Chapter 17

Just when he was about to go to that negative place, he got a text. His phone was face down on the table beside him so he couldn’t immediately see who it was. There was a sick feeling in his stomach that it was Maggie, or worse, Tom because he knew about them. Not knowing was always worse than knowing so he grabbed it, being highly relieved.

“Want some company?” Jane had texted.

“I wouldn’t be too fun to hang out with tonight,” he texted back.

“I doubt that,” Jane said from right in front of him, startling Evan.

“Fuck, don’t do that,” he began to protest until he noticed her.

Jane held up a 6-pack of his favorite beer as a gift so she could stay; it was the last thing he noticed. She wore a tight brown vest that covered less than a sports bra with only two lazy buttons holding it together between her breasts. Below that was a pair of skimpy short jeans that he hadn’t seen before. Even her dirty blond hair looked different somehow, maybe curlier? The fire reflected off her long legs all the way down to her bare feet.

“Evan, are you checking me out?” she asked, happily.

He glanced up to find her expression was as flirty as her tone. “How could I not? Are you going somewhere?” he asked, still looking her up and down.

“I am, here, that is if I’m welcome,” she asked, holding up the beer.

“Please,” he said, gesturing to the chair next to him.

She placed the beer on the sand between his feet before she turned, moving the other beach chair closer to Evan’s. She sat down slow enough that he noticed the bottom of her butt spilled out of the shorts and the dimples on her lower back he always loved to see. She smiled as if thanking him for his reaction. They shared a few beers, talking about anything and everything but that day. Both had the next day off, so there was no limit to the night.

“Hey, can I get some rum,” she asked, diverting from beer. Evan grabbed the bottle, filling 1/4 of the small glass, and handed it to her. She downed it and offered her glass back to him to fill it again. He did with the same amount and she downed it again, this time giving him back the glass.

“You’re either about to go skinny dipping, or you have something you want to say,” Evan commented.

Jane giggled, saying, “Dare me to skinny dip? I love being naked when I’m sober so that’s nothing.”

“I’d settle for seeing you naked, you don’t have to go in the water,” he replied, waiting to gauge her reaction.

“Are you flirting with me?” Jane asked, thinking it odd he would choose that night specifically to start.

“I am, but only because this is the first time you’ve acted flirty with me. So what’s the deal?” he asked like a friend would.

Jane flushed, asking, “Am I really being that obvious?”