“Let’s go to the beach!”

I wanted to scream after hearing the phone ring. Seeing it was my best friend Marci made me want to throw it against the wall. Hearing that she wanted to go to the beach made me want to block her number.

“We just went to bed, dumb ass.” I moaned.

“No way! You can sleep on the beach. Come on, Ali, summer’s almost over. Before you know it, we’ll be back at school slaving away towards adulthood.”

I sighed. I knew I couldn’t win the argument. She’d be knocking on my door in a minute since our parents were neighbors and had been since she moved here freshman year of high school.

“Fine,” I found a way to moan. “You’d better let me take a nap or I’ll kick your ass.”

“Yes, dear,” she laughed. “Frank will be out front in ten minutes. Get your tight ass in gear.”

I slammed the phone down and the noise made my head hurt. I couldn’t believe she was dragging Frank out with us again. He was at the bar with us the night before, and Marci convinced him to pay our tab. I have a feeling that she implied he’d finally get what he wanted from her, but I know she had no intention of kissing him lower than his lips.

Frank Chambers was our friend when we were in high school. I should qualify that by saying Frank was my friend, he just lusted after Marci, and she made leading him on an artform.

Frank didn’t go away to school like most of our graduating class. He got an associates degree from the local college and got a job working for the fire department right away. Marci liked the fact that he had money and liked even more that he was willing to spend it on her. I felt bad for him. I liked him, but he couldn’t see past her big boobs.

I never went after him, even though he was a good-looking nice guy. My mom told me I was an idiot. Mom was always right. I just couldn’t get past him not showing one bit of interest in me.

I walked out my front door and saw Frank moving stuff around the trunk of his car.

“Hi, Frank. Long time, no see.”

He frowned and said, “No shots today, okay?”

Before I could make a quip, Marci bounced out her front door.

“Hi, Frank!” She shrieked and dropped her bag at his feet. She walked around the car and sat in the back seat. I set my bag in the trunk next to a cooler that I could only assume Marci wanted him to stock for her and shrugged my shoulders.

“Frank, where are you going?” I asked as he got on the expressway towards Chicago. Normally, we go to the Chain O’Lakes, which is closer to us and in the other direction.

“Marci wants to go to Oak Street Beach.”

“Lake Michigan?” I sighed. “It’s going to be packed.”

He nodded and said, “I tried to talk her out of it, but she wasn’t hearing any of it.”

I leaned back into the seat and put my bare feet on the dashboard. I smiled when I saw him checking out my legs and trying to act like he was looking at the side mirror.

If he’d only get over his Marci infatuation, I would love to have a shot at him. I thought maybe it was time to let him know I was interested, and she wasn’t, but I didn’t want to risk him lusting after her while we dated. I hoped he would smarten up.

We found a small spot on the farthest part of the beach from the water, but I didn’t care about that. I was going to put on my lotion and go back to sleep.

There was a group of guys about twenty feet to our left, just on the other side of an older couple. It didn’t take them long to spot us and for Marci to spot them.

“Frank, could you hand me a beer please?” Marci asked while flirting non-verbally with the group of guys.

“Sure,” he said and handed her a Bud.

Marci tossed the beer in front of the old couple across to the guys. Of course, that made them swarm over like flies to honey. I rolled my eyes and saw Frank get angry. He just realized that all of the beer he brought for us was about to be scavenged.

“Frank,” I said trying to calm him. “Can you rub some lotion on my back please?” I was wearing a bikini that was fairly modest, but still showed a lot of skin.

“S-s-sure.”

He started at my shoulders and was barely touching my skin.

“You can rub harder, Frank. I won’t break.”

“Okay, sorry.”

As if he were hit by a stroke of massage genius, his hands became magic on my muscles. His rubbing my shoulders felt so good, I was going to tell him to keep going when he moved lower down my back.

“Is that better, Ali?”

I sighed, “Mm, yes.”

Marci interrupted my pleasure. “Hey, guys, I’m going to rinse off in the lake, I’ll be right back.”

Frank and I both looked back at the same time and saw her bouncing off to the water with a couple of the guys. Two guys stayed behind and had helped themselves to the beer.

“Scram, guys. She’s gone and I don’t want you here drinking my beer,” Frank said.

“Melanie invited us to have some. Do you have a problem with that, geek?”

