My Man Pendleton by Elizabeth Bevarly

automatically curling his fingers around the cool, slender glass. The drink was really far too pretty for anyone of the masculine persuasion to be caught dead possessing, but it had been a nice gesture. "Thank you," he said. "Do you do this for all the guests?"
    She shook her head, her smile broadening. "No. Only the attractive ones I'd like to get to know better."
    Well, well, well. Maybe this trip wouldn't be a total washout after all. "Oh, yeah?"
    She touched the tip of her tongue to the corner of her mouth. "Oh, yeah."
    And then she was gone, glancing over her naked shoulder as she went, the warm sun gilding the dark, bare skin of her back that was revealed by the brief sarong uniform. And as he watched her go, Pendleton found himself wondering why he'd never visited the Caribbean before. Balmy weather, picture-perfect beach, beautiful women, free drinks … What could be better?
    His question was answered almost immediately by a brief slash of feedback from a microphone, followed by an overloud, nervous chuckle, and the arrival of a large man poolside. He was dressed in the biggest pair of shorts and the most obnoxious Hawaiian shirt Pendleton had ever seen, and he brought with him tidings of great joy.
    "Sorry about that, folks," he said with another anxious chuckle. "But if you'd all like to turn your attention poolside, we're about to begin the swim-wear fashion show."
    Pendleton nearly dropped the drink he had begun to lift to his mouth. Good God, the day could honestly get better.
    "And that," the man continued, "will be followed immediately by the lingerie fashion show."
    Pendleton's voice nearly lifted in song as his libido jumped up to do the macarena. What next? he wondered. Swimwear/lingerie mud wrestling? Would his most excellent fortune never end?
    "Hi, Pendleton! I didn't know you already had some vacation time coming. I'm going to have to ask Daddy about his new policy."
    Jinx.
    He sighed as a murky fog that was becoming way too familiar began to roll into his brain. He halted just shy of his lips the progress of the beautiful drink that the beautiful woman had given him only a few beautiful moments ago.
    "Miss McClellan," he greeted her as he slowly spun around on his stool. Reluctantly, he set his drink down on the bar and said, "Well, my, my, my. What a surprise to find you here."
    She stood on the opposite side of the bar, wearing the same kind of tiny sarong that the other bartender had been wearing. But where the other woman's had been bright pink and burgeoning in all the nice, soft places that men liked to see a sarong burgeon, Kit McClellan's was pale yellow, sleek, and … He sighed again. And hardly burgeoning at all.
    "What're you drinking?" she asked further, her smile dazzling. Before he had a chance to answer, she rushed on, "No, wait—let me guess. Not Bourbon."
    "No," he agreed mildly. "Not Bourbon."
    "I had a feeling."
    "I bet you did." When she only smiled in response, he added, "Thank you for the lovely postcard."
    She rocked back on her heels and gazed at him through laughing eyes. "Don't mention it."
    "Oh, of course I should mention it. It would have broken your heart if I hadn't."
    "Would it?"
    "Sure, it would. It's all part of the game, after all, isn't it?"
    She studied him in what was clearly feigned bewilderment. "Game? What game?"
    He chuckled as he wrapped his fingers more tightly around his drink, thumbing the condensation that trickled down its sides. When he looked up at Kit, he noted that she was watching the subtle movement of his hands quite closely.
    "See, now that's the two-dollar-and-sixty-eight-cent question, isn't it?" he asked her.
    For a moment, she didn't answer him, but only continued to watch with much fascination the leisure motion of his thumb stroking up … and … down, up … and … down the side of the glass. Then, quietly, slowly, as if her mind was a million miles a way, she asked, "Is it?"
    Just to see how closely she was paying attention, Pendleton