Another day, another chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews so far. They give me the encouragement to keep writing! Please keep them coming!
Crosby laid on the beach, watching as a few of the guys set up the volleyball net. He had spent most of the night anxious to see Raina again, and he couldn't wait until she arrived. They had stayed up most of the night texting each other, like they normally did, only he felt as if it wasn't enough anymore. He wished that she was there, not just on the phone.
His thoughts were interrupted by arms going around his neck. He turned to see Raina behind him, giving him a hug.
"There you are." He said, smiling at her.
"Traffic was awful coming out here. It's like everyone and their mom is heading to the beach."
"It's a gorgeous day. Don't blame them." He said.
He watched as Raina laid out her towel, saying hi to Lacey, who she was laying her towel down next too. She sat down, turning towards him.
"Want a drink?" He asked, offering her a bottle of water.
"Thanks." She said, graciously accepting it.
"How are you doing?" Lacey asked Raina.
"I'm doing great. How was your evening?"
"I passed out as soon as we got to the hotel. It was a long day."
Raina nodded, agreeing.
"I didn't get much sleep, but that isn't abnormal for me."
"Yeah, because you and Crosby were talking again all night." Scott said, coming up to them and taking a seat on one of the many lawn chairs.
"How do you know?" She asked.
"We share a room." Crosby said to her, smiling.
Raina shook her head, laughing to herself, taking her tank top off.
"I need help applying this to my back." She said to Crosby, taking out a bottle of sunscreen. He took it from her and started to rub it on her back.
"Ina, rumor has it you aren't coming next weekend." Andy said, coming up to them.
"I have to work." She said, looking up at him while Crosby rubbed the sunscreen in.
"Get out of it. We can call your work and make up an excuse if you want." He said with a smile.
"Yeah, that would go over well. When I go in tomorrow, I will see what I can do."
"What do you work this week?"
"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday." She said. "I have Friday and Sunday off."
"What kind of place do you work at? How come you don't have a set schedule?" He asked her.
"It's a way for everyone to get a weekend off here and there. I actually enjoy it. I can ask off when I want, and still get my 40 hours a week. It's kind of nice."
"Well then ask off this weekend." Scott asked, smiling at her.
"Kind of hard to do when the schedule is already out. Not all of us are as lucky as you and only work so many months out of the year, and then get play the rest of the time."
"Yeah, we do have a nice gig, don't we?" Andy joked.
"Like I said, when I go in tomorrow, I will see what I can do. There may be some people that will be willing to switch schedules with me a little. A few people owe me favors. I can see if I can cash them in this week."
"And if it doesn't work, you let me know. I will convince them." Andy said, winking at her.
"I will be sure to let you know." She said, smiling at him.
Crosby finished rubbing the sunscreen in her back, and she proceeded to put it on her arms and face.
"Is it rubbed in fully on my face?" She asked him, looking at him.
He smiled at the glob of sunscreen around her nose, and he reached over and wiped it off.
"Now you look presentable." He joked.
She nodded, throwing her sunscreen into her bag.
"So, how do you feel about all of the people on the beach watching you guys?" Raina asked Crosby, glancing over at him.
"We get used to it, I guess."
She nodded, glancing around.
"It's kind of weird. You guys are being watched constantly."
He nodded.
"We don't go out much, but we try to do things like this every now and then. We try to live normal lives."
She glanced over at him.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were on a TV show?" She asked him.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Kind of liked not being known as that guy on the crab fishing show." He said, being honest with her.
"You know I wouldn't have been like that."
He nodded.
"Yeah, but I didn't want to take that chance."
"I've known you since before you started fishing. Never once would I have said a thing."
He glanced over at her, and he could tell she was a little hurt by his dishonesty.
"I'm sorry. No more secrets." He said, smiling at her.
She nodded.
"Then tell me what goes on when you fish." She said with a grin.
"I'm guessing you haven't seen the show yet."
"Nope. I'm getting the DVD's from her tomorrow after work though."
He laughed.
"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"
"You just watch the show. It's hard to explain."
She eyed him, and he laughed at her.
"There is something you aren't wanting to tell me, and I wish I knew what it was."
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it." He said, laughing at her.
Raina watched him, then shook her head with a smile.
"Crosby! Come on! It's game time!" Mike yelled, holding onto a volleyball.
Crosby glanced over at Raina, and she waved him off.
"I'll watch." She said.
He nodded, standing up. Raina watched him leave, then she laid down on her stomach facing the volleyball game that was beginning.
"So, I never heard the whole story on how you two met." Lacey said to her.
"I have a family friend that lives up in Connecticut, and I did a friend search for him on Facebook. His name is very similar to Crosby's. Actually, eerily similar. His name is Crosby Levren."
"Yeah, that is very close." Lacey said, smiling.
