New Years Eve at Cocoa Beach

The snow was falling at steady intervals when I was ready to leave the office. The girls and I were meeting at O’Mallys for dinner and drinks in fifteen minutes, and I was trying to put last minute touches on my final ad campaign of the year. I knew I was going to be late, but the girls were used to it.

My phone rang and scared me out of deep thought. It was Susan, “Hey, where are you?”

“Still at work. I promise I’m leaving in five.”

“Well hurry up, will you. We’ve already had three drinks,” she said laughing.

I hung up the phone, grabbed my coat and looked out the office window. The snow was a heavy blanket on the sidewalk. I had planned on walking earlier, since my office was only five blocks away from the bar, but with three inch heals and snow, I didn’t think I’d make it without falling on my face a few times.

I phoned the door man and asked him to hail a cab. Fifteen minutes later, I was in the company of my four favorite girlfriends.

Emily was seated at the back of the booth, clearly contemplating what to have for dinner. She was busy reading the menu, picking and choosing the healthier food. She had become a health nut after her divorce and had lost over fifty pounds. She glanced up long enough to smile and nod a hello, and then went back to counting calories.

“Tracy, over here,” Rachel screamed from the bar. “I have a drink for you.”

She held up a Cosmo, my drink of choice, and motioned for me to come over.

“What took you so long? We are all dying of starvation. Well, except for Emily, of course.”

“I’m working on my last campaign of the year. It’s not looking great, and Bob wants it by the end of next week.”

“Mean old Bob. He wouldn’t know a good campaign if it kicked him in the butt,” Rachel said. She had dated Bob for a very short period of time, and still had harsh feelings about the break up. I had told her she shouldn’t get involved with him. He was, after all, married. She hadn’t listened.

I sipped on my Cosmo as we walked back to the booth that was reserved for us every other Friday by the manager Tito. We had been coming to O’Mallys since last year when we celebrated Emily’s divorce from Ted. Tito had given us a round of drinks on the house and become an instant friend.

Barbara moved over so that I could squeeze in, and Tito came rushing over.

“So girls, what’ll it be?”

We all ordered, and he rushed away again.

As we sat and waited for our food to arrive, we each took a turn talking about how our past two weeks had been. Barbara talked about her blind date from last weekend and how he had the longest nose hairs in the world. She said he was a nice guy, but she wasn’t going to see him again. That was Barbara. We all thought she would never get married, because she was way too picky.

Emily told us that she had lost three more pounds and was closer to her goal, which was to weigh what she had weighed her senior year of high school. We all rolled our eyes at her while we said our congratulations.

Susan told us that her life was still boring and that she and her husband Dave were still trying to get pregnant. Susan was a bit on the shy side when it came to reporting on her bedroom adventures.

And then there was Rachel. Rachel told us about how many guys she had slept with in the past week, the hair dresser who had almost killed her with a pair of scissors, and then she hit us all with a surprise.

“What are you all doing for New Years?” She asked, as she looked around the table. We all looked at each other, and before we had a chance to say anything, she said, “Good! Nothing! Cuz we are all going on vacation together!”

We sat there in awe as she told us of the wonderful trip she had planned for the five of us. We were flying down to Orlando, renting a car, and then staying at some surfing resort.

“Surfing resort?” Barbra questioned. “I don’t even know how to swim.”

An uproar of laughter rose from all of us. This was a detail that we did not know about Barbara.

“This place sounded really cool. It started out as a hotel after World War II, but it’s become a cute little resort,” she explained as she pulled some pamphlets out of her purse and passed them around the table. “I have it all planned out for six days and five nights.”

“I don’t think I can go,” Susan said.

“Ah whatever Susan. I already talked to Dave, and he’s more than happy to kick you out of the house for a week. He thinks the sun will do you good.”

I was actually looking forward to it. I hadn’t been on a real vacation in years, and New Years was the best time to go, because all the end of year campaigns were over, and the new campaigns would just be starting. I deserved a break.

“Don’t worry Tracy, I already passed it through Bob too. As much as I hate that asshole, I figured it was the least he could do to make up for how he treated me.”

************************************

Christmas was a blur, as I completed the ad campaign for Bob, and rushed around getting all my shopping done for the upcoming vacation. It was hard trying to find a bikini in New York during the winter, but I managed to find a really cute one that I felt was suitable for a surfing resort.

Tuesday morning at 5:30, all of us met in the waiting area at La Guardia. Our flight was supposed to leave at 6:24 and arrive in Florida around 11:30.

