Beached.

Beach Babe

I relished the morning breeze against my skin as I carried my coffee, tablet and towel along the shore. I always enjoyed getting to the beach before the rush.

I picked my spot and made myself at home. I slathered on sunscreen, straightened my sunglasses and adjusted my ball cap. I queued my summer playlist and logged into my tablet to continue reading my latest erotic fiction.

I was lost in my book, devouring the pages when a sudden plume of sand billowed beside me. I put my tablet down and looked beside me to find a football. I paused my music as a pair of male silhouettes approached me.

As they came into view, I was immediately jaded by their appearance—chiseled chests, sweaty, sandy and wearing sunglasses. The only thing that would've made them more obvious was if they wore dogtags.

I didn't wait for them to get any closer. I grabbed the ball, sat up, placed my fingers along the laces and threw the best spiral I could while seated. "Heads up!" I shouted. The throw was a little high—they jumped for the ball. The blond was the victor.

They looked at each other. "Hey! Are you interested in playing dogfight football? We could use another," the blond said with the most charming grin. I had a hunch he wasn't told no often.

"What's in it for me?" I asked, leaning back on my palms. They continued to approach.

"Bragging rights that you helped a bunch of fighter pilots train for a top-secret mission," the blond responded. I laughed.

"It's true!" the other man chimed in.

I stood up. "I feel like I have to see this with my own eyes."

"Great!" responded the blond. His megawatt smile made me glad I was wearing sunglasses. He drew closer. "I'm Jake, but the way." He stuck out his hand for me to shake.

"Kyle." I shook it. Behind his sunglasses, I saw him give me a quick once over before focusing on my eyes. I'd be lying if I said I didn't do the same.

"This is Payback." He motioned to his friend, who sported a well-kept fade and a back-in-style 80s mustache. I shook his hand once he was in arm's reach.

I picked up my things, and the three of us wandered along the shore. In the distance, I could see their flock. There were a dozen or so people waiting for their return.

"Ask and you shall receive, ladies and gentleman!" Jake held his arms out wide with the football in one hand. "Your savior is here. I scouted additional talent while I was away. Everyone, this is Kyle. Kyle, this is everyone."

I waved. "The secret weapon for your top-secret mission has arrived." They laughed.

"You're going to fit right in—welcome!" The oldest man in the group approached me and shook my hand. "Maverick. Glad you're willing to join us. Did Hangman and Payback get you up to speed?"

"If you give me a quick run through, I'm sure I can pick up the details." Maverick smiled and began to explain.

There were two other women in the group. The three of us quickly formed an unspoken bond. Two of us ended up on the same team.

However, Jake—or as I heard him often referenced, Hangman—and I were not. Instead, we lined up across from one another. "Are you ready?" He asked as we settled our feet in the sand.

I smiled. "I guess we're about to find out." The footballs, yes footballs, snapped, and I faked left, spun to the right and pushed off Jake's back to run into open sand. Rooster spotted me and threw a perfect catch. I cradled the ball and ran for the end zone. I put an exclamation point on the play, spiking the ball in the sand. My teammates threw up their arms and cheered. Because the game involved both teams running defense and offense simultaneously, I jumped back into play.

I watched as Jake was hauled up from sand by Payback and another man that I learned went by the name Coyote. He dusted himself off and gave me a nod. I nodded back as we jogged to our positions.

The next drive, I successfully picked the ball while covering Jake and ran it back to score. My team fulfilled our offensive drive for two scores, and then came to celebrate with me while Hangman pretended it wasn't happening. He coolly walked back to reset for the next drive.

This one was nearly identical to the first, where I left Jake chin in the sand, while I bolted for the end zone.

"Hangman, we're gonna have to change your position if you can't figure her out," Maverick warned.

I lined up. "I think the talent exceeded the scout's expectations." I looked at Jake.

He nonchalantly shrugged while we lined up again. "Hmmm, you did throw a near perfect spiral while sitting, so I knew you'd be a high-level performer."

"There's no way you would knowingly choose someone who would outperform you, Bagman," Phoenix, one of my fellow females, spoke up.

Jake/Hangman/Bagman shook out his shoulders. "I enjoy a challenge." We stared at one another while waiting for the next snap. Jake attempted a fake that I anticipated and I bodychecked him into the sand. We fell on top of one another, his arms encasing me. Too tangled to jump back in the play, we watched as a ball sailed in Bob's direction. The least flashy athlete, he caught it and ran uncontested to the end zone. Everyone, no matter the team, cheered.

Jake and I were wiggling in celebration when we realized we were still entangled. His arms fell limp, and I rolled off him. He popped to his feet and extended a hand to help me up. The force of his pull sent me straight into his chest. "Oops!" he said as his hand dropped to my waist to steady me. Instinctively, I laid my hands against his chest to brace myself. We looked at one another, his gaze dropped to my lips, and then we quickly broke apart.

We walked toward the rest of the group. Jake slid his sunglasses atop his head and turned to me. "How about we meet at The Hard Deck tonight for beers?"

"A thank you for showing you up at your own game?" I flipped up my glasses too.

We stopped walking. "My glass half full is my scouting skills speak for themselves." His million-dollar smile appeared.

I laughed and gave a small bow. "You're welcome for making you look like a genius."

Before the conversation could continue, Phoenix called for us. We jogged to the celebration. It was decided I was the game's MVP and was mandated to join my new friends at The Hard Deck that evening for celebratory drinks.

"Looks like you got your wish." Jake and I exchanged smirks.