A Boy's Last Summer

"Who is this, David?" asked Chris as everyone at the table sat up a little taller intrigued by this newcomer, especially Heather whose eyes found David for the first time since he arrived.

"Oh...This is my..."

"Girlfriend," finished Roxy, "I'm David's girlfriend, Roxy. It's so nice to meet you all. I'm guessing you must be Heather. You are just as pretty as David described you."

"Um...Thanks..." said Heather hesitantly not sure what to make of this turn of events.

"You know I should be thanking you. Why if you hadn't decided to move on from old David here my summer would have been a lot less happy I can tell you that..."

The entire group of teens looked on with mouths agape.

"So you and David..." said Alex, his voice incredulous.

"What can I say I know a good thing when I see it! Anyway, I left my purse at the ice cream place so I will meet you back there. Don't be long. It was nice to meet all of you!"

David followed Roxy a few steps away as she took his hand in hers.

"What are you doing exactly?" he whispered.

"Jealousy is a powerful motivator," she replied, "Is Heather looking at us?"

"They're all looking at us."

"Then just trust me and go with this..."

Before David could ask exactly what she meant, Roxy suddenly threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm, wet kiss. Her full lips were just as soft as he had imagined they would be, and after a moments shock, he did what came natural slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close as their mouths slid hotly together in an embrace that left his knees shaking.

When they parted, there was a brief moment where they were looking into each other's eyes, and Roxy let out a quiet sigh.

"Damn...Heather doesn't know what she's missing," she thought.

Then she was gone leaving David stunned and barely with the presence of mind to turn back to his friends.

"Jesus! David! Where did you meet the supermodel?" asked Chris in an awestruck voice.

David struggled to answer, but even in his addled state, he was still observant enough to note that Heather's eyes were flashing with jealous anger.

She did not look happy at all.

Roxy returned to Farley's just in time to meet Mrs. Foster and Emily coming out of the bathroom. David joined then a short time later, still looking more than a little stunned by what had happened at the food court.

"Did you have a nice visit with your friends?" asked Mrs. Foster.

"It was fine..." mumbled David his eyes on Roxy who was doing her best to look innocent.

"I bet you left them with a lot to talk about."

"You could say that."

While Mrs. Foster took Emily to the car, Roxy returned to the table to leave a tip with David in tow.

"Why did you do that?"

"I was trying to help. If I know women at all, I bet it got under Heather's skin. I wouldn't be surprised if she's checking up on you before the weeks out."

"They invited me to a 4th of July celebration at Wave World next weekend."

"Even better..."

"Better how?" asked David puzzled.

"If you want to win Heather back this could be the perfect opening."

"I don't understand?"

"You will next weekend," she said mysteriously, walking away.

"What the Hell?" thought David, not at all sure what was happening.

FIREWORKS -

All through the work week that followed, Roxy refused to talk about the upcoming weekend and what her plan was for David in regards to the Wave World party. Her silence drove him nuts, and he found it very difficult to concentrate on his job. Finally, on Friday afternoon, she stopped him shortly before the end of their shift.

"I'm going to meet you at the water park at 4:00 P.M. just try to be around the wave pool, and I'll find you."

"Wait! You're coming to the party tomorrow?"

"David! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I left you alone on the 4th of July," she said with a smirk.

"So you're my girlfriend now?"

"As far as Heather is concerned, I am, and there is nothing that drives a girl crazier than to see her Ex has traded up."

"This seems just a little lame, don't you think? Kind of like a bad teen movie."

"There are reasons that clichés exist, and it's because more often than not, they're true. I'm ready to bet you fifty bucks that Heather is calling you after the party begging to see you again."

"I don't know...It all seems a little dishonest."

"What have you got to lose. If it doesn't work, the worst thing is you get to spend an evening with a hot older woman rubbing it in your friend's faces."

"Has anyone ever accused you of having an ego?"

"All my life!" admitted Roxy with a laugh.

David could only shake his head.

