Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne Page B
Authors: Rachel Hawthorne
Tags: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues, New Experience, Dating & Sex, Adolescence, Dating (Social Customs), Cruise Ships, Caribbean Area
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hottie, and stared at Brooke. "What?"
"Ryan. When he kissed you this afternoon, what was it like?"
I took a swig of beer, not really liking the taste. I decided when the waitress stopped by, I'd order a margarita. For now, I needed some time to think up an answer to Brooke's question. I'd never shared my experiences with guys with my best friends, and I felt a little awkward revealing anything to Brooke. On the other hand, once this trip was over, we'd probably never see each other again.
"It was nice," I said.
Her eyes got big and round. "Nice? Nice is when a guy gives you the answers to your math homework.
Get a little more specific."
"It was just a kiss. It just wouldn't be fair to try to describe it."
"Toadlike?"
"Definitely not."
"Slobbery?"
"No." I gave up trying to get her to stop asking me about the kiss. "It was perfect, okay?"
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 68 of 146
"Okay." She grinned. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Honestly, Lindsay, you need to learn to open up.
I sense that you have a lot of repressed sexuality."
"What are you? A psychiatrist?"
"I'm an observer of human nature." Brooke looked back over the crowds as though she was extremely pleased with something.
"Come on, let's dance!" she shouted.
"We don't have dance partners," I pointed out.
"Who's going to notice in that crowd?"
I followed her out to the patio where people were dancing—not always together, not always as couples.
It didn't really seem to matter.
The important thing was to move with the music, sidle up to someone, make eye contact, and move away to the next person. Brooke seemed completely comfortable doing exactly that. I was more or less dancing by myself. No way could I go up and touch my shoulder to a stranger's.
Then I felt a nudge against my shoulder and turned. There was the beer-guzzling winner.
He grinned. "Aren't you traveling on The Enchantment ?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Thought I saw you at the club last night. I'm Chad."
"Lindsay."
We were dancing, moving, even as we were talking.
"So where are you from?" he asked.
I laughed at the now unoriginal but so familiar question. "Dallas."
"New Orleans."
We continued to move in rhythm to the beat of the band. Chad was cute. Dark hair and eyes. Up close, it appeared that he'd decided to give his razor a vacation as well, because he had stubble on his chin that seemed scraggly and out of place.
"So you partying loose?" he asked. "Or are you hooked up with someone?"
"Well, I came with a friend."
I pointed over to where Brooke was dancing between two guys. One I recognized as the beer-guzzling loser. I have to admit that I felt rather pleased that the winner had chosen me. Although I suppose even the word "winner" can be a relative term.
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 69 of 146
I didn't want to contemplate on the fact that Brooke'd attracted two guys to my one. She was definitely vixen flirtation.
Chad grinned. "Only her? No dude?"
"No dude."
"Cool."
We continued to dance. Chad was nice enough. He had a cute, sexy grin. Orthodontist money, well spent. But I didn't feel that skip-a-heartbeat-catch-my-breath double take that I had when I'd met Ryan.
As the music momentarily paused, Chad took my hand to keep me in the dance area. As the music started up again, and we picked up the rhythm of the beat, I told myself that he was a lot of fun.
Because he was cute. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the guy. I kept telling myself that maybe he was the one. However, myself kept replying, "Don't think so."
But I couldn't figure out why not.
Brooke made her way over to me, her two guys in tow.
"This is Marc with a C, and Shooter," Brooke said, introducing her dance partners.
I had to tilt my head back to look into Shooter's eyes. With his hands he made a little motion like someone holding a basketball
"Ryan. When he kissed you this afternoon, what was it like?"
I took a swig of beer, not really liking the taste. I decided when the waitress stopped by, I'd order a margarita. For now, I needed some time to think up an answer to Brooke's question. I'd never shared my experiences with guys with my best friends, and I felt a little awkward revealing anything to Brooke. On the other hand, once this trip was over, we'd probably never see each other again.
"It was nice," I said.
Her eyes got big and round. "Nice? Nice is when a guy gives you the answers to your math homework.
Get a little more specific."
"It was just a kiss. It just wouldn't be fair to try to describe it."
"Toadlike?"
"Definitely not."
"Slobbery?"
"No." I gave up trying to get her to stop asking me about the kiss. "It was perfect, okay?"
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 68 of 146
"Okay." She grinned. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Honestly, Lindsay, you need to learn to open up.
I sense that you have a lot of repressed sexuality."
"What are you? A psychiatrist?"
"I'm an observer of human nature." Brooke looked back over the crowds as though she was extremely pleased with something.
"Come on, let's dance!" she shouted.
"We don't have dance partners," I pointed out.
"Who's going to notice in that crowd?"
I followed her out to the patio where people were dancing—not always together, not always as couples.
It didn't really seem to matter.
The important thing was to move with the music, sidle up to someone, make eye contact, and move away to the next person. Brooke seemed completely comfortable doing exactly that. I was more or less dancing by myself. No way could I go up and touch my shoulder to a stranger's.
Then I felt a nudge against my shoulder and turned. There was the beer-guzzling winner.
He grinned. "Aren't you traveling on The Enchantment ?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Thought I saw you at the club last night. I'm Chad."
"Lindsay."
We were dancing, moving, even as we were talking.
"So where are you from?" he asked.
I laughed at the now unoriginal but so familiar question. "Dallas."
"New Orleans."
We continued to move in rhythm to the beat of the band. Chad was cute. Dark hair and eyes. Up close, it appeared that he'd decided to give his razor a vacation as well, because he had stubble on his chin that seemed scraggly and out of place.
"So you partying loose?" he asked. "Or are you hooked up with someone?"
"Well, I came with a friend."
I pointed over to where Brooke was dancing between two guys. One I recognized as the beer-guzzling loser. I have to admit that I felt rather pleased that the winner had chosen me. Although I suppose even the word "winner" can be a relative term.
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 69 of 146
I didn't want to contemplate on the fact that Brooke'd attracted two guys to my one. She was definitely vixen flirtation.
Chad grinned. "Only her? No dude?"
"No dude."
"Cool."
We continued to dance. Chad was nice enough. He had a cute, sexy grin. Orthodontist money, well spent. But I didn't feel that skip-a-heartbeat-catch-my-breath double take that I had when I'd met Ryan.
As the music momentarily paused, Chad took my hand to keep me in the dance area. As the music started up again, and we picked up the rhythm of the beat, I told myself that he was a lot of fun.
Because he was cute. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the guy. I kept telling myself that maybe he was the one. However, myself kept replying, "Don't think so."
But I couldn't figure out why not.
Brooke made her way over to me, her two guys in tow.
"This is Marc with a C, and Shooter," Brooke said, introducing her dance partners.
I had to tilt my head back to look into Shooter's eyes. With his hands he made a little motion like someone holding a basketball
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