“So girls, I’m letting you know now, I have first dibs on all the men,” Rachel said as we boarded the plane and took our seats. “I am, after all, the one who set this whole trip up.”

We all laughed and settled into our seats. I didn’t really care about finding a man. I was glad to be going on this trip to get away from work. I hadn’t even brought my Blackberry or my computer. I felt naked, because I never leave home without them, but Bob had convinced me it was OK not to take them. After chatting for a half an hour, I settled in for a nap.

The plane touched down at 11:35, and instantly we knew we were in for some fun. The sun was shining, the weather was in the mid 70s and the car we had rented was a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top.

I asked to drive, and we piled in for the hour drive to the beach, wind wiping through our hair, Aerosmith blasting on the radio.

A little over an hour later, the smell of salt and the humidity from the ocean greeted us as we pulled into the parking lot of the resort. The scenery looked like a picture straight off the cover from a Beach Boys album. A surfboard standing erect at the gate entrance welcomed us to Surf Studios est. 1948.

“Surf’s up dude!” Rachel hollered from the back seat. “Isn’t this place awesome?”

A couple of Border Collies ran up along side the Jeep as we pulled into a parking spot.

“Welcome to Surf Studios,” a young woman said as we entered the reception area. “We hope that you’ll enjoy your stay. Anything you might need, just ask me, Tippie, and I’ll bring it right away.”

The five of us checked in and were told our apartment was out the door to the left towards the beach.

I sighed as we walked towards the beach and the ocean came into view. It was breath taking, the way the waves were coming in and rolling out. The sound was hypnotic, and I couldn’t wait to see the sunrise tomorrow morning.

“Yoo hoo, over here girls,” Rachel said, opening the door to apartment 15.

The main room had a big bay window that looked out onto the beach, a small kitchen area, and a couch that we were told was a pull out bed. A door led to the bedroom where two double beds were pushed up against a wall with a nightstand in between. Both rooms were decorated with ocean themes.

We unloaded the Jeep and I asked to have the pull out bed, because I don’t sleep much, and I was looking forward to morning jogs on the beach. After we were all settled, we discussed the plans for the day. We lounged by the pool for a couple of hours and then we decided to grab a bite to eat at Oh Shucks, an open air seafood bar up the beach from where we were staying. This would give us a chance to check out the area and figure out what we wanted to do for the week.

The view from the restaurant was amazing. There were several people out walking along the beach, and some wake boarders were lounging around in the water waiting for a wave.

After a dinner of fish and chips, and several drinks, we left the restaurant and walked along the pier. It was nice to be stress free for a while. The sun was starting to set, and I noticed a few couples walking hand in hand along the beach. It had been a while since I had been in a relationship. I felt a twinge of hurt in my heart as I thought back two years but quickly shook it off as we continued to walk.

An hour later we left the pier and headed back to Surf Studio to relax. We had been told that there was nightly entertainment, and entertainment it was. Reggae sounds came pouring from the back patio as we pulled the jeep in front of our apartment. The girls decided to head straight over to the patio, but I said I would join them later.

“What’s the matter Tracy? Are you having Blackberry withdrawal?” Rachel asked, as she tried to pull me towards the others.

“No, I just want to take a walk. I will join you in a little bit.”

They headed off towards the party, talking and laughing. I grabbed a wrap and walked towards the beach. The sun was almost gone now, and the moon was shining off the water. A few people were scattered around the beach, but for the most part I was alone with my thoughts.

I took off my flip flops and pressed my toes into the sand leaving behind an indent that was quickly filled with water and washed away by the tide. I was shocked by how the water was cool, but not too cold. Right now, it was snowing in New York City.

Lost in my thoughts, I walked along the beach for a pretty good distance. I could no longer hear the steel drums, but heard other sounds of revelry near by. The waves coming in and going out were very hypnotic, so I sat down, wrapped my arms around my knees and looked out at the ships that were passing by in the distance. Thoughts of the couples I had seen earlier came to me. I was 35, and very involved in my work, but seeing couples made me realize I was missing something in my life. I had moved to New York seven years ago from Arizona to get started on my career. I hadn’t realized advertising didn’t leave much room for dating. I was always working. That’s what had ruined my relationship with Chad. He had wanted more, and I wasn’t ready to give it to him.

I had been sitting there for some time when I heard foot steps coming from behind me. I stood up and brushed off the sand. It was a Dad and his two children. They were walking back towards Surf Studio from some other spot on the beach. The boy, no older than 5, was holding his Dad’s hand, while the girl, probably around 10, was skipping along side. I walked behind them a few feet as we all returned to Surf Studio.

