The Bikini Bet
by Marley Quinn
Copyright Information
The Bikini Bet
by Marley Quinn
© 2014 Marley Quinn
All rights reserved.
Author: Marley Quinn
Contact details: marleyquinn.reformist760@passinbox.com
Book cover, illustration: Marley Quinn
Editing, proofreading: Marley Quinn
This e-book, including its portions, is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, resold, or redistributed without the permission of the author.
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Table of Contents
My Next Great Summer Adventure
A Full Measure of Satisfaction
Venancio Beach
"Wow, this is my favorite part," I said after I hoisted my suitcase off of the revolving conveyor part.
"What part?" said Colton.
"Right there, those doors," I said. "Once we step through them, we'll get that delicious blast of warm, tropical air."
"Yeah, gonna be nice after all that cold rain," said Colton with a grin, hefting his final suitcase off of the conveyor belt.
"Come on, let's go!" I said with a smile on my face as we stepped through the sliding glass doors together, the salty tang of the air flooding my mind with memories.
"Wow, kinda weird to be here without our parents," said Colton with a chuckle as we turned right and began walking towards the rental car counter.
"Are you sure they won't be dropping by later? It really won't feel the same without them. I mean, going to Venancio Beach for the summer is a family tradition," I said.
"Yeah, Dad's caught up with that big merger over in Switzerland, and Mother is visiting Aunt Rose. So yeah, looks like it's just gonna be you and me this year, sis," said Colton with a grin.
"Wow, then we definitely should throw some awesome parties!" I said, grunting as I tried to keep up with Colton.
"Willow, listen to me and listen to me good," said Colton. "I already told Dad we will take care of the beach house, so that means no parties."
"What? That's crazy!" I said. "Come on, Colton. We're both young and single. When are we ever gonna have this chance again?"
"No, Willow!" said Colton. "I don't want every stoner and drunken frat boy in Venancio Beach coming to our house and trashing the place. Sorry, but no parties."
"What about a small party then?" I said, hating the whiny tone in my voice.
"No parties!" said Colton as we got in line at the rental car counter.
"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, eh? And what? You're not gonna invite Teddy and Bongo over?" I said.
"That's different," said Colton, turning to avoid my gaze.
"Ha!" I said. "So it's okay for your two buddies to come over and drink beers and do who knows what else? But I can't have any friends over?"
"Look, not here, Willow!" hissed Colton. "We'll discuss it in the car."
I then stood around and fumed for the next ten minutes or so as Colton handled the paperwork. Key in hand, he turned and left the rental counter, and I followed him across the parking lot as best as I could.
"Jeez, slow down!" I said.
"Okay, look. We'll talk about parties and having friends over and everything else once we get to the house, all right? It's too hot out here to be discussing this stuff," said Colton, and for the next long while, we wandered across acres of parked vehicles until we came to the one that was reserved for us.
"Whew, hit the AC," I said as soon as Colton fired up the motor, and within a few moments, we were both treated to a lovely blast of chilled air.
"I always forget how hot it is down here," said Colton as he carefully backed the car out of its narrow slot.
"Tell me about it! I can't wait to unpack my luggage and change into a bikini," I said.
"Listen, uh, Willow, maybe we should talk about that," said Colton as he wove the car down the long rows towards the exit of the parking lot.
"Talk about my bikinis?" I said. "What? Spit it out."
"Well, it's just that, you know, uh... you've really developed over the last year," said Colton, nervously chewing on one finger as he drove.
"Yeah? And so what?" I said, turning to glare at him even though he kept his eyes locked on the road in front of us.
"Well, perhaps you might be mature enough now for something a little more conservative," said Colton.
"Are you serious?" I retorted. "Just because my boobs got bigger, you want me to start dressing like a granny?"
"No, no, nothing like that," said Colton, his cheeks reddening. "It's just perhaps you've outgrown some of your old swimsuits, so it might be time for some new ones."
"Well, I won't say no if you're paying," I said with a laugh. "But seriously, bro. Why are you worried about me wearing a bikini?"
"Worried?" said Colton with a nervous little laugh. "It's not that I'm worried. It's just... as I've said, you've developed. And perhaps you don't realize what kind of effect that can have on guys."
"Ah, there it is!" I said with a laugh. "You worried your little sister is gonna go boy crazy this summer? Relax! I love Venancio Beach and all, but the guys down here are pretty dumb. I think that I'll be able to resist their beery charm."
"Well, it wasn't really you resisting them that I was talking about," said Colton, his cheeks now a flaming red.
"Wait, you think that guys will take one look at me in a bikini and lose their minds?" I said, breaking out into a laugh. "That's pretty fucking funny, Colton, even for you."
"Willow, you know I hate it when you cuss," said Colton. "Anyway, never mind. Just drop the subject. Pretend I never brought it up."
"So, you're saying I can wear what I want this summer, even if it's my skimpiest bikini, the one where my boobs practically are falling out?" I said.
"Skimpy? Uh..." said Colton, his cheeks now painfully red. "Yeah, fine. Wear whatever you want. Just don't say I didn't tell you so later."
"Fine," I said. "Then it's decided. Now, let's not discuss this for the rest of the summer."
"Agreed," said Colton, and for the next few minutes, we drove along in amiable silence while listening to music on the radio, neither of us realizing just how important my bikinis would become that summer.
Peace and Relaxation
As soon as my brother Colton unlocked the door to our family's beach house, I ran through the rooms, grinning and smiling as I explored all of the familiar places.
"This is gonna be my room!" I declared, tagging the first room off of the living room, a cozy little space with a double bed and a superb view of the ocean.
"Fine," said Colton, dumping two of our suitcases next to the sofa. "I guess I'll take Mom and Dad's room."
"Fine with me," I sang. "But you do know that if they drop by this summer, they'll kick us out of there."
"Willow! I told you, Mom and Dad aren't coming this summer. It's just gonna be me and you, so that leaves me in charge," said Colton.
"Sure, sure," I said with a laugh as I extended the handle of my suitcase and began wheeling it toward my room.
It took a bit of effort to angle the heavy thing through the door to my bedroom, but I got it, in the end. I then wheeled it over to the center of the room and then flipped it on its side, unzipping the main compartment first so that I could root around in the region of my suitcase where I had packed all my bikinis.
Earlier, my brother Colton had chastised me for having "outgrown" my old swimsuits, but what he didn't know is that my friend Lisa worked at a fashion retail outlet, and so now, my suitcase was stuffed with dozens of new bikinis, beach skirts, and other outfits that I had gotten for a fraction of the normal sale price.
With the waves and the beach outside beckoning me, it took me quite a long while to settle on which bikini to wear first. After all, I wanted to make a good first impression, even if no one else was out there. Finally, I settled on a lovely classic triangle bikini set in white with delicate pink stripes, the net effect a callback to those peppermint candy canes we used to get in our stockings for Christmas.
Grinning with happiness, I quickly shucked off all of my traveling clothes and strapped myself into the bikini, carefully tying all the knots just so until everything felt snug and in place.
Stepping in front of the mirror, I saw that my skin was still far too pale, but otherwise, I looked rather fetching in the candy cane bikini, the contrast between the pink and the white adorably cute, in my opinion. Best of all, the top provided a generous amount of coverage for my boobs so as not to trigger my brother's overprotective instinct.
Smiling to myself, I then fished out a pair of sunglasses, my favorite beach sandals, and my straw bag which I quickly loaded with everything I'd need for a long afternoon, lying out on the beach. Once I was sure I had everything, I perched the sunglasses on top of my head and then headed out into the living room where I saw Colton bringing in the last of the supplies.
"I'm going to the beach," I said.
Colton gave my body a long once-over, but he said nothing, nodding as I brushed past him and out of the house, following the little path to the stairs that led down to the sand and the water.
Grinning with happiness, I took in the enormous expanse of blue-green fading off to dark blue waters on the horizon, the sun sparkling on the wave caps as gentle waves crashed onto the sand. Everything was just as I remembered it! I then carefully made my way down the steps and then hunted around for a good spot to lay out my beach towel.
Once everything was set, I fished out the lotion from my straw bag and slathered the stuff all over my body, carefully working it into my skin with firm, circular motions, smiling as my nimble fingers massaged my exposed skin.
