Mac. I need to get out of here,” I said, glancing in his direction.
"What's that guy's problem, anyway? He hasn't stopped staring since we got here. Although, maybe we should talk to him. He's smokin’ hot.” She spoke loud enough for them all to hear. I saw his body straighten, getting tense.
I grabbed her hand, “Shhh, let's go.” She did exactly what I didn't want to do—draw attention to us. It's not that I didn't like the fact that he was obviously interested in me. This had been all a new feeling for me, the idea of being wanted and especially the idea of being wanted by someone like him.
We finished our food and stood from the booth to walk back outdoors when I felt him grab my hand. I couldn't help but hold his briefly. It was warm, sending shivers down my spine as he spoke. I had to catch my breath.
"Where ya off to, love?” he asked in a low, sexy voice. I felt like I could stare into those big brown eyes all day, and his voice... oh, my God!
"Excuse me?” I gulped.
He smiled, the most beautiful smile I had ever seen and his eyes sparkled. The others chuckled under their breath. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, everything about him made me feel unstable, as if I might fall over any minute. I fixated on the cross that nestled perfectly into his chest hair.
"What's your name, lass?” he asked.
I just looked at him. “Emma,” I said, and kept walking.
I don't know why I gave him the wrong name, but when he spoke to me my brain completely shut down. I panicked. His brown eyes, his dark hair and even the stubble on his chin amazed me. He seemed charming, rugged and mysterious all at the same time. Surely not the typical high school boy that I'd become used to. I hoped secretly to see him again. Somewhere during the summer. I would find him again, even if it meant eating pizza every night.
* * * *
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Three
"It's early, Mac. What should we do?"
I knew our new-found freedom wasn't going to be explored tonight. We knew no one and the arcades were full of young kids pouring out with stuffed animals tucked in their arms.
I tossed my long hair back over my shoulder, “Let's just walk farther down the boardwalk toward the rides and games."
She shrugged, “What do expect to find there? It's busy, but sure not the Fourth of July yet. And besides, all the hotties are at parties."
The boardwalk was semi-busy, but not like it gets after the Fourth. It's a sea of people and hard to walk around with all the bicycles, wagons with kids huddled inside of them and strollers being pushed by moms. Thursdays had been always the worst—family night on the boardwalk. As an older teenager, it was a place you really didn't want to be; it was way too crazy and loud with a gazillion families and little kids under twelve running around, screaming.
"So, are we going to find a boyfriend to play with this summer? You are going to try, right?"
I laughed out loud, “Gee, Mac, thanks for the vote of confidence."
She shrugged. “I'm just saying."
"Of course, I'm gonna try. Besides I'm eighteen. Enough is enough."
She grinned ear to ear. “Absolutely.” Her arm wrapped around mine and we headed farther down the boardwalk.
As we walked, we noticed mostly locals and the kids of summer, also known as shoobies, as the locals like to call them, who work down the shore. There were very few families. The season being still early, not many people had arrived for a summer packed full of fun.
"Oh, my God, do you remember when you brought me down here when we were like twelve or something and we played pac-man until we ran out of quarters?"
"How could I forget? You spent the last of my weekly funds for one stuffed animal.
" So not true. I got you some candy...pixie sticks, remember?"
"Do you remember that roller coaster we went on like fifty times because of the guy who ran it?"
"He was worth those tickets,” I said.
"Mmm, hmm, he was."
Every year, teens like me come down in the summer