"Well, I clicked on the wrong guy, and sent a friend request. After I did that, I realized my mistake, and sent this Crosby a message, telling him to ignore the friend request, I had the wrong guy, and apologized to him about it. I didn't want him to think I was some crazy ass stalker or something. I thought that would be the end of it, but he messaged me back, and we never stopped talking since then."
"So, you two really have been talking for years?"
"Yeah. Almost four years now." She said, glancing at Lacey.
"Have you ever thought about meeting him?"
She shook her head.
"It crossed my mind, but didn't think too much about it. I was just happy with the way things were. Plus, I was kind of afraid to meet him in person."
"Why do you say that?"
"I was afraid that we would get along so well in person, and that my feelings would get the better of me."
She nodded.
"I have become so obsessed with my phone though since talking to him. When he leaves to go fish, and I don't talk to him for weeks on end, I still check my phone, hoping there would be something from him, knowing that there will be nothing there."
"It's a habit that you don't want to break." She said, nodding.
"Exactly. I guess that was kind of the reason why I didn't want to meet him in person. How do you do it, being without Mike for months on end?"
"It's hard, I won't lie, but I knew what I was getting myself into when I married him. He is a fisherman. He loves what he does. I worry constantly when he is gone, and saying bye is very hard, but there is nothing like the feeling of when he comes home."
Raina nodded, glancing over at where Crosby and Mike were standing.
"Plus, it makes it worth it when you find the right guy to do it for, know what I mean?" She asked.
Raina nodded, smiling at Lacey.
"I really do hope you get to come next weekend. It'll be fun." Lacey said to her. "Plus, it'll be nice to have more girls around for when the guys are busy doing their stuff."
She smiled.
The rest of the day was spent out on the beach, and Lacey and Raina ended up joining in a game of volleyball. They grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and enjoyed a few drinks on the beach as well. The guys were definitely not going unnoticed, the occasional fan of the show stopping by to get pictures and autographs, which the guys were all more than happy to give them.
Later that night, everyone decided to head into Tampa to go to the Hard Rock Casino. Crosby and Raina headed to her house so she could change out of her outfit. When they walked in, they were immediately greeted by Honey, who was begging to be fed.
"Ignore her. She is definitely queen of the household." Raina said, setting her things on the counter.
"Where's the roommate?" Crosby asked, looking around.
"Probably working. She worked at the hospital as a nurse." She answered. "Make yourself comfortable while I take a quick shower to get the sand out of my hair."
"Well you shouldn't take a head dive into the sand then." Crosby joked.
"I don't consider it a head dive as much as being thrown into the sand." She said, then stuck her tongue out at him.
Crosby laughed. Raina walked into the bathroom to take a shower, and Crosby took the time to look at the many pictures that were in the living room. Most of the pictures belonged to Nicole, but there were pictures of Raina and Nicole together, and of Raina's family. She was the youngest in her family, he knew, and knew she had two older brothers. He saw pictures of her with her friends as well, and he immediately recognized Heather from the day before.
He walked around the house, and found Raina's room down the hall. He saw Honey in the window bathing herself, looking happy after finally being fed. He glanced at the room, and smiled to himself. He immediately thought the room described her personality perfectly.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, walking into the room. He turned to see her wearing nothing but a towel, her hair brushed, but still dripping wet.
"Who's the baby?" He asked, showing her the picture he was holding.
"That's my brothers little girl. Savannah Marie Jacobsen." She said, smiling. "That was taken a couple months ago. It's amazing how fast she is growing."
"So you're an auntie." He said with a smile.
"Yeah. I have one niece, and one nephew." She answered from her closet.
"Both of your brothers are married, aren't they?" He asked.
"My oldest brother, Jeremy, is. He is the one with both kids. My other brother, Ronnie, is engaged to be married here in a few months."
"Yeah, I think I remember you telling me that now."
"I was planning on going to see them here in a few weeks." She said. "I hate how they live so far away."
"How far away do they live?"
"My whole family lives in Iowa. I am the only one left down here in Florida."
"What made you decide to stay behind?"
"Felt as if Iowa was holding me back. Plus, I hated how my whole family, immediate and extended, surrounded me. I couldn't breathe." She said, setting a blue cocktail dress on her bed. "I like having a little bit of freedom."
"That makes sense, but it must be hard to not have family around."
"It definitely is, but I'm getting used to it. I mean, Nicole and I are both from Iowa. We grew up together. That makes things easier."
Crosby nodded, putting the picture back down on the shelf.
"Whose car is this?" He asked, when he saw a picture of Raina on the hood of a 1995 Ferrari.
"My ex boyfriends." She said, smiling. "I sure do miss that car."
He laughed.
"What? That car was the only reason why I was in that relationship." She joked.
Crosby put the picture back down, and then sat on her bed.
"When was the last time you went to the casino?" He asked her.