Glancing around, I saw absolutely no one, so I took the risk and lifted my top long enough to rub in a generous portion of lotion onto my breasts. I knew that it seemed kind of silly to worry about things like that, but I was worried that my brother Colton could join me at any minute.
Once I was fully lubed up, I reclined on my beach towel and let the gentle sea breeze and the crashing of the waves lull me into a delicious state halfway between sleep and wakefulness, the warm rays of the sun sending blissful shivers down my spine. As my breathing began to slow down, I let the salty burr of the air fill my nose and throat, and a deep sense of peace and relaxation diffused its way through my body and mind and spirit.
Before I knew it, my eyes were covered by the salty bangs of my hair, and I sat up with a start, seeing to my surprise that the sun was far lower in the sky. Looking around, I saw a blush of pink across my upper thighs and arms, and I could feel an intense dry heat from all of my exposed skin.
As quickly as I could, I got to my feet and began gathering my things, doing my best to shake out the beach towel before folding it and packing it away in my bag. Within a few minutes, I was ready to go, walking slowly as my body limbered up, my thoughts whirling and chaotic.
Thankfully, I soon stepped into the refreshing cool of our beach house, and I paused to dump all of my things on the floor next to the sofa before dashing to the bathroom where I splashed cold water on my face for several minutes until I felt partially restored. A full body inspection revealed a few places where I had nearly gotten sunburned, but otherwise, I had emerged from my impromptu beach nap unscathed.
"Oh my gosh, you startled me," I said as I stepped out of the bathroom and nearly crashed into Colton.
"How was the beach?" said Colton, his eyes roving up and down over my body. "Looks like you got some sun."
"Yeah, I did. I can't wait until I'm properly tanned!" I said.
"Willow, I just want to say that's a nice bikini," said Colton, a small smile on his face. "Don't think I've seen that one before."
"Yeah, it's new," I said, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.
"Anyway, you hungry?" said Colton. "I've been busy in the kitchen."
"I'm starved!" I said, truthfully.
"Great! Get changed, and I'll see you there," said Colton.
And with that, I went to my bedroom and changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, not realizing that that would be the last time I'd be wearing those kinds of clothes for the rest of the summer.
Hungry
Dinner with my brother Colton on our first night together in our parents' vacation house in Venancio Beach went swimmingly well, my brother making a huge pot of our family's favorite pasta dish. After dinner, we shared a bowl of popcorn and watched a movie, laughing and joking at all the bad acting and cheap special effects.
As I've done ever since I was a little girl, especially when the weather is warm, I stripped off all my clothes and then jumped in the bed, relishing the sensation of the tropical night air on my skin. As I closed my eyes, I began replaying all the happy memories I had shared with my family in this house, and I grinned as I imagined all the fun I would have this summer, and sure enough, it wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.
When I awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, a piercing bolt of golden light streaming through the drapes. Yawning as I rose to my feet, I flung back the drapes and took a deep inhale of the salty sea air, my soul soaring with happiness as I took in the cloudless sky and the endless expanse of blue before me.
In the bathroom, after I performed my usual ablutions, I was pleased to see that all the pink area of my skin had faded to a lovely honey color, meaning that my first day's efforts of lying out on the beach were already paying off.
Deciding to get another jump start on my tanning strategy, I decided to slip into a bikini before heading downstairs for breakfast. That way, I could dash out the moment that the meal was done. I then spent the next few minutes going through my collection until I settled on a lovely two-tone green and yellow number made by an upscale boutique in California even though it was a bit skimpier than the candy cane bikini I had worn yesterday.
"Morning," I said, as I stepped into the kitchen and set my bulging straw bag down on one of the unoccupied chairs.
"Hey there, sleepyhead," said Colton, turning to look at me, his eyes taking in my bikini. "Wow, looks like you're going to get some more sun today, eh?"
"That's the plan," I said. "What you got?"
Colton then rattled off a number of breakfast items he had prepared, making it quite hard for me to choose. On one hand, my brother was the best cook in the family, but on the other hand, I didn't want to put on any weight, especially not when I was about to become a tanned beach goddess.
"Just some fruit," I said, wincing when I saw the brief look of disappointment flash across Colton's face.
Thankfully, as I nibbled my way through the small bowl of fruit, Colton and I chit-chatted about a bunch of banal things until everything was back to being good between us.
"Okay, Willow, I'm going to head into town for a bit. Do you need anything?" said Colton after I rinsed out my bowl and set it in the rack to dry.
"No, I'll just be at the beach," I said.
And with that, I turned and headed out, following the path to the stairs that led down to the beach. I grinned from ear to ear as I saw that we were in for another perfect summer day, the sun hot and fierce as it glinted off the wave caps.
Soon enough, I had my towel laid out, and I fished out a bottle of water and took a healthy swig. Not wanting to risk getting dehydrated, I took a second and then a third swig before recapping the bottle and nestling it into the depths of my straw bag.
Lying back, I then let the sun do its work, the gentle crashing of the waves lulling me back into that familiar trance. This time, however, I had set an alarm on my phone that reminded me to flip onto my stomach. I then reached behind and unfastened my bikini top, sighing with pleasure as I felt the warm fingers of the sun begin to massage my back and legs.
Unfortunately, all too soon, my phone beeped again. With a groan of disappointment, I refastened my bikini top and then sat up. A visual inspection revealed that I was pink enough for the moment, so I packed away all of my stuff and then headed back to the house after chugging the rest of my water.
Stepping through the back door of our house, I saw no sign of my brother, so I dropped my bag on the floor near the sofa and then stumbled my way back to my room where I dropped onto my bed like a sack of potatoes, drifting off to sleep just moments later.
My room was dim and dark when I awoke, jumping to my feet as my heart raced, thinking that I had just heard a loud explosion. But as I stood there in my room, I realized that it had been just a dream. My heart pounding, I flew out of my room and went down the hallway to the bathroom where I spent the next several moments splashing cold water onto my face until I felt my breathing return to normal.
"Oh hey, Willow, there you are," said Colton, coming across the open door to the bathroom that I had forgotten to close. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, it's fine," I said. "Just got a little dehydrated, that's all."
"That hot sun will do it to you every time," said Colton with a grin. "Hey, I was just about to make lunch. Are you hungry?"
"Heck, yes, I am," I said, truthfully.
"Cool. I was thinking about firing up the grill, then we could eat lunch on the balcony," said Colton.
"Perfect!" I said. "While you cook, I'll sit on the lounge chair and work on my tan a bit more."
"Suit yourself," said Colton, staring at me for a long time until I finally realized that he was making a bad pun.
And with that, the wheels were set in motion that would determine the course of what happened that crazy summer.
Washboard Abs
I think I've already said it before, but my brother is a great cook, and it wasn't long before I was absolutely stuffed from all the delicious foods that he made on the grill that day.
Sitting there on our balcony and admiring that magnificent view of the ocean, I felt absolutely wonderful. With good food in my belly and an entire summer in front of me, what else could a girl need? Maybe a little romance, but that was for later.
"Whew, I can't believe I ate so much," said my brother Colton, patting his stomach.
"Me either. I ate like a pig," I groaned as I pressed the lever to extend the lounge chair to a reclining position. "I don't need to eat anything else for a week!"
"Oh hush, you're as skinny as a rail," said Colton. "You're the one who needed to eat, not me."
"What are you talking about?" I said with a laugh. "You're always going around, flashing your washboard abs at people."
"Hey, if I keep eating like this, I'll be forced to wear a T-shirt when I go swimming," said Colton with a laugh.
And with that exchange, we lapsed into companionable silence, the crash of the waves and the delicious heat of the sun on my exposed skin sending me back into that familiar reverie. But before my phone's alarm could chime, I was jolted awake by the sound of people energetically discussing something, the details of which were initially lost in the roar of the surf and the wind.
I sat up in my chair and peered through the slats of the balcony to see four people walking down the beach, laughing and joking. The two girls looked about my age or maybe a year or two older while the two guys could easily pass for graduate students.
It was clear that the four of them were having fun, and I badly wanted to be in position to meet them, or anyone else of a similar nature, the next time they passed by. Otherwise, I might be left stuck in the house all summer with my increasingly strict brother.
