkative as usual, with anticipation of Nate at dinner crowding out Grace and Cindy's usual prattle and Keisha's more worldly interjections. Through the walk and then the movie, Sally was lost in sweet reverie about the morning and concern about Nate's inevitable departure in two days. It would be an awful shame to fall head over heels in love for him when their time together was so fleeting, she knew...but from comparing notes in the water, she also knew they would be within a day's commute in the fall, and surely true love was worth that! But was it love, then?

Of course, who knew what Nate might think of her when he saw her on the beach tomorrow?

The idea terrified Sally, but also thrilled her in a way she had never felt before. Given the wild card that presented, she resolved not to panic about long distance relationships until she found out what he thought of her after the fact. It could scare him off, or it could make him fall madly in love with her. She had no way of knowing which.

After the movie, they convened for drinks in the restaurant's bar while waiting for the guys. As they took their first sips, Cindy broke the ice at last. "Sally, we both owe you an apology," she admitted. "I hope you know we do love you, and what you saw back there was just our clumsy way of trying to help."

"Thank you," Sally said, appreciative but not wanting the conversation to continue in the direction she knew it was going.

But Cindy was not to be deterred. "Look, no offense, but the three of us, we all know pretty much all there is to know about guys at this point, and we've seen you stumble a time or two before."

"Yeah, we just don't want you to get hurt when you're off to such a great start with this Nate guy," Grace added. "We really want to help. I mean, the comment about looking like a little girl in your suit, that was low, I admit. But it's also how guys think. That's all I was getting at. I mean, if Nate sees you again tomorrow like that while we're all in our bikinis, how long do you think you're going to keep his attention?"

Sally struggled not to laugh -- she knew exactly how she would hold Nate's attention, and they would all find out soon enough.

"It's not like you've got anything to be embarrassed about, when all the rest of us are letting it all hang out," Cindy added. "You did say the other day in the car that you were finally going to wear one, didn't you?"

Sally swallowed hard and remembered to keep her temper. "Actually, I --"

"If you didn't bring one, we could lend you one of ours," Cindy added preemptively.

"No need," Sally reassured them. That was all they needed to know for now, and she was able to smile through her annoyance and let her friends wonder what she was thinking as the guys showed up a moment later.

Dan was in the lead as always, Gabe a half step behind and with a bigger but less sincere grin, Ron and Nate bringing up the rear -- as usual, Sally had surmised by then -- and her friends' oversharing and misplaced concerns were forgotten instantly on their arrival. "Good evening!" Grace exclaimed in what Sally recognized in her flirting voice, directing it at Dan and Gabe alike. Cindy was on her feet just afterward to greet them as well, while Ron made a beeline for Keisha and they exchanged subtler hellos. There was no need for small talk with Sally and Nate: they greeted each other with a comfortable hug as if they'd been friends for years. All the guys were dressed in the same almost-dressy style Sally had tried for, owing to the dress code at the club. One look up and down Nate in his freshly ironed pale blue shirt and khakis while he returned the favor in admiring her, and they dissolved into shy laughter together.

"What's so funny now, I wonder?" Gabe grumbled.

"We got to know each other so well out there today..." Nate began.

"But this is the first time we've seen each other fully clothed," Sally finished. Ron and Keisha joined in on their laughing, Dan smiled politely, and Cindy, Grace and Gabe all looked perturbed or annoyed or both -- Sally couldn't quite tell which, nor did she care.

"You can already just imagine what their children are going to look like, huh?" Ron whispered to Keisha, who nodded and laughed harder.

Sally and Nate staked out the corner of the booth they had reserved, and dinner proceeded in blissful contentment for them both. Cindy and Grace were sufficiently distracted in vying for Dan's favors that there was no more meddling with Sally for the time being, and as their chatting grew more intimate, the others seemed to fade from their awareness. Any patronizing looks from their friends were effortlessly ignored.

Two hours later, when there were finally no calls for another round and the bill arrived, they were all off to a club the guys knew and loved. Neither Nate nor Sally really wanted to join the others for the club. But they also didn't care to be wet blankets, and so they found themselves hand in hand, following their friends up the sidewalk, neither of them daring mention what they both really wanted to do next. Since Sally had made up her mind that things would not go any further with Nate until he'd seen her on the beach tomorrow, she figured it was just as well that they stay in public, for she was not finding it easy to stick to that decision. But she rubbed his hand gently with her fingers as they followed their friends to the club.