Playing with Fire (20 page)

Mitch looked over his shoulder at the
still flat horizon and shook his head. He finally let out a
chuckle. “Man, I really never thought the day would come when you
would be into only one woman. That’s really cool.”

Trent nodded and smiled. “It’s better
than cool. So do me a favor and don’t totally rule out finding
someone. You never know when it’s gonna happen.”

“We’ll see. Until then, I’m good with
me and Heathcliff.”

Trent shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw
you giving Molly the eye back at my place when Noelle thought you
two were a couple. Is there something going on there?”

Mitch laughed and shook his head.
“Nope, and don’t start thinking there is. She’s Avery’s friend,
that’s it.”

Trent looked at Mitch and tried to
needle him into admitting he liked Molly. “Come on, you’d totally
fall over yourself for a date with her.”

Mitch gave him the one finger salute
and began paddling into shore. Trent looked over his shoulder, but
there were no waves in sight. He threw his hands up in the air and
called toward Mitch, “Where the hell are you going?”

Mitch stopped, turned, and called
back, “I’d rather paddle my big ass into shore than sit and listen
to you try to play matchmaker.”

Trent laughed and paddled in too. When
he caught up to Mitch, he slapped him. “You don’t gotta get all
into your feelings, dude. I was just looking out for you. Molly
seems like a great girl.”

Mitch splashed him back and Trent
could see a flash of anger in his eyes, “How the hell would you
know? All you know about her is that she’s hot and she turned you
down. Until Noelle you never gave a second thought to how a woman
really was unless in was in the bedroom.”

Trent held up his hands. “Whoa, dude.
Chill out. Look, I get I was an asshole toward women before. And
I’ll admit it -you’re right, until Noelle the only thing I cared
about was getting a woman into bed.”

Mitch looked like he was waiting for
Trent to continue, but there was nothing else to say.

Trent shrugged, “I remember you and me
sitting a few weeks ago talking about finding someone, if you think
Molly is someone you’d like to go out with, go for it.”

Mitch waved him off and exhaled
noisily. “Can we please stop talking about my love life? And I’m
sorry, too, for coming off like I was yelling at you for being a
slut puppy.”

Trent laughed, not being the least bit
offended. “It’s cool. No harm, no foul.”

And that was the end of the
conversation. They turned in unison and finished paddling into
shore.

Damien sat on the beach on his towel,
with his arms braced behind him. He called out to them when they we
within distance, “What the hell were you two yelling about? I could
hear you squawking from here.”

Trent looked at Mitch then back at
Damien and shook his head. “Nothing. Mitch was just telling me what
a dink I was before Noelle.”

Damien rubbed his chin like he was in
deep thought, “Yeah, about that … I remember sitting on this same
beach a few months ago and you were busting my chops about me
falling so fast for Avery. I believe at that time I told you that
your time would come too.”

Trent motioned toward Damien, “Come
on, bring it. I know - you told me so.”

Damien laughed. “Well damn. Thanks for
taking the fun out of it for me. But yeah, I did tell you
so.”

Trent threw his hands in the air. “Are
we done with ‘Pick on Trent Day’ now?”

Damien and Mitch exchanged a look.
Mitch shrugged and heaved a big sigh, “I think we better before he
starts crying.”

Trent’s mouth fell open, “Me? Who was
the one out there getting all up in arms over Molly?”

Mitch’s eyes got wide and he looked
like he wanted to choke Trent.

Damien stood and stretched out his
arms between them. “Hold up. What about Molly?”

Mitch acted like he didn’t hear the
question by bending down to unhook the lease from around his ankle
and wrapping it around his surfboard. Finally he looked up; his
tone was impartial, “Nothing. Trent just brought her name up in
conversation, but there was nothing to it.”

Damien turned to look at Trent and he
just shrugged. “I might have, I dunno. You know me, you really
think I’m gonna remember some heart-to-heart from five minutes
ago?”

