6. Whiskey Whispers
6
WHISKEY WHISPERS
L ux
We carried on, discussing work and life and other random topics. Close to midnight, Talia brought out a bottle of whiskey. My brow furrowed; I didn’t usually drink hard liquor. I didn’t usually drink at all, really.
Jasmine leaned over and whispered, “Again, it’s not mandatory, Lux. But try to remember you’re on vacation!”
“Want some?” Talia asked, grinning benevolently, and offering me the bottle.
I studied it for a moment before lifting my eyes, finding Theo watching me. His heated gaze made my throat dry. “Sure,” I said, surprising myself as I reached for it.
Bringing it to my lips, I drank from the bottle. The harsh liquid hit the back of my throat and burned the whole way down—it was disgusting. I passed it to Jasmine, who did the same before handing it to Kai. I watched the bottle go around the fire until Theo took it.
His eyes locked on mine, his larynx working as he swallowed. The fire crackled and burned like the desire beneath my skin.
My skin prickled with awareness and arousal, the burn from the whiskey intensifying. I’d never felt seduced by a look before, and it was the most pleasantly peculiar thing. Still, I wasn’t sure I wanted to act on the palpable attraction between us.
I tilted my head to break the connection as the whiskey went around the campfire again. Music pumped from the speaker ball, and conversations were happening all around me. Jasmine was talking to Desmond, animatedly moving her hands while she spoke, and Talia had her eyes closed as she sang along to her tenth most favourite song. She’d proclaimed every song that came on was her favourite.
Kai and Zoey seemed to be in their own little world, one where little existed outside of each other. Zoey was nestled in his arms, sitting in front of him. He held her close, whispering something in her ear that made her smile. My heart pulsed painfully, and I had to pull my gaze away and look at the fire before my eyes could well up. In all the years I’d spent with Scott, he’d never held me like that.
I don’t even know where the sudden urge to cry came from. I wasn’t missing Scott in the slightest. I suppose it was borne from the whiskey, and the loneliness I felt in that moment. The realization that I’d never not felt that same loneliness, even when I was with him, was more difficult to swallow than the whiskey.
What a colossal waste of my time.
Of course, I’d known, even if I hadn’t wanted to admit it. I used my relationship with Scott—as lifeless as it was—as an excuse to not have to get wild in college the way my program peers were.
I hadn’t made any new lasting friendships the way Jasmine had when she’d moved to Sudbury for college. She’d managed to find an entire new group of friends, ones that seemed to match her ideals, ones that seemed kind and friendly and fun. Friends that seemed like they were there to stay. Long-haul friends.
Jasmine was my one and only long-haul friend, but seeing how this group interacted had me wishing for more of them. Perhaps then my sister’s betrayal, and my parent’s indifference, wouldn’t sting so much.
Movement drew my eyes from the flames, and I watched as Theo walked around the fire, adding wood, and poking at it with a sturdy stick, his concentration completely absorbed with the task. This allowed me a brief interlude to study him without notice.
He really was good looking, and for a moment my thoughts drifted to the box of condoms in my bag. My cheeks heated, and I was immediately thankful for the cover of the darkness. The last time I’d blushed so much had been in high school. I had a tendency of doing so whenever I felt embarrassed, and there had been a lot of embarrassing moments in high school. I don’t know what it was about this group that had me blushing consistently—it wasn’t that I was embarrassed. Theo’s attractiveness alone was probably to blame, and the way he kept looking at me.
I wasn’t forward or confident, like Brinley. I didn’t know how to do casual hookups with men I’d just met—even if the idea of it intrigued me. But…this trip was all about pushing myself outside of my own comfort zone. It wouldn’t be the worst way to do that.
Theo turned, catching my perusal, and flashed me an enticing grin that made me almost feel like he knew what I’d been thinking. “Holding up alright there?”
“Yeah, sorry,” I straightened, fighting the urge to yawn. “I’m a little tired. I guess canoeing took a lot out of me.”