“Hey Tracy,” Barbara yelled from up on the deck as I came within view of the festivities. “Are you joining us this evening? We’ve already plowed through a pitcher of margaritas.”

“Yes, I’ll be right up.”

The Dad turned around and glanced back at me, not realizing that there had been someone behind them. He smiled, slowed down and let go of his son’s hand. The two kids ran up the steps and disappeared.

“You sure walk quietly,” he said to me as I came up beside him.

“Learned how to walk on egg shells at an early age,” I responded.

We walked up the steps together where I met Barbara waiting for me, drink in hand. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me over the table where the other girls were. I watched as the Dad walked towards the back of the patio.

“Who was that?” Susan asked.

“I don’t know. He was out on the beach with his kids.”

The five of us talked until the band quit playing, but I kept thinking about the Dad. He had a very nice smile.

************************************


The next morning, I was up at five and out on the beach watching the sun rise. I was jogging in place and staring out at the water looking for dolphins when I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

A man was jogging from the opposite direction and coming towards me at a fast pace. I turned away from the water and started jogging towards him at my own pace. As he neared, I recognized him as the same guy from the night before. He slowed as he got closer.

“Good morning!” he said when he got close enough for me to hear him.

“Good morning,” I responded and stopped jogging.

“It’s a beautiful morning isn’t it?”

“Sure beats the snow in New York City.”

“You’re from New York,” he asked and I nodded my head. “What a coincidence, so am I.”

“Really, what part?”

“Manhattan.”

“I live in Soho,”

“What brings you to a surfing resort,” he asked, raising his eyebrows at my mention of Soho.

“Girl’s vacation. My friend thought it would be good to get out of the city for New Years. And you?”

“I got the kids for the week. I asked them what they wanted to do. Lilly said she wanted to see Dolphins. She’s 10.”

We stood on the beach talking while we watched the sun come up. He asked about my work and told me he worked with ad agencies once in a while. He owned his own marketing firm, but they outsourced some of their work. I found it very easy to talk to him, and before long, the sun had illuminated the landscape around us.

“Well so much for the jog before the humidity gets to high,” he said when the conversation started to slow down.

“Yeah, I didn’t make it too far myself,” I replied with a smile on my face.

We walked back to the resort talking about his kids, who he said were the light of his world, and he enjoyed every minute with them. Lilly was a handful, but she was very good with helping him take care of Riley, who was only five.

“Would you like to get a drink later today,” he asked when we had arrived at my apartment.

“Sure, that would be nice.”

“How about around five?”

“That’s fine. I’ll meet you there,” I responded.

With that, he turned to walk away, but then quickly returned. “What’s your name?”

“Tracy,” I said, laughing. “I guess we left out the formalities down at the beach, huh?”

“I guess so. I’m Trevor. Trevor Collins.”

“Now that that is out of the way, I guess I’ll see you at five,” I said, and he turned and walked away, glancing over his shoulder once and waving.

When I walked in the apartment, everyone was up rushing around except for Rachel. The bedroom door was closed, and Susan told me Rachel had a hangover. Rachel had come in from the deck later than everyone else last night. We expected to not see her until well after noon.

Breakfast was served quickly by Susan and Emily from the small kitchenette. We had planned a morning eco-tour on the Indian River Lagoon, which departed at ten.

************************************
The morning’s adventure on board a pontoon boat was relaxing. We saw a few dolphin and manatee, but I spent most of my time thinking about Trevor. Over the past year, I hadn’t really allowed myself to find anyone of interest, but I found Trevor had caught my attention. The fact that he paid attention to every detail I told him, and we able to talk for so long without even knowing each others names, had put me at ease.

After the cruise, we ate lunch and then headed to the beach for some fun in the sun. Rachel had not joined us for the cruise, and we found her sunning herself on blanket down on the beach.

“I saw that guy and his kids again today,” Rachel said as we joined her. “They were building sand castles.” I glanced around, but didn’t see Trevor. “You just missed them.”

We tanned and laid around on the beach for a couple of hours. When I felt like a fried clam on a half shell, I decided to go back to the room and take a shower. Although we had all talked about what we wanted to do the rest of the day, I hadn’t been ready to let them know I had a date.

Around four thirty, I left the room and walked to the bar. Susan and Emily had taken a bus to some shopping area, Rachel was still down at the beach, and Barbara was taking a nap. I looked around for a good place to sit. There were many people at the bar, so I ordered a Cosmo and chose a spot under a palm tree with some shade.

I had brought along a magazine and was busy flipping through the ad layouts. I hadn’t realized a half an hour had passed until I heard a friendly voice.