It had been not quite a year since the last time David had set foot in Wave World. The place hadn't changed. It was still noisy, crowded, and overpriced. He wasn't used to having to pay his way in either, and he saw why people complained about both the ticket prices, and the rudeness of the cashiers at the front. After his arrival, he had gone and gotten a locker to stow his regular clothes in changing into a pair of swim trunks and a tank-top. The asphalt near the wave pool was scorching hot, and he was glad he had some sandals on as he made his way out onto the loose sand that surrounded it. He spotted his friends right off and was happy to see that Alex wasn't among them although Heather was there talking to Stacie.

Seeing her in her usual emerald green bikini brought back a host of memories. They had spent a great deal of time together on this very same stretch of fake beach and shared their first kiss while standing in the wave pool.

"Hey! David! Glad you made it, Man! I feel like I've hardly seen you all summer," exclaimed his friend Chris as he walked up.

Chris clapped him on the back, and they were joined by Pete and a couple of other guys from the swim team, Roger Taylor and George Weller.

"Chris was telling us you've got some kind of movie star girlfriend now? Is she here?" asked Roger looking around.

"She'll be along," confirmed David noticing that Heather had turned at the mention of Roxy and was giving him a look he couldn't quite read.

"Is Alex here?" David asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"He has to work until five I think, but he will join us later," offered George.

"Joy..." replied David sarcastically.

Heather tore herself away from Stacie and started to come over to him, prompting his friends to scatter for the moment not wanting to get caught up in whatever drama might unfold next.

"David," she said quietly looking up at him with her blue eyes catching the reflection of the sun off the water. He couldn't help but remember all the times he had spent staring into those pretty eyes, kissing those sweet, pert lips.

"Heather. It's good to see you. I'm sorry about how things went the last time we spoke."

She smiled, looking slightly less nervous, "It's o.k. I dropped a bombshell on you, and you had every right to be upset. I'm glad you came today."

"I decided you were right. I would rather us be friends than nothing given all we've been through together."

"Friends...Yeah..." echoed Heather, but there was a definite hesitation in her voice.

"You know they re-opened that old slide, The Blaster. We should try it later?" mentioned Heather.

The Blaster was a slide that two people could ride at the same time side by side. It ended with a short drop off that plunged you into a pool surrounded by palm trees and a waterfall. It had been the first ride they had gone on together in the park.

"Um...That would be..."

"Holy shit!" called Chris from behind him, cutting off his reply.

David turned to see what Chris was looking at and decided that his exclamation was not uncalled for at all.

He had seen Roxy mostly in jeans, flannel shirts, and work boots except for the previous weekend. Those outfits in no way prepared him for the woman that was coming across the sand toward him now. Dressed in a red bikini, Roxy was drawing looks from several men around the wave pool. Her hair was pulled back accentuating her long, beautiful face, and her smile, far friendlier than any David had seen adorning her features to this point, lit up her eyes and showed off her rich, full lips. The suit clung to her like a second skin, exposing quite a bit of her body to an appreciative audience. She halted in front of David and Heather towering over the latter.

"Hey, Sweetie," she said, leaning over to kiss David on the cheek.

Heather tried to remain impassive, but he knew her well enough to see how uncomfortable she was in Roxy's presence.

"Good to see you found me o.k," he said awkwardly, putting an arm around his boss.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?"

"No...David and I were just catching up. He hasn't been around much this summer," said Heather.

"I try to keep him busy," said Roxy in a suggestive tone.

"She certainly does that..." laughed David feeling that at least this wasn't a lie.

"Hey! Whose hitting the wave pool!" shouted Roger waving his arms and charging toward it with Chris and George right behind him.

"Come on, Heather," called Stacie.

Heather gave David one last look and ran after her friend.

"Did you see the way she was looking at us? This is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel."

David nodded, still not sure this was the way to go. He tried to pull Roxy toward the pool, but she resisted.

"Is something wrong?"

"I told you I suck in water as in I can't swim. I'm afraid at water parks I'm merely decorative."

"It's o.k. It's shallow unless you go past that red line on the side. It's perfectly safe, and I used to lifeguard here, so I am fully qualified to save you if you start to drown."