“You did great,” he remarked, his gaze warm and considerate—the smile on his lips playful and daring. “A born natural.”
“Thanks,” I laughed lightly, my cheeks heating again beneath his examination. His eyes were so alluring and having their focus on me did strange things to my heart. “Hopefully my arms will cooperate tomorrow,” I added, lifting them meekly. They felt as limp as cooked spaghetti noodles.
Theo grinned, his smile lighting up that previously achy spot in my heart. “I brought some extra strength Tylenol and muscle pain reliever cream, if you need some.”
My lips twitched, pulling into a bemused smile. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the environmental scientist came prepared.” Jasmine had told me what he did for a living while we set up the tent; “ A lot of geoscience and a lot of travelling,” which was another reason for my hesitation. It seemed like Theo was bound to leave again, and I had no idea where I was headed.
But if Theo was surprised that I knew his profession, he covered it well.
“I always come prepared,” he replied with a wink, his grin cheeky. The racing of my heart was difficult to ignore, and I knew if I continued to expose myself to Theo’s undeniably attractive good looks and charm, I’d make a complete fool of myself before dawn. I stood abruptly, nearly knocking my chair back in the process.
“Well, I’m going to call it a night,” I said, stretching and letting an exaggerated yawn out.
“Night, Lux! I’ll be there within an hour,” Jasmine said, shaking her half-full beer and gesturing to the fire. I nodded, smiling at her, my eyes sliding back to Theo for the briefest moment before I caught myself.
“I’ll grab that cream for you,” he said, stabbing his poker stick into the sand.
“Thank you. Good night,” I said, waving at everyone else.
“Night Princess, sleep well.” Talia said, while the others waved. Turning, I started to walk up the hill, with Theo right behind me. I could feel the warmth of his breath as he exhaled.
One of his steps brought him to my side, and we exchanged a timid—on my part—look. Then, we reached his tent. Theo opened the zipper of his tent and disappeared inside it. I waited while he unzipped his bag and rooted around. When he found what he was looking for, he stepped back outside, closing the tent behind him.
“Apply a thin layer over your sore muscles, and when you wake up you should feel a lot better,” Theo explained, passing me the tube of cream. Our fingertips touched together as I reached for it, shocking me with a warm, electric current.
“Thanks again,” I said, pulling my hand, and the cream, away from his. He smiled, passing me the Tylenol and a bottle of water he’d also grabbed.
“My pleasure,” he said, the words carrying a deeper meaning. Or at least, my hazy mind felt like they carried a deeper meaning. Who knows if there actually was, or if it was wishful thinking on my part. “And hey, if you want…I could help you apply it.”
I gaped at him, momentarily speechless. Theo slapped his hand over his eyes and groaned. “I can’t believe I said that, that sounds so creepy. I meant I could help you if you wanted.”
Now it was Theo’s turn to blush. It was endearing, and although a very large part of me desperately wanted to accept his offer, I chickened out.
“You’re not creepy, Theo. But I should be okay on my own.” Theo ran his hand across his chin and nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I added, turning on my heel and marching straight for my tent, not giving myself an opportunity to find out what his hands felt like on me.
Where my sister wouldn’t have hesitated, it wasn’t like me to be that bold, and the prospect of facing yet another rejection didn’t exactly appeal.
And really, having Theo Whitmore’s hands on me in any capacity might be the worst idea. I’d felt the electric heat of his touch when he helped me out of the water earlier—I’d nearly had a coronary when he effortlessly lifted and pushed me up onto the rock.
Theo seemed to be a very deadly combination: attractive, strong, funny, kind…and I knew myself well enough to know that this little crush could quickly develop into a case of the feels, especially if the large quantities of alcohol had anything to do with it.
I felt his eyes on my retreating back, and the pull to stay up along with it. But my body was depleted. If I wanted to make it through canoeing to the cliffs, I’d need sleep.