"Honestly? I have only been there once, and I lost all my money, because I had no clue what I was doing." She said, laughing. "I spent more time dancing than winning money."
"Did you play the slots, or the tables?"
"Slots. I can push a button easier than play cards." She said, starting to blow dry her hair.
"I thought you played cards all the time up in Iowa?"
"Yeah, with family. And we don't play poker or anything like that. We play stupid games like Bull Shit, or Crazy Eights." She said, watching him through the mirror.
"Bull Shit is a card game?" He asked, giving her a look.
"You have never played Bull Shit?" She asked, spinning around to look at him.
"Yeah, never heard of it."
"Oh, we are totally going to play. It's the best card game out there." She said, smiling. "I am the undisputed champ in my family when it comes to that game."
"You seem awfully proud of that." He said, smiling at her.
"Hell yeah. I never win anything when it comes to my family, but when it comes to that game, I do great. I am a great liar, and my family is not."
He just gave her a look.
"You will understand when I teach you the game. I'm sure I can talk some of the guys into playing at some point."
He nodded.
Raina quickly finished drying her hair. She then quickly put on a light layer of make-up , then took her dress into her closet to change quickly. When she emerged, Crosby couldn't help but smile.
The two of them headed back towards the hotel that Crosby was staying in so he could shower and change quickly before they were to head to the casino. They were all taking the bus that the Discovery Channel had rented to transport the large group of people.
"Well, don't you look nice." Scott said when the two of them entered the room.
"Why thank you." Raina responded with a smile.
Raina took a seat in one of the chairs while Crosby went to take a shower. She watched as Scott put on a white button-up shirt.
"So, you riding the bike to the casino?" She asked, smiling at him.
"I would, because I heard it's a nice drive there, however, I want to drink, and don't know the area very well. May just be smarter to take the bus."
She nodded.
"Did you invite some of your friends out?" He asked her.
"I talked to Heather and Jaime earlier, and they both were interested. Kelly couldn't come, since she had to work."
Scott made a face.
"Call them up. Tell them to get their asses here."
She laughed, grabbing for her phone out of her purse. She quickly dialed Heathers number to see if she was still coming or not.
"We just pulled up to the hotel. Where are you?" Heather answered.
"So you guys are coming. I never heard back from you, so I wasn't sure."
"It sounded like fun, so why not. Now where are you?"
"Room 401." She responded.
"We will be right up."
Raina hung up her phone, glancing over at Scott.
"They are here, and will be up in a moment."
"Are these friends of yours single by any chance?" He asked with a sly grin.
Raina laughed.
"Yes, they are." She said with a smile.
Crosby walked out of the bathroom right before they heard a knock on the door. Scott went to answer the door quickly to let Heather and Jaime into the room.
"Hello, ladies." Scott said, smiling at them.
"Heather, Jaime, this is Scott and Crosby." Raina said, introducing them. "You may remember Heather from yesterday."
"Yeah, Slick." Scott said, smiling at her.
"Drinks before we head out?" Crosby offered, opening the mini-fridge in the room.
Everyone agreed. He handed everyone a beer, then put on his black button-up shirt.
"You feeling lucky today?" Raina asked her friends.
"I have twenty dollars. When I run out, I'm out." Jaime said.
"Smart. I always spend a lot more than I should when I go to a casino." Crosby said, taking a drink out of his beer.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Scott went to answer it, and Raina saw Johnathan, Andy, and Neil standing there.
"Well, now we know where the party is at." Andy said, walking into the room.
After introductions to Jaime and Heather, the group started to head down to the bus, where mostly everyone else was waiting.
The drive to the casino didn't take nearly as long as they had thought it would, since they were all talking amongst themselves. Raina noticed Jaime and Heather sitting with Scott, Josh, and Jake, and she smiled to herself.
"What are you smiling at?" Crosby asked her quietly.
"Watching my two friends get hit on by your friends." She said with a smile.
He nodded, glancing over in their direction.
"They are definitely in for one hell of a night with those three."
Raina laughed.
When they arrived, everyone piled out of the bus and headed inside.
"I like the slot machines." Lacey said to Raina as they walked inside.
"Me too. Don't have to think as much." Raina joked.
They all headed towards the bar to get a drink first before starting to gamble. They then headed towards some slots not far from the bar, where Sig, June, Edgar, and Louise were all sitting.
"These have the cool music." Raina said, smiling.
"The cool music? I don't think I have ever heard of someone choosing a slot machine because it had cool music." Crosby said with a smile.
"It is a very highly scientific process, choosing the right machine. The music makes the machine." She joked.
She placed her bet accordingly, and then hit the button. The music started to play, and the group watched as she sat in her seat dancing to the music.
"What are you doing?" Edgar asked, flabbergasted.
"I'm dancing. It's why I gamble." She said, smiling.
