"Oh-okay. Or just wait here and I'll be right back." She left me there as if I was going to wait for her return.
"Right," I mumbled and walked toward the volleyball courts. The guys were knee deep in a game with another group of guys, but called me in the minute I walked up. I dropped my phone into my back pocket and moved onto the make-shift court.
"We're going skinny-dipping with the girls tonight. About time we got to see some tit. Jeez. How long have you guys been working this group? A week?" I moved into place and ignored the looks I got.
"We are not going skinny-dipping." Clay glanced back at me. "Who told you that, or are you back to being your dickish self?"
"Well, there is that, but Cora and the girls came by the boat while I was dropping the anchor and shit."
"You mean while you were making out with that hot blonde?" Derek chuckled. "Your depravity knows no bounds, my friend."
"Right. Fuck you, too." I winked at him and turned to spike the ball. "We're meeting them at 10. One of you in a committed relationship can text and ask them where. I've yet to get the girl's number...remember?"
"First time for everything, right?" Daniel glanced back at me. "Stop mulling over seeing Cora naked and help us win this game."
"I'm not the one sporting a boner." I laughed as Daniel glanced down toward his shorts as if checking to see if he had an erection. The ball hit the side of his head and knocked him back.
"Dick." He looked over at me with a smirk on his mouth. "I'm going to get you for that."
"What? No fucking way. You've never threatened retaliation. Is this a new man I see coming into the light?" I could feel my emotions settling.
Cora wanted me.
Her request to go skinny-dipping was a bitch move. It was something I would have done if I wanted her attention. If I wanted to drag her out to the lake and then deny her. I had no clue what the night held for us, but I was all in. I owed her an apology regardless if things were going to go anywhere with us.
The tension between us had gone from hot and palpable to uncomfortable. Time to right at least that much.
*
"Did you grab the marshmallows?" Clay dropped down in the sand near the lake and worked on the fire Derek had started. It was just a small flame at that point, but we would have it roaring within a few minutes.
The girls had decided to meet us just after nine across the lake where not too many people went that late at night. We'd offered to pick them up in our boat, but they wanted to drive their own, so we grabbed the stuff that would be needed for a weenie roast and got our asses over there. Each of us seemed to want to make the night perfect for the others.
"Yeah." I bent over and pulled them out of the bag, wagging them around. "You alright?"
"Me?" Clay stood up and dusted his hands against his shorts. "Yeah, just a little concerned over how this night is going to go. Emily and I have been avoiding the discussion over you guys, and I'm sure it's coming."
"What?" I smirked, knowing exactly who he was talking about.
"Right." He turned to face me. "What's going on, anyway? Anything happen since the date night that went belly up, thanks to you being a dick?"
"No, dude." I pressed my hands to my hips. "And, I wasn't being a dick. I was trying to be a good guy for the first time in my life. It worked out really well for me. See if I do that shit again."
"I really like this girl, Brody. I'd rather you not fuck it up for me." He walked past me, popping me in the stomach with his hand.
"What? That makes no sense, at all." I turned to follow him, tired of him acting like I was the only jackass in the house. "The only one that's going to fuck things up is you, when you pull out your miniature cock and scare her."
Clay turned and moved toward me aggressively. "She likes my cock, so you shut the fuck up."
"Whoa... what the hell?" Daniel moved in between us as Clay lifted his fist. I was almost looking forward to putting a hurting on him. It would have felt good for both of us to release some of the tension we had in our lives. Funny how it wasn't really related to the other and yet we were going to act like it was. We'd been doing the same song and dance our whole lives. It was one of the many reasons why we were best friends.
"What's up?" Derek jogged toward us as I backed up.
"Nothing. We're just tense." I turned to Clay. "Sorry, dude. I'm not going to fuck anything up, alright?"
"Wow." Daniel laughed. "Who are you, and where is our friend? What have you done with him?"
I smirked. "Maybe I'm growing up. Nawww... just not in the mood to explain to the girls why Clay is missing a tooth."