the male side of him wouldn’t complain.
Ben arrived on location several minutes before the women. He had on his swim trunks and tank top, and someone offered him a fruity beverage with an umbrella stuck in the side. He took his sunglasses from his pocket and placed them on his face. He was ready.
When the women arrived, Ben knew immediately because the quiet lapping pool water was interrupted by shrills of excitement outside the entrance. Ben stood to await his candidates and watched as they strolled into the deck area. The taping had officially begun.
Ben pasted a smile on his face as one pair of long legs after another walked before him. Luckily for him, they were all wearing cover-ups for the time being. At least he would be able to get in his initial statements before he got tongue-tied.
“Welcome, ladies.” Ben raised his drink as they stood in a line before him. “I appreciate you joining me for a relaxing day by the water. Today, I really want to kick back and get to know all of you. And hey, if we can fit a little water volleyball into the day, even better.” Ben lowered his glasses on his nose. “What do you say we get this party started?”
The women clapped and cheered as Ben looked slowly from one to another. When he got to the end of the line, he noticed Renee, clapping in a lackluster manner. Ben frowned. What was she hiding under her cover-up?
One by one the women began to do just as Ben imagined…take off their cover-ups to reveal tiny bikinis that shimmered and glowed in all the right places. Ben knew if he wasn’t used to beautiful women already, he would have a hard time keeping his jaw in place and his wits about him.
Instead of jumping straight into the water, beautiful bikini-clad women surrounded him. He wasn’t sure what to do. He glanced over their heads when he realized one was missing. Renee stood in place, playing with the bottom of her cover-up.
“Excuse me, ladies.” Ben patted one woman on the shoulder while gently pushing another aside. “I’ll be right back with you.” He swiftly walked over to Renee, a camera close at his back.
“Renee.” He lifted a fruity drink in her direction. “Won’t you join us? You look rather hot and alone over here.”
“Thanks,” Renee replied sarcastically. She had to know Ben wasn’t trying to compliment her appearance. As Ben got closer, he examined her a little more. All of the women wore their hair long and flowing, showing off every angle of what they had to offer. Renee, on the other hand, had her hair bunched up on the back of her head in a ponytail. And Ben had to admit, she had a fresh and pretty face.
“Don’t you want to swim?” Ben asked, letting his eyes rake down Renee’s body. Was she ever going to come out of the cover-up?
Renee shrugged. “I will if you will,” she said. And with a swift motion and a lot of power, Ben found himself falling backward into the water. He sputtered and kicked and made his way back to the top, his fruity drink littering the clean water with red. He grabbed the small umbrella floating nearby and swam to the edge of the pool.
Renee had taken her cover-up off, but what she had underneath was nothing like what the studio provided. Instead of a bikini or even a one piece, she wore old cut-off shorts and a ratty t-shirt. Before he could scold her for pushing him in, she took a flying leap over his head and did a cannonball right behind him in the center of the pool.
Ben swam over to where Renee landed as if he was being pulled to her like a current. The other women watched them from the edge of the water. Before Renee surfaced, Ben caught her around the waist and pulled her against him.
“You know you’re going to have to pay for that,” Ben said quietly.
“Just trying to cool you off.” She wiped her hands over her hair, slicking it back into her ponytail.
“After the fire the other night?” he teased.
“After the fire today.” Renee looked at the nearby waiting
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