“Her name is Marci, and if you think I’m a geek and I can’t bury my foot up your ass, try me, asshole.”

I was impressed and proud of him at the same time. He stood up for himself and was going against Marci’s wishes. I just didn’t want to see him get into a fight over a couple bucks in beer though.

“Whatever, dickhead.”

Frank laughed as they walked away, until one of them kicked some sand back at us. Frank jumped up and before he could run after them, I said, “Frank, wouldn’t you rather keep rubbing the lotion on me? I’d really hate to burn.”

He looked down at me red-faced and ready to fight. I tried to give him my brightest smile and patted the blanked beside me. He looked at the two goons and looked back to me.

“Sorry. No, I don’t want you to burn.” He sat down and I slid back between his legs. “I think we were about right here.”

His hands were all over my back, and his thumbs were rubbing my ribcage as if he were trying to play a song on my back bones. I never imagined he had such strong hands and I’m not ashamed to say, my kitty was starting to tingle from his work.

It was time to take it to the next level. I resolved that was going to be the day I made my feelings for him known. To hell with Marci. He’d never look at her again if I had my way.

“Frank, make sure to do the back of my legs please.” I shifted and moved onto my stomach on the blanket.

I felt him before I saw him, but he paused, and I caught him staring at my butt. I smiled, pulled down my sunglasses a bit, and said, “Don’t stop yet. You can look at it while you rub some lotion on my hips and legs.”

He stuttered, “W-What? No, I wasn’t looking, I mean, I...”

“Frank, look into my eyes.” He looked scared. “It’s perfectly fine. I like it when you look at my butt.”

“You do?” he asked, gaining some confidence in his voice.

“I do. I like you, Frank. Don’t you like me?”

I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He looked to the water as if searching for Marci and finally looked at me and said, “I like you, Ali. I just thought you were out of my league.”

Oh! That was rich. I sat up and took off my sunglasses. He was going to have to explain to me how he had been lusting after Marci, who wouldn’t give him the time of day unless he bought her a watch, and thought I was out of his league.

“Explain,” I demanded.

He sighed and said, “For starters, you’re so smart. When we talk, I know I can’t keep up with your speed of conversation. It’s like you’re worldly and I’m just a fireman.”

He paused and looked down at the sand, “And you’re so pretty. I look at you and it’s like looking at the sun. I don’t know, I just don’t think we’re a match.”

I was shocked. That gorgeous man had no confidence.

“Frank, you follow Marci around like a puppy dog, and she uses you for all she can get, but you think I’m out of your league?”

He laughed and said, “Marci’s a slut. I know eventually I’ll get my turn, but I wouldn’t date her or want anything serious.”

I was more shocked. I took his hand and smiled, “Frank, I like you and I don’t think I’m out of your league. You’re well on your way into a good career. You’ve got movie star looks, but you’re too shy to realize that, and damn it, I just found out you have magic hands.”

I smiled and he returned it. Damn! He had a great smile. The right side of his mouth turned up just slightly more than the left, and he had dimples that would put Harry Styles and Dennis Quade to shame.

“If you’re sure I’m not out of your league, would you like to see a movie with me tonight?” He asked confidently.

He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles.

I giggled and said, “I’d love to.”

“Well, look at this!” Marci shrieked with her two followers in tow. “Someone finally realized Ali likes him. Took you long enough, dumb ass. It was getting harder and harder to not fuck your brains out.”

“Marci!” I half-screamed.

“What? It doesn’t take a genius to see you’ve been dying for him to notice you. Why do you think I keep inviting him with us?”

“Free drinks,” Frank said with a glare.

“Well, that doesn’t suck. Look, dumb ass, I know you’ve been dying to get a piece of me, but I couldn’t do that to my bestie. She’s been crushing on you since high school. You were just too blind to see it, and she was too shy to do anything about it.”

I looked at her in shock. I wasn’t sure I believed her, but I rolled with it.

“Anyway. Tom and Mike here, want to go to Navy Pier. I’m going to go with them. The guys are from Arlington Heights, so they’ll give me a ride home.”

“I’m not leaving you with these guys,” Frank almost shouted and I was glad. They lived the next town over from us, but who’s to say they weren’t rapists or murderers?

“Don’t worry, Frank, I’ll be fine. Go on and have a day together, you two.”