"I got to get back to working on my tan," I announced as I stood up from the table.
"All right, but don't get burned," said Colton, earning a sour smile from me.
I then gathered up my beach things and was out of the house within a few minutes, a grin on my face as I walked barefoot across the sand to find a good spot. After that, it wasn't long at all before I had everything set up. But this time, before lying down and getting some sun, I decided to go dip my toe in the water.
As a kid, I had always loved to swim, but in those days, I wore one-piece bathing suits. I wasn't quite sure if my bikini could withstand any vigorous activities, so I decided to limit myself to just getting my feet wet. And indeed, when that first sheet of surf washed over my ankles, it felt absolutely amazing, like a shot of pure adrenaline.
With the blazing heat of the sun on my skin, the bracing coolness of the water felt absolutely delicious, so I decided to take another step further into the ocean. Soon, the water was up to my knees, and I grinned as I bent over to splash some water on my arms, each icy drop setting off fireworks of pleasure on my skin.
Before I knew it, I was in the water up to my waist. I then leaned back and dipped my hair into the water, moaning with pleasure when I stood up straight, a deluge of water cascading down my back. At that point, I simply could not resist a proper swim, and so I launched myself into the water. With no one anywhere nearby to watch me, it was the perfect time to stress test my bikini.
Happily, the fabric managed to stay in place, although my boobs did slide out of the top sideways a couple of times, but otherwise, I was very impressed by my bikini's resilience. For several long minutes, I swap to and fro, relishing the way my entire body was working in harmony to propel me through the water.
But soon, I began to feel the ache in all those swimming muscles that had lain unused all year, so I stopped and planted my feet on the sandy bottom. I then spun and danced in the water for a bit, savoring the way that the water felt as it flowed around my body. Truly, there are very few sensations as silky and sensual as full body immersion in water.
Finally, though, it was time to come out, and I waded my way to shore, my legs suddenly growing heavy as I stepped back onto terra firma. With my hair dripping and a sheen of water still on my skin, the breeze sent a wonderfully cold tingle down my spine. I then sat down on my towel and enjoyed the warm embrace of the sun as its heat and the wind dried my skin.
Once I was fully dry and starting to feel toasty, I rooted around in my bag until I found my lotion, and it wasn't long before all of my exposed skin was glistening in the sun. And with that, I lay back, placed a small towel over my eyes, and gave myself up to the universe for a while.
Truly, it felt like only a couple of minutes had passed when my phone's alarm jolted me out of my reverie. Obediently, I hoisted myself up and then flipped over face down, reaching up behind me to unfasten my bikini top. But when I lay my head back down on the towel, I found it impossible to get comfortable. No matter where I shifted, it always felt like the ground was crushing my chest.
Just then, I remembered a video I had seen on one of my social media feeds recently. Sitting up, I peeled back the towel from the sand. Gauging where my chest was pressing up against the sand, I used my hand to dig out two holes that were about the same size as my breasts before putting the towel back into position.
Sure enough, with my sandy "cupholders" for support, lying facedown on the towel felt quite comfortable, indeed, and it wasn't long before I felt a delicious tingle on my upper thighs and lower back from the sizzling heat of the sun.
Susanna
The bleating of my phone alarm jolted me out of a deep sleep, and I slowly pushed my way up to a seated position on the towel after I had silenced it. Yawning, I looked around to see that the sun had dipped in the sky, its reddish-orange hues illuminating everything with a warm glow that perfectly matched the sensual tingling from my skin, and even in the fading afternoon light, I could see that my skin was beginning to bronze.
As quickly as I could, I gathered all my things and headed back to the house. The front door being unlocked, I stepped inside and then dumped my bag on the floor near the sofa.
"Willow, is that you?" I heard my brother Colton call out.
"Yeah, it's me," I said, feeling slightly foolish.
I then dashed off to the bathroom to give myself a thorough examination in the mirror. To my delight, I saw that my skin was, indeed, beginning to develop a lovely glow, and I saw absolutely no trace of any pink or irritation. Even my hair seemed to have lightened just a bit, the faintest traces of honey gold in my long, brunette locks.
Stepping out of the bathroom and into the hallway, I nearly collided with Colton as he was rushing towards the living room, a pair of dress shoes in one hand.
"Woah, where are you going?" I said.
"Down to the Boardwalk," said Colton, setting his shoes down for a minute to make some adjustments to the collared short-sleeve shirt and tan slacks that he was wearing.
"Down to the Boardwalk, where they sell fried chocolate bars on a stick to tourists? Are you serious?" I said before breaking out into raucous laughter.
"If you must know, I'm meeting someone," said Colton, a hint of pink rising to his cheeks.
"Wow! We've been here one day, and already you're firing up the dating apps," I said with a grin. "Good job, bro."
"Yeah, we'll see how it goes," said Colton, slipping on his shoes.
"Hey, if you're headed there now, let me come with you," I said. "Relax, I just want a ride. I won't mess with you and your date."
"Uh... fine, okay," said Colton. "But hurry up and put on some clothes."
"Actually, there's this cute little cover-up skirt I've been dying to try. It actually came as a set with this bikini," I said.
"Whatever, just come on, let's go," said Colton, tapping at an imaginary wristwatch on his right arm.
"I'm going, I'm going!" I said, dashing off to my room where I spent the next two minutes in a mad scramble to find the beach skirt that matched the bikini I was wearing, finding at last under a pair of leather pants.
As quickly as I could, I shimmied into the skirt, loving the way that it hung at an angle across my hips, the lovely fabric draping just above my knees, its green hues perfectly complimenting my bikini top. Carefully inspecting my image in the mirror, I decided that I could pass for a beautiful tourist from somewhere in Europe, perhaps Italy or Spain, utterly sexy and confident in their own skin.
And with that attitude, I fixed my jaw and made my way out of my bedroom and to the front door of the house which I saw had been left slightly ajar, my brother nowhere in sight. But the revving of the engine outside told me to pick up the pace until I was practically bounding when I ripped open the passenger door, sliding into position just as Colton peeled out of the driveway.
"Jeez, she must be pretty hot for you to be driving this fast," I muttered, double-checking that my seat belt was fastened.
"Well, the truth is that we've been talking on the internet for a while. But this is the first time we're meeting in person," said Colton, nervously chewing on the tip of one of his fingers.
"Woah, and how long have you known this girl?" I said.
"Uh, tomorrow will be four months exactly," said Colton, shooting me an angry glare when I broke out into laughter.
"Sorry, sorry," I said, valiantly attempting to resist the urge to continue laughing. "I just don't want you to get catfished, Colton."
"Catfish? Ugh, no. I'm taking her to Trattoria Primavera for their pasta alfredo," said Colton.
"Oh no," I said, a chill racing down my spine. "I'm not talking about the restaurant, bro. I'm talking about catfishing. It's internet slang."
"Slang for what?" said Colton, his eyes narrowed and wary.
"For when someone pretends to be a girl on the internet in order to trick guys into falling in love with them," I said.
"What? That's crazy. Why would anyone do that?" said Colton. "And what does it have to do with catfish?"
"I think it's because female catfish have long whiskers or something," I said. "But actually, I don't know. What I do know is that there are some really cruel and evil people out there."
"Well, Susanna isn't like that. She's the sweetest girl I've ever known in my entire life, Willow!" said Colton.
"Colton, I'm going to ask you an important question, and I need you to be honest with me," I said. "Have you sent Susanna any money?"
"Not really," said Colton, his eyes locked on the road in front of us.
"Not really or no?" I said.
"Well, it was just because her mom got sick that one time," said Colton.
"Oh god," I said, smacking my forehead with the flat of my hand. "And what about gifts? Send her any expensive ones?"
"Well, she really loves jewels, and, like, her birthstone is..." said Colton, the rest of his answer drowned out by my groans.
"Colton, I really hope I'm wrong. I do. But I think you're being catfished, bro," I said. "There are red flags everywhere, including the part where you kept this a secret from me for the past four months."
"Willow, stop saying all this crap about Susanna! You don't even know her," said Colton.
"Fine. Really and truly, I hope I'm wrong. But in case this meet-up doesn't work the way you want it to, I'll be here for you, Colton," I said, reaching over to give my brother's leg a little squeeze, instantly averting my gaze when I saw that my fingers had accidentally brushed against the outline of his penis.