Theo
I waited until Lux had safely reached her tent before returning to the beach. On my way back, I passed Kai and Zoey, who were also calling it a night. They were off in their own little world, barely noticing me as I passed.
My thoughts ricocheted back to the pretty redhead at the top of the hill, and the desire that had flashed in her eyes when our hands touched as I’d given her the cream. She’d bitten her bottom lip, tugging it between her teeth. I couldn’t believe I’d offered on the spot to apply it for her, internally I cringed at how awkward that had been. I didn’t blame Lux at all for darting off with a quick goodbye.
I couldn’t help but watch her as she crouched to unzip the tent. She didn’t look back, and it was a good thing too—or she’d have caught me full on checking out her ass. I had it bad for her, and if circumstances were different I would have made a move.
But she’d just broken up with her long-time boyfriend.
When I got to the beach, things were beginning to wind down. Talia was sprawled out in her floaty, which was doubling as her mattress, still controlling the music, her head bobbing to the beat. She’d hit the whiskey harder than anyone else, but she appeared to be feeling no pain. I sat down in Lux’s recently vacated chair, turning my head to Jasmine, who watched me expectantly.
“So?” she asked eagerly, waggling her eyebrows at me.
“So what?” I responded gruffly, pulling my gaze to the fire.
“What’d you think? Of Lux?” she whispered, leaning forward so I could hear her.
“She seems nice.”
“Really? That’s it? ‘She seems nice’?” Jasmine repeated, scoffing, as Desmond stood and walked away, heading to the grass along the beach to relieve himself.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to set us up,” I replied, addressing her sternly.
“I’m not trying to set anybody up,” Jasmine argued stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. “I picked up on all the longing glances and lip biting. The sexual tension between the two of you is unmistakable.”
Talia grunted in agreement. “It really, really is. You should do something about it, Theo. I’m pretty sure I saw some balls beneath your tube sock.”
Before I could respond, Jasmine interjected. “I give you my permission to ravage her and show her what multiple orgasms are all about, because I’m not all that sure she’s had that experience before. You’re a good guy, I trust you not to break her.”
“How much have you had to drink?” I countered, cocking a brow.
“Probably too much,” she laughed. “But that’s not the point. The point is…” Jasmine trailed off, her nose wrinkling with concentration. “I can’t remember the point.”
Talia cackled with laughter, tipping her floaty backwards. Her feet went over her head and she tumbled, her laughter reaching uncontrollable levels as she attempted to detangle herself from the bush and stand. Desmond sauntered over and grabbed her hand, helping her up effortlessly while Jasmine lost it laughing.
“I rest my case,” I sighed, shaking my head.
Still, I’d be lying if I said the idea hadn’t occurred to me already.
* * *
Lux
The pressure on my bladder was too strong to ignore anymore. Rolling onto my side, I lifted my head to peek at Jasmine. She was snoring softly with her sleeping bag pulled up over her head, only her curls were visible.
I didn’t know what time she’d ended up coming to bed—I’d fallen asleep the moment my head touched my pillow, my body so worn and exhausted that my head didn’t even put up a fight about it.
I moved about quietly, dressing in a pair of denim jean shorts and a tank top. I ran a comb through my tangled waves and grabbed my bag of toiletries before ducking out of the tent.
The campsite was quiet, save for the symphony of snores coming from a few of the tents. Some were soft, but they were drowned out by the louder, more nasally snores. From the top of the hill, I could make out the top of Theo’s capped head as he crouched in front of the fire, getting it started. With one day of ogling him from afar, I’d grown familiar with the shape of his muscular shoulders and back.
Desmond sat across from Theo, cutting potatoes on a wooden cutting board he’d placed over what he affectionately referred to as his “cooking stump”. Neither one of them had noticed me yet, so I made a quick and quiet escape down the pathway to the thunderbox.
