Until You (3 page)

Trina finished putting the groceries away while Toby lapped at his water. "You ready for some seagull chasing, boy?" Toby tilted his head up at her excitedly wagging his tail. Water from his snout dripped all over the floor.

"You know, boy, this really is the life! I think we need to move to the coast." She pulled a cold beer from the fridge and took a big sip. She tugged at her cut off jeans shorts and adju
sted her tiny black bikini top.

One of the great things about the beach was that a girl could live in her bikini. This black one was her favorite. It had metal rings connecting the fabric on her breasts and smaller rings connected that fabric to the straps. The straps tied around her neck; needless to say, there was a lot of skin showing.

She didn't put much makeup on today, just a small bit of black eyeliner. She liked how it accented her eyes and made them more cat-like. She always had an edgy, rocker chick kind of style, even at the beach.

She gulped down the beer.
Mmm, refreshing.
She needed it after the night she had. She hadn't gotten much sleep and had been dragging since her mid morning nap. Her brain just wouldn't let her rest.

Thoughts of her blond surfer boy neighbor kept her awake the first part of the night. His hard tan body kept dancing through her mind. If that was all that kept her awake she wouldn't complain. However, once she finally had fallen asleep, the nightmares started about Marc's accident. She didn't dream about it often, but when she did, the memories were so real. Occasionally she had woken up in tears.

She dreamt of visions of the crash site and his over turned SUV.
Where was he?
She couldn't find Marc anywhere. It was his license plate on the unrecognizable vehicle that was now a mass of metal. She knew it was him, but where was he? Police were everywhere. The flashing lights and the noise left her feeling dizzy and confused. Screaming for him between her sobs left her throat raw. The policeman took her in his arm and told her the words she was terrified to hear, but somehow knew.

Marc was dead.

She woke up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. Trina wiped the dampness off of her forehead. She was tired of reliving that night. Would she ever get past it all?

She sat for a moment in her bed, in the dark and the silence. She looked around her room in order to convince herself it was all just a bad dream. The clock beside her bed read 3:30. There was no sleep to be had tonight. Toby was still sound asleep on the floor beside her. It was still dark
outside as she slid out of bed.

Grabbing her pillow and a blanket, she headed for the living room. After getting snuggled up on the couch and opening all the windows so she could hear the ocean, she turned on the television, if for nothing else but some light in the dark room. Keeping the volume low enough so she could still hear the relaxing waves, she occupied herself with movies and infomercials until dawn. Sleep was overrated anyways.

Once the sun came up, Trina and Toby went out for a long run along the beach. Two coffees and one energy drink later, they had run five miles and got some grocery shopping done. She was not moving fast today, but that was the purpose of being at the beach, to relax. Her mind finally cleared from the hellish night. She admired the beautiful day.

She had wasted enough of the day and wanted to get out in the sun for a while. "Alright, boy, let's hit the beach!" She grabbed her beach bag, hoping to get some sun and take a dip in the ocean while Toby played. "Time to go be beach bums! Say, how 'bout we grab some hot dogs for dinner on the boardwalk?" She had a habit of talking to Toby like a human. He danced around at the idea of hot dogs, his favorite snack.

Locking up her condo, she took a quick glance towards surfer boy's place. Half hoping he was sitting there, she was disappointed that he was nowhere to be found. Just as well, that dream last night left her feeling raw. She needed a little alone time to recoup. She ran her hand over her stomach; it was tan and toned, not a stretch mark to be seen.
You can't move forward while looking back
, she thought.
Got to keep moving forward.

Forward was her only choice. "Trina, that is all in the past. Get your head out of your ass and keep looking ahead," she s
aid out loud.

Looking up at the bright sun, Trina knew that she was going to be fine. She had not made it through hell and back for nothing. She was stronger now. She took in a bi
g breath. Her heart didn't feel heavy anymore. For the first time in a long time she was happy, and she wasn't going to let that damn dream rattle her.

