Lollipop

Lollipop

Jack placed his hands in his pockets and shifted uncomfortably.

Megan, her red hair aflame in the summer sun, leaned over next to him, and he was all too aware of that bikini top. Or rather, the cleavage spilling out as she leaned over. “Stop dodging my question. Do you like me?”

It took everything he had to not look in her direction. “I’m not dodging,” he lied, gulped. He could still see her in his peripherals, so he shut his eyes tight behind the silver frames of his glasses.

“Really now? Then why does it seem that way?”

He shook his head, eyes still closed. “You’re just imagining things.”

“Perhaps,” she said coyly, drawing the word out with relish – popping her ’p’s, “You’re in denial.” By this point she was leaning so close to him he could smell her perfume, an intoxicating scent. He could all but picture her in his mind’s eye: creamy skin covered in freckles, clad in nothing but a bikini, sucking on that damned cherry lollipop.

He sighed, conceding, his willpower drained. Opening his eyes, he saw that she was at his shoulder, blinking at him with playful, innocent doe-eyes. “You are evil sometimes, woman, pure and simple.”

“Yeah, why is that?” Megan’s grin became feral; already knowing she’s won and basking in her glory.

“You know very well why. You can’t just ask a guy something like that, dressed as you are. There is no right answer. I’m either a lecher for saying yes, for only wanting to get into your pants – ah, bikini bottoms – or I’m a liar. You already know the answer. Do you really think I’d be here – of all the godforsaken places – if I didn’t ‘like you’?” He paused, scrunching his nose in distaste before adding, “Hardly a question to ask on a first date, anyhow.”

Tilting her head to the side, slurping noises were made as she spoke around the lollipop. “You really don’t care for the beach, do you, Jack?”

“Sand is awful. It gets everywhere. Especially all the places you do not want it to be,” he explained, devoid of apology. He even held up a hand, with little itchy grains sticking between his fingers, to prove his point.

“Fair enough,” she remarked with a shrug. “Where do you suggest we go next weekend then, huh?”

Vaguely noticing her lips enclose around the lollipop, before shifting his gaze to the polka-doted design on her bikini top he replied slowly, “Not sure. In all fairness to the beach, as much as I hate the sand, there are not many places where I can enjoy such a beautiful view.”

His line of sight did not escape her, causing her face to turn red enough to match her hair. “You lecher,” she giggled, smacking his arm lightly.

He gave a theatrical sigh, rolled his eyes. “See? See what I get? I meant the ocean, woman!” he said, pointing a hand out toward the waves. She laughed again, throwing her head back whole-heartedly. Seeing an opening he pounced, seizing the opportunity to take her off guard. Two could play that game. It was his turn to lean in close, nose-to-nose, too close for comfort. Her breath hitched ever so slightly, just enough for him to notice, and the sweetness of the cherry lollipop clung to her lips, just enough for him to taste.