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“ANOTHER ROUND?” BAILEY asked the next night as Jessica sat at the crowded bar with her best friends. Music blared from the speakers, salty air drifted in through the open doors, and loud conversations went on around them.
“Sure, why not,” she said, watching as Bailey took their three empty glasses.
“All right. Three more margaritas, coming right up. I’m glad you ladies came tonight when I was on shift. There’s a good crowd here every night, but it’s nice to see some familiar faces.”
“It was worth the drive,” Michelle said, brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulder. “Those margaritas were fab.”
“Agreed,” Amy said. “They were to die for.”
“It’s my own special concoction,” Bailey said with a wink, her eyebrow ring gleaming in the overhead lights. “I only make them for my favorite customers.”
“We’ll drink to that,” Michelle giggled, her gaze drifting toward a group of rowdy guys standing nearby.
“This is definitely where all the action is,” Bailey said with a laugh. “The north end is quieter, up where you guys are renting a place. But we’ve got concerts down here, tons of popular bars. The locals all know where to come. As soon as the sun begins to set, this place is always packed.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be back,” Michelle said confidently.
“Can I buy you ladies some drinks?” a deep voice asked, and the women all turned to see a sunburned guy leering at them.
“No thanks,” Amy said smoothly.
“Aw, come on,” he said, staggering closer. “I like brunettes and blondes, so you three are perfect.”
“Charming,” Jessica muttered, rolling her eyes.
“You’re not our type,” Michelle said, ducking out of the way as he reached out toward her.
Bailey nodded at someone in the distance, and Jessica watched in surprise as a beefy guy appeared out of nowhere, hauling the drunk guy away.
“Wait, I need another beer,” he slurred.
“More like a cab,” Michelle said. “How do you deal with idiots like that all day?”
“Nature of the job,” Bailey said with a shrug. “I love bartending and meet some cool people—it makes up for the drunks that come in here. Or the tourists that have a few too many.”
“Is that how you met Noah?” Jessica asked. “Or wait—you’re friends with Taylor.”
“Yes and yes,” Bailey chuckled. “She was dating Mason, so I sort of knew Noah. He happened to come in here one night to meet up with some friends, and the rest is history. Well, there was that time we got stranded on a deserted island together....”
“What?” Jessica asked, her mouth dropping open.
“It’s kind of a long story,” Bailey said. “And I need to get your drinks. Remind me to tell you about it later on,” she said, hurrying off with their empty glasses. The second bartender working tonight was rushing around as well, and Jessica watched as more people streamed in through the door.
“Well, that sounded crazy,” Amy said.
“Says the woman who nearly drowned,” Jessica pointed out.
“Touché. No more spontaneous evening swims for me. I’m going to have an unadventurous summer from here on out.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Michelle said.
A few minutes later, Bailey came back carrying three large margaritas. “Here we are, ladies,” she said, setting them down on the bar. “One frozen and two on the rocks with salt.”
“Yum,” Michelle said, taking a sip of her margarita. “So, I know it’s crazy in here tonight, but quick, give me the dirt on Ryker!”
Bailey smirked. “He’s a handful.”
“A very delicious handful,” Michelle said as the other women laughed.
“There’s not much to tell. He’s got a new woman with him all the time,” Bailey said. “I’m not sure he’s really the settling down sort, if you’re looking for that sort of thing.”
“Well neither am I,” Michelle said. “We’re just here for the summer, right girls? It sounds like a match made in heaven.”
“She’s not wrong,” Amy joked, playfully elbowing her friend.
“And what about Jacob?” Michelle asked, winking at Jessica. “Tell us about him, too.”
Bailey grinned, and Jessica felt her cheeks heating. What did she care what Bailey had to say about Jacob anyway? They hadn’t even gone out on a date yet, and now the guys were gone. For all she knew, she’d never even see him again.
“He’s a flirt,” Bailey said, “but a sweet guy. Honestly, now that all of his friends have girlfriends, I can totally see him wanting one, too.”
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend,” Jessica hastily said. “Like Michelle said—we’re just here for the summer. I don’t need a summer fling or anything like that.”
“He’s a good guy,” Bailey insisted. “And the other night, he seemed really into you.”
Jessica felt her cheeks redden. “He’s gorgeous—yes. But like you said, he’s a flirt. If he wasn’t flirting with me the other night, I’m sure there’d be another woman around to catch his attention.”
