Edge of the Water

“How was your flirt hike with brunette goddess?” Keith turned to Jon as they shuffled along the shores of the beach. After the girls split up with them, the boys had decided a little time on the beach might be good, check in with the other guys and see what they were doing before meeting up for dinner with the girls once again.

Jon knew that after that dinner, Belle would be strictly off limits again. The only reason she was interacting with them at all was because she technically wasn't one duty. But if there was one thing that Belle was good at, it was her job. And she followed the rules well, even if she did cover for her best friend more often than not.

“What do you mean?” Jon asked.

“I mean, it's been about a week, and you've had the hots for Belle since before she was helping us with our flexibility. Lets face it, man...you've got it bad and you haven't been going for it. Imagine the positions she could go into—ouch! Fuck, man! You didn't have to hit me!” Keith trailed off, rubbing his arm where his captain had levelled a full bodied punch.

“Jesus, Keith!” Seabrook chuckled out at his fellow teammate. “Can't you see Tazer's a bit protective of his lady love?” the other man chuckled out.

The group laughed, but Sharp's chuckled died down first. “But seriously guys, he had to back off. Zoey slapped him in the face with Belle having a long-term boyfriend. And we all know how Belle is. She isn't going to cheat on someone. She won't even visit us after yoga class, and God know's Tazer's practically begged her every day for it.”

“I wouldn't want her to cheat on her boyfriend,” Jon mumbled out. “That would throw off my perception of her as a person. She's not the type to cheat, and I like that,” he said.

“I love when Jon's all sentimental,” Keith chuckled out, grinning when Seabrook and Sharpie joined in the laughter. “Seriously dude, how else do you think you'll get her to break up with her boyfriend if you can't pull out all of that awkward little boy charm and get her to want to go to bed with you? Foolproof plan. She'll break up with whats-his-face just to sleep with you, you'll stop being so sexually frustrated that you go to the gym at four in the morning and we'll all benefit from you not being a total asshole.”

“He actually goes to the gym at five in the morning, because Belle told him that that's the time she usually goes, but she hasn't been there for the past few days,” Pat pointed out.

“Are you going to tell all of my secrets?” Jon chuckled out at his friend. “Jesus.”

“Jesus take the wheel...I think Zoey convinced Belle to come back to the beach and get in the water...” Seabrook choked off, staring off to the side where Zoey was pulling Belle up from a towel, already in a simple bikini, waiting for her friend to join her.

“I'll drown in there without you, you know I will!” Zoey told Belle who was scrunching up her face. They had bought three pairs of sunglasses before making their way back to the beach. Zoey wouldn't really drown, and even if she was, Belle wouldn't have been able to save her. But, feeling bad about not really paying attention to her friend after their fight the night before, she decided she could chance it. She couldn't see anyone from the ship that she recognized. So, she shrugged out of her dress, Zoey let out a cat call, then tugged her friend into the water, laughing hysterically when Belle screamed at the cool splatter against her skin.

And Jon watched from farther off with the rest of the boys, eyes intent on Belle's body and the way her laugh filled the air between her screams.

“Hot damn...” Jon heard Seabrook choke out. “Tazer's got it bad.”

***

Belle almost walked right back out of the restaurant. When her and Zoey got there, a good ten minutes late because Zoey had to be “fashionably late”, it wasn't just the four boys from before seated at a table. No, instead the entire Chicago Blackhawks team decided to show up for dinner, including their coach. Joel smiled and stood up once he saw them, which prompted everyone else to as well.

Belle moved to turn around and leave when Zoey caught her arm. “Alright, just breathe. Look how much it isn't a date now that everyone's here!” Zoey insisted with a smile, although that same thought made her heart sink. Didn't Patrick want to have a date with her?

“Belle! Zoey!” Joel waved, moving to guide both women to seats near him at the table. “Glad you could make it. I would have thought you'd be exactly on time,” he chuckled out.

“No, instead we're exactly five minutes late. I didn't know the entire team was going to be here,” Belle said, settling herself into a seat that someone held out for her. She turned to thank him when she noticed it was Jon. “Ah...thanks,” she let out, turning around abruptly.

“Well, yes,” Joel chuckled. “We wanted to thank you two. I know it's a lot of work putting up with all of these boys, but many of them have noted a change in their flexibility in only a week!”

“Also a lot of pain in weird places!” someone called out, causing chuckled and nods around the group.

It didn't take long for the conversation to be picked back up with Belle and Zoey being pulled into conversations from every angle. And the whole time, Belle felt the stare of the young captain on her face.

“So Belle, tell me what you do when it's the Royal Caribbean's off season,” Joel said from her right.

Belle turned from Jon's stare towards his coach.

“I'm going to be a senior this coming year at University. Majoring in Phys Ed with a focus on Nutrition. Zoey and I started our school's first yoga studio, which is how we got this job in the first place. I'm also one of the personal trainer's at our school's athletic centre.”

Joel raised his eyebrows. “Busy girl. Where are you from?” he asked.

“New York City,” she giggled out. “My parents are from there. I'm at school in Chicago. My parents hate it, they want me home. But I like my independence and I moved my whole life there.”

“Really? Chicago...” Joel trailed off, an obvious thought process going through his mind.

“Yeah, it's really lovely there. I'm sure you know...” she trailed off with an awkward chuckle. Of course he did. His team was there.

“What do you plan to do after school?” Joel asked.

“I've been thinking a lot about starting my own yoga studio in town with Zoey. I guess I'd need a bit of help from my parents, which they'd love. But I think that's where I want to go with that. Maybe work for a bit so I don't have to use my parents. We'll see, I guess.”

“Belle, you seem to have your life set out for you. Your parents must be proud,” Joel pointed out.

“Something like that.” Belle nodded. Her parents might be more proud if she were doing all of that from home.