"Let's go!" she called to Toby as they jogged down to the beach. She dropped her bag on the sand, and spread out her blanket. The bright sun was high in the sky and the sand was warm. She took a handful of it, letting it pour through her fingers. The beach always calmed her. Looking out at the waves, she took a moment to soak it all in. She let out a deep, cleansing breath.

Toby ran up behind her. "Whatcha got there, boy?" He was carrying a stick. "Okay, okay," she agreed as he nudged her arm with it. "Fetch, boy!" she yelled as she threw the stick as hard as she could. Toby loved to play fetch; she could see what a majority of her afternoon would be spent doing.

She grabbed her sunscreen and massaged it into her skin, careful to cover all of her tattoos. She tossed the bottle back into her bag, and stood up just as Toby returned with the stick. She picked it up and tossed it again; this time he got a little distracted by some seagulls, but she knew he would be back with th
e stick eventually.

She slid off her shorts, exposing her tiny, black bikini bottoms. The warm sand molded around her bare feet, burning her toes. Her hot pink toenails peeked out from the sand. Looking back only once to make sure her sandals were beside the blanket, she headed down to the water's edge, letting the waves ripple up onto her feet. She followed the tide out and braced herself for the strong waves coming back in as they smacked against her calves. Taking in a sharp breath, the chilly waves shocked her as they hit her skin.

She paused when the water rose to her thighs, letting out a squeal as the next set of waves soaked her up to her shoulders. Trina waded out farther to calmer waters. Slimy seaweed tangled at her feet. Treading water and floating with the rippling waves, she closed her eyes. This was nice. The sun warmed her face. She floated listening to the sound of the waves and the seagulls squawking.

Toby's bark broke through the silence; turning, she saw him waiting for her at the edge of the water with his stick. "Alright, boy, be there in a second." Her moment of solitude with the ocean was over, but not before she held her nose and took a dunk underwater. Resurfacing, she shook off the chill that now ran through her and slicked her blonde hair back against her head. Slowly she trudged back to the dry sand, fighting the current that was trying its hardest to sweep her back out to sea.

Picking up his stick, she threw it again as salt water dripped from her body. A small breeze chilled her wet skin. She watched Toby run around carefree as she made her way back to her blanket for some sun bathing.

The sun warmed her body. She loved the feel of the warm sun on her skin. Toby panted beside her. Tired from playing, he plopped down in the sand and chewed on his new stick.

Trina licked her lips, tasting the salty water. This was paradise. She listened to the seagulls and the breaking waves. All remnants of her nightmare the night before faded away. Closing her eyes her body relaxed. The breeze swept over her skin. Her breathing slowed. The sounds of the waves lapping against the sand lulled her to sleep.

Toby's barking startled her, waking her up from her unplanned nap. She did her best to shake off the drowsiness. Her stomach growled, she had no idea how long she had been sleeping. She ran her fingers through her dry hair. "Dinnertime, boy?" she asked Toby. He tilted his head inquisitively and barked.

Trina brushed the dried sand off of her bikini and slid on her shorts. Sliding her headphones around her neck, she fumbled with her iPod. The volume was high enough that she could hear it, the bass loud like she liked it. She grabbed her sandals and her wallet and they leisurely made their way to the boardwalk. "Hot dogs?" she asked Toby as they faced the fast food shacks. He stood by her wagging his tail. "Or chicken?"

"Actually I was thinking a steak salad with a side of fries," a male voice said.

Trina turned, startled to see Sam there. Belle was at his side. In board shorts, sandals and a tank top, he looked delicious. She couldn't help but to stare at his arms, as his muscles rippled. How had she missed his tattoos last night?

He had a tattoo of The Cup on his arm, and two hockey sticks on his chest, crossed with a hockey helmet in the middle, like a skull and crossbones. Damn he was sexy. Her eyes went back to the tattoos. "Oh, um, yeah, actually that sounds perfect." It did sound good, she had not had any junk food all week, and it seemed like a good cheat day. "But Toby likes his hot dogs."

