Prompt: Life's a Beach
"OK, gals, this is it. We are spending this weekend with just us. We don't need men, we just need our bikinis and a tan," Alice exclaims as we pick out our places for the day on the beach.
"I agree, Alice. Men be damned," Rose said with a smirk.
"Well, not all men," Alice tries to backtrack a bit.
"It's okay, Alice, we know you hit the jackpot with Jasper. We won't damn him," I laughed.
Alice grins a little sheepishly. We are spending a much needed girls weekend at the beach. Rose finally broke up with her douchebag boyfriend, Royce, and we all decided a weekend celebration was in order.
Alice, Rose and I have been best friends since we met in college our freshman year. While we may seem a bit of a mismatched set to outsiders, we just fit. Each of us fills a missing piece for the other.
We're all in different phases our romantic relationships at this point.
Alice found the love of her life in college. She and Jasper are more in synch than any couple I've ever seen. Alice is one of the most exuberant people I know and Jasper, much more laid back, is secure enough in himself and in their love to let her shine. They are engaged and will be married later this year.
Rose, of course, is newly single. She had put a lot effort into her relationship with Royce - too much effort, if you ask me. She doesn't like to admit it, but I think most of that effort was more to please her family than to please herself. Royce may come from a prominent family and look like a great match on paper, but he was completely unworthy of Rose. Rose is the most generous person I know and deserves someone better than arrogant and selfish Royce. I'm glad she's finally realized that, too.
While Alice is settled in her relationship and Rose has just ended hers, I have been single for two years now. My last real relationship was with Mike Newton. He was so sweet and attractive, in a bland sort of way, but dating him was as boring as watching sand. I've gone on multiple dates since then, but I always end up disappointed. The guys are nice, but there's never been a spark. Alice and Rose think I'm too picky. I don't think it's that.
I hate to say it, but a weekend fling I had in college has made finding anyone to compare almost impossible. Edward Cullen, though I really only knew him for one weekend, is the one that got away.
Edward Cullen is the cousin of Emmett Cullen, Jasper's best friend from high school. Edward and Emmett both went to different colleges but visited Jasper at our university for one of the long weekends our junior year. Since Alice and Jasper were a couple at that point, she invited me to hang out with them that weekend. Rose had been out of town visiting her family or else she would have joined us, too.
When I first met Edward Cullen, I was immediately intrigued. He was stunning - he had the greenest eyes offset by this tousled mess of brownish-copper hair on his head that somehow looked perfect on him - and I wouldn't have been surprised if he was a bit full of himself and stand-offish.
Instead, Edward Cullen was funny and charming and so attentive. We clicked immediately. While we were almost always together as a group that weekend, he and I spent so much time talking just to each other that I started to forget everyone else was around. We even found time alone to make out. His kisses were the kind they write stories about. Soft at the right times, hard at the right times. And the way his tongue moved with mine had my body heating up like no one before or since ever could. I could have kissed him for hours…and I'm pretty sure I did that Saturday night.
Edward and Emmett left to go back to their universities on the Monday. While Edward and I texted and face timed for a bit, it just became too difficult to maintain. We'd only had that one weekend together, so it's not like it was a real relationship. Why, then, do I always compare everyone else to him and how he made me feel? I need to put that out of my mind and enjoy this weekend with my girls.
And enjoy I do. This is the life…lounging in our beach chairs, feeling the heat from the sun as it beats down on our sunscreen covered skin, listening the soothing waves of the ocean flowing back and forth, no worries other than making sure our tans are even. And making sure we have our frozen drinks to keep us cool, Piña Coladas for Rose and me, Strawberry Daiquiri for Alice.
"I could stay like this forever," Rose says.
"Definitely," I agree.
"But we should plan for tonight," Alice chimes in. Of course, even on a weekend escape, Alice can't stop with the planning. "There's a new club that just opened last month. It's outdoors, on a section of the beach, so we won't be stuck inside. It sounds perfect. What do you think?"
"I'd never bet against you, Alice. If you say it's the place to be, then it's the place to be. I'm in," I reply.
"Sure, sounds great," Rose says. "But for now, I'm just going to lay here in the sun for a little while longer and maybe have another Piña Colada…or two"
That night, after a late dinner, we make our way to The Sand Bar. It's just as Alice described, right on the beach, only one full wall and entrance on the boardwalk side and partial walls on each side of that to lend support. We are in the club, but still outside under the twinkling stars, which I never get to see in the city, and the moon is shining brightly overhead.
"This is definitely better than being stuck inside an indoor club," I say.
Alice volunteers to get the first round, while Rose and I decide to explore the club a bit. As we walk to the edge of the bar closest to the ocean, I can hear the waves pounding harder against the shore than they did this afternoon. The whole setting, with the moon, the stars and the waves, is so romantic that it makes me a little sad. I've been feeling so lonely lately. I'm been alone for so long and really want to find someone to share my life with. I shake my head and force myself to stay in the moment. This weekend is for us girls to spend time together and reconnect after our busy schedules have kept us apart; not for me to wallow in self pity.
As Alice returns with our drinks, I see she has a curious smile on her face. She's up to something, I can tell.
"OMG, I claim dibs," I hear Rose exclaim. "Why is Jasper here and who is that hunk of a man he has with him?"
I follow Rose's gaze and am shocked to see not only Jasper, but Emmett and Edward Cullen, heading towards us. I can't believe I was just thinking about them this afternoon and now they appear.
I don't know how it's possible, but Edward looks even better than he did that weekend in college. He looks more manly now, no longer a boy. His hair is not as long as it was back then, and it seems to have been tamed some, but it still looks like it's trying to break free. His eyes are just a green and the look on his face says he is as shocked to see me as I am to see him. But then his shocked expression turns into that sexy smile I remember so well.
Before he can say anything, Alice jumps in, "Rosalie, this is Emmett Cullen. Emmett is Jasper's best friend from high school. And this is Edward, Emmett's cousin. Emmett and Edward recently moved to the city. Isn't that exciting? Since we are having a girls weekend at the beach, Jasper decided to have a boys weekend here, too. Bella, you remember Emmett and Edward from that weekend in college, right?"
I don't think Alice even took a breath during that whole introduction. And she knows I remember Edward. I've wistfully brought up my "one that got away" multiple times over the years…mostly when I was drunk. But he lived on the other side of the country, and I always wondered how much we really knew each other after just one weekend.
But he's here now at this beach and he lives in my city. I'm pretty sure Alice and Jasper had this whole thing planned when she suggested this girls weekend. Alice is sneaky…and, right now, I love her for it.
"Hi, Bella, how are you? You look great," Edward says as he steps over to me.
"Wow, Edward. Thank you. It's so great to see you." I smile bigger than I have in a while.
Edward hesitates just for a second and then pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear, "I think about all you time. I'm not letting you get away again."
"I'm not going anywhere," I whisper back to him. I won't let him get away again, either.
As I'm standing in Edward's embrace, knowing I'll never want to leave it, I see Rosalie and Emmett, hands linked, heading to the dance area.
To my right, I hear Jasper tell Alice "Job well done, darlin'."