"Thanks, Willow, but it won't be necessary," said Colton, swinging the car into an open slot adjacent to a sidewalk teeming with hordes of tourists, at least one-fifth of them stuffing their faces with junk food by my count.
"All right, then, what's the plan?" I said after exiting the car and easing my way onto the busy sidewalk. "I'm probably going to take a stroll down to the pier and maybe try some of that saltwater taffy."
"I'm meeting Susanna in fifteen minutes in front of the Old Grand," said Colton after checking his phone. "If you want a ride back to the house, maybe we could meet up at the fountain in a few hours. But otherwise, you'll have to catch a bus."
"Okay. Well, good luck! And I really hope this turns out for you, bro," I said, planting a good luck kiss on one cheek, watching as he turned and melted into the crowd, leaving me to enjoy all of the delights of the Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk
At first, I did feel a little self-conscious walking down the Boardwalk wearing only a bikini with a fairly short wrap-around skirt hung diagonally across my hips. But as I looked around, I saw more than a handful of shirtless guys, including one sporting a truly impressive gut, as well as a few ladies in swimsuits, cottage cheese thighs be damned.
Sure, I stood out a little, but I kept my head held high. The sun felt absolutely delicious on my skin, and I wasn't going to let anything disturb my self-confidence. And sure enough, the few guys who tried to shoot me creepy glances always turned their head away after a moment, unable to meet the intensity of my gaze.
As for the rest, I got more than a few appreciative looks, including from one super cute guy with a dreamy smile, but looking down, I saw that he was holding hands with another guy, and so my insta-dream of our marriage, children, and life together was dashed upon the rocky shores of the Boardwalk in summer.
Soon enough, I discovered that my nose had led me to the stall where they make those hideous fried candy bars on a stick, so I found a slightly out of the way place to stand so I could watch this strange tragedy unfold before my eyes, a parade of victims coming one after another to challenge the limits of their digestive system and mortality.
Yet as I watched one person after another chow down on those crispy, crunchy fried candy bars with unabashed enthusiasm, I started to feel an uncomfortable rumbling in my belly. To my horror, I realized that my body was demanding to eat one of those horrid things dripping with fat and salt. Rationally, I'd rather have eaten a lovely salad, but my monkey brain compelled me, somehow, to join the line, and soon enough, I found myself handing over a ridiculous amount of money in exchange for my very own fried candy bar on a stick.
With the darn thing in my hand, there was really no other option but to go ahead and eat it, sighing with pleasure as I took my first bite, the delicious, gooey chocolate making my whole mouth sing. And before I knew it, I was licking the last few bits from the stick, my mouth smeared in chocolate. But after I dashed to the restroom to clean myself up, I found myself grinning as I patted my satisfied belly.
A few minutes later, I exited the restroom and made my way back to the Boardwalk. Instead of deciding what to do next, I merged with the crowd of tourists and let them dictate my steps, allowing me to relax and stare at all the people as I shuffled along in a thick knot of people. After a while, I got caught in a little eddy, arriving near a kiosk purporting to sell "real Italian" gelato in a wild medley of colorful flavors.
At that point, my stomach was bulging, so I only gave the gelato a quick look over before turning to rejoin the flow of the crowd, but the man working behind the counter called out to me.
"Pretty lady! Signorina!" said the man in what, to my mind, sounded like a pretty authentic Italian accent.
"Hi," I said, feeling myself blush as I turned to look at the man.
"For the beautiful signorina!" cried the man as he used his scoop to quickly dump three different flavors of gelato into a paper cup.
"What?" I said.
"You are so beautiful, like a princessa," said the man. "Here, gelato for you. On the house!"
At that point, there was no way to gracefully say no, so I took the gelato from his outstretched hands.
"Uh, thank you," I said.
"Anytime! Have a wonderful day!" said the man.
Still stunned that the entire exchange had just happened, I shuffled off into the crowd, one hand holding the cup of gelato. Curious about what flavors he had put in there, I lifted the cup to my nose, inhaling a confusing medley of fruit flavors that left me more curious than ever.
As I let the crowd slowly pull me along the Boardwalk, I could see that the heat was beginning to melt the gelato. Not having the heart to waste such a generous gift, I decided that it was probably best if I at least tried it, smiling to myself as a burst of tropical flavors hit my tongue a few moments later.
In less than a minute, I somehow managed to scarf up the gelato, craving even more of that fruity sweetness, and for a moment, I debated whether to go back and order some more. But as my stomach gurgled happily along as I walked, I was reminded that I had already eaten more than enough for one day and that I really did not need to eat any more gelato.
Feeling guilty as I tossed the empty paper cup into an overflowing trash barrel, I set my shoulders and vowed not to make any more snack stops. After all, there were plenty of other interesting things to do on the Boardwalk, including revisiting some of my favorite attractions from my childhood.
Unfortunately, I was jolted out of my reverie by two young men dressed identically in black pants and crisp, button-up white shirts.
"Ugh, I can see your boobs, slut," said one as I passed.
"Put on a shirt, whore," muttered the other one.
I told myself to let it go, but after I took a few additional steps, my rising anger compelled me to stop and walk back to the two young men.
"What did you just say to me?" I said, balling up my fists.
"You are dressed immodestly. It is a sin," said the first guy.
"Cover yourself up, you temptress," hissed the second guy.
"Temptress? Sin? Boys, are you accusing me of trying to seduce you?" I said with a grin.
Sure enough, when I looked down, I saw that at least one of the guys was working on a boner, the crotch of his shabby black pants tented out.
"Whore of Babylon!" hissed the second guy, and then the two of them fled, looks of sheer terror on their faces as they ran off and disappeared into the crowd.
Laughing to myself quietly for a long moment, I then resumed my rambling along the Boardwalk.
Larissa
After passing what seemed like a hundred different fried food stands and cheap souvenir shops, the crowd shuffling down the Boardwalk nudged me into the entrance of what appeared to be a store that sold swimsuits and beach gear.
Curious to see the offerings, I stepped inside, marveling at the chic atmosphere inside so unlike all the tackiness normally on display on the Boardwalk. Indeed, this trendy little swimsuit boutique could easily have been in New York or Los Angeles, and I felt an excited grin cross my face as I began examining a rack of bikinis.
"Hi there. Just let me know if you need any help," said a friendly voice behind me, and I turned around to see a gorgeous young woman standing behind the counter wearing an oversized pair of light blue shorts, black Converse shoes, and a slim bandeau bikini top styled in the black and white checkered design of a race flag.
"Thanks," I said. "These bikinis are gorgeous."
"Oh yeah, that line is supplied to us by a boutique in Milan," said the clerk, coming out from behind the counter.
"Wow! These really are amazing," I said, admiring a sleek black number.
"I know. I was wearing one from this line yesterday," said the clerk as she approached me, giving me a chance to admire the way her long, straight hair set off her gorgeous petite figure, a pang of envy stabbing my heart for a brief moment.
"My best friend is a fashion designer, and she really got into bikinis this year. These really are amazing," I said, truthfully.
"Thanks! I can see you've got really good taste in bikinis. Did your friend make that one you're wearing now?" said the clerk.
"No, she wishes!" I said with a laugh. "But I brought five or six with me this summer that she made."
"Oh wow, that's so cool. I'd love to see them sometime. Maybe we could even work out a deal to sell them here in the shop," said the clerk.
"Oh gosh, that'd be amazing!" I said.
"My name is Larissa, by the way," said the girl, and I felt my heart begin to race when I took her outstretched hand.
"Willow," I said. "Is this your shop?"
"Wow, that's such a pretty name," said Larissa with a sigh, causing my heart to beat even faster. "No, it's actually my uncle's shop, but I do all the buying."
"That is really amazing," I said, hoping that my cheeks were not revealing my emotional state. "Honestly, it's like you have my dream job."
"Yeah, it is pretty cool," said Larissa with a little cool laugh that made me like her even more. "Hey, you want to try on one of these bikinis? With a figure like yours, I think they'd look really good."
"Oh wow, definitely," I said, unable this time to stop the heat from rising to my cheeks. "Got any recommendations?"
