I nod my head before looking at my sister. Her eyes light up as she pushes her lips together, trying to hold back her excitement. She stands, waving me to follow her.
She slides the back door open, and I follow her outside, shutting it behind me.
“He totally likes you,” she says.
“Or maybe he’s been on a boat too long, and he’s still a little seasick and can’t see straight.”
“Oh my God. Stop it. Did you see the way he was looking at you at the table?”
“Um no. I was next to him.”
“Well, I did, and he glanced over at you every chance he got.”
“He does seem very nice. I don’t know about the taking a month off of work thing though. Doesn’t seem very responsible.”
She put her hand on my forearm and shook her head slightly.
“I’m not going to tell you the exact amount, because I don’t think Jacob really wanted to tell me and I pried it out of him, but let’s just say he’s sitting on a nice nest egg. It won’t hurt him to take a month off.”
“Fair enough. I guess if you have the ability, might as well”
“Good,” she says, taking her hand away and making small, excited claps.
The guys walk out, laughing. Vance’s attention is on what Jacob is saying, but his eyes are on me. I bite my lip while shoving my fingers under the sides of my thighs.
His hand comes to his chin and rubs across the scruff on his face, then his tongue dips out, wetting his lower lip and it’s not the only thing wet anymore.
I clench my thighs together to hopefully comfort the ache for a second before I can try ignoring it.
“Jacob, honey. Will you light the fire pit? It’s a little chilly tonight,” my sister asks, rubbing her arms.
The guys gather some logs for the metal pit in the center of the chairs and swing. While they start it, Layla gets up and sits in one of the chairs. I look at her with wide eyes and we have another conversation.
Get back over here.
No, let Vance sit next to you.
He’s been sitting next to me all evening.
Isn’t that the point?
I hate your face.
I love yours too.
“Vance, feel free to take my seat on the swing. The motion is making me a little nauseous, ” my sister says as she puts her hand on her belly.
Once the fire gets going, Vance sits next to me, a foot of space between us. The conversation is light for the next hour as the sun goes down fully, and the only light is coming from the warm, simmering flames in front of me.
In that time, I must have wanted to get close to the fire because his thigh is against mine. I try not to make it apparent that I am looking, but he catches me out of the corner of his eye. I put my back into the swing to hide from view.
Jacob and my sister have started their own conversation on the other side of the light.
Vance puts his hand right above my knee, the warmth from it shooting right to my neglected lady bits.
“Is this ok?” he asks me.
“Yeah,” I reply, smiling.