On the way home, I pulled out my phone to check it and found myself sending April another text.

Stay over with me tonight.

She didn’t reply for a long time. In fact, the next text I received from her was sent over two hours later.

Sorry, was in the middle of driving to La Jolla. Visiting my Dad’s tonight for little sis’s b-day. We’ll be coming to the party together. I’ll see you then.

I couldn’t believe the disappointment I felt by that. I wanted to see her. Sure, I wanted to rub myself all over her luscious body, but I also wanted to talk with her, maybe tease her a bit, smell her hair. I’d just assumed she’d be at my beck and call. And after two weeks of no sex, I wanted her at my beck and call, damn it.

***

To burn off some of the sexual frustration, I went out on dawn patrol to catch the waves early the next morning. Conditions were clean, and I caught some awesome A-frame, reef-breaking waves with hardly a soul out there. As it was October, the water was getting cold, so I wore my wetsuit. But after an hour or so, I got bored and headed back in. Then I checked my phone a few times, to see if maybe she’d sent a text. Nothing.

And really, what the hell was happening to me that it mattered so much?

That afternoon, there was a company pool party to celebrate the next step in our quest for gaming market domination. We’d rented out part of an obscenely expensive country club in South County for poolside cocktails and appetizers.

The officers and tentative board members met early for a private luncheon. David Weiss sat between Adam and me at the big round table, and I couldn’t help scanning the surrounding area for his daughter. I knew she’d come up with him, but I wasn’t supposed to know that and I didn’t want to be so obvious as to ask.

He was very interested to hear about the details of the road show and we filled him in accordingly. Finally, to my relief, Adam asked him about his daughter.

“Oh, she’s here. She’s running around with some of your assistants, helping with the details of the company party.”

It now became my mission to spot her without looking like I was trying to spot her. It was stupid, really. I could just text her. But she hadn’t texted me.

And what was all this stupid shit, anyway? I’d been out of high school almost a decade. Next, I’d be wondering if she’d kiss me under the bleachers at the homecoming dance. Fuck it. I was doing a pretty miserable job of staying uninvolved while being involved in whatever the hell this was. Co-workers with benefits? Very, very nice benefits.

After lunch, we went into dressing rooms and changed for the party. Though it was fall, it was still warm enough for a pool party. Only in Southern California, I thought, shaking my head.

Fifteen minutes into the party, I caught sight of her on the other side of the pool, speaking with a group of other interns. One of them was that little brat, Cari, who had tried to blackmail her weeks ago. They appeared to be on amicable terms now.

April was wearing a modest, black, one-piece swimsuit trimmed in bright blue. It had a high back, probably to hide the damning tattoo, which everyone here would recognize in an instant.

When she finally looked my way, I caught her eye. She sent me a tentative smile. Something lit up inside me and I smiled.

I shot a meaningful glance at the building, indicating I wanted to meet her there. She frowned and looked away. What the hell was up? Now I was pretty sure that she was purposely avoiding me, and that didn’t sit well. I thought about sending her a text message, but she’d likely ignore that too.

I skirted the pool and went directly to her and her little flock. She looked up, eyes widening. “Weiss, can I speak with you for a minute, please? I have a couple questions.”

“Sure,” she mumbled, looking back down. I stepped away while she excused herself, and then she followed me up the steps and toward the building, walking slower the closer we got. I held open the door for her, but she hesitated.

“What did you need to talk to me about?”

I glanced at the door. “Inside.”

She took a breath and then let it go. Once inside, I found an empty cabana dressing room and pulled her in with me. Just as she was about to talk, I turned, holding her face in between my hands, and kissed her the way I’d wanted to every night I’d been gone. She responded as if I was breathing new life into her, her body rising up against me, her fingers clutching at the t-shirt I wore with my swim trunks. Her mouth opened for more, as if she’d been starving, and, to be honest, her reaction just made me even hungrier for her.

Minutes later when I pulled back, she was flushed and breathless. The only sound in the silence between us was that of our heavy breathing. As I was bending in for more, she pulled away. “Did you actually have a question or were you pulling me in here to kiss me?”