“Are you really feeling up to hitting the boardwalk? Maybe we should go home. You were just plowed down by a surfer and could have… you know.” She flicked her brown eyes up to the sky.
My chest tightened. “I’m okay. We’ll just go slow. But I want to do this for Erin.”
“And what about him?” Her eyes cut to the masterpiece standing a few feet away.
“What about him?”
“I think he likes you.”
“Oh, please. He doesn’t.”
“You know who he is, don’t you?” Her lip curled and a mischievous glint sparked in her eyes.
“The lifeguard.”
“Yes. Duh. Seriously, he’s the one… Lifeguard Leo… The Lifeguard Leo who rescues women and then fucks them.”
I gaped. “No way,” I whisper-shouted.
“Yes, way. The hungry look in his eyes tells me you might be on the menu for dinner.” She hugged me and whispered. “Invite him to hang with us, then take him home. You can finally lose your V-card. Erin would want you to.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Maybe. But you could have died today. Do you want to go out as a virgin?”
Shit. Laney was right. Dying without ever having sex was pathetic. But give myV-cardto someone like him? Yuck. Then again, he was easy on the eyes and uber-experienced, given his reputation.
“I’m sure he’ll make it good for you.”
“I can’t believe you’re telling me to have a one-night stand. What would my mother think?”
“Hey, Red?”
I turned toward Lifeguard Leo. “Hmm?”
“I’ll get my backpack. I’ll make it good for you.” He smirked, shaking his head.
“You heard us?” My face flushed.
“Yeah.” He winked.
Laney snickered. “Well, now you don’t need to decide.”
“I can’t sleep with him just to deflower me.”
“Why not? I’m sure he doesn’t care. From what I hear, the guy gets around.”
“Yeah, you’re not selling me on the idea of having sex with him.”
“Just look at him. Any woman would jump at the chance to be with him.”
“Then you do it.”
“Nope. I can tell he likes you. Must be the red hair. He keeps calling you Red. Besides, it’s not like you ever have to see him again.”
She had a point. I’d talked about wanting to get my first time over with for years. But I could never bring myself to let it happen. I was pretty picky about guys. My ideal man checklist was a mile long—probably unrealistic too, which would explain why I hadn’t found him yet.
Laney was right. I wouldn’t have to see Lifeguard Leo after today. And if I died tomorrow, it wouldn’t be as a virgin.