“This is honestly my first time.”
“So you know the place as well as us.”
She laughs as we fall into an easy conversation about her past. With a little finesse, I glean a bit of information about her friend. They went to the same college and apparently our new neighbor is some kind of artist and possibly a hermit. Although the sexy female I saw at the bar was definitely not a hermit of any kind.
Brendan sniffs his shirt, then shakes his head, staring off at the water just beyond the beach. “How cold do ya suppose it is out there?”
“Chilly,” Vivian states, taking another sip of her third beer. “We tried going in it yesterday and again today, I only made it up to about my knees both times.”
“How chilly?”
She shrugs as we watch a few surfers in full bodysuits. “I don’t know, fifties.”
He smells his shirt again, then grumbles. “Fuck.”
“If you want,” Vivian points toward her friend’s house, “there’s an outdoor shower on Asra’s porch. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you use it.”
My eyes perk up. My little, army douche in the sink helped, but it’s not the same as a real shower. Hell, even if it’s outside and the entire world can see my ass, it’s better than nothing. “Does it have hot water?”
“Don’t all showers?” she laughs.
“I might have to take you up on that,” my brother states, nodding his head and glancing at the neighbor’s porch.
“You sure your friend won’t mind?” I ask, already thinking of a thank you basket to send her.
“No,” she shakes her head, laughing, “she’s hardly ever outside. I doubt she’d even notice.”
While I contemplate whether fruit or flowers would be a better ‘thanks for letting me use your shower’ gift, we fall into a comfortable silence, watching the sun set over the water.
We finish off another case of beer, break out the whiskey, and light the fire pit, before Vivian stands to leave.
“I’m sure I ought to head back over, check on Asie,” she states, wobbling a bit.
“I think I’ll join you,” Brendan hobbles to his feet, grinning, “take you up on that shower offer.”
“That all you plan on taking me up on?” She bats her eyelashes at him.
“You could always join me.”
I smile in silent amusement as they flirt and head across the yard. “Have a good night,” I call before they disappear from earshot. Pulling out my phone, I look up a few places to clean and fill our pool.
Chapter 5
Asra