"Hmm, let's see. Well, you've got far bigger boobs than I do, so I think this line over here would be best for the top. But as for the bottom, do you want something bold? Or maybe you want something more modest?" said Larissa.
"Tell you what," I said with a grin. "You choose."
"Excellent," said Larissa with a coy grin that got my heart to fluttering once again.
I watched with pleasure as Larissa darted this way and that in the shop, speed flipping through items on the racks until she had a small collection thrown over one arm.
"Okay, I picked out a few different choices that can mix and match. Hope you like them," said Larissa.
"Thanks, I can't wait to try them on!" I said, following Larissa as she revealed the small dressing room hidden in the back corner of the store.
After sliding shut the curtain, I quickly stripped off my skirt and bikini and then turned my attention to the items that Larissa had given me. The first item that caught my eye was a metallic gold number made out of some kind of unique fabric that glittered and shone as I turned it in the light.
There was no way in a million years I would've ever chosen that gold bikini for myself, so I was more than a little apprehensive as I put it on, the bottoms sliding smoothly over my hips while the intricate strings of the top took a few moments to figure out.
Looking in the mirror, I was shocked by my appearance. The glittering gold made me look like some kind of imperial princess or something or perhaps a dancer in Las Vegas, the look somehow screaming money and flagrant displays of luxury. If I ever met a billionaire with his own yacht, that bikini would be the perfect choice of what to wear.
"Knock, knock, can I see?" I heard Larissa say, whisking open the curtain before I had a chance to respond. "Oh wow, Willow! You look amazing! All you need is a pair of black heels, and you'd be ready to rock!"
"Wow, thanks," I said, feeling my cheeks burning. "It looks like a million bucks, to be honest. But I don't know if I can pull it off."
"No sweat! Let's see what the other ones look like on you," said Larissa with a grin before sliding shut the curtain.
Slowly and carefully, I slipped off the gold bikini and then chose a rather simple one in white, its only unique feature some lovely little coral beads strung along the string elements. Unlike the previous bikini bottoms, the white ones did not hug my hips but hung low across my waist to create a more horizontal look. The white bikini top was of the standard design, but I couldn't help but notice that the triangle portions were too skimpy to fully cup my breasts.
Examining myself in the mirror, I decided that I liked the way that the bottoms emphasized my flat waist, but the top was far too inadequate for my chest, my boobs jiggling all over the place with every movement. Having rendered my judgments, I was about to strip out of the white bikini to try on the next one when I hesitated, unsure whether Larissa was waiting for me to model it for her or not.
Peeking through the edge of the curtain in the dressing room, I saw that she was at the counter, helping a customer, so I proceeded to carefully unfasten the top and hang it on the same hook where I had placed the gold bikini. But just as I was about to strip out of the bottoms, the curtain flew open.
"Oh wow!" said Larissa with a grin, eyeing my breasts in a way that sent my heart racing. "That bikini truly does suit you."
Modeling Gig
It wasn't every day that I was caught topless in a dressing room, but that's exactly what happened on the first day that I went exploring on the Boardwalk, the chatty clerk Larissa flinging open the curtain and surprising me.
"Gosh, thanks. It really is a lovely bikini," I said as casually as I could, my arm itching to be moved into position to cover my bare chest, but doing so after Larissa had just complimented me felt awkward.
"But with spectacular boobs like yours, I'm guessing the top was a bit too skimpy, eh?" said Larissa, and I nodded yes with perhaps way too much enthusiasm. "Cool. Well, try on the others and let me know how they fit you."
Before I could say a word in reply, Larissa had whisked closed the curtains and dashed off somewhere in the store, leaving me with no option but to finish stripping out of the white bikini and try on the next swimsuit she had picked out for me, which turned out to be complex one-piece that took me several long moments of examination before I could even figure out where to start stepping into it.
After a few minutes of tugging and twisting, I managed to get the one-piece swimsuit in what I hoped was the right position, most of it composed of strings and bands stretching this way and that with barely a scrap of fabric to cover me. Indeed, as I turned in the mirror, I saw that there was barely any coverage at all in the rear, making it the most revealing swimsuit I had ever worn in my life.
Strangely, though, as I put the one-piece swimsuit through its paces in front of the mirror, I discovered that everything was staying in place, the crisscrossed strings giving me support just where I needed it, including my chest, and the narrow strip running between my cheeks never buckled or chafed. In fact, even if I bent completely over at the waist, wearing the one-piece swimsuit remained supremely comfortable.
"Wowzers!" said Larissa with a grin after she flung open the curtain once more without warning. "I'm not lying when I tell you that you're the first chick I've ever seen who can pull off that suit. It's like it was made for you!"
"Gosh, thanks," I said, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my cheeks inflamed.
"I'm serious, Willow. You've got a knockout body made for modeling swimsuits. I'm going to ask my uncle to hire you for this summer's marketing campaign," said Larissa, her eyes wide as she let her eager eyes roam freely all over my body, sending a tingle shooting through every inch of my exposed skin.
"Oh gosh, modeling? I'm not sure," I said, convinced that the overhead lights must be dazzling Larissa's eyes. "Anyway, I'd be scared to death to wear something like this in public."
"Girl, what are you talking about?" said Larissa with a laugh. "I saw the way you strutted on here, wearing that fabulous bikini. You were rocking that outfit, chica. Don't play timid with me."
"I'm not playing," I said, hating the whiny tone of my voice. "It's just... Well, to tell you the truth, today is the first day I ever had the courage to go out in public wearing a bikini anywhere other than on the beach."
"Well, today is your lucky day, then!" said Larissa with a huge grin. "My gosh, you unveil that body one day and bam, you got yourself a job! I mean, if you want it, that is."
"Wow, I don't know what to say. It's just... are you sure?" I said.
"I'm sure! Now come on, say yes," said Larissa, and when I could no longer resist and gave her a quick nod yes, she leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
"Woah," I said as I felt myself begin to grow light-headed, and before I knew it, my legs were buckling, and I collapsed to the floor in an ignominious heap.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" said Larissa, grasping me by the arm.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," I managed to sputter in reply, but the truth was that I felt as weak as a kitten at that moment.
"I'm getting you some water!" said Larissa, dashing off and leaving me there on the floor of the shop for everyone to see, even though there didn't appear to be any customers around at the moment.
Using all of my strength, I had just managed to heave myself up onto the bench in the dressing room when Larissa re-appeared, a plastic bottle of water in one hand which she quickly unscrewed and held up to my lips, feeding me driblets of liquid like I was a helpless infant.
"Thanks, thanks," I said, disengaging with the bottle, a few embarrassing drops of water dribbling down my chin. "I feel better now."
"Whew, you scared me there for a minute," said Larissa, a worried look on her face. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I am," I said, doing my best to give her my normal, confident smile. "I guess I just got a bit dehydrated today."
"Hey, it happens," said Larissa with a nod and a grin. "So, do you think you've recovered enough to tell me your answer about my uncle's offer to do some modeling work for this summer's campaign?"
"Uh, this may sound like a strange question. But it won't just be me there, will it?" I said.
"Huh? Oh, are you asking if you'll be the only model we use? Nah. Usually, we have four or five of them, you know, for the different body types and all," said Larissa.
"Oh, well, that makes sense," I said, an enormous sense of relief flooding my body.
"Yeah, they start shooting next week, I think. I'll ask my uncle. Anyway, please tell me you'll say yes and do it. If it helps you decide, I am known to help my uncle with the photography work," said Larissa, a coy little flirtatious grin on her very cute face.
"Fine, I'll do it," I said, hoping against hope that my cheeks were not showing the swirl of emotions that I was feeling.
"Wonderful!" said Larissa. "Oh, and I almost forgot to mention what the job pays."
I then listened as Larissa quoted me a shockingly high figure. If she was telling me the truth, then I would be earning more in one day for a modeling gig than I did back home in two weeks at my part-time job.
"Wow... just wow. Well, then I don't say yes to the job, I say heck yes!" I said with a grin, and Larissa and I both broke out into laughter.
"Great, just give me your contact details," said Larissa, and we quickly exchanged all of the necessary information. "Cool. I'll talk to my uncle today and then give you all the details about when we start."
"Awesome," I said, a huge grin on my face.
