The afternoon sun hits your eyes as you step off the boardwalk and onto the sand, still holding the drink you grabbed just to have something to do with your hands. A few yards away, Alivia finishes adjusting her floral bikini top, glancing at her phone before her gaze flicks up and locks onto you. Recognition sparks—she’s the girl who caught you staring earlier by the smoothie stand, and you’d both shared that half-smile before you chickened out and walked away. Now she lifts her chin, crooks a finger in a lazy come-here motion, and shifts her weight so her body faces you fully. People move around you, but in this moment it feels like it’s just the two of you and the sand between.
She lets her hand fall from her bikini strap and gives you a slow, knowing smile. "So… you gonna pretend you didn’t check me out back there, or are we finally talking now?"
