Page 19 of Summer Affair

One of the men, a tall guy with a red face, shoved another, sending him stumbling backward. The women screamed, and the other man stumbled into a lounge chair, knocking it over.

Dean hurried over, his calm demeanor masking the adrenaline that surged through his veins. It wasn’t the first fight he’d had to break up and he doubted it would be the last. After quickly assessing the situation—the men were obviously drunk, and tempers were flaring dangerously—he knew exactly how to handle the situation.

“Hey, guys,” Dean said, his voice steady and authoritative. “Let’s take a step back and calm down.”

The man who had done the shoving turned to Dean, his eyes narrowing. “Stay out of this, man. This is between us.”

Dean held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I get that you’re upset, but this isn’t the place for it. Let’s talk it out, okay? We can figure this out without anyone getting hurt.”

The women were still pleading with the men to stop, and Dean could see that things were escalating. The man who had been shoved stood up, his fists clenched, ready to retaliate.

Dean stepped in between them, his heart pounding but his exterior calm. “Look, you don’t want to do this,” he said, locking eyes with the aggressor. “We’re all here to have a good time. Don’t let a misunderstanding ruin your night—or your stay here. If this goes any further, I’ll be forced to cancel your stay. How about we go talk this out with some water, cool down a bit?”

For a tense moment, it seemed like the man was going to ignore him and throw a punch. But Dean didn’t waver, his steady gaze holding the man’s attention.

Finally, the man let out a frustrated growl and backed off, his shoulders sagging. “Fine,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Whatever.”

Dean exhaled, feeling the tension ease slightly. He turned to the other man, who was still glaring but had relaxed his stance. “You good?” Dean asked.

The man nodded, wiping his face. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Dean turned to the women. “Why don’t you all head back to your cabins? Get some rest and tomorrow, if you want, you can all sort this out over breakfast.”

The women nodded, no doubt thankful for the out, and began to lead the men away, their voices soft and soothing.

Dean watched them go, his muscles finally unclenching as the group disappeared into the darkness. He stood there for a moment, letting the quiet of the night settle back around him. He knew from experience that defusing a situation sometimes took nothing more than a calm presence and a few well-placed words.

As he turned to head back inside, he saw Andrea standing in the doorway, watching him with a mixture of concern and admiration. She gave him a small smile, and Dean felt a heat spread through him.

“You handled that well,” she said as he approached her.

“Comes with the job,” he replied with a shrug, though he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride.

She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re good at this, you know? Keeping things under control.”

Dean smiled down at her, the events of the evening already fading into the background as he focused on the warmth of her hand in his. “Just doing what needs to be done.”

Tonight had been chaotic, but it was moments like these—when he was with Andrea and surrounded by the people he cared about—that made everything worth it. The drama had passed, and the night was once again theirs to do whatever they wanted.

“You headed home?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” Andrea replied, returning his smile. “It was a busy night. You really did handle everything back there like a pro. Next time I have an argument with my mother or sister, I’ll call you,” she joked.

“Thanks.” Dean chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Had to break up another fight between Kyle and Jake. Never a dull moment.”

“Again?” She sighed. “I’m glad you were there to keep the peace.”

As they walked together towards the parking lot, Dean felt a shift inside him. The playful flirting he had engaged in with other women earlier felt empty now compared to the genuine connection he felt with Andrea.

“Andrea,” Dean began, stopping by his car. “I’ve been thinking…about us, some more.”

She looked up at him, her expression curious. “Yeah?”

“Tonight, while I was working, I realized something,” he said, his voice steady. “I really want to see where this goes. Even if it’s just a summer affair, I think we could come out of it unscathed.”

“I like the sound of that, a summer affair.” Andrea’s eyes softened, and she took a step closer. “It’s been very hard to concentrate on my work today. Ever since that kiss I’ve been thinking about you.” She shook her head. “I’ve never…with a friend before and I can’t stand the thought of losing what we have.” She placed a hand over his heart. “This means too much to let it slip away because of feelings, but sex is a whole different thing.” She added the last quickly as her hand rested flat on his chest.

He felt a weight lift off his shoulders, replaced by a warmth spreading through him. “Agreed.” When she smiled up at him, he leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. “I’ve dreamed of doing this all day.” He sighed against her mouth.