It was, quite literally, a wooden box over a deeply dug hole. If it wasn’t as new as it was, I would have hesitated about sitting on it, but Jasmine told me the year before they had brought supplies to fix it.
I opened the lid, doing my best to ignore the smell. I mean, it wasn’t the Ritz, but my burning thighs hated the idea of squatting when I didn’t have to.
Breathing through my mouth, I relieved my bladder, wiped with the biodegradable toilet paper I’d snagged specifically for this trip, and quickly shut the lid. I washed my hands with the antibacterial hand sanitizer; also purchased for this very occasion.
The pathway was far less scary during the light of day, and I took my time walking back to the tent. I reached inside for the water bottle I’d left in it, brushing my teeth quickly before I slid my toiletries bag inside and reached for my sweater. Jasmine groaned, turning over, but didn’t wake up as I poked her gently with my foot.
She was dead to the world and would be until she woke herself up. Jasmine had always slept like that; so deeply, nothing could disturb her. I grabbed the muscle cream before I zipped our tent back up and stood, stretching the kinks out of my back.
With the sun not fully risen in the sky yet, it was a little chilly. I pulled my sweater over my head, collecting my hair from the nap of my neck and tugging the long strands through the collar. I slipped the muscle cream into my sweater pocket, hearing it knock against my cellphone.
I’d forgotten I’d placed it inside the pocket last night. I’m not sure why I thought bringing a cell phone with me as I trudged up the dark trail to the thunderbox was a good idea; I suppose I was thinking I’d use it to call for help if I encountered a bear. Of course, that was before I realized I got no reception—a blessing, and a curse.
This meant I hadn’t heard back from any of the jobs I’d applied for, but I did my best not to stress about that. I’d know soon enough.
As I walked down to the beach, I could hear Baz and Rhiannon moving about in their tent. The zipper opened as I walked by, enough to let Moose out to relieve himself. He peed on a nearby tree, spotted me, and then raced over with his tail wagging ferociously. Licking my hand, he followed me the rest of the way to the beach.
Hearing us, Theo looked over his shoulder. He’d gotten the fire going and was boiling water in a percolator.
“Good morning,” he grinned, and the way the simple greeting fell from his lips caused my heart to trip over itself.
“Morning,” I repeated, sitting in the chair I’d left the night before.
“Do you want some coffee?” he asked, straightening. When he stretched, the hem of his shirt lifted to reveal a sliver of his perfectly sculpted abdomen. He was in peak physical form; even his muscles had muscles.
The tantalizing mental image of my fingers—and tongue—running along those muscles had my mouth watering.
“Coffee sounds good,” I managed, tearing my gaze away from him, but not before I caught the secretive grin. He’d caught me looking again. Hiding my attraction to him wasn’t exactly working. Of course, it’d help if I’d stop staring at him.
When the coffee finished percolating, Theo poured it into a tin mug and held it out to me. “There’s creamer in my cooler, and the sugar is beside Desmond.”
“Thank you.” Our fingers brushed together as I took the mug from him, and another electric current zinged through me at the connection. I smiled a tentative smile and stepped over to the cooler he’d directed me to with a tilt of his chin. It would have been easy to find on its own: his last name, Whitmore, was written in capitals with a sharpie on the lid.
As I fixed my coffee with a few splashes of cream, Baz and Rhiannon made their way down to the beach. They carried more breakfast supplies, and I instantly felt silly for not thinking of it.
“I should go grab some more food,” I said hesitantly.
“Don’t worry about it, we’ve got more than enough to cook up right now,” Desmond said softly, giving me a warm smile and holding out the container of sugar to me.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully.
“Is Jasmine still asleep?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, laughing lightly. “I don’t know what time she ended up coming to bed, but it must have been late. She’s completely out cold.” I glanced at him again as I returned the container of sugar to the log. I almost missed the fondness in his eyes, before he dropped his gaze to the potatoes in front of him and nodded. I got the sense there was something there: that Desmond’s feelings for Jasmine were a little more than friendly.