“Hello, mind if I join you?” Trevor asked as he pulled out the chair across from me.

“Not at all,” I replied.

Trevor looked relaxed in his white short-sleeved button up shirt, which was unbuttoned, a pair of khaki shorts and flip flops. I felt over dressed in my pink and yellow sundress and crocheted wedge sandals. As he sat, he took off his sunglasses revealing dark blue eyes with flecks of silver in them.

“How has your day been?”

“Pretty good. We went on an eco-tour this morning out on the lagoon. Saw some dolphin, took some pictures. It was pretty fun. You should take your kids on that. Especially if Lilly hasn’t seen a dolphin yet,” I responded in a nervous ramble.

“I’ll have to look into that.”

“Where are the kids?” I asked, realizing that they had to have gone somewhere.

“They went with a bunch of other kids to the Brevard Zoo and then are going to dinner. They won’t be back until around seven.”

“It’s nice there are things for them to do with other kids,” I said.

“Yeah, this place is pretty cool. I’m learning how to surf tomorrow morning.”

“Really? I thought about doing that, but when would I ever go surfing again?”

“You never know when it might come in handy in New York,” he said laughing.

Trevor walked to the bar and refreshed my Cosmo. When he came back, we started talking about our jobs. His marketing firm did some high end campaigns with my competition. His company and my firm had actually competed against each other for an upcoming Super Bowl ad.

We talked for an hour, only stopping to get refills on our drinks. He liked to talk about his kids, telling me Lilly was in the third grade and really liked her English teacher. Riley would be in Kindergarten next year, and liked playing soccer. He didn’t dwell much on his divorce, and I didn’t ask.

On his second return trip from the bar, he was carrying a piece of paper which he handed to me. It was a flyer of some sort.

“What are you doing for New Years?”

“I don’t know yet. We haven’t really discussed, it.” I responded. “I assume the girls will want to go out and spend it someplace fun.”

“How would you like to go to that with me,” he asked, pointing at the flyer.

The piece of paper was for the Rockin’ The Dock New Year’s Eve party. I had seen the same flyer last night when we were at Oh Shucks.

“That sounds fun. I will need to check with the girls though.”

“No problem. We could all go together.”

Trevor and I talked for a while longer, and then he looked at his watch.

“The kids should be back soon,” he said.

“And I’m sure the girls are looking for me. We are going to dinner at Coconuts on the Beach.”

“Well how would you like to get together tomorrow afternoon?” he asked. “I’m taking the kids miniature golfing.”

“I’m pretty good at putt putt. I could go for that,” I replied.

I gave Trevor the number for our apartment, and he walked me to the door. We talked for a few more minutes, and then noticed a bus coming through the front gate.

“Thanks for the drinks,” I said. “It was really nice talking to you.”

“Oh you too. I haven’t had a good grown up conversation in months,” he said laughing.

There was a moment of awkwardness when saying goodbye, but I leaned in towards him and allowed a hug. It felt nice to be wrapped in a man’s arms again. Trevor said goodbye and walked towards the front gate where a bunch of children were departing from the bus that had pulled up. I watched as Riley jumped into Trevor’s arms, and Lilly started jumping up and down. They were probably telling him about there day at the zoo.

No one was in the apartment when I opened the door, so I sat down and relaxed for a while, looking over the magazine I had taken to the bar. Rachel walked in a half an hour later, beer in hand and boy toy in tow.

“Tracy, this is Miguel. He’s the surfing instructor. He’s joining us for dinner,” she said as she pushed him towards the lounge chair. “I’m going to freshen up. Where’s everyone else?”

Just then the other girls walked in. I introduced them to Miguel as Rachel piddled around in the bedroom making us wait for her.

We drove to Coconuts on the Beach crammed in the jeep. Rachel sat on Miguel’s lap in the front seat, and I drove. Once at the restaurant, we ordered a round of drinks and appetizers while we discussed our day.

Susan and Emily had shopped for hours, but had come home with very little. Emily had a new bikini that was one size too small. She said it was her summer swimsuit for when she lost those last ten pounds. Susan had found a lot of baby clothes that she hoped she’d have a reason to use by next summer.

Barbara had spent most of her day at the resort. After her nap, she had gone to the movies, because Roman Holiday was playing. She loved Audrey Hepburn.

We all knew what Rachel had been doing all day. Miguel was just her latest conquer.

“I learned how to surf,” she said.

“She’s a natural,” Miguel said, rolling his eyes.

“What about you Tracy? Did you meet up with the mystery Dad?” Rachel cooed.

