Edge of the Water
Chapter Thirteen
Slipping on her favorite pair of flip-flops, Zoey turned on her heel to face her brunette friend. Belle was placing a large floral sun hat on the top her head, while pulling on a pair of comfortable flats. The girls shared a smile before taking their keys and phones off of their respective dressers.
After Belle had pulled Zoey away from karaoke the night before, things between them had become tense. Zoey was stiff and Belle was cross with her. Their fight had only lasted a few minutes, but it was one of their worst.
Belle couldn’t seem to make Zoey understand that she was going to lose her job if she kept conversing with the boys. Zoey couldn’t convince Belle that she could keep up with the job and Patrick. It was neither girl’s choice, but they both knew Zoey would have to reduce contact with the boys.
Zoey admitted defeat with a curse and a middle finger, while Belle accepted it with a sigh. The atmosphere between the two was tense until Zoey tripped and nearly twisted her ankle. When Belle brought the crying blonde a bag of ice, the moment was forgotten. They were laughing and smiling again - just as they always did after a fight – and neither girl acknowledged what was bound to happen with the handsome hockey players.
The two agreed to enjoy their day at port together by going to the beach and checking out some local shops. It was their one day off without having to worry about making guests happy and answering their every whim.
Zoey secretly hoped that she could see Patrick, since she was sure she could bend the rules and see him off ship. When she wasn’t onboard, the rules didn’t apply to her. That was how she saw it, at least. With any luck, Belle would feel the same way.
Locking their door behind them, the girls headed down the employee hallway and off the crowded ship.
Zoey didn’t realize how tight the air on the ship was until she was off of it. It was as if it was her first time not being confined to the 80,000 ton ship in weeks, even though they’d had one other docking day a few weeks before.
As her feet landed on one of Jamaica’s boardwalks, Zoey let out a joyful sigh. Her small purse, which fell gently against her hip, tapped against her as she and Belle headed down the small slope.
When their feet hit sand, they slipped off their shoes, taking them in their hands, and walked to one of the few empty spots on the beach. It appeared many of the ship’s guests had already arrived at the sandy shore and were enjoying the blue sea that the island had to offer.
The girls pulled their beach towels from the large bag Belle had wrapped around her shoulders. Zoey laid hers gently to the sand, not caring where it landed, while Belle spent a few moments getting hers perfectly straight.
Zoey couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl as she attempted to even out all the bumps and holes the sand’s unsmooth surface caused.
The sun fell against Zoey’s body, bringing a smile to her face. Her hands moved to the hem of her dress, as she pulled it over her head. Her bright pink bikini matched her Cinderella towel perfectly, just as she had planned. Belle would throw a fit if her towel didn’t match her teeny swimsuit.
Next to her, Belle plopped against her perfectly straight towel with her dress still on.
“You know your tan will be uneven, right?” Zoey said, laughing to herself.
Shrugging, Belle turned to her friend. “I’m not trying to get tan and I don’t particularly want people I don’t know seeing me half naked on the beach. Besides, tanning causes skin cancer.”
“Then put on some screen so you can show off that sexy bod!”
Belle shook her head quickly, laughing at her overly excited friend. The blonde girl smiled down at her, white teeth and all.
“Oh, come on,” Zoey said, lying back against her towel. “I’m sure Oliver won’t mind. It’s just a bikini and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Zoey raised her eyebrows up and down, while Belle rolled her eyes. Placing her sunglasses on her head, Belle turned away from the blonde and focused up. Her eyes were shut tightly, blocking out the bright rays of the sun, and she was determined to get some rest.
Folding her arms across her chest, Zoey sighed in defeat. She only hoped she could get Belle to take off her dress long enough for the two to jump in the ocean.
With her hands at her sides, Zoey took in a deep breath as she let the bright sun warm her body. The smell of the crisp, salty air filled her nose and brought a soft smile to her face. She loved the way the ocean washed over everything near it, filling the area with an essence unlike anything in the Midwest.
“What’s brought that smile to your face?”
Zoey’s eyes popped open and immediately met those of Patrick Kane. A wide smile lined his face, while his blonde hair attracted everyone’s attention. Zoey’s grin grew wider, as she and Belle looked up at him.
“Patrick,” Zoey said, pulling herself up to her elbows. “Are you enjoying your day off port?”
“Of course.” Patrick nodded. “It’s nice not to be cooped up on that ship anymore. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I left.”
Zoey nodded, remembering the feeling she first had when her feet met the sand. It was like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.
“What do you ladies have planned for the day?”
Belle was quick to respond, with her sunglasses pushed over her face. “Well, we were going to spend a couple hours on the beach and then hit some of the shops, but nothing is set in stone.”
Turning to Belle, Zoey grinned ear to ear. That statement was probably the closest she would get to having Belle’s permission to see Patrick.
“A few of us are gonna explore the island,” Patrick said, looking towards Zoey. “Your buddy Tito let us in on a place out past one of the coves that is supposed to be incredible. You guys should join us.”
Zoey’s eyes moved from Patrick, to Belle, to the three hockey players waiting on the boardwalk for Patrick.
Before Zoey could respond, Belle sat up from her place on the towel. “If Tito recommended it, we’re pretty much obligated to go.”
A large smile fell to Zoey’s face, the biggest one she’d had all day. Her dimples filled her cheeks, as she turned to Belle and mouthed a ‘thank you’. The brunette girl nodded her head, as she packed their towels into her bags.
With a new pep in her step, Zoey began walking to the boardwalk, with Patrick and Belle on either side of her. Her head turned to Belle’s just in time to catch the girl’s mouth drop when her eyes fell upon Jonathan Toews’s as he waved the group over.