"Oh wait, one more thing," said Larissa, pulling her phone back out of her pocket. "I gotta take a picture to show my uncle. Say cheese!"
And that's how I got my photograph taken wearing the skimpiest swimsuit I had ever worn in my life, although what I didn't know then is just how much further I would go that summer.
The Rusty Spade
Giddy with excitement and nervousness, I rejoined the flow of tourists shuffling along the Boardwalk, thoughts of Larissa's offer to make me a swimsuit model racing through my head. Part of me couldn't even believe it was real while the other part worried that the uncle wouldn't like how I look or something else would go wrong. Yet even being considered to show off swimsuits to the whole world sent a shiver of excitement down my spine.
My thoughts a whirl, I stopped paying attention to where I was, snapping out of my reverie in front of a store selling saltwater taffy. As a kid, I couldn't get enough of the stuff, but now, I kind of hated it. But I knew that it was still important to people in my family, including Colton, so I decided to step inside and buy some.
Looking around, I almost felt as though I had stepped into a time machine, and I could almost see myself as a little girl standing in here, holding my grandpa's hand as he waxed on about how saltwater taffy was his favorite candy. Even the smell of the place was the same, and a flood of memories rushed through my brain.
"Hi there," said the clerk, a young man wearing some rather unattractive glasses along with some ratty jeans and the obligatory store vest. "Can I help you, miss?"
"Gosh, it all looks so delicious," I said, trying to buy some time so I could scan around for something affordable, somewhat in shock at the outrageous prices. "What you got for five bucks?"
"For you? Anything," said the clerk, giving me what I presumed was supposed to be a flirtatious look.
"Seriously, I'm buying some salt water taffy for my brother. So do you have anything in the price range of five dollars?" I said, a growing irritation in my voice as I watched his eyes linger on my chest.
"Wow, for your kid brother, eh? All right," said the clerk, stooping to pick up something from one of the lower shelves that he then set on the counter. "Our snack pack bars retail for eight bucks. That's in your price range."
"Eight bucks for this?" I scoffed. "Come on, man. Can't you just slice me off a hunk? I don't need anything fancy."
"Well, we're really not supposed to sell unwrapped taffy. It's against local health regulations," said the clerk, continuing to leer at my tits. "But you know, perhaps there is a way around that."
"Oh yeah, what's that?" I said, knowing the answer before he could open his ratty mouth and speak.
"How about you and me go on a date? If you were my girlfriend, I could get you lots more sweet things than just taffy," said the clerk.
"How about you go cram that taffy up your butthole?" I said, turning and stomping my way out of the store.
"Fucking lesbian!" I heard the clerk call out after me, but I plowed forward into the crowd until I had lost myself in the milling throngs of tourists.
For several long minutes, I stumbled blindly along the Boardwalk, tears blurring my vision as I raged with frustration that all it took was one jerk to ruin what had been an amazingly wonderful day. But then I remembered the advice my friend Lisa had given me long ago, that nobody bad should ever live in your head "rent free," and so I balled up my fists and wiped my eyes dry.
Now that my skin was taking on a lovely golden hue and super cute, sophisticated women thought I was beautiful enough to model bikinis, my life was going great, and, sure as heck, I was not going to let one random loser spoil all of that. In fact, I already found myself unable to remember his ugly face, but my memories of the beautiful Larissa were vivid and wonderful.
With my heart aglow and my happy thoughts, I lost track of where I was once more, and when I snapped back to reality, I found myself in front of a bar named The Rusty Spade, a rather seedy-looking establishment from which exited a rather grubby man with whiskers, shielding his fragile eyes from the sun as he slunk down the Boardwalk and out of sight.
The Rusty Spade looked as though it had been around for a hundred years, yet I had no memory of ever seeing it before. Of course, no one in my family was much of a drinker, but it still seemed like I would have seen this place before.
I was just about to turn and head off down the Boardwalk when a young man strolled past and was in the process of pulling open the front door of The Rusty Spade when he caught sight of me, a huge grin stretching across his face.
"Willow? Is that you? Wow!" said the young man. "It's me. Ted!"
"Oh, yeah, Ted," I said, struggling for several long moments to place them when, thankfully, the gears in my brain finally snapped into place. "Right, from sleepaway camp!"
"Yeah, proud Cabin Seven boy here!" said Ted with a laugh.
My memories of that summer camp I had attended a few years ago were quite hazy on the subject of Ted, but what little I did remember scarcely matched the handsome young man who stood before me now. The little nerd who had once tried and failed to execute a panty raid on my cabin was long gone.
"Wow, it's so strange that we just ran into each other," I said, perhaps more enthusiastically than was genuine, but something about the confident way Ted stood there with his broad shoulders and muscular arms so nicely framed by his shirt was shooting off tiny firecracker bursts inside of me.
"My gosh, yeah!" said Ted, continuing to flash that handsome grin at me. "We should catch up! Can I buy you a drink?"
"Uh..." I said. "At three in the afternoon?"
"Best time of the day for a drink!" said Ted with a hearty laugh, causing me to nod my assent, following him into the dimly lit interior of The Rusty Spade despite all of my better intuition telling me not to.
Boilermaker
I winced as a cloud of sour beer wafted over me as I stepped into the dimly lit interior of The Rusty Spade, following Ted, a guy I had only been marginally friends with several years ago at summer camp. Nonetheless, a shiver of excitement ran up my spine. What was the point of having your first summer away from your parents if you didn't try some new things?
Ted zoomed in on one specific round table flanked by two high stools that was wedged in between a rank of similarly grouped furniture cast-offs, everything looking hard used and soaked in a million sad stories.
"What's your poison?" said Ted, a wide grin on his face as he looked across the table at me.
"Uh, actually, maybe I'll just have a water," I said, casting about in vain for any kind of a menu.
"Nonsense! The Rusty Spade makes a mean boilermaker. Not to be missed!" said Ted.
"Uh, all right," I said, not at all convinced by Ted's endorsement.
"Great! Hey Gil, two boilermakers," Ted called out, flashing the surly man in his 50s who stood behind the counter a large thumbs up.
"Seriously, you'll love 'em. It's a Boardwalk specialty!" said Ted.
"Really?" I said. "To be honest, this is my first time hearing that. In fact, I don't even really remember seeing this bar before either."
"Oh gosh, really?" said Ted. "In my family, it was practically mandatory for us to stop in here and get a few boilermakers before hitting the beach."
"Wow, uh... wow," I said, derailed by Ted's open admission of familial alcoholism. "I guess my family really isn't into drinking too much."
"Wow, were you raised, like, Mormon or something?" said Ted, his eyes wide with delight after Gil the bartender rapped his knuckles on the bar before crooking a finger in our direction.
"Uh, no," I said, mostly to myself as Ted hopped down from the bar stool and made a beeline for the drinks, walking back to our table with a tray and a happy grin on his face.
"Uh, is that whiskey?" I said, confused by the fact that Ted had given me both a large stein of beer as well as a shot glass filled with an amber liquid.
"It's Gil's special blend. I think he adds herbs or something. Whatever it is, it's delicious!" said Ted.
"Ted, I'll drink a beer with you while we catch up for a bit, but I can't be taking shots in the middle of the afternoon," I said.
"No, no! Oh gosh, I'm sorry," said Ted, a pure look of contrition on his face. "And here, you told me that you're a boilermaker virgin! Okay, let me explain. When I give you the signal, you drop the whiskey into the beer."
"Wait, you want me to pour whiskey into my beer? That's disgusting," I said.
"No, not pour. Sorry! Gah! I'm so dumb sometimes," said Ted, slapping his forehead in a rather disturbing manner. "When I give the signal, you drop the entire shot glass into your beer."
"That's even crazier!" I said.
"I know, but that's when it works its magic. Once you see it, you'll love it just like I do and all the others who come here," said Ted.
"Uh, alright," I said, feeling extremely unconvinced.
"Here, I'll go first and show you," said Ted, and before I could say anything in reply, I watched as he picked up the shot glass of whiskey and dropped it like a bomb straight into his beer.
In a flash, the shot glass sank to the bottom of the beer, but then as I watched, some kind of roiling transformation started to happen, the two different liquids somehow becoming emulsified, and within a minute, the contents of his glass had transformed into a wholly different drink.