"Most people do it to win money." He said, shaking his head, but smiling as he watched her continue to dance to the music being played.
"One of these times, my dancing will bring me luck." Raina said, hitting the button again.
"You are a strange one, that is for sure." Sig said, laughing.
Just then, Raina cheered.
"I won five bucks!" She said, grinning.
"Hey, she may have something to this dancing thing." Lacey said with a grin.
"Really, I just have no clue what I'm doing. I just hit the button, and hope that the amount of money I have left goes up, not down."
Lacey laughed at her.
Raina ran out of the money she had set aside for the evening, not wanting to blow all of what she had on the slot machines. Crosby and Raina made their way over to the black jack tables, where the Hillstrands, Keith, and Monty were all sitting. Crosby joined in the game himself, and Raina stood behind him, watching. She leaned against him, resting her chin on his shoulder, watching the game unfold.
"How are we doing over here?" Scott asked, walking up to the table with Heather in tow.
"Your dad is kicking our asses." Keith said, smiling.
"Where is Jaime?" Raina asked Heather.
"Hanging over there with Josh." She said, pointing in the direction of the bar.
Raina nodded.
"Did you lose your money already?" Heather asked her.
"Yeah, her dancing didn't bring her luck today." Crosby said, smiling at Raina.
"I have more fun dancing than actually betting."
"What do you mean, you dance?" Andy asked her.
"To the music playing on the slot machines. I sit and dance to it."
"I have to see this."
"I ran out of money guys, sorry to say." She said, making a face. She took a sip of her drink, glancing at Crosby.
"It is pretty comical." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fine. I will put in another twenty bucks, and I will dance until it is gone again." She said, standing up.
The group all headed over to where Raina's favorite slot machine was, where Lacey and Mike were still sitting, and she put the money in. She immediately hit the button, then cursed at herself.
"I just bet the whole twenty bucks!" She said, looking upset. "Oh well."
She then started dancing in her seat at the music, Heather doing the same thing standing next to her.
"You look like you are on crack or something." Andy joked, laughing at her.
Just then, the sirens went off on the slot machine. Raina quit dancing, glancing at the machine, her mouth dropping open.
"I just won a thousand dollars!" She yelled.
"Holy shit! That dancing thing works!" Mike said, astonished.
"See, it is good luck." She said, smiling at her accomplishment. "Glad you guys wanted to see me dance."
She hit the button on the machine to cash out, getting her slip and holding it up proudly.
"Well, at least one of us won something." Andy said.
"Hey, I took all of your money, didn't I?" Johnathan asked his brother.
The large group left the casino late that evening, all tired from the day. Raina rested her head on Crosby's shoulder on the bus ride back to the hotel, sad that the day was ending.
"What time do you work tomorrow?" He asked her quietly.
"I don't have to be there until two." She said.
"What time are you done then?"
"Not until midnight." She said, making a face.
"You must hate those late nights."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"At least I get to sleep in tomorrow morning."
He nodded in agreement.
They pulled up to the hotel, and Raina said her good-byes to Heather and Jaime, who were both exhausted from the night.
"Are you going home?" Crosby asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Come up for a bit."
She nodded, and the two of them headed up to the room. Raina immediately sat on the bed, turning on the TV, while Scott and Crosby changed out of the clothes they were wearing.
"What time you guys heading to Orlando tomorrow?" She asked them.
"Hopefully not too early. I want to sleep." Scott said, crawling into bed.
Raina smiled, glancing over at Crosby. She motioned for them to leave the room, and he quickly put on a pair of shoes and they walked out of the room quietly, letting Scott get some sleep.
"I had fun this weekend." She said to him as they walked along the beach.
"Me too. You being here definitely made the weekend more enjoyable."
She smiled.
"Now you just need to come out next weekend." He said to her, eying her.
"I will definitely try." She said, smiling at him.
The two walked down the beach in silence, not knowing what to say to one another. They both had a lot on their minds, but didn't want to spoil the moment.
"I'm kind of sad to see you go." Raina finally said, breaking the silence.
He nodded.
"It was kind of the reason why I never really wanted to meet you." She honestly said.
"I have to agree with you."
She sighed, grabbing his hand.
"Fate had a different plan for us, obviously." He said with a smile.
She nodded.
Crosby stopped walking, turning to face Raina, and he leaned down and kissed her. It was soft at first, but slowly the kiss got more passionate, the both of them doing what they had wanted to do since they saw each other the day before.
"What was that for?" Raina asked quietly, holding him close to her.
"Just wanted to give you another reason to come next weekend." He said with a smile.
The two of them continued down the beach, hand in hand, for awhile longer before heading back to the hotel. When they arrived, Raina and Crosby crawled into bed quietly, not wanting to wake Scott in the bed next to them, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
There you have it. PLEASE review! Tell me what you think. I look forward to seeing my e-mails to read the reviews! :)