Reluctantly, Roxy took David's hand and walked toward the water, which quickly covered her feet and was surprisingly cold, making her shiver. David tried not to stare, but it was clear that Roxy had some very substantial nipples as they hardened and shown prominently through the cloth of her top. He guided her out into the water, keeping one hand on her as it grew deeper until they were in up to their waist.

"Here it comes..." he said cryptically.

A deep thumping sound filled the air, and the water quickly grew choppy as the artificial wave maker under the surface started to send ripples back toward the shoreline. The waves grew strong enough to lift Roxy's feet from the bottom, and she suddenly latched onto David.

"Everything is fine. You protected me from the spider I'm not going to let you sink," he said, trying to keep his tone light and bantering. In the short time, he had known Roxy she had always appeared in control and absolutely fearless, so it startled him to see her look so vulnerable. He pulled her tighter against him while they bobbed up and down.

"It's o.k. I promise..." he whispered into her ear.

Roxy clung not only to David's body, which she had to admit was not bad at all, but to his calm, deep voice. Slowly she relaxed, and started to enjoy the sensation of being swept along by the current, boosted and carried like she was floating in the air.

"This isn't so bad..." she admitted quietly.

"I told you," said David.

He managed to unwind himself from her and took both her hands in his showing her how they could time the bounces of the waves and move higher by jumping with them. Her hair bounced on her head, and she started to laugh like a woman far younger than her twenty-nine years.

"See...just go with it..." advised David.

They stayed in the pool for a while, and eventually, Roxy got comfortable enough to venture out a bit further on her own, but David stayed close by watching over her. It made her feel safe, knowing he was there. It had been a while since a man had made her feel that way, and she hated to admit it, but she missed that feeling.

"Come on. Everyone wants to go get some shaved ice," said David swimming up closer to her.

He retook her hand, guiding her out of the pool, and they joined the rest of the group in line at the shaved ice stand. Roxy went with a wild cherry flavored one, and David liked the way it stained her lips the same color. Briefly, he wondered how nice it would be to taste the cherry flavor coating her tongue, but he quickly dismissed the thought, reminding himself that this was just a fake date to make Heather jealous.

Sadly, Alex arrived to join them not long after, and the tension between the two young men threatened to bring the mood of the whole party down. Stacie suggested a turn on the lazy river to give everyone a chance to chill out, and Roxy soon found herself floating on a two-person tube with David.

"This is more my speed," she admitted as they drifted in the gentle current. Alex and Heather had a tube of their own and were some distance away leading the pack.

"How is it you never learned to swim?" asked David.

"I don't know. I just never got around to it. We live in a desert you know it's not like drowning is a big problem."

"I suppose not. I could teach you if you like? We could do joint lessons."

"Oh! Emily would love that. She would have a field day making fun of her mother."

They both laughed with David enjoying the sound.

"You know Emily didn't fall far from the tree. The two of you not only look alike; you have the same laugh."

"I think I've laughed more since I met you then I have in years."

"Emily said you thought I was the funny one, although I think how she put it was more like you thought I was a wise-ass."

"I should have told her not to repeat that, but don't let it bother you. I like your sense of humor."

David appreciated the compliment, "I think you like to come off as a hard ass, Roxy, but deep down, you're nicer than you let on."

The way he looked at her then made her squirm in the inner tube. She got looks from guys, but she always felt like they were looking at her body and not seeing her at all. The way David looked at her right then was different, like he was seeing the woman beneath all that skin-deep beauty, and it made her feel special in a way she hadn't in a long time.

"Thanks, but don't spoil my rep. I need the guys at the plant to fear me."

At the next bend in the lazy river, David noticed everyone getting out to pull their tubes to the side, and he and Roxy joined them.

"Blaster time!" said Alex indicating the tandem slide with a nod of his head.

Heather looked at David as if she was going to suggest they go together, but Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her into line with him.

"For the sake of appearances we should go," said Roxy warily regarding the tall slide with something akin to dread in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" asked David seeing her fear.

"You can save me, right?" she half-joked.

"I'll be right next to you all the way," he confirmed, taking her hand and squeezing it.

They joined Heather and Alex in line watching them go first.