"I'm telling you, it's almost like a milkshake," said Ted, wiping his mouth with the back of one hand after taking a long, deep gulp of his drink.
"This is nuts. But okay, here's to the summer!" I said before picking up my own shot glass of whiskey and mimicking Ted's actions, jerking back as the dropped glass nearly caused my beer to splash over the side.
Soon enough, my own drink had undergone the same metamorphosis, leaving me with what did, indeed, appear to be a creamy concoction. Steeling my nerves, I cautiously lifted the glass and let a few drops slide into my mouth, my tongue singing with happiness a moment later as the rich blend of flavors cascaded through my senses.
"See? Told you it was good," said Ted, draining his glass before thumping it down loudly on the table. "The beer is just cheap rotgut you can find in any supermarket. It's Gil's special blend of whiskey that does it. A few of us have tried to recreate the drink, and it's impossible."
"Wow, that's... a very intriguing story," I said, smiling as a surge of delicious warmth began spreading from my stomach throughout my entire body.
"It does kind of taste like a milkshake, doesn't it?" said Ted, a rather wide grin on his face.
"Yeah, kinda," I said, starting to feel a bit loose in my mind as the effects of the drink continued to surge through me. "I mean... yeah, why not?"
"Gosh, you know, I used to think you were the prettiest girl in the whole summer camp," said Ted, giving me a rather intense look. "You were the great, golden princess, the one everyone loved. You were a goddess to me."
"Oh, really?" I said, my voice slurring as I kept stumbling, trying to find my words. "You were nothing to me. I barely even remember you."
"Hey, are you feeling okay?" said Ted, that grin still on his face for some reason.
"Me? Sure... top of the world," I said before an intense dizzy spell hit me, my vision swirling as I struggled to remain upright as my brain faded to black.
Whazzafudd
When my eyes fluttered open, I found myself sitting on the bar stool at The Rusty Spade, my head slumped against the wall. Just then, I felt someone groping my left breast, but when I went to raise my arm to defend myself, I found that I couldn't move.
"Oh my god, you're even more beautiful than I remembered," purred Ted, and I slanted my eyes all the way over to the side to see that it was he who was fondling me right there in the bar.
"Whazzafudd, Teed," I managed to croak, my tongue swollen and dry.
"Oh Willow, I just couldn't help myself," said Ted. "I've just been in love with you for so many years."
"Dazznutz," I replied, every ounce of saliva dried up and gone in my mouth.
"It's true what they say about falling in first love at first sight. When I caught a glimpse of you in those cute pink shorts and ponytail, I fell head over heels for you," said Ted, resuming his pawing and groping at my breast like a hungry kitten in search of milk, but my muscles stubbornly refused to follow any of my orders.
"Stobbit!" I managed to grunt in reply.
"Every day, I'd see you at camp, laughing and joking with your friends. And I swore that one day you'd be my girlfriend. So you can imagine my surprise when I ran into you on the Boardwalk today!" said Ted, his sweaty hands moving lower to start massaging my upper thigh.
"Stob tushing me rye now, Ted!" I replied, this time with a bit more vigor.
"I know, I know. The doc told me I got to stop slipping roofies into drinks every time I meet a girl I like. But it was you, Willow! You're the love of my life," said Ted.
Whether it was my indomitable spirit or just the effects of the drug wearing off, my left arm twitched as it began to respond to my commands, and I concentrated all of my willpower on pushing away Ted's hand, especially as his groping began to stray into the territory between my legs.
"Oh come on, Willow. Just give me a chance. You'll see what a great boyfriend I could be for you," said Ted, effortlessly flinging away my hand to resume sawing away at my crotch.
"Nodda million years, you sick freak," I said, my voice now beginning to ring out strong and clear.
"Willow, come on! It's me, Ted. Your old pal from summer camp," said Ted.
"We weren't pals, and I barely even remember you. You were some loser nerd from Cabin 6 and that's about it," I said.
"What?" said Ted, his outrage so strong that he pulled away his hand to face me. "Don't you remember our time together at the Final Bonfire?"
"Huh?" I said, the nerves in my arms and legs throbbing painfully as they came back online. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember us sitting together at the Final Bonfire? I told you how much I liked you, and then we shared a kiss," said Ted, a huge grin on his face.
"Wait, oh no. Don't even tell me. Wow, you really have lost your mind," I said with a mocking laugh. "Yes, we sat together for five minutes while you told me some utterly forgettable story, and then you jumped up and kissed me before running off into the night like the little creep that you are."
"That is not how it happened!" shouted Ted, taking two steps away from me. "I confessed all of my deepest secrets to you that night!"
"Whatever," I said, and to my happy surprise, I discovered that I now had the strength to slowly get to my feet. "You were a creep then, and a rapist now. Just leave me alone!"
"No!" wailed Ted, his face crestfallen. "This isn't how it was supposed to go!"
"Well, this is how it's going," I said, making my way towards the door.
"Stop!" said Ted, reaching out with one arm and clamping me painfully on the shoulder.
"Hey now, what's going on?" barked Gil the bartender.
"Just a little couple's spat, that's all," said Ted, a cheerful grin on his face.
"Let me go!" I said, taking the opportunity to twist out of his grasp and resume my trek towards the door.
"Willow, no!" said Ted.
"Leave the woman alone before I call the cops on your sorry ass," said Gil.
Sending up a silent prayer of thanks to Gil, I double-timed it to the door, opening it to step into the golden sunshine of a lovely afternoon on the Boardwalk, and I felt my spirits instantly begin to soar.
Unsure of how long Gil might be able to contain Ted, I wasted no time in speed walking down the Boardwalk until I was sure that I was a safe distance away from The Rusty Spade. Ted's unexpected assault and attempt to do a lot more had my stomach feeling like it was filled with sharp icicles, but the happy murmur of the tourists and the familiar smells soon warmed my soul.
Indeed, in a surprisingly short amount of time, I found that all of my memories of what had taken place in the bar were beginning to fade until I was only half sure that the whole thing hadn't been a dream. But a part of me remembered that it had all been too terribly real, warning me that there were new risks out there now that I had become a woman.
With a determined smile on my face, I pointed myself in the direction of the bus stop just a short distance off of the Boardwalk as I was ready to head home and drink a big glass of lemonade and unwind.
But just as I arrived and saw the bus pull up, my phone started ringing, and I saw that it was my brother Colton calling.
"Hey!" said Colton when I connected the call, his voice sounding excited and breathless.
"Hey there," I said. "How's your date with Susanna going?"
"Well, that's why I'm calling," said Colton. "You're never going to believe what I'm going to tell you."
As things turned out, he was perfectly correct in that assessment.
The Super American
"Quit messing around, Colton. I've had a long and exhausting day. Just tell me what happened on your date with Susanna," I said, a note of irritation creeping into my voice as I held my increasingly sweaty phone to my ear.
"It went great!" said Colton. "In fact, it went better than great. It went so well that we decided to get married!"
"What?" I screamed.
"We're in love, Willow! Anyway, that's why I called you. We're having a celebratory drink, and I'm inviting you. Susanna really wants to meet you," said Colton.
"Oh my gosh," I said. "This is all so crazy! You mention this girl to me for the first time this morning, and then you're getting married?"
"Just come join us," said Colton. "We're at the Super American Grille."
"Well shoot, that's just a couple of blocks away. I'll be there in a minute," I said, angrily stabbing at the button to end the call, watching as the bus pulled away for a long moment before taking a deep breath and putting my game face on.
Unlike The Rusty Spade, I had many fond memories of the Super American. My grandfather, in particular, was a big fan of the place, always ordering something incredibly unhealthy. I wondered whether Colton had chosen the Super American for nostalgic family reasons. If so, it might mean that this relationship actually could be serious and not another one of his practical jokes.
But it was only as I was pulling open the front door of the restaurant that I realized that I was still dressed only in a bikini and a wrap skirt. Whether or not that might cause me trouble quickly became an irrelevant thing to worry about as Colton spotted me right away, enthusiastically waving me over to his table.
As I sauntered over to the table, I saw that there was a lovely petite woman with long, black hair sitting opposite him. Unlike me, though, she was wearing a rather large black T-shirt and what appeared to be black jeans as well.