She spun and walked off with the guys. Frank stood to give chase, but I stopped him.

“Frank, let her go. I have a feeling this was all a set up for her to meet up with them from the beginning. Why else would she drag us down here and then just so happen to sit us by guys from a suburb near us? It’s all too convenient.”

“It just doesn’t feel right to me, Ali. How about if we go to Navy Pier ourselves and make a day of it?”

I looked at the earnestness in his eyes and loved him more, “You’re a good man, Frank. Okay, let’s do it.”

I slipped on my shorts and put a t-shirt over my bikini top. We picked up the blanket and bags and walked back to his car.

“Is it close enough to walk? I can see the Ferris Wheel and it looks close,” I asked.

“Probably a couple miles,” he answered thinking about it. “No, it’s too hot and we’re not wearing shoes suitable for the walk.”

I looked down at my flip-flops and agreed. I giggled when I realized he was still looking at my legs.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I quipped.

He took my hand and smiled into my eyes, “I’ve always loved your legs, I didn’t mean to stare.”

I hoped he’d love them for many years to come.

We didn’t actively seek out Marci and her merry men, but our eyes were open to the people near us. Frank wanted to be close in case she called us for help, but I knew it was a wasted effort. I loved Marci to death, but I knew she was a slut at heart. She never hid it from anyone, and I hoped no sucker ever convinced her to marry him.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she found a secluded place and screwed those guys, but that was her problem. I know it’s harsh of me to feel that way about my friend, but she treated Frank so poorly for so long, it wore on me. He finally became interested in me, and I would not let her keep her hooks in him. I hoped he was sincere when he said he just wanted a piece of her. I hoped she kept her word about not going after him because I liked him.

“What’s on your mind, Ali,” he asked as we were in line for lunch.

I smiled and said, “You. I’m glad you finally came to your senses and asked me out.”

He laughed, “I’m still not convinced you won’t take up with some other guy when you realize how pedestrian I am.”

“Pedestrian? That’s too funny. You say you’re not as smart as I am, yet you use words like pedestrian. Maybe I’m not smart enough for you.”

As we carried our food to a table, I continued, “Frank, we’ve known each other since freshman year homeroom. If I wasn’t seeing Mark Higgins then, I’d have found a way to make you ask me out.”

He shook his head, “Ali, it’s true we’ve known each other for a long time, but finally telling you how I feel about you scares me a little. I know it’s junior high stuff, but I’m a one-woman guy. If you want to date other people while we’re seeing each other, I won’t agree with it.”

I took one of his cheese fries and said, “Don’t be stupid. I’ve been waiting for you to notice me over Marci for a long time. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.” I popped the fry into my mouth and went to grab another.

He slapped my hand gently, “Watch it, missy. If you want to be my girlfriend, you’ll need to leave my fries alone.”

I shook my head and quickly grabbed another. “You’ll need to start ordering the largest size, buster. It’s a woman’s prerogative to eat her man’s fries.”

He raised his eyebrow, “You’re my woman then?” His smile raised my body temperature.

I nodded and grabbed his milkshake.

“Hey, you have your own.”

I giggled and said, “Yeah, but mine’s chocolate and yours is strawberry.” He shook his head and let me have a taste. He was smart after all.

We didn’t see Marci, while we were there but she did text me to let me know she made it home safely. We were still stuck in terrible Chicago traffic, with a clearly frustrated Frank not liking driving in the chaos.

“I can’t believe she made us drive into the city,” he complained.

I took his hand and placed it on my leg. “If she hadn’t, I’m not sure we would’ve admitted our feelings for each other.”

He smiled and squeezed my thigh with his strong hand. “Maybe, but this traffic is killing me. I regret not kissing you before we got in the car. All I want to do is taste your lips and we’re stuck in this tin can.”

I seductively asked, “Which lips?”

“Um ... I ... uh...”

I laughed at his discomfort. “I love making you so uncomfortable.”

I put my feet on his dashboard and got the reaction I expected. He was so cute, trying not to get caught staring at my legs. I decided to tease him some more.

“Do you like my feet too, or just my legs?”

“Everything about you is perfect.”

Thankfully, we were going slow because when I wiggled my toes, I thought he was going to lose control of the car. I snuck a glance at his shorts and there was a sizable bulge straining his swim trunks.