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

An ooo was heard in unison around the table.

“So? What’s he like?” Emily asked.

I spent then next few minutes entertaining them with information about Trevor and his kids. I decided not to tell them that we were going miniature golfing tomorrow, but I did mention New Years.

“He said the kids have their own New Year’s party at the resort, and he wanted to know if we all wanted to go to the Rockin’ The Dock party.”

“Oh that’s the best place to be,” Miguel chimed in. “Lots of music, booze, people. You’ll have fun.” He looked at Rachel and said, “I’ll be there.”

Our food finally arrived, which got me out of talking about Trevor. I ate my coconut crusted Mahi, and thought about tomorrow. I have always liked kids, so I was looking forward to meeting Trevor’s kids.

************************************

The next morning, I got up early and took a run on the beach. I didn’t see Trevor, so I went up the beach quite a ways and came back. I was gone for about an hour. When I returned to the apartment, the girls were still in bed. I grabbed a book and sat out on the patio.

At eight, Susan walked out carrying a cup of coffee and handed it to me.

“Good morning!”

“How are you today,” I asked, after taking a sip of the coffee.

“Slept really well. Those beds are comfortable. Why are you up so early?”

“I don’t sleep much. I went for a run on the beach.”

We talked for a little while as the resort started to stir. Barbara came out with her cup of coffee and advised us that breakfast was about ready. This morning, we were going on a kayak tour through the Thousand Islands, so breakfast was going to be quick.

A little after nine thirty, we arrived at Camp Road Park, where we were to depart for our kayak trip. Our guide gave us our equipment, a short demonstration on how to work the kayak, and then we were off.

The tour was kind of fun. We lazily went through different canals, and the guide showed us hidden hammocks where we saw a lot of manatees. There were also many different types of birds, the largest we saw being the Osprey.

After two hours, my arms were tired from rowing, and I was glad to see the end of the tour ahead.

“Well that was cool,” Emily said, as she pulled her kayak up on to shore. “I think I got some really good pictures.”

We grabbed our stuff and headed back to the Jeep. We stopped for lunch at Barrier Jacks and then went back to the resort.

Around two, the apartment phone rang.

“Hey Tracy,” Susan yelled out the door. “For you.”

I grabbed the phone from her and walked into the bedroom for a little privacy.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Trevor. You ready for some putt putt?”

“If you give me a few minutes, sure.” We agreed to meet in half an hour at The Grille in the middle of the resort, and I hung up the phone.

“So?” Emily, Barbara and Susan all questioned when I walked out of the bedroom.

“So, what?”

“What are you two doing,” Susan asked.

I explained to the girls, who were now crowded around me as I was getting ready, that he was taking me miniature golfing at Andretti Fun Park.

“Wow, meeting the kids already,” Rachel, who had overheard the last part of the conversation said, walking in the door. “Good luck with that.”

I was a little worried about meeting the kids, but kids usually like me, so I put that thought behind me as I left the apartment to walk to The Grille.

Trevor and his kids were already at The Grille when I arrived. The kids were sitting on a bench eating some ice cream, and Trevor was reading the newspaper. I nervously walked over and saw him peer over the top of the paper.

“You look nice,” he said as I approached. I was wearing a pair of khaki shorts, a yellow polo and a pair of tennis shoes. “Hey kids, this is Tracy.”

The two kids looked up from their ice cream long enough to smile. Chocolate was dripping from Riley’s mouth, so I grabbed a napkin to wipe it off before it got all over his shirt. Trevor and I sat and talked while the kids finished their ice cream.

The car ride to Andretti’s was a little over a half an hour, but Trevor had heard it was the best place for miniature golf, and they had go-karts and other things to do. When we arrived, I helped Riley find a putter his side and choose his ball, while Trevor got them for me and Lilly.

“I bet I can get a hole in one,” Lilly said as she lined up for her first putt. Her ball veered to the right, hit the side of lane and careened back towards where it started. “Whoops! Do over!”

She scrambled around, put her ball back on the tee and hit it again. This time it got closer to the hole, but it wasn’t a hole in one.

We each took our turn. Trevor helped Riley with his big plastic putter, and Riley actually got closest to the hole. It was fun watching how Trevor interacted with his children. They each tried to show off for him, or maybe it was for me. Lilly kept pronouncing she was going to get a hole in one, and Riley kept running after his ball and putting it in the hole.

Lilly liked to talk. She told me about her English teacher who was encouraging her to write. Her favorite books were the Harry Potter books, and she was currently working on a story about wizards.