Bailey shrugged. “What does it matter if you’re the one he’s into now? I wasn’t expecting to get together with Noah. I knew him a little bit because of Taylor—knew about him at least. But neither of us was looking for anything serious, and look what happened?”
“So where’d they go, anyway?” Amy asked. “I guess you probably don’t know the details. I was kind of hoping to thank them for rescuing me the other night. Being out there in the ocean, too tired to swim back, was absolutely terrifying.”
“I don’t know where they are,” Bailey admitted. “That’s life with a Navy SEAL—they can’t talk about their missions and probably never will be able to. I’m okay with that because I trust Noah and the other guys.”
“Saving the world isn’t a bad thing,” Jessica said.
“It is when Ryker could be here fucking my brains out,” Michelle said.
Jessica nearly spat out her margarita.
“Amen, sister,” Bailey said. “But they’ll be plenty of time for that when they get back. If he spent the night with you, he must’ve been interested. Ryker’s usually more the love ‘em and leave ‘em type—sneaking out before dawn and all that.”
Michelle grinned. “And here Jessica sent Jacob packing the night before.”
“He knew nothing was going to happen—we were planning to meet you guys at the ER. When we found out Amy was getting discharged soon, he said he’d wait with me. It’s not like we were making out on every available surface or something.”
“Well, when all of them do get back, I’d like to say thanks,” Amy said.
“I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of them,” Bailey said. “Excuse me, ladies. I’ve got to tend to some of the other customers. The natives are getting restless,” she said, rolling her eyes as a group of rowdy guys across the bar tried to get her attention.
An hour later, the women walked out of the bar to catch a cab back to their house. Michelle took a deep breath, inhaling the salty scent of the ocean air. “God, this is soooo much better than Blacksburg. Why do we live there again? Virginia Beach has the ocean, the hot military guys—”
“The more expensive ocean front real estate,” Jessica said, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear.
“Well, I’m not looking to buy a place right now,” Michelle muttered, hailing a cab.
“I’m not today,” Jessica said as the women climbed in. “But someday, yes. Eventually.”
“There are schools around here you know,” Amy said. “We could move out here and teach.”
“Now you’re talking!” Michelle said excitedly.
“Where to?” the cab driver asked as they pulled back onto busy Atlantic Avenue, the road that ran up and down the Virginia Beach strand, parallel to the ocean.
“The north end,” Jessica said.
“We’ve got an amazing beach house there,” Michelle told him. “Amazing. Like, it’s totally to die for. We’re here for the whole summer.”
Jessica elbowed her in the side, exchanging a glance with Amy. “How many margaritas did you have?” she asked.
“Just two. Plus those two shots of fireball.”
“When did you do shots?” Jessica asked in disbelief.
Michelle grinned. “When you two were in the bathroom. I may have had a bit too much—possibly. Which is why it’s good we’re taking a cab,” she said, laughing hysterically.
Jessica shook her head, giving the cabbie their address. “God, remind me to keep an eye on her the next time we go out,” she told Amy.
Michelle slumped into her seat, pouting. “It’s not like I nearly drowned in the ocean like some people I know.”
The cab driver glanced at them in the rear-view mirror, raising his eyebrows. “You nearly drowned?”
“That would be me,” Amy admitted. “I got caught in a riptide yesterday and couldn’t swim back.”
“Some Navy SEALs rescued her,” Michelle said. “And then I fucked—”
“Enough,” Jessica interrupted, putting a hand over Michelle’s mouth. “Some of our friends rescued her.”
The cab driver let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “You gotta be careful around here. The ocean can be dangerous.”
“Yep,” Amy muttered. “We will be.”
“Let’s go skinny dipping when we get back!” Michelle said. “And have a bonfire on the beach again.” She yawned, leaning back into her seat. “Maybe I’ll just rest a bit first.”
“Yes,” Jessica agreed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “Rest.”
She and Amy talked quietly as the cab moved along Atlantic Avenue, and then her mind drifted as she caught sight of the moon rising in the sky. She caught a few glimpses of it gleaming off the ocean between hotels, and her heart caught. Jacob could be all the way on the other side of the world for all she knew—off fighting somewhere dangerous or saving someone like he’d helped Amy the other night. If he looked up, he could see the same sun and moon in the sky though. The same stars. It was funny how the world felt so big and so small at the same time.