“Talia’s still snoring, too.” Rhiannon remarked with a yawn of her own, holding out her travel mug for Theo to fill and smiling at me. “How’d you sleep?”
“Good,” I admitted, pushing my hair behind my ear. I tried to avoid watching Theo; even though I could all but feel his eyes on me. “It was so peaceful, I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.”
“I love that first night—when the fresh air and all the exercise hits you. I always sleep so well,” Rhiannon said dreamily. Baz planted a kiss on her cheek as he passed by, headed for the percolator.
“How are your arms today?” Theo asked me. I had no choice but to look at him, and I prayed my cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.
“A lot better. The Tylenol and cream helped a lot. Oh, speaking of…” I reached into my pocket and grabbed the muscle cream, passing it to him. He took it, our fingers making the briefest of contact. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The warm timbre of his voice blanketed around me, and the tug of his lips into a half grin magnetized me. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and pulled my eyes away from his, feeling a little disoriented.
I hadn’t felt this way since high school; this jittery attraction that seemed to swell and grow with every second I spent in his presence was different from the timid butterflies I’d felt for Scott all those years ago. I was slightly irritated by this—the timing was all wrong, but my intrigue outweighed the irritation.
It had been a long time since I was in this position. Single, free, and attracted to someone who seemed to be just as attracted to me, unless I was imagining the lingering glances and the interest in each of his smiles…
Something told me that I wasn’t imagining it. He smiled at me again, his lips curving around his mug before he took a deep sip. I lowered my chin, flushing a little as I wondered if I could truly let go of all my reservations and dive into something fun and new, even if it didn’t last forever.
Could I let go of my meticulous need for control, if it meant an escape like the potential one Theo could provide?
The sudden drop of a body in the chair beside mine startled me from perusing him more. Jasmine had finally risen—although she looked anything but awake.
“Ugh. I should have gone to bed way earlier,” she said, her voice raspy with lack of use.
“Yeah, me too. I went too hard for day one,” Talia practically whimpered, collapsing onto the floaty she’d dragged back with her to the beach. She must have slept on it last night in her tent. She pulled her sweater up over her face, hiding from the sun and groaning with regret.
Still, the group was up early, beginning their day despite the hangovers Jasmine and Talia seemed to nurse.
Desmond let out a chuckle as he poured coffee into two more mugs and offered one Talia and another to Jasmine. She blinked up at him, as if surprised by the gesture, and accepted the mug from his hands. Their fingers connected for a fleeting moment. Jasmine swallowed, mumbling her thanks as she avoided looking directly at him.
There was a connection between the two of them. Buried beneath their easy friendship. I wouldn’t have been able to pick up on it if I wasn’t paying attention. I arched a brow, sipping at my coffee, and made a mental note to ask Jasmine about it later.
We ate breakfast on the beach around the campfire, laughing and talking. Somehow, each morsel tasted better than if it had been prepared in an actual kitchen. I slipped easily in and out of the conversations happening around me, enjoying learning new tidbits about the group.
Like how Zoey, Kai, Baz, Desmond and Theo had gone to the same school together, south of Sudbury. Talia had met Theo in college and now rented a room off them, and Rhiannon had met Baz when she was shooting his older sister’s wedding at the Tempest Resort in Parry Sound and joined the group shortly after they started officially dating.
Since I hadn’t helped with the cooking, I’d decided to do the dishes. At some point, someone had set up a makeshift table on the bench, placing two bins full of lake water on top of it. I made my way over with mine and Jasmine’s dishes and two of the dirty frying pans. One of the bins was full of soapy water, while the other was clearly for rinsing. Beside the bins was a container of dish soap, a dish cloth and a towel.
I washed the dishes first, setting them aside in a soapy pile before starting on the frying pans. Once I’d washed everything, I rinsed them in the rinsing bin and dried everything off, stacking them in a neat pile, thinking about Theo’s smile the whole time.