Riley was shy. He spent most of his time attached to his dad’s leg. I tried to coax him out by allowing him to hit my ball, but he’d hit it and go right back to dad.

“He’ll warm up eventually,” Trevor said.

An hour later, we had almost made it through the course. I was ahead of Lilly by one point. Trevor was beating us all. Lilly was up to putt. She swung wildly and made her hole in one.

“I did it! I did it!” She screamed and came running over to me. “Did you see that?”

“I did. That was wonderful. I bet you end up beating me now.”

I took my turn, but it took me three putts to get it in the hole. Trevor putted his in the hole in two tries, and then he helped Riley. Riley’s ball pinged off the side rail, missing completely, so he ran over and put his ball in the hole.

“I did it too,” he screamed at his sister.

Trevor and I stood there laughing and shaking our heads as Lilly tried to explain to him that he needed to hit the ball into the hole with his putter. That made Riley mad, so he pulled on Lilly’s pony tail and ran to the next hole.

“Do they get along this well all the time?” I asked, laughing as I remembered how my brother and I used to act like that.

“Nah, it’s usually much worse. I told them to behave in front of you.”

On the last hole, if you got a hole in one you won a prize. Lilly tried really hard, but missed by a long shot. I let her try again with my ball, and she made it in. Trevor helped Riley, but his also missed. Trevor tried with his own ball and made it. We went inside to collect our prizes.

“This is really cool,” Lilly said as she grabbed the toy dinosaur off the counter.

“Look at mine,” Riley said as he came over to show it to me.

“That’s really cool.”

“I like dinosaurs.”

Trevor took Riley’s hand and Riley grabbed mine with his other. The four of us went to dinner at the pizza restaurant in the park, and then headed back to the resort.

Once back at the resort, Trevor dropped the kids off at their apartment, and walked me to mine.

“Did you have fun?” he asked.

“I did. You’re kids are great.”

“They can be handful, but yeah, they’re pretty great.”

“Lilly reminds me a lot of myself when I was that age.”

Rachel came to the door interrupting our conversation.

“Well hello there,” she said daintily extending her hand to Trevor. “I’m Rachel. You must be Trevor. Tracy has told us a lot about you.”

I had told Trevor all about the girls, so I rolled my eyes and stood there while they talked for a few minutes. After Rachel left to go down to the beach, I thanked him for the nice afternoon.

“It was my pleasure. I think the kids really enjoyed it too. Will I see you tomorrow night.”

I had forgotten that tomorrow was New Year’s Eve. The girls had agreed to go to the party down on the dock, but I hadn’t told Trevor.

“Yes. We’ll be there,” I replied.

We agreed to meet at The Grille around eight. Again there was a moment of awkwardness as we tried to say good bye. I didn’t want him to leave, and he wasn’t trying to leave, but I knew he needed to go back to his kids. We hugged and he kissed me on the cheek. As he walked away, he looked over his shoulder and waved. I was smiling when I walked in the door of the apartment.

I spent the evening in front of the TV, knowing that the next day was going to be long. Rachel was out with Miguel, and the other girls had decided to go out to dinner and to a club.
************************************

The next morning, I got up for my run. I met Trevor out on the beach, where we watched the sun come up.

“Isn’t this beautiful?”

Trevor put his arm around me, and I didn’t resist. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, which made me feel good all over. We stood there quietly as the sun made its way above the horizon and the colors changed from reds to oranges, and then fully lit up a clear blue sky.

“You wanna finish your run together?” he asked as the sun started to warm the sand beneath us.

“I’ve seen how you run. Will you go easy on me?”

“Oh sure.”

We began to jog down the beach together, keeping a pretty good pace. Sweat was beginning to drip down my face and into my eyes. I slowed while Trevor kept up his pace. As soon as he noticed I wasn’t right beside him anymore, he turned around, slowed down and jogged backwards waiting for me to catch up.

“You tired?”

“No, it’s just getting really hot out here.”

“Wanna go for a swim?”

I looked at the ocean. It was tempting. I had on a sports bra and a pair of shorts, so I thought why not. I threw off my shirt without giving him an answer, kicked off my shoes, pulled off my socks and ran to edge of the water. Trevor did the same and joined me. I splashed him, and he splashed back. I dunked him, he dunked me, and we both came up laughing. The water felt good as it cooled my body. As we both left the water, I watched as droplets fell from Trevor’s body. His tanned chest shimmered in the sunlight and he looked so good. The butterflies from earlier came back.

We grabbed our clothes and walked barefoot back to the resort as the heat from the sun dried our bodies.

“See you tonight?” he asked as he dropped me at my door.