Damien bent down and grabbed his
towel. “Whatever, Mitch, but I think you and Molly would be a good
match. She’s really funny, maybe she could help you smile
more.”

Mitch put up both of his middle
fingers and directed them at Trent and Damien. “Both of you can
shut it. End of discussion, no more Molly talk.”

Trent peeled off the top of his
wetsuit and dried himself off before putting on his t-shirt. He
grabbed his board and walked toward Damien as Mitch finished
getting ready.

Trent motioned back with his head as
he spoke to Damien, “Ol’ Mitchy is a might bit touchy today. I
think he might really like Molly.”

Mitch’s shoulders hunched, the same
way they did when they were kids and he tried impersonating The
Hulk. To anyone other than Trent and Damien, his gravelly bellow
might have been scary. “I said SHUT UP!”

Damien and Trent laughed, making Mitch
look like he was ready to murder them.

Damien slapped Trent on the back as
they left Mitch on the beach. “Did you see how red that bald head
just turned?”

Trent smiled. “Yeah, I think we really
pissed him off.”

Damien shook his hand. “Man, if he
does get together with Molly, I really hope she’ll work on making
him be nicer to us.

Trent nodded, “Yeah, and for her sake
I hope she likes golf.”

Noelle stood along the railing with
Avery and Molly and watched the guys cross the street to Avery and
Damien’s house.

Avery sighed. “Look at them guys. It’s
like they just all came right out of one of those surfer movies,
all rippling muscles and wet skin. I don’t remember seeing men like
this back where I grew up.”

Noelle and Molly both shook they heads
and said simultaneously, “Me neither.”

Noelle watched Trent, his wet hair
curling slightly on the ends. His arm muscles flexed where they
adjusted to the weight of the surfboard under his arm. She found
herself tightening her grip on the railing, imagining it was the
smooth contours of his biceps. She pursed her lips tightly so she
didn’t let out a groan and embarrass herself in front of the other
ladies.

Molly seemed to be staring at them
with sadness. Noelle nudged her arm, “What’s that look
for?”

Molly looked at her, and then at
Avery, and shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean you guys are with some
great guys. Don’t get me wrong, the Trent I first met totally
deserved the slap in the face, but this Trent is totally different.
Both of the men are so different now that they have both of
you.”

Avery nodded. “Yeah, I know Damien is.
I didn’t like him much the first time I saw him either.”

Noelle laughed, “Yeah I wasn’t too
impressed with Trent the first time we met.”

Avery took a drink of her tea, “Molly,
what did you think of Mitch when you first met him?”

Molly choked on the drink she was
taking. “What? Why would you ask that?”

Avery smiled and shrugged. “Oh, I
dunno. I mean, it would make sense, three girls and three guys.
It’s not like he’s bad to look at or that he isn’t nice. You didn’t
think he was easy on the eyes when you met?”

Molly squinted at her and shook her
head. “I don’t remember what I thought. I met him here when we were
moving you in. I was more concerned with helping you unpack than
checking him out.”

Noelle looked at Mitch, he was built
like a lot of the farm boys back home – big, strong arms, broad
shoulders, and legs the size of tree trunks. Next to someone like
Mitch, Trent didn’t look so big, but Noelle knew Trent’s arms were
strong and made her feel safe. She also knew he’d face someone
twice his size to protect her. And he’d have to if Lenny tried to
come after her again.

She shook the bad thoughts out of her
head. Trent looked up at her and Noelle smiled. He waved
back.

Avery patted her shoulder. “You really
like him don’t you?”

Noelle nodded. “I love him. And I
think he loves me.”

Molly looked back and forth between
Noelle and Trent. “He looks like he can’t get over here fast
enough. With him, that’s gotta be love.”

Noelle looked at Molly and Avery. “Do
either of you know Spanish?”

Molly nodded. “I know
some.”

