Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
When I come up and look back, she’s at the edge of the boat, calling my name. I ignore her and swim over to the boat with the kid on the horse.
It’s a family. Four kids of various ages, a mother and a father who both appear to be in their thirties. They have more floating animals than they do family members and their boat is one of the bigger ones, like mine. So they have to stay farther out from the sandbar, like us.
I hit up the dad. “Hi there,” I call, still swimming.
He waves and starts splashing over to me. “Hi. What can I do for you?”
“I’m Eason. Your temporary neighbor.” I point at my boat, where Irina is practically hanging over the railing, watching me. “That’s my girl right there. She’s in love with your boy’s floating horse and I came unprepared for this want of hers. Could we make some kind of trade so we could borrow it for an hour or two?”
The man’s name is Lawrence, his wife is Patty, and his kids… whatever. I spend ten minutes chatting, being friendly, and sorting out details. Then I’m towing the horse back to a waiting Irina, who greets me with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.
“Your steed,” I joke.
“I cannot believe you just did that. You took their horse!”
“It’s just borrowed. And they didn’t mind. They got a whole fuckin’ zoo of floating animals over there. Besides, the boy hates the horse because he keeps falling off. Jump on. I’ll hold it steady for ya.”
“Oh, my God. I’m being a teenager again, aren’t I?”
“Irina, that’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? To have fun like a teenager. Now jump on.”
She hesitates, but just for a moment. Then she’s slipping her shorts down her legs. I should turn away so she doesn’t feel self-conscious, but I can’t. I want to watch this. I don’t want to miss a moment of it.
For such a tiny girl, she’s got very long legs. And they are tan—setting off the yellow flowers on her bathing suit bottoms. Then her shirt comes off. She doesn’t usually wear a strapless top. I can tell, because she’s got tan lines where the strings usually are. And once again, I’m reminded at just how perfect her body is. How round her breasts are. And how her curvy hips really set off her waist.
She jumps in the water right in front of me, splashing me in the face.
But I deserved that, I guess. Because I was staring at her pretty hard.
She comes up out of the water wiping her eyes, her lashes glistening with little droplets. “How do I get on without tipping it?”
“A leg up?” I offer her a flat palm, trying to hold on to the horse at the same time.
She puts her foot on my hand, lifts up, almost gets a leg over, and then goes tumbling sideways as the horse tips.
It takes a dozen more tries before she’s finally astride and the entire family in the next boat is clapping. None louder than the boy, who never managed to get this far.
Irina’s face goes bright red with embarrassment. But I squeeze her leg, making her squeal. “They’re happy for you. No need to blush about it.”
She’s happy. Very happy. And it makes me happy too.
I pull on the horse, upsetting her balance, and she tumbles over the side.
And we have to start all over again.
We play with that damn horse until we finally decide it’s the worst floaty ever and hand it back to the family with much appreciation. Then we go back to the boat and sit up front, lounging on the sunbathing deck in front of the helm.
Irina lies back, using my leg as a pillow, and I stroke her shoulder, unable to remember the last time I had a day like this.
Maybe I’ve never had a day like this?
Irina must be thinking the same thing, because she starts asking questions. “Do you have dates like this all the time?”
“The boat’s brand-new, Irina.”
She turns over, looking up at me. “That’s not an answer. And you had other boats, you already said so.”
“If you’re asking if I’ve ever had a day like this, then no. But yeah. I’ve had girls on boats before.”
“How come this one is different?”
“Because it’s you.”
She sits up, scooting away a little so she can tuck her knees up to her chest. We’re mostly dry now. The wind is warm and the sun is hot. But her hair is still a little bit wet as it blows across her cheek. “Why do you like me so much?”
“What’s not to like?”
She guffaws. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m socially awkward, and pensive, and never gonna have sex with you. So… yeah. I’m pretty much not that fun.”