“I know we talked about going to a movie tonight,” I started, “but I’ve never seen your new apartment. Maybe you’d like to watch a movie there instead?”

He shifted in his seat and looked at me smiling at him. “You’re sure?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” I purred.

I wasn’t a virgin, but I wasn’t a slut either. I’d known Frank for years and now that I had him in my grasp, I was going to make sure to keep him. I was considering fucking him into the next day to make him forget his lust for Marci, but I felt more comfortable fooling around a little, okay a lot, and ending the night with a blow job. If he returned the oral favor on me, even better.

A short while later, Frank dropped me off and walked me to the door. He carried my bag in one hand and held my hand with the other. When we walked into the house, my dad greeted us at the door.

“Hi, kids,” he said smiling at Frank holding my hand. “What were you up to all day?”

“Hi, daddy. We went to the beach and spent some time at Navy Pier.”

“Chicago, huh? Did you ride the Ferris Wheel?”

Frank laughed and said, “Of course. It’s the only reason to go right?”

My dad always liked Frank. Frank was brought up by his grandparents, because his parents died when he was young, and I think Frank talked to my dad over the years about some things that his grandparents were told old-fashioned to understand.

“Good, good.” He looked at us still holding hands and asked, “So, you two finally got your heads out of your rear ends?”

“Daddy!” I shrieked.

“Come on, pumpkin. Everyone could see the way you were pining over him, and he wasn’t as slick as he thought sneaking glances at you. The only ones who didn’t know what was up was you two.”

Frank laughed. “Head permanently removed, sir.”

“Excellent. Treat her right, son, or ... well, never mind. I know you will.” He walked off laughing.

I shook my head and looked at Frank. “Don’t mind him. You know he likes you.”

“Your dad’s a good guy. I’m not worried about it. Look, I have to get going. My place isn’t exactly up to having my girlfriend over standards.”

I laughed and said, “Okay, boyfriend. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

He leaned in to kiss me, and then my dad walked back into the room.

“Oops! Sorry, kids. You just go ahead and smooch.” He laughed again and spun around leaving us alone.

“Talk about a moment killer,” I lamented.

Frank leaned in and kissed my surprised lips, not caring about the interruption. It took me a moment, but I responded in kind. He dropped my bag and wrapped his arms around me. His tongue lightly touched my lips, causing an involuntary action to let it in. He squeezed me tightly as our tongues met for the first time.

I couldn’t stifle the moan, as I slid my tongue along his. I was amazed at his prowess. His kiss was gentle and smooth. His lips were just the right softness, and his tongue was soft, and I could taste the Cherry Coke he drank.

He broke away slowly and smiled at my sigh. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

I was going to say I’d been waiting years, but instead I said, “Save some for later, lover boy.”

He smiled and kissed my cheek, “Until later, Ali.”

Later, as we sat on his couch watching a movie, we were on opposite sides. He didn’t seem comfortable enough to sit next to each other and it annoyed me. When he sat, he put a throw pillow on his hip nearest me, which prevented me from cuddling up with him. I had to figure out how to break that wall of nerves, when I decided to act.

I grabbed the pillow and threw it across the room. He looked at me as if to say, ‘what the fuck,’ but I didn’t care. I slid over and put my arm behind his back, resting my head on his chest.

“There. That’s better, isn’t it?”

He didn’t answer but put his arm around my shoulders and snuggled me in. He needn’t have been nervous. I tried to convey that to him without embarrassing him, but it was no use. I realized I’d have to take the bull by the horns and drag him into a comfort-zone with our new normal.

When the movie was over, he asked, “Want some ice cream?”

“What kind?”

“I have the three-flavor kind.”

I giggled and said, “It’s Neapolitan.”

“No, it’s chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.”

I smacked his shoulder and said, “Okay, silly. Can I have a scoop of each?”

He smiled and said, “Of course. That’s how I like it. Why else buy ice cream that comes with three flavors?”

He came out of the kitchen with two bowls of ice cream, a jar of chopped peanuts, and a tub of Cool Whip.

“I didn’t want to presume you’d want whipped cream or nuts, so I left them off yours.”

“I’ll have some Cool Whip, thanks.” I avoided making the easily set up joke about those not being the nuts I wanted and smiled as he put a generous helping of the yummy goodness in my bowl.