At that moment, Zoey realized there was no way the day could get any better.
After Belle had pulled Zoey away from karaoke the night before, things between them had become tense. Zoey was stiff and Belle was cross with her. Their fight had only lasted a few minutes, but it was one of their worst.
Belle couldn’t seem to make Zoey understand that she was going to lose her job if she kept conversing with the boys. Zoey couldn’t convince Belle that she could keep up with the job and Patrick. It was neither girl’s choice, but they both knew Zoey would have to reduce contact with the boys.
Zoey admitted defeat with a curse and a middle finger, while Belle accepted it with a sigh. The atmosphere between the two was tense until Zoey tripped and nearly twisted her ankle. When Belle brought the crying blonde a bag of ice, the moment was forgotten. They were laughing and smiling again - just as they always did after a fight – and neither girl acknowledged what was bound to happen with the handsome hockey players.
The two agreed to enjoy their day at port together by going to the beach and checking out some local shops. It was their one day off without having to worry about making guests happy and answering their every whim.
Zoey secretly hoped that she could see Patrick, since she was sure she could bend the rules and see him off ship. When she wasn’t onboard, the rules didn’t apply to her. That was how she saw it, at least. With any luck, Belle would feel the same way.
Locking their door behind them, the girls headed down the employee hallway and off the crowded ship.
Zoey didn’t realize how tight the air on the ship was until she was off of it. It was as if it was her first time not being confined to the 80,000 ton ship in weeks, even though they’d had one other docking day a few weeks before.
As her feet landed on one of Jamaica’s boardwalks, Zoey let out a joyful sigh. Her small purse, which fell gently against her hip, tapped against her as she and Belle headed down the small slope.
When their feet hit sand, they slipped off their shoes, taking them in their hands, and walked to one of the few empty spots on the beach. It appeared many of the ship’s guests had already arrived at the sandy shore and were enjoying the blue sea that the island had to offer.
The girls pulled their beach towels from the large bag Belle had wrapped around her shoulders. Zoey laid hers gently to the sand, not caring where it landed, while Belle spent a few moments getting hers perfectly straight.
Zoey couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl as she attempted to even out all the bumps and holes the sand’s unsmooth surface caused.
The sun fell against Zoey’s body, bringing a smile to her face. Her hands moved to the hem of her dress, as she pulled it over her head. Her bright pink bikini matched her Cinderella towel perfectly, just as she had planned. Belle would throw a fit if her towel didn’t match her teeny swimsuit.
Next to her, Belle plopped against her perfectly straight towel with her dress still on.
“You know your tan will be uneven, right?” Zoey said, laughing to herself.
Shrugging, Belle turned to her friend. “I’m not trying to get tan and I don’t particularly want people I don’t know seeing me half naked on the beach. Besides, tanning causes skin cancer.”
“Then put on some screen so you can show off that sexy bod!”
Belle shook her head quickly, laughing at her overly excited friend. The blonde girl smiled down at her, white teeth and all.
“Oh, come on,” Zoey said, lying back against her towel. “I’m sure Oliver won’t mind. It’s just a bikini and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Zoey raised her eyebrows up and down, while Belle rolled her eyes. Placing her sunglasses on her head, Belle turned away from the blonde and focused up. Her eyes were shut tightly, blocking out the bright rays of the sun, and she was determined to get some rest.
Folding her arms across her chest, Zoey sighed in defeat. She only hoped she could get Belle to take off her dress long enough for the two to jump in the ocean.
With her hands at her sides, Zoey took in a deep breath as she let the bright sun warm her body. The smell of the crisp, salty air filled her nose and brought a soft smile to her face. She loved the way the ocean washed over everything near it, filling the area with an essence unlike anything in the Midwest.
“What’s brought that smile to your face?”
Zoey’s eyes popped open and immediately met those of Patrick Kane. A wide smile lined his face, while his blonde hair attracted everyone’s attention. Zoey’s grin grew wider, as she and Belle looked up at him.
“Patrick,” Zoey said, pulling herself up to her elbows. “Are you enjoying your day off port?”
“Of course.” Patrick nodded. “It’s nice not to be cooped up on that ship anymore. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I left.”
Zoey nodded, remembering the feeling she first had when her feet met the sand. It was like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.
“What do you ladies have planned for the day?”
Belle was quick to respond, with her sunglasses pushed over her face. “Well, we were going to spend a couple hours on the beach and then hit some of the shops, but nothing is set in stone.”
Turning to Belle, Zoey grinned ear to ear. That statement was probably the closest she would get to having Belle’s permission to see Patrick.
“A few of us are gonna explore the island,” Patrick said, looking towards Zoey. “Your buddy Tito let us in on a place out past one of the coves that is supposed to be incredible. You guys should join us.”
Zoey’s eyes moved from Patrick, to Belle, to the three hockey players waiting on the boardwalk for Patrick.
Before Zoey could respond, Belle sat up from her place on the towel. “If Tito recommended it, we’re pretty much obligated to go.”
A large smile fell to Zoey’s face, the biggest one she’d had all day. Her dimples filled her cheeks, as she turned to Belle and mouthed a ‘thank you’. The brunette girl nodded her head, as she packed their towels into her bags.
With a new pep in her step, Zoey began walking to the boardwalk, with Patrick and Belle on either side of her. Her head turned to Belle’s just in time to catch the girl’s mouth drop when her eyes fell upon Jonathan Toews’s as he waved the group over.
At that moment, Zoey realized there was no way the day could get any better.