“Yep. I’m looking forward to it,” I replied as I opened the door and a blast of air conditioning hit me.

Trevor walked away, looking over his shoulder and waving. He was taking the kids shopping during the afternoon. Lilly wanted to get something for her mom. I entered the apartment smiling and thinking about the night ahead.

No one seemed to be awake. The door was closed to the bedroom, and no coffee had been made. I turned on the coffee maker and grabbed my book. I was out on the patio for an hour when Rachel came strolling down the sidewalk from the direction of the parking lot. I noticed she was wearing what she had on last night.

“So, where’s Miguel?” I asked as she came up to the door.

“He’s out on a wave. Had to teach classes early this morning,” she replied yawning. “How was your night with Mr. Dad?”

“Pretty good. I saw him this morning too.”

“Ooh,” she said, sneaking into the apartment. “You’ll have to tell me about it later. I need to go to sleep.”

I stayed on the patio for another hour, the breeze from the ceiling fan keeping me somewhat cool. At ten, the door opened and Emily walked out with a cup of coffee and a banana.

“Wanna go to the Kennedy Space Center with me today? Everyone else wants to stick around here and be lazy.”

I wasn’t in the mood to be lazy, so I agreed to go with her. We left at eleven with plans to have brunch in route. While we were eating, I told her about my day with Trevor and the kids, and this morning’s jog and swim on the beach.

“So, what do you think of this guy?” she asked.

“He’s nice. We have fun together, and he seems to get me. His kids are so cute too.”

“Uh oh. Sounds like you might like this guy.”

I smiled at her and tried to finish my eggs without talking about Trevor again. Instead, I asked her how she was liking the vacation.

“It’s wonderful. I don’t think I have felt this good in the past five years. Damn Ted would never take me away from New York. I am looking forward to the party tonight.”

Just the mention of the party put butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t wait to see Trevor again tonight.

We left the restaurant and went to the museum. We rode the Shuttle Experience, which simulated a shuttle launch, and we browsed through the artwork in the gallery. I picked up a couple of souvenirs from the gift shop for Lilly and Riley, and we headed back to the resort around four. Barbara had called and told us to meet them at Bunkys for a light dinner. I refrained from going, because I was tired of seafood. The resort was having a buffet for all the guests, and I decided to grab something quickly and go back to the room to relax and get ready for the evening’s festivities.

I was picking out the clothes I was going to wear when the girls returned from dinner.

“You can’t wear that,” Rachel yelled at me as she ran to the bedroom. “I have just the thing for you.”

I had picked out a flowery low cut tank top to go under a green button up blouse, and a pair of jeans. When Rachel returned, she was carrying a black and green dress, and a pair of black strappy wedge sandals. “Here, try this on.”

I took the dress from her. It felt like it weighed as much as a paper clip. “I don’t have a black bra, and this dress is practically see through.”

“Oh, just go try it on,” Susan chided.

I returned a few minutes later with the dress on. I did have to admit, it looked pretty good on me. It had a low cut v neck collar that had ruffles around it. The sleeves were ruffled to match. Its length was just above the knee, and the shoes tied up to mid calf.

“Here, try these on,” Susan said, handing me a pair of black dangly earrings.

After I had the entire outfit on, they each took their turn working on my makeup and hair. They decided to pull my hair up in a loose pony tail, and allow for tendrils to fall around my face. I thought they were over doing it, but I did look good. After they were done with me, they each took their turn in the bathroom. The apartment was engulfed in a haze of perfume and hairspray fumes by the time we were all done.

“Wow, take a picture, it lasts longer,” Rachel said to Trevor when we got to The Grille. He had been staring at us from the moment we walked around the corner.

“I believe I will,” he said, producing a camera from his pocket. He snapped a quick picture of all of us and then walked us to the parking lot. “You look great,” he whispered to me as he put his arm around my waist.

We took two cars to the dock party. Trevor’s rental was a red Chevy Malibu. I sat in the front seat, and Susan rode in the back. We arrived at the party around nine and walked along the dock. There were a lot of people milling around, so we walked all the way to The Tiki Bar at the end of the pier and found a place to sit. The band High Energy had just started playing and their Caribbean sound echoed off the hotel behind us. Susan and Trevor went to the bar to get drinks for everyone.

The night air was a little chilly, and I was glad that I had brought a wrap to put around my shoulders. When Trevor returned, he pulled his seat closer to me and put his hand on my knee. He looked really good tonight. His black hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a white button down shirt, unbuttoned, with a black t-shirt underneath. He had on tan shorts and flip flops. My heart quickened a beat as he leaned in to grab an appetizer off the table and I smelled his cologne.

