Destined From the Start
Chapter Forty-nine - Beach
May 2288
The end of the year was fast approaching. And the weather was beautiful and clear and warm enough to spend most of the weekend at the beach. They packed hampers with food and blankets and firestarter and headed out. They got there early enough to stake out a prime spot, with a small elevation behind them that would block off some breeze in the evening. They laid their fire and surrounded it with rocks they picked up off the beach, spreading their blankets out around it. And then they pulled out the balls they had brought with them and headed for the permanently set nets for an afternoon of games, interspersed with swimming.
By the time they were all tired and hungry, the sun was beginning to set. Joey lit the fire and people dried off and pulled their long-sleeved Academy tees and sweatpants on over their swim wear. The next order of business was to pull out all the food that needed to be cooked over the fire, except for the marshmallows, which were part of desert. Grayson saw the large chocolate bars in the bottom of the hamper and smiled to himself. He definitely intended to eat some.
Plates and disposable tableware were passed around, followed by containers of various sorts of salads, chips, buns, and condiments. Then came the hot dogs and burgers, singed well on the outside. Jilly was careful to be sure that Grayson got soy dogs. And then they all fell to, and there wasn't much conversation at all for a while, as the hungry young people filled up.
When everyone was full again, the trash was picked up and carried across the beach to one of the brightly colored barrels. And then, by common agreement, it was time for story telling, and singing, until it was full dark, and time for dessert. Thin sticks were filled with marshmallows, and pieces of chocolate laid on the sweet dark crackers. Gooey, almost burnt marshmallows went on top, with another cracker holding the whole thing together. This desert had remained a favorite of young people everywhere, ever since its invention.
Jilly watched Grayson as he consumed three s'mores, each with a large piece of chocolate on it. When he reached for the chocolate again, she laid her hand over his, and he felt her determination that he had had all the chocolate he needed for one evening. Regretfully, he pulled his hand back, and let her make the decision. After all, she had watched him eat chocolate before, and knew how he responded. If she thought he had had enough, she was probably correct.
The desert mess was quickly cleaned up, and everything except the blankets was packed back in the hampers. And then the young people all settled back down on the blankets, in pairs, and began to talk, occasionally adding another piece of driftwood to the fire.
They began to speculate on what their summer internships would be this year, and whether they would be on ships or planets. In another week, the announcements would be made, and the waiting and wondering would be over. And the week after that, they would disperse until the fall. Only by great good luck would any of them see each other over the summer.
Slowly the discussion died away, and the kisses and caresses that had been being exchanged became more important. Some drew a little further away from the fire, receding into the dark, away from the flickering light. But soon no one was paying any attention at all to what anyone else was doing, as each of the couples took what might very well be the last opportunity of the year to express what they felt for each other.
When the internal alarm that Grayson had set went off, he reluctantly backed off from Jilly, reaching around to refasten her bra, and helping her to straightened her clothing back up. She tugged at the waistband of his sweatpants, pulling them back up to his waist. His lok was still hard and throbbing, wanting more of her touches. And he could tell that she was still unsatisfied as well. Life just didn't seem fair sometimes.
He rose and began to pour sand on the fire, soon joined by Joey and Kan. The others folded the blankets and packed them in the hampers, and everyone was ready to leave by the time he was sure that the fire was completely out and the embers well scattered. It would not do to have a fire erupt after they had left.
They trudged through the sand back to the transit station, and caught the next bus, which took them right to the main gate of the Academy campus. There they separated some, heading to different dorms. When they reached Jilly's dorm, she came into his arms, holding him close, nuzzling against his neck. He tucked her up against him, and murmured soft words to her until it was time that she must go in and he must hurry away to his own dorm. It was not enough, but it was all they could do at this time. One last kiss, and she turned and hurried in, and he left at a quick walk, knowing his time was short.
Inside his dorm room, he went to the bathroom to remove his sand-covered clothing and stepped into the shower, still thinking of Jilly, and how she had touched him and tasted him there beside the fire. And his lok, which had almost completely deflated, rose again, and he groaned and took it in his hand, imagining that it was Jilly who clasped and stroked, until he tipped over the edge, flying into the heat. He stood there a few moments more, relishing the hot water beating down over him, and then he exited the shower and dried off and tumbled into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
