In His Sails by Tabitha Levin Page B

“Your folks going through a divorce are they?”
    I tried to stifle a giggle at his forwardness. “No, nothing like that. Besides they never married. Preferred a casual relationship. Said it wasn’t natural to be with one person all your life.”
    “Yeah, they are probably right. Just look at poor Caitlin and Pete. Can’t have worked out well for them. Having their names indelibly marked here. Lot of pressure to stay together. They could be with anyone these days.”
    I narrowed my eyes and looked in his direction so I could really look at this person who, despite what he said, really was hitting on me.
    His brown hair was cut short like he was going for a job interview. I usually didn’t go for guys who cut their hair short, preferring the long scruffy bad boy rock star look. But as my eyes skimmed over him again, I saw some ink peeking out of the sleeve of his t-shirt that sent a tiny tremble through me.
    Apart from the tattoo, there wasn’t all that much that I would normally have gone for. But there was something about him. Something about the way he looked at me, that caused my pulse to quicken. I just couldn’t put my finger on what about him I liked yet. If indeed I liked him at all.
    Nevertheless, however misguided he might be in trying to pick me up right now, he was amusing and a good boost to my confidence. I didn’t feel so left out with his attention to me.
    I was about to say something back to him when a look of horror came across his face. “Did you say you were holidaying with your folks?”
    “Yeah, my mum and my little brother and sister. Why?”
    He leaned in closer like he was worried someone might overhear him. “How old are you?”
    I laughed. I wondered what he’d do if I said that I was sixteen. I really wanted to lie and say I was younger than I was, just for my own amusement, but my mouth had other ideas. “Twenty two.” I told him, truthfully.
    He breathed a melodramatic sigh of relief. “Damn, you nearly gave me a heart attack.” “What would that matter? I thought you said you weren’t trying to pick me up?”
    He grinned. “Yeah, well, you know.”
    “So David, is this your usual modus operandi? Find a mopey girl on the rocks and come over and try and sweep her off her feet?”
    “No. Actually I can’t say I’ve ever done it before until today.”
    “Oh really?” I rolled my eyes to show how skeptical that sounded.
    “It’s true. You think I’d be better at it, if I actually knew what I was doing.”
    He had a point.
    “Then why was I the lucky lady today? Hmm?”
    “Truth?”
    I nodded. He turned his head toward a group of guys that were sitting on the far side of the beach. Some of them had girls with them. Typical beach hang out.
    “I saw you walk in here, and told my mate, Ben, how hot you were, and you were here alone looking sort of sad. He dared me to come over.”
    “A dare, huh? And what do you win, by talking to me?”
    “Nothing!” He put his hands up, and shook his head. “It wasn’t a dare like that, not for money or anything. It’s just that, damn you’re sweet, and he wanted to make sure I didn’t do my usual thing.”
    “Your usual thing?”
    “I’m usually not good approaching girls. I get tongue tied and mess up.”
    “Kind of like, now?”
    “Kind of,” he said.
    “And what did you think would happen? That I’d fall for your charms and we’d live happily ever after, like Caitlin and Pete?”
    He shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to meet you. Talk to you. Hear your voice. But if it’s not cool, I’ll leave.” He stood and thrust out his hand to shake mine. “It’s been a pleasure, Mia Bennett. Hope to see you around here again some time.”
    I shook his hand , it was rough, strong.
    And with that he walked back to his friends, without looking back at me.
    Well that was odd. I decided I felt too uncomfortable to stay here, and stood up to leave myself. I looked back over to him and his friends, but he wasn’t looking