"Fucking Hell! Why did I say I would do this..." thought Roxy looking at the long plunge down to the bottom.

David reached over to pull her head around so that she was looking at him.

"Close your eyes until you start to move, and gravity will do the rest. I'm right here."

She nodded not trusting herself to speak at this point afraid the best she could do would be to curse a blue streak which would offend all the young kids clustered nearby. Then it was their turn, and just like that, they were flying down the slick surface of the slide which rose up slightly at the end tossing them into the air. The water of the pool beneath came up fast smacking Roxy a bit roughly, but she recovered bouncing up from the bottom. The current from the waterfall pushed her straight to the side, so there was no real need to swim, but her legs were so wobbly from the adrenalin rush she couldn't stand until a pair of strong hands yanked her to her feet.

"Holy shit, I'm alive!" she shouted into David's face as he steadied her on her feet.

"I know!" he shouted back, making fun of her palpable relief.

Roxy's heart was racing in her chest, and without thinking, she pulled David into a fierce hug just thrilled to be at the bottom. David thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her large breasts crushed up against him. They pulled back from each other with Roxy still shaking in his arms. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and he had never seen a woman look more beautiful than Roxy Doyle at that moment. This time it was David's turn not to think he just went with what felt right kissing her on the mouth in front of a few dozen people standing at the edge of the pool. She seemed surprised at first, but she quickly joined him in a very hot embrace their lips rubbing sweetly together.

He could faintly taste the cherry of her shaved ice as they parted.

Roxy glanced over, seeing Heather standing on the side shooting daggers at the two of them with her eyes.

"Oh...Uh...I guess you timed that right," she said indicating Heather with a tilt of her head.

"What? Right...Yeah..." he replied, thinking that until then he had had no idea that Heather was still around, but not wanting to embarrass himself by admitting as much.

"This isn't a real date," he thought, kicking himself for momentarily forgetting.

A lifeguard snapped at them to move it along since they were blocking the pool for the next pair to come down.

They formed up with the rest of the group to return to the lazy river and eventually made their way in a circle around the park to wind up back at the wave pool again.

As night fell, and it got later, the tired but happy crew ended up laying on towels to watch the fireworks display put on by Wave World in honor of the holiday. Roxy shared a towel with David sitting between his legs and putting her back to his muscular chest. He wrapped his arms around her for good measure, and she sighed, enjoying the feeling of being held like this maybe a bit more than she should. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Heather and Alex in a similar embrace, but Heather only had part of her attention on the fireworks turning her head more than once to look over at David.

"That girl is dying to be where I am right now," said Roxy, although at the moment she wouldn't have wanted to give up this spot for anyone.

"You think so, Huh?"

"Absolutely."

David knew he should be thrilled by this outcome, but frankly, he was too comfortable holding Roxy to care. Her soft hair tickled his cheek, and her warm body felt nice and snug against his.

"Whoa! That was a pretty one!" exclaimed Roxy as a series of rockets burst into all the colors of the rainbow.

"Not half as pretty as you," David wanted to say, but held himself in check, just a little sad that this was all for the sake of getting Heather back.

"What am I thinking, anyway? I'm just some immature kid to her..."

Later in the parking lot, he stood by Roxy's car as patrons poured out on their way home.

"Thanks for doing this. I guess I owe you one," remarked David.

"You don't owe me anything. Just keep teaching my kid to swim, and don't give me shit when I give you crappy work to do at the plant."

David laughed again, and Roxy realized how much she was coming to enjoy that sound.

A breeze kicked up and she shivered. David was suddenly close wrapping his arms around her using his body to shield her from the wind. The warmth he generated felt nice on her chilled skin.

"You don't have to keep up appearances, Heather's not here," said Roxy softly.

"I know," answered David.

Even with her hair wet and bedraggled, Roxy looked stunning in the moonlight, a single strand had fallen half over one eye, and David couldn't resist the urge to brush it back out of her face letting his fingers run down her silky soft cheek. There was an awkward pause where they were staring at each other, and as one they started to move forward lips parting as Roxy's eyes began to flutter closed.