"Willow, hi!" said Colton, bounding to his feet. "This is Susanna. Susanna, meet my step sister Willow."
"Hi," I said, giving the girl a warm smile despite my disquiet at noting her extremely pale skin, her lips the only sign of color on her face.
"Good day to you," said Susanna, favoring me with a strange little smile.
"Isn't she great?" said Colton, taking a seat next to Susanna and then wrapping one arm around her waist.
"Well, we just met, Colton," I said, flashing my eyes angrily at him. "Slow your roll a bit, as the kids say."
But Susanna had absolutely no reaction to that remark I had directed her way, leaving it up to Colton to save the situation.
"Yeah, yeah, too epic, I get it!" said Colton. "Anyway, I told Susanna all about you."
"Oh, is that right?" I said, primly folding my hands as they rested on the edge of the table. "Because I only heard your name this morning."
"I told you! It was an internet thing, so I didn't want to say anything until I was sure it was real. But it is real," said Colton, giving the pale girl another one-armed hug around the waist.
"Is that your interpretation of events as well, Susanna?" I said, my voice calm and poised.
"Yeah, I guess," said Susanna, not meeting my eyes, instead preferring to play with the paper wrapper that had come from her drinking straw.
"She's quite the talker, this one," I said, redirecting my gaze to Colton.
"She's just shy when she meets people IRL," said Colton.
"Eye are ell?" I said.
"In real life," said Susanna and Colton at the same time, causing Susanna to snort with laughter.
"Oh my goodness," I said in lieu of anything impolite.
"Yes, but you'll see, once she warms up to you, she's a riot," said Colton.
"I'm a real buzz," said Susanna, looking at me with what I presumed was supposed to be a warm smile.
"So..." I said. "Let's skip to the most important part, shall we? Tell me about this wedding."
"We don't want nothing big," said Susanna.
"Just friends and family, then?" I said. "Does that include all the cousins?
"Well, Susanna doesn't have much family, so we were thinking of keeping it intimate," said Colton.
"Intimate?" I said. "Well Susanna, what did your parents say when you told them about this wedding?"
"My daddy don't care, and my momma ain't coming," said Susanna, fidgeting with a cheap-looking silver skull amulet that she wore around her neck on a long black string.
"Her father is, uh, indisposed at the moment," said Colton.
"Yeah, for the next twenty years!" said Susanna, snorting with laughter.
"And her mother is under the weather, which is causing her some mobility issues," said Colton.
"Well, she's under something," sniggered Susanna.
"I see. Very informative," I said. "I presume you've set a date?"
"Yeah," said Colton, nervously gulping. "Next week."
"Woah!" I said. "And what did our parents say?"
"I haven't told them yet," said Colton, and I could see a tinge of blush rise in his cheeks.
"I gotta piss," said Susanna just then, rising to her feet without waiting for any response from either of us and then clomping off towards the restrooms.
"She's a real high-class one, your girl, Susanna," I said.
"I'm telling you, you just got to get to know her, Willow," said Colton.
"Well, it's obvious that my opinion doesn't matter. But you are going to have to tell Mom and Dad about this," I said.
"I know, but it's just that they're so busy right now. They didn't even have time to go on vacation with us, but I'm going to drag them out here? I don't think that's a good idea. I'll just tell them afterward when it's fait accompli," said Colton.
"This is crazy, Colton. You need to get a hold of your senses. You can't upend your entire life for a girl you just met," I said.
"It's real love, Willow! How dare you try and ruin this for me? If I didn't know better, I would think you were jealous," said Colton.
"Jealous of her? That pale ghost in all-black clothes? Ridiculous!" I said.
"You want to know who is ridiculous? It's you. What are you doing coming into the Super American wearing only a swimsuit?" said Colton.
"How dare you criticize how I dress? We're at the Boardwalk, and I'll wear whatever I darn well feel like wearing. I like wearing my bikinis, and if I want to wear them all summer, nothing can stop me," I said.
"Ha!" scoffed Colton. "You're always such a drama queen, Willow. No one can wear a bikini all day, every day. That's ridiculous."
"Oh yeah?" I hissed. "You want to bet?"
The Bikini Bet
"Look, Willow, I know you're excited about your new figure and the chance to work on your tan. But there's just a limit on how often you can get away with wearing a bikini, even on the Boardwalk," said Colton.
"That's where you're wrong. You're a guy, and you have no idea how uncomfortable clothes can be for women. But a bikini? It's supremely comfortable. Except for going around naked, it's the most comfortable thing you can wear. So yeah, I definitely plan to wear one all summer. It's practically all I packed," said Colton.
"Fine, fine. At the beach, I understand. But not all the time. That's just impossible!" said Colton.
"If you disagree, that's your prerogative. But earlier, you said something about a bet. So put your money where your mouth is," I said.
"Oh, I'll take that bet. But first, we got to define the terms," said Colton.
"Fine. Will you agree on thirty days?" I said.
"Sure," said Colton. "Therefore, for you to win the bet, you have to wear a bikini for the next thirty days and nothing else. Otherwise, I win."
"What about one-piece swimsuits? Because I brought along a few of those as well," I said.
"Swimsuits of any kind are acceptable, but nothing else. That means no shorts, no skirts, nothing," said Colton.
"What about my beach skirts like this one I'm wearing? It came with the bikini set, so it shouldn't count," I said.
"No, those are out. It's either bikinis-only or no bet," said Colton.
"Hmm," I said. "What about things like hats? I usually wear one if the sun gets too bright, even when I'm on the beach."
"Hats, backpacks, and other wearable objects that aren't clothes are acceptable. The same goes for shoes. Wear whatever footwear you want to. But from your knees to your neck, only swimsuits are allowed," said Colton.
"And just to be clear, nakedness is also acceptable, right?" I said.
"What?" said Colton, a pale dusting of pink rising in his cheeks. "Don't go marching around the house naked!"
"No, silly, I meant things like when I'm in the shower. I don't want you trying to make that some kind of technical default or something," said Colton.
"Ah, yes, sure. Naked is fine. But the only clothes you can wear are bikinis and other swimsuits. That means morning, noon, and night, Willow. Are you sure you can handle it?" said Colton.
"Oh, it'll be a pleasure!" I said, rubbing my hands together briskly. "But now let's talk about towels."
"What about them?" said Colton. "Of course, you can use towels. Don't be silly.
But you can't wear them as an item of clothing."
"Well, what about after my shower? Usually, I wrap a towel around myself for a few minutes until I dry my hair," I said.
"Hmm, my instinct is to say that'd be off-limits, but I'm realizing that it's kind of a special case. Wearing a towel really isn't clothing, is it? Unless you wear it outside the house, which no one ever does. Therefore, I'm going to allow the wearing of towels, but only when you're home," said Colton.
"Thank you for being reasonable about that," I said. "Okay, I think we got the terms and conditions settled. But what is the wager going to be?"
"Neither of us has much extra cash, so a money bet is off the table," said Colton. "Ah, I got it! If you win, then I'll let you throw that party here at the house."
"Oooh, I like the sound of that!" I said. "But what if you win? As you said, I don't really have much money."
"How about this?" said Colton. "If I win, you have to wear whatever I say for the rest of the summer. Even if it's boiling hot, and it's a long, conservative dress, you have to wear it."
"What?" I said. "You can't torture me like that. It would feel almost medieval, the man telling the woman what to wear."
"That's the bet," said Colton, a grin on his face. "Take it or leave it. If you really want to flounce around town all summer, showing off your body, then take the bet. If you're so sure of yourself, what have you got to lose?"
"And you promise we can have a party? I mean a real one, with loud music and everything," I said.
"Oh, I'll keep my word," said Colton. "But there is no way you are going to win this bet."
"Oh yeah, what makes you so sure?" I said.
"Just think about it, Willow. What are you going to do if it rains? What if it gets cold at night, or there's a strong breeze?" said Colton.
"First of all, if it rains, I'll go inside like I always do. As for breezes and chilly nights, I guess I'll just have to find a different way to get warm," I said with a throaty chuckle.
"Very funny," said Colton, a sour smile on his face. "Okay, what about the supermarket? Or a proper sit-down restaurant? Or the post office or something?
Are you really going to feel comfortable walking around those kinds of places in ...