Women's Intuition and Gaydar (continued)

Kimiko stood speechlessly as if paralyzed, her disbelieving sapphire eyes widened in utter astonishment. "W-w-what did you say!" she stuttered ineptly, at a complete loss for more articulate wording, considering the awkward circumstances.

"I'm gay," Jaron retorted simply, this time with an increased air of self-confidence and altogether assuredness. Kimiko merely stared blankly with an unchanging countenance of shocked surprise, and interestingly enough, lack of shock. The anxious Jaron sweated slightly, glimpsing her mortified, stunned expression, and cringed, as if expectantly preparing himself for a glancing blow in response, or at least stinging, scathing ridicule along with some caustic criticism. The response he dreaded never came, however...and Kimiko reacted in the most unlikely and unexpected way possible...

Kimiko felt a strange tickling sensation emanating near the back of her throat, and parted her lips momentarily, realizing that it was a bubbling laugh. Infectious giggles soon followed, as if suddenly released from a prison where they were locked securely away. She clutched herself tightly, unable to control the wild, random laughter bursting from her unheedingly, as Jaron swiftly saved her from careening headfirst into the sidewalk pavement out of sheer laughter. He propped her up on her feet, gawking at her quizzically, his perplexed expression apparently mirroring his thoughts, This girl's gone crazy...

"S-sorry...(burst of unconstrained laughter)...I-I'm j-just laughing...(blunt chuckle)...because...(bubbling giggles, followed by a sharp gasp for breath) b-because of the irony of it all..." she barely managed to force out in-between short spurts of wild laughter. "You see...Jaron...I was kinda trying to show up my friend Rai...and I..." she trailed off vaguely.

Jaron's expression immediately transformed from one of utter confusion and bewilderment, to an expression of suave understanding, a sly, cocky smile adorning his handsome face. He nonchalantly propped an elbow atop Kimiko's nearby shoulder, resuming his charming, sangfroid exterior front, the epitome of coolness. "Oh...I see perfectly now...You were trying to make this Rai guy jealous. That's why you came up to me, isn't it? Because of my ultimate hotness." He smoothed his hand through his blonde locks conceitedly, and gave Kimiko a playful nudge, eyebrows raised suggestively.

Her face blanched noticeably at his words, deepening in a monochromatic scheme of the color red, whether out of seething fury or embarrassment. She attempted to force out a number of explanations, but in her sheer, fiery rage, all that was comprehensible was raging spluttering. Kimiko finally inhaled a deep, tranquil, relaxing breath, drawing up peaceful serenity learned from her experience of anger management yoga lessons with Master Fung.

Now fully able to speak coherently, she calmly stated with just the slightest trace of remaining anger, "One: I was not trying to make Rai jealous. Two: You are hot, but not that hot. Three: Maybe if you weren't such a flirt I wouldn't even have to answer this question!"

"Pssssh...make all the excuses you want, girl," Jaron retorted cooly with a mere sweeping gesture of his hand.

Her pretty face contorted in blazing anger, sapphire eyes gleaming dangerously as she pointed an accusing finger towards him. "Don't call me girl! Raimundo always calls me that!"

"Ooo, Raimundo!" Jaron gushed in a high-pitched, girly voice, mocking Kimiko by clasping his hands wistfully above his heart, and batting his eyelashes dreamily, as if lovestruck. Kimiko observed his teasing antics, trying desperately to restrain her wrath, by seemingly ignoring him; then he started making smooching gestures...

"Grrrr...That's it, you baka!" she shrieked while advancing towards him menacingly. He ceased, peering at her questioningly, taken aback by the somewhat evil grin possessing her usually innocent face, and the mischievous gleam in her angelic eyes. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" she teased, as she suddenly pounced with the agility of a tigress hunting her prey.

Jaron dodged hastily and paused, a sly smirk claiming his lips as he uttered, "HA! You're gonna have to do better than that, Kimiko!" He promptly raced off like a spark of lightning, leaving her to follow in his footsteps.

"Bring it on!" she replied confidently with a smirk of her own, and thus, the pursuit began...

Meanwhile...Raimundo was wandering aimlessly across the tranquil beach, tracing his toes perseveringly through the golden sand as he went, and occasionally exhaling a melancholy sigh. The curious sight of Omi burying Clay in the sand, and painstakingly sculpting a mermaid's tail of sand to envelop Clay's legs, piqued his interest. He strode boldly over in their direction, a bemused eyebrow raised as he smirked down at the sand-mermaid-Clay.

"Raimundo!" Omi chirped with enthusiasm, "Would you care to assist me in concealing our friend Clay with sand?"

"Uhhh...no thanks, little dude." Raimundo stuttered, searching for an escape from Omi's exuberant proposal.

"Raimundo pardner! What happened to that there bonny lass ya were moseyin' on up to?" Clay questioned with a smirk from where he lay sprawled underneath a mountain of sand.

Raimundo unleashed a withering look upon Clay, and blinked in exasperated confusion, failing to process Clay's Texan words. "Oi! Where's Kimiko when you need her!" he exclaimed, clutching his forehead in vexation. "Usually she's the translator..."

As if in answer to Raimundo's request, a mere instant later he was privileged with the sight of Kimiko...in wild pursuit of an unknown surfer...an admittedly handsome, muscular blonde surfer...Needless to say, Raimundo was in utter shock, not to mention denial. He observed somewhat dispassionately, his emerald eyes wide in traumatized surprise and jaw slackened and agape, as Jaron suddenly grasped her light-heartedly by her slender waist and fiercely hurled her up and over his broad, muscular shoulder. Kimiko released a mirthful, playful shriek, giggling uncontrollably as he whirled around vigorously, with her lying immobile atop his shoulder.

Clay stole a hasty glance at Raimundo's priceless, scandalized countenance, and grinned in mysterious satisfaction, his fingertips absentmindedly tracing the weathered brim of his trademark cowboy hat. With an uncannily sly, all-knowing look towards the Brazilian accompanied by the equally perplexed Omi, he repeated for the second time that day, "Yep, sure looks like the green-eyed monster has reared its ugly head..."

A/N: I finally updated! Desole (sorry) for the long wait, but I've been going through some extremely tough times lately that still pain me to think about...Anyway, I would usually reply to all the fabulous reviewers, but supposedly we aren't allowed to anymore...(sob) Why, why! (huggles reviewers) Merci beaucoup to all the readers and reviewers, you are my inspiration! --Sincerely, Jewel

P.S. The title's meaning will be thoroughly explained in the next chapter...just in case you were wondering about "gaydar"...See ya next update!