Page 48 of F*cking Shattered
I look at River standing in front of me with his hands on his naked hips, eyes trained on me.
“They had a vacancy. After I promised we wouldn’t have any parties, that they didn’t have to feed us with the rest of the occupants, and I would pay for all three months up front, they wavered. I didn’t know about the private nude beach until after the place was reserved.”
“What did I do to you to make you hate me this much?” His face is now showing a bit of amusement, but his skin color is still slightly off.
“The wet and wild walk of shame!”
His head falls back, looking at the ceiling, as a grin takes over his face. “I didn’t do that on purpose,” he proclaims.
“Yeah, well now we’re even.” I poke his chest as I move in to hug him. He starts pulling off my bra and unbuttoning my pants.
“What are you doing?” I ask around my smile.
“I need to see you naked now. That…” he uses his hand to motion toward the beach. “…cannot be the last thing these eyes have seen. I’ll have nightmares.”
I laugh but allow him to pull off my clothes. We’re both totally naked, holding onto one another in the breakfast room when he leans in, pressing a kiss to my lips. When he pulls away, his smile is back in place. “That was a good burn. But I’m afraid you’ve started something here.”
I step away. “Oh no! I wasn’t trying to start something, I was trying to end it.”
“I didn’t do that on purpose!” He points at me as I begin to pull away.
“Whatever.” I reach around his neck and direct his lips back to mine.
He breaks the kiss for just a second. “It’s on!”
* * *
After we take our time enjoying what will be our little home for the next three months, we decide to go check out our surroundings. The place we’re in has its own spa, casino, and restaurant, along with different community rooms where dances and games are held.
I take River’s hand and lead him out the door and across the parking lot towards the main building.
“Are you serious about this?” he complains, dragging his feet.
“It may be fun. Let’s just check it out.”
He grumbles something I don’t catch, but keeps moving.
I scan the keycard I was given to get into the main building and open the door. This is like a little town for the retired. The main building has small shops and stores, restaurants, a gym and spa, and even a grocery store. A little golf cart drives along the property, picking up the residents and bringing them to the main building so they can hang out with friends or do some shopping. I don’t know why my grandma had such a fit when she was placed in one of these places. This looks fun to me!
I lead us into the casino and walk up to the window.
“Can I help you?” the lady behind the desk asks.
“We’re staying here for the summer and we were just checking the place out. How does all of this work?”
She seems a little confused, probably because I’m not a retiring senior. “Most of our occupants have money put into their account by their families. They are given a set limit on what they can spend a month, but the machines don’t pay out any money like a regular casino. What they win is credited to their account which they can spend here or in any of the shops on the property.”
“Oh.” I feel my face redden. Of course this isn’t like a regular casino. I’m about to tell her thank you and walk away when I hear a commotion behind me.
I turn around to see a group of old ladies circling around River. “You’re that young man from the beach, aren’t you? I’d recognize that nice rear end anywhere,” one lady says. And based on how high River jumps, I’m guessing she pinched his ‘nice rear end’.
I can’t help the wide smile that spreads across my face. But he doesn’t look entertained. He’s giving me the death glare with the ladies flocking around him.
“Come by my room later, sugar. I’ll teach you how to play pinochle,” the lady with a gray wig tells him.
I double over, laughing.
“That’s very nice of you ladies, but I really need to go and…I just need to go.” He squeezes between them because they are not backing away to let him leave.