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Hunter: Just go find your girl and stop talking to us.
Tyler: H is right. Jada just got here so I’m out. Talk to you clowns tomorrow.
Hunter: You got this, man. Just bump into her. Doesn’t seem like rocket science.
Me: Gee, thanks for the pep talk. All right, I think I finally see her. I’m going in.
I shoved my phone back in my pocket and walked over to where Gemma was standing in line for popcorn at the beachside cafe. She was wearing a white shirt that read “That Girl” across her chest in pink letters and grey sweats with white sandals. Her hair was swept up in some sort of up-do and held together with a cluster of clips, or so it seemed. She was wearing makeup now and that shimmery stuff on her lips.
I poked her from behind and she turned around, raising a hand to her chest. “Lance, you scared me,” she exclaimed. She was like a vision, even doing the most mundane of things, like taking her popcorn from the attendant. “Thank you,” she said to the gentleman and started walking away, her eyes darting to me as I kept pace with her. “What are you doing here?”
I followed her. “Honestly? I should be over at the kids’ movie night with Mason, but I wanted to see you again.”
She glanced up at me, clearly taken aback by my candor. “I’m flattered you’d ditch your son to see me.”
I looked down at her and snagged a piece of popcorn from the bucket before crunching on it. There was so much I could say, but at the same time, it felt too soon for most of it. “I don’t want to lie to you, Gemma.”
“You never did before,” she noted.
She was right, I had never lied to her before and I wasn’t going to start now. No matter how weird it made me look that I came here to see her. I only wished I knew what to say, but thankfully she saved me as she continued, “I have to say, though, I didn’t think you’d come. When I told you the girls and I would be here tonight, I mean.”
I nodded and put my hands in my pockets, fighting the urge to reach out and touch her again. Gemma possessed this magnetism that seemed to just draw me in. She was mature, beautiful, smart, the list went on and on. “I didn’t know I’d come,” I said earnestly, “but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t stay away.”
“I know the feeling,” she whispered, her doe eyes looking up at me with so much emotion, as if she too felt what was between us.
Not ready to ruin the moment, we fell silent as we crossed the beach to where her sister and friends were sitting. Reaching their blankets in the sand, Gemma tapped one of them on the shoulder. “Extra butter,” she told the woman, who turned around and beamed with excitement.
“Thanks, G, that’s the only way to eat it,” she said, reaching for it with a smile plastered on her face. “Who’s the hunk?” she asked and I noticed how Gemma’s cheeks flushed next to me.
I extended a hand. “I assume you mean me,” I answered, amused by the term. “I’m Lance.”
The woman eyed me and then grinned. “You’re Lance?”
I cocked a brow at Gemma and pulled my hand back to my side because whoever this girl was, she had no interest in shaking it. “In the flesh. And you are?”
“Soph,” Gemma answered, pointing. “This is Sophie, my sister.” She turned and gestured to the other girls who were not fully paying attention to us. “Coco and Daphne. This is Lance.”
Still nothing, aside from her sister.
“I can’t believe you’re Lance!” Sophie practically shouted, pushing the woman’s shoulder beside her. “Can you believe this is Gemma’s boy?” she asked the other girls, making a miserable attempt at whispering because I could still hear her.
I stifled a laugh and looked at Gemma, who was growing more uncomfortable by the moment. One of the women must have finally decided this was worth her attention, so she jumped up and placed her hands over her mouth. Coco, I think Gemma said. “Shut up! You’re him?” She waved her hands in the air and began gaining her composure again. “I’m Soph’s best friend and soon-to-be sister, Coco.” Got it right—Coco.
“That’s right, Gemma said it’s your bachelorette party?” I turned back to Sophie.
“Yes, it is,” Coco answered for her, smiling like the Cheshire cat. “She’s marrying my brother. I’m both happy about it and totally disgusted by it.” She shrugged her shoulders, but then went back to freaking out. “Daphne,” she raised her voice and poked the woman that was sitting on the other side of her, more interested in her phone than our conversation it seemed. “It’s Gemma’s Lance.”
The woman turned around and her eyes practically bugged out of her head. “And you said the most adventurous thing that ever happened to you was in college. Girl,” she drew the word out, “you were holding out on us! This man is fine.”
I cleared my throat and watched Gemma take a seat on the blanket since the movie was about to get started.
“He’s not a piece of meat,” Gemma remarked, patting the seat next to her. “Come sit,” she said, “before they decide what sauce you would taste best with.”
I chuckled and took a seat as Sophie and the other two girls started talking amongst themselves. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your night. I could leave if you want me to. I wasn’t really planning on crashing the party. Just wanted to see you.” I still wasn’t sure why or what I hoped to get from this, but I had to come here nonetheless.
“No,” she quickly let out, finding my hand in my lap and placing hers over mine. “It’s fine. You should stay if you’re son’s okay.” She looked up into my eyes and gave me a smile.
“He’s okay,” I assured her. “He’s with my friend.”
