Lindy

The Perfect Summer

"This is a bad idea," Lindy mumbled to herself as she paced up and down the bank. "I can't do this anymore. It's not fair."

She was waiting, and the moments she spent without him gave her time to think everything over. She should never have gone along with this plan. No matter what he had done, Troy didn't deserve to be played like this. As soon as she had found out what he was up to, she should have confronted him, demanding to know the truth. Okay, being forward wasn't really her thing, but it would have saved everyone a lot of time and hurting. It was the simple answer to this massive mess, but it was too late now. As Kaila said, they were in this until the end—whenever that was.

Their plan—well, Kaila's plan—was mean. When the final stage took place, Troy would end up feeling worse than the twins.

Every second she spent with him formed moments she would always cherish. Once this was all over, she would have nothing else left. She could sadly, and silently, say that her feelings for Troy Tompson were growing stronger every day. Denying it would just add to the pressure that weighed down on her and frankly, she didn't want to pretend anymore, not that she could voice that out loud.

This summer was supposed to be fun and relaxing, but now, three weeks into Kaila's plan, revenge was the only thing that mattered. Or so she was told. There were better ways to deal with something like this, there had to be, but how could she just ignore her sister? As much as she would like to, she knew Kaila was right. Troy was a player and they had to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Until then, they just had to keep things going. That's exactly what Lindy was doing here on the bank. She was waiting for Troy. He had asked her to meet him by the river instead of the pool. Lindy had no idea why; it was too open and she was surprised he would even risk it. Maybe he didn't care if they got caught. It was possible, even if it was hard to believe.

Lindy crossed her arms under her chest. He was late and she had half a mind to go back to the villa and spend the rest of her day hiding. It would make things a lot easier, at least for a while. Kaila would chuck her nut, saying she had wasted a perfectly good opportunity. Lindy couldn't see what it mattered anyway. The plan was going so slowly it was a wonder Troy hadn't figured out what they were doing. Still, it was an opportunity.

Time was ticking by and Lindy was just about to give up when she spotted Troy on the river. He was in a small silver tinny, smiling as he waved at her.  

"Sorry I'm late," he apologised, cutting the engine and letting the boat drift in slowly. "I lost track of time. Come on, I've got a surprise for you."

Lindy moved cautiously to the edge of the water. What would Kaila think if she got in this boat? Was it just another opportunity, or would it mean more to her than she led on? Boys were supposed to be the confusing ones, but lately, Lindy didn't have a clue what was going on in her sister's head.

After taking off her sandals, she walked to over to the boat. The water came up to her knees, and if it wasn't for Troy's assistance, she wouldn't have made it up. He jumped in the boat after her, looking super fine in just a pair of pink board shorts.

"What's that?" Lindy asked cautiously. There was an oversized, inflatable hotdog strapped to the front of the tinny.

"Hot dog tube," Troy shrugged.

"Where are we going?" If it involved her being on that hot dog, she knew she wouldn't enjoy it.

Troy's smile widened. "You'll see in a minute. Do you want a lifejacket?" He held out a thin floating device made from wetsuit material, knowing she wasn't excited to be on the river. She took it gratefully and strapped it on as the boat left the shore.

They talked about little things while Troy drove, but mainly her boarding school, where she would return once the summer ended. On both sides of them, there was nothing but the bush, and Lindy's curiosity was starting to get the better of her. She was just about to ask, once more, where they were headed, but Troy was turning into a bank. He cut off the engine and jumped out of the boat, landing waist deep in the river to pull it in.

He helped her up a rocky ridge. When they reached the top, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Lindy lent back into his naked chest when she saw what he had done.

A picnic lay on the ground before them. A blanket was spread over the grass. On it was a basket and some pillows. A smile teased her lips. It was in moments like this that she forgot what was truly happening. Troy did sweet things for her all the time, and even though her guilty conscience was growing everyday, she enjoyed the time she spent with him. Troy was the kind of person she had always wanted to date.

They ate lunch together, and before long, Troy jumped out of their intimate embrace and offered his hand to her.

"What are we doing?" she asked, taking it willingly.

"It's time to introduce you to water sports."

The hot dog. "I am not getting on that thing."

"Come on," Troy tried to convince her. "You'll be completely safe, and I'll go really slowly. Trust me, you'll love it."

She was reluctant at first, but as she began dressing down to her bikini, her confidence soared. No longer was she shy to show her body. In fact, she rather enjoyed Troy's ogling. It gave her a sense of satisfaction and she loved the feeling of it. That feeling filled her with adrenaline, just what she needed to get behind a boat.

As she put the lifejacket back on, Troy retrieved the hot dog. He helped her on and then left her sitting there, in the water, all on her own. "Can you show me first?"

Troy shook his head. "You can't drive the boat."

"It can't be that hard."

"You need a license," he laughed.

Oh, well, there went her escape plan. "Okay, just go!" she yelled out over the motor. If she waited much longer, she would chicken out and jump off.

The boat started moving, and with it, so did the hot dog. Troy went slowly, not wanting to freak her out, but eventually, her anxiety turned into exhilaration. Sure, water sprayed in her eyes, and she made some ugly faces when they turned, but the ride was enjoyable. She loved it, and when it was time to come in, she felt mildly disappointed.

"See, it wasn't that bad," said Troy as he pulled her down on to the cushions.

"I guess not," she admitted gladly. It was no wakeboard, but the tube was fun. She would not deny it. Her adrenaline was still pumping, so when Troy leaned in for a kiss, she happily succumbed.

His kisses were always amazing, lips soft and gentle, but this one went beyond that. It was hot and urgent.

Troy's hands caressed her thighs before moving up to run gently over her waist. He hovered over her, pressing his body against Lindy's in all the right places. His bare skin was hot on hers, heating the tiny space between them, right to her core. She felt tingles in places she never had before.

As his mouth moved to work at her neck, the cloud of pheromones cleared.

This isn't right.

Her voice was lost, but she pushed gently at his chest, praying that he got the message.

He did. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the tears emerging in her eyes.

What was wrong? Where to begin. "Take me back," she said urgently, not knowing what to tell him. She couldn't say she felt guilty, or that what they were doing was beyond her. She just had to get out of here. He brushed a thumb over her cheek and she let it slide. "Please!"

There was concern written all over Troy's face, but he took the rejection within his stride. "Should get you back anyway; the sun'll be setting soon."

They packed up in silence, and once fully clothed and back in the boat, Lindy wrapped her arms tight around her body. She had a lot of thinking to do.

© K.V. Moore