Chapter 41

The maudlin moment passed as she changed the subject on me. We spent the rest of the meal making small talk and getting to know each other better. It was so much different without Allyson and Bretlynn there. Her attention was fixed solely on me. We talked about growing up. About our jobs.

McKayla was an only child. Her mom and stepdad lived a couple of hours away. She liked living at the beach and did very well for herself as a financial planner.

After the meal, we ended up back downtown at the boardwalk. Instead of going into the clubs, we walked together up and down the strip, sometimes stopping in at one of the chincy tourist trap souvenir shops or looking for something to get for dessert.

We ended up at Coldstone Creamery. I had a "love it"-sized Oreo Overload and McKayla had them make up some concoction of M&Ms, Oreos, Snickers and chocolate chips (in chocolate ice cream, no less).

How she could eat all that and look so ... so hawt was beyond me. I'd be as big as a house if I ate half as much as she could put away.

The two of us wandered up the boardwalk and came back along the beach, each of us holding our shoes as the warm ocean water washed in over our feet.

Our conversation continued and we got to know each other even better. I lost track of time walking up and down the beach. The lights along the shore are deceptive that way.

I noticed that the shops along the boardwalk were closed and that the traffic in the bars had slowed down.

"Holy crap!" McKayla checked her watch. She flashed me an embarrassed smile. "It's 10:30. I didn't mean to keep you out so late."

"That's okay. I don't mind." A part of me was sad that our night was ending. "But I do have to get up early for work tomorrow."

"Me, too," McKayla grinned sheepishly.

We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. It was then that I truly noticed how beautiful she was.

I had always thought she was pretty. There was no denying that. Her body was firm all over, round in just the right places and her angular features gave her an exotic look that made me envious. It dawned on me that she wasn't simply attractive. She was drop-dead gorgeous.