well.”
Nancy sighed. “I t hink so too.”
“It sounds like a misunderstanding.”
“So you take his side?” Nancy asked.
“Not at all. I think his behavior was unacceptable, but I also think Derek has grown a lot since you two got together.”
She nodded. “That’s true.”
“But do what you think is best.”
“I don’t know what it is about him,” Nancy said. “I just—can’t say no.”
“Do you love him?”
“I—I don’t know. Sometimes I think I coul d. I just haven’t let myself get that attached.”
“Guard your heart for a while and see if he makes good on his promises,” Sydney said. “You can rebuild that trust eventually.”
Nancy finished her cup then looked at the bottom. “I’m going to get another.”
“Okay.”
She walked away and pushed past a few people until she made it to the keg. She got a lot of foam in her cup but she didn’t mind because she liked it the most.
A man came up to her and j iggled his keys. “Don’t worry. I found them.”
She looked up. “Huh?”
He smiled at her. “We met on the beach last night. I asked for your help and you politely told me to get the fuck out of your way.”
“Oh,” she said, her cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry about that. I was having a really bad day.”
“I picked up on that.” He took a drink of his beer then looked at her. He wore a green t-shirt that showed the lines of his chest. His jeans were dark and he wore sandals on his feet. “So, are you still having a bad day?”
“No, I’m better .”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Well, it was nice seeing you again.”
“Humor me for a moment, Nancy.”
She turned back to him. She wasn’t sure why. Her body just obeyed his command.
“Are you here with some friends?”
“Yeah,” she said as she looked over her shoulder. Coen and Sydney were making out, his hand gliding up her shirt. “Well, I was. They’re a little busy right now.”
He laughed. “Newlyweds?”
“What gave them away?”
He smiled. “So, Nancy. How do you know Kara?”
“Kara?”
“The girl who’s throwing the party.”
“Oh, I don’t. I’m a friend of a friend.”
He nodded. “Got it. So, are you having a good time?”
“Yeah.”
He looked into her glass. “You like foam?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry, it’s difficult to carry a conversation when the only responses I get are ‘oh’ and ‘yeah’.”
Her cheeks blushed. “I’m sorry I’m not pleasant company. So where were your keys?”
“In my pocket.”
“Well, that sounds like a blonde moment.”
“Not when I knew they were there the whole time.”
“What?”
“I needed an excuse to talk to you. When I saw you storming off the beach, I had to do something.”
“Why would you want to talk to me?”
He smiled at her, a playful expression on his face. “Why does a guy want to talk to any girl?”
“Sorry, I just assumed you would go for one of my girlfriends instead.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“Well, they are both gorgeous.”
“As are you.”
Nancy stared into his face, seeing the confident look in his eyes. “Uh…thanks.”
He took a drink of his beer then shifted his weight. “So, do you have a last name?”
“Erikson.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Why is that interesting?”
“No reason. Are you a student at the university?”
“Yeah. I’m a junior.”
“Are you an art major?”
She felt her heart race at his assumption. “No. Why?”
He nodded. “It was just a guess. You seem like an artistic person.”
“So you’re a surfer?”
“Why do you assume that?”
“We met on the beach.”
“Yes, I am. I love it.”
She nodded. “Trying to go pro?”
He shrugged. “I would n’t mind it.”
Nancy realized he was just like all the other guys she met on the beach. Mellow, lazy, easy going. “Do you go to the university?”
“No,” he said. “College was never for me.”
“I hate it too sometimes.”
“I
Nancy sighed. “I t hink so too.”
“It sounds like a misunderstanding.”
“So you take his side?” Nancy asked.
“Not at all. I think his behavior was unacceptable, but I also think Derek has grown a lot since you two got together.”
She nodded. “That’s true.”
“But do what you think is best.”
“I don’t know what it is about him,” Nancy said. “I just—can’t say no.”
“Do you love him?”
“I—I don’t know. Sometimes I think I coul d. I just haven’t let myself get that attached.”
“Guard your heart for a while and see if he makes good on his promises,” Sydney said. “You can rebuild that trust eventually.”
Nancy finished her cup then looked at the bottom. “I’m going to get another.”
“Okay.”
She walked away and pushed past a few people until she made it to the keg. She got a lot of foam in her cup but she didn’t mind because she liked it the most.
A man came up to her and j iggled his keys. “Don’t worry. I found them.”
She looked up. “Huh?”
He smiled at her. “We met on the beach last night. I asked for your help and you politely told me to get the fuck out of your way.”
“Oh,” she said, her cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry about that. I was having a really bad day.”
“I picked up on that.” He took a drink of his beer then looked at her. He wore a green t-shirt that showed the lines of his chest. His jeans were dark and he wore sandals on his feet. “So, are you still having a bad day?”
“No, I’m better .”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Well, it was nice seeing you again.”
“Humor me for a moment, Nancy.”
She turned back to him. She wasn’t sure why. Her body just obeyed his command.
“Are you here with some friends?”
“Yeah,” she said as she looked over her shoulder. Coen and Sydney were making out, his hand gliding up her shirt. “Well, I was. They’re a little busy right now.”
He laughed. “Newlyweds?”
“What gave them away?”
He smiled. “So, Nancy. How do you know Kara?”
“Kara?”
“The girl who’s throwing the party.”
“Oh, I don’t. I’m a friend of a friend.”
He nodded. “Got it. So, are you having a good time?”
“Yeah.”
He looked into her glass. “You like foam?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry, it’s difficult to carry a conversation when the only responses I get are ‘oh’ and ‘yeah’.”
Her cheeks blushed. “I’m sorry I’m not pleasant company. So where were your keys?”
“In my pocket.”
“Well, that sounds like a blonde moment.”
“Not when I knew they were there the whole time.”
“What?”
“I needed an excuse to talk to you. When I saw you storming off the beach, I had to do something.”
“Why would you want to talk to me?”
He smiled at her, a playful expression on his face. “Why does a guy want to talk to any girl?”
“Sorry, I just assumed you would go for one of my girlfriends instead.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“Well, they are both gorgeous.”
“As are you.”
Nancy stared into his face, seeing the confident look in his eyes. “Uh…thanks.”
He took a drink of his beer then shifted his weight. “So, do you have a last name?”
“Erikson.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Why is that interesting?”
“No reason. Are you a student at the university?”
“Yeah. I’m a junior.”
“Are you an art major?”
She felt her heart race at his assumption. “No. Why?”
He nodded. “It was just a guess. You seem like an artistic person.”
“So you’re a surfer?”
“Why do you assume that?”
“We met on the beach.”
“Yes, I am. I love it.”
She nodded. “Trying to go pro?”
He shrugged. “I would n’t mind it.”
Nancy realized he was just like all the other guys she met on the beach. Mellow, lazy, easy going. “Do you go to the university?”
“No,” he said. “College was never for me.”
“I hate it too sometimes.”
“I
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