Noelle bit her lip. “Trent
said something to me in Spanish and I
think
it has something to do with
love. I mean I hope it does, I said it back to him.”

Avery smiled. “I love Spanish, it’s
such a beautiful sounding language. What did he say?”

“He said ‘te amo’.”

Molly nodded. “Yep, that’s what it is.
That’s actually really sweet of him to say it that way, sounds very
romantic and so not like how he would normally be. What did you
do?”

Noelle shrugged. “Well I was
pretending to be asleep. He came in to check on me and whispered
it.”

Avery slapped the railing. “Get outta
here! He said it without you saying it first? I mean, for him to
say it without any kind of prompting or anything, wow.”

They stopped their conversation as the
men finally reached them. Trent leaned down and kissed Noelle.
“What were you ladies talking about? It got very quiet all of a
sudden.”

Avery shrugged and wrapped her arms
around Damien’s waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh,
nothing. How were the waves?”

Trent shrugged. “Not the
greatest.”

Molly leaned against the railing and
motioned toward the drive. “What does Mitch look all moody
for?”

Trent and Damien exchanged looks and
pursed their lips.

Avery smacked Damien’s chest. “Were
you two morons picking on him? You know he’s more sensitive than he
looks!”

Noelle looked at Trent and arched his
brow. “Aren’t you worried he’d kick yur ass?”

Trent laughed. “Naw, it wouldn’t be
the first time we’ve come to blows. We weren’t really picking on
him, we were just inquiring into his love life and he got all
bent.”

Molly nodded and gave a pointed look
to Avery and Noelle, “Yeah, I know what that’s like when friends
mean well, but you can tell they want to set you up.”

Damien and Trent exchanged looks with
Avery and Noelle and then started laughing. Noelle couldn’t help
but smile and said to Avery, “I think they were asking the same
questions you were.”

Avery took a drink of her tea, trying
to look innocent. Damien kissed her head, “That’s my
girl.”

To Molly he said, “You know she means
well. And he is a good guy; he needs a good woman like
you.”

Molly shook her head, “I don’t need
anyone right now. I’m good with my career and my
friends.”

Noelle smiled. “Yeah, good luck with
that. I had the same thought of not wanting anyone a few weeks ago
and now look, I got suckered in by this guy.”

Trent tried to look like his feelings
were hurt, but that lasted all of two seconds before he hugged
Noelle and kissed her soundly. “And you’re so happy you did, too,
don’t lie.”

Noelle shrugged and rolled her eyes
playfully. “I suppose.”

Mitch hollered from the drive, “I’m
headed home. I gotta let Heathcliff out.”

Molly picked up her empty glass and
nodded. “I think I’m gonna head out too.”

Avery touched her arm as she walked
into the house, “Please don’t be mad, I just think it would be a
good match with you and Mitch.”

Molly hugged her and smiled. “I’m not
mad, I know you mean well. I’ll see you at work
tomorrow.”

Noelle waved goodbye, “It was nice to
meet you Molly, I hope we can do a girl’s lunch again.”

Molly nodded. “Most definitely.” She
pointed at Trent and gave him a stern look, “You better be nice to
her, she’s a sweetheart.”

Trent bowed, “Yes, ma’am.”

They all watched as Molly and Mitch
drove off in separate directions. Avery was the first to speak,
“They really would make a good couple. I mean besides they would
look adorable together, they are both successful in their careers,
and I’ve seen her eyeing him. It’s just a matter of
time.”

Damien kissed the top of her head
again. “My wife the matchmaker.”

Trent stretched and let out a yawn. “I
think we should get ready to head out too. I need a
nap!”

Noelle looked at him and didn’t miss
the glint in his eye. She nearly laughed out loud. He didn’t want a
nap, but it most definitely involved snuggling in bed.

Damien rolled his eyes. “Ya know,
Trent, usually I think you’re ideas are dumb. But I think you may
be on to something. You two have a nice night. I’m gonna go take a
‘nap’ with my wife too.”