Miguel joined us at the table a half an hour later. He and Rachel had really hit it off. The boys talked about surfing and fishing, while my friends and I talked about the shopping we still wanted to do, and about the return trip home. None of us wanted to go home. I certainly knew I didn’t want this trip to end.

“You want to go for a walk,” Trevor asked after Miguel and Rachel left to find some of Miguel’s friends.

“Sure,” I responded, hoping we were going to go some place a little quieter.

We said good bye to Susan, Barbra and Emily, who were now singing karaoke with the band and having a good time, and left The Tiki Bar and the throng of people who were waiting for the night’s festivities.

Trevor took my hand and we walked down to the beach.

“The kids couldn’t stop talking about you,” he said.

“That reminds me, I got them something today,” I replied.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“I know, but I wanted to.”

We walked along the beach towards an area where there didn’t seem to be as many people. The sounds from the dock got further away, and I felt like we were the only two on the beach.

“I’ve really enjoyed our time together this week,” Trevor said pulling me closer to him.

The wind picked up a little bit and whipped my dress up behind me, and my hair into my face. He pushed a strand of hair away from my eyes.

“Me too,” I whispered back.

There was no moon tonight, but the stars were twinkling brightly in the night sky. Trevor’s arms felt good around me. I looked him in the eyes and smiled.

“What?” he questioned.

“Nothing.”

He leaned in and kissed me. His lips were warm and moist, and I wanted more. I leaned into him, and allowed for him to kiss me again. He held me in his embrace for a while, as our tongues intertwined exploring each other’s mouths. He rubbed his hand up and down my back, sending chills up my spine.

“Are you cold,” he stopped kissing me long enough to ask.

“No,” I responded, quickly kissing him again.

He tugged on my arm, pulling me down next to him on the beach. I put my arm around him, and moved my hand under his shirt to expose his back to the damp sand. He cupped my breast with his hand and held it there for a little while, as I gasped and continued to kiss him. His mouth moved from my lips down my neck and to the base of my neckline. He kissed the exposed part of my breast, and moved his hand down to the bottom of my dress, where he slowly began to lift it up above my thigh.

The sand was rough under my exposed skin. I could feel grains in places where sand should not be, but I didn’t care. He dipped his fingers below the waistline of my lacy underwear, and pressed his fingers into the warm crevice between my legs, working them in and out making me damp.

I cooed in his ear.

“Do you like that?” he whispered.

“Don’t stop,” I said, as I kissed his neck and ran my tongue around his earlobe.

With his other hand, he inched my dress up further, and exposed my stomach and chest to the cool evening air. I arched my back, and one handed he unsnapped my bra revealing my fully erect nipples. His mouth moved from my neck and engulfed my right breast. He playfully bit the tip of my nipple, and then sucked. While one hand caressed the left breast, his other continued to play around below. First one finger, then two. He was making me squirm as he inserted a third finger and gently moved in and out.

I could feel him through his pants, as he rubbed against my leg. His hardness made me crave for more. I moved my hand to the front of his pants and undid his zipper, slipping my hand into his boxers, massaging him. His breathing quickened, and he stopped sucking on my breast. He inched his way back up my body, removing his hand from my underwear. I slid his pants down slightly, allowing him the freedom to insert himself into me, now fully aroused. He slid up and down ever so slowly at first, glancing around to make sure no one was around. When it was clear that we were all alone, he braced himself and used the ground for leverage, moving faster and faster in and out.

I dug my fingernails into his shirt and held my breath to keep from screaming. He slowed down slightly when he felt that I was ready to climax, and flipped me over so that I was on top. He grabbed both breasts in his hands, and caressed my nipples with his thumbs, as I lifted myself up and down on his erection.

He rolled me over again, as we both reached a climax. I felt his warmth flow inside, and he let out a sigh. We both lay still for a few minutes not saying anything, looking out at the fireworks in the distance.

“That was wonderful,” I said, as we watched the grand finale light up the sky.

“Yeah, those fireworks were pretty good,” he said kissing me again.

He helped me off the ground, wiping what sand he could from my exposed skin. We walked hand in hand slowly down the beach not saying much.

“Do you want to stay at my place tonight?” he asked as we neared the parking lot of the pier. “The kids are at that sleep over tonight, and I’ll have the place to myself. I fear you could probably use a good shower”

“I’m not going to disagree with you there,” I laughed. I could feel grit all over my body as my clothes rubbed against my moistened skin.

*********************************to be continued, feedback welcomed!************************************************