"Funny, Belle does too." He flashed that brilliant smile and turned to the man working the hot dog stand. "Two hot dogs to go, please,
plain
. Thanks." He looked down at the counter for a moment then up at Trina. His mouth tugged at the corner as his smile started small and shy, then growing large and confident before he spoke.

"So, how about that steak salad and fries? There is a place just down the boardwalk here that is really good."

"Um, but what about the dogs?" Trina was not about to lock Toby up in her condo.

"There are tables outside that we can eat at, and tie the dog leashes up." He paid the cashier and took the bag of hot dogs. "C'mon," he urged.

Before she had the chance to answer, he started walking down the boardwalk. Belle followed and Toby ran after her. "Guess I'm going," she said, mumbling to herself. She jogged to catch up with Sam and the dogs.

"Toby made the right decision," Sam said, referring to Toby joining them for dinner.

"Yeah, I think he was just after the hot dog though," she said, giggling. Her stomach growled again. She blushed. "Shit, guess I'm really hungry."

Sam laughed as she stayed a step ahead of him. She felt his eyes on her, unsure if he was
studying her tattoos or her ass. Trina dropped back a step, and she was wishing she had some make up on. Looking up at him, she caught him staring, and honestly, she kind of liked it.

They walked in silence until they reached the Steak Shack. Sam ordered steak salads and fries for them. He turned to Trina. "Do you want a drink?"

She looked at the menu. "I'll take a sweet iced tea." Trina said, smiling at the cashier.

"Make that two," Sam added, handing the cashier money.

"I can pay for mine." Trina pulled out her wallet and reached for her cash.

Sam's hand appeared over hers; she looked up him. His eyes were blue as the sky and his smile beamed. "My treat," he said softly. He held her hand for a moment, then pulled away, glancing nervously at the floor.

Once the food was delivered he looked thankful for the distraction.

"Thanks," she said. "It looks fabulous. I haven't had junk food all week, and those fries smell great!" Melted cheese covered the fries, and her mouth watered at their savory aroma.

"Ah, cheat day huh?" he asked with a smile. "I should really get back to that myself. I haven't been doing too great the last couple weeks." He patted his stomach. "Summer is my biggest enemy. I'm not too great being strict with my diet, and I've been enjoying junk food a little too much lately."

Trina just smiled and nodded. Did surfer boy ever stop smiling? She laughed a little as he patted his stomach. She assumed there was not an ounce of fat on that hard body. After staring for a moment, she caught her mind wandering. She couldn't stop thinking about his hard body. Staring at his defined chest muscles, then his stomach, she wanted to reach out and touch those finely toned abs.
Snap out of it
, she scolded herself. She
really
needed to get laid.

She spotted a picnic table in the corner. Trying to put a little distance between them, if only for a moment, she made a beeline for it. As she tied Toby's leash around the table leg, Sam followed, also tying Belle up.

"Here you go." He sat the tray down between them. "Best steak salads on the beach." His crystal eyes sparkled and he flashed that irresistible smile at Trina again, as he sat down across from her.

She took her salad off the tray. Her stomach growling was no
joke, she was starving. Spearing a forkful of lettuce and piece of steak, she dipped it in some dressing before taking a bite. She was starting to wonder if maybe a one-night stand wasn't exactly what she needed. While surfer boy looked away, she stole a glance, watching his hair fall into his eyes as he ate. She tossed Toby a piece of lettuce. "Crazy dog loves lettuce."

****

Sam watched her, his eyes wandering down her body, checking her out in her black bikini top. Her breasts were large and full, demanding attention. Eating some fries he had long forgotten about his poor eating habits, all he really wanted to devour was her. He sat staring at her bikini top. Realizing he was being obvious, he shook his head and looked away, grabbing the bag of hot dogs. "You guys must be hungry by now." He took each hot dog out and tore it up into three pieces. He fed a piece to Belle as Trina fed a piece to Toby. "So, Trina. What was that song you were singing yesterday?" That tune was still running though his head.