"What am I doing here?" Jane thought to herself. She stared dumbfounded into the foggy bathroom mirror, scrunching her damp hair with her fingers. Everything was so sticky here. She could feel the humidity soaking into everything – into her skin, her hair. She just showered but was breaking into a sweat. Ben was waiting for her on the deck outside their motel room. There was really nothing she could do to help her looks at this point – so light eyeliner, mascara, and cherry Chapstick it would be. Her usual look – plain old Jane.
Dewey Beach, Delaware. Ben practically begged her to come. He wanted to show her the "magic" of Dewey, a small Delaware beach town, where Ben grew up and a good chunk of Washington DC thirty-somethings went to party on summer weekends. "Jane, it's like everyone is in college again there – even if you're forty-five. Beach all day, drink all night. What could be better?"
Jane thought it sounded quaint. She feigned resistance at first, but - let's face it – she was madly in love with Ben and down from the start.
Love may be too strong a word. At the very least, she was irresistibly infatuated. This was true of 99.9% of people (male or female) that knew Ben. He just had that easy confidence and a laid-back but spot-on wit (not to mention devastatingly handsome with a killer body). What she loved most was his uncanny ability to make you feel special. When you talked, he listened. Not only listened but engaged with you. You could be in a crowded room with dozens of people far more interesting than you, and yet, if you had his attention, you really had it. His eyes did not scan the room to look for another person he'd rather be talking to; he was not thinking of his "excuse me" line to get out of the conversation and move to the next. He made you feel important.
Ben and Jane were roommates, living in the same three-bedroom high-rise apartment in the outskirts of Washington D.C. Both just finished their final year of law school. In fact, graduated last week and now they were poised to start their respective legal careers that fall. Ben in a top-tier law firm in Wilmington, Delaware. Jane, staying in DC, to work for the Environmental Protection Agency.
It was pure luck as to how Ben and Jane became roommates. First year of law school, Jane knew no one and used the school's student directory to reach out to a few potential roommates (rent was very expensive in DC suburbs and, although she'd prefer it, it would be insane to live alone and shoulder that cost). That is how she met Becca, who in turn knew Ben from undergrad, and the three were able to snag a three-bedroom apartment.
Roommate status didn't mean she got to spend gobs of time with Ben. The rumors are true – law students (or nerdy ones like her) spend most of their time studying. Add to that the fact that she and Ben had different classes and different friend circles - nothing to force them together outside the apartment. They did cross paths in the kitchen or in the small living room, bonding over bashing the trashy reality television shows that Becca played on loop. They had an easy rapport, which was rare for the introverted, Jane. Every now and then she'd find herself pulled into a longer conversation with Ben and she would lose time. Her random thoughts poured out seamlessly as he parried her musings with his own effortless charm. She never forgot her place with him though – it was easy to remember, given the endless stream of women that flowed through his bedroom over their three years of cohabitation.
As stated – everyone loved Ben and Ben was certainly not afraid to share the love. Jane would stay awake nights listening to the gentle moaning and soft banging on the wall that separated her and Ben's bedrooms. Jane would at first squeeze her legs together and try to resist the burning building deep and low in her abdomen. She would eventually cave and let her hand wander between her legs and her mind wander to the happenings in the other room. She pictured him on top of the strange girl, his soft brown curls falling gently into his dark eyes as he glided back and forth inside of her. She pictured him firmly pressing the girl against their shared wall, pinning her hands above her head, and lifting her effortlessly in the air to firmly press himself deep inside of her. She held tight to the images, countless different positions and varying rigor. Ben could be gentle or aggressive. It really depended on her mood – or the pace of the banging coming from the other side of the wall This was the extent of her sex life during law school. There really was no time for anything beyond this. Imagined sex was so less messy, and far less time-consuming than going out to meet people.
When Ben got the call from his high school friend, Daniel, with the invite to meet in Dewey that night, Becca (and most of the other law-school graduates) had already fled the area on their own post-graduation trips. Becca, for example, was taking a week in Colorado to visit family. Jane, of course, was still around, only interested in saving money and getting a head start on studying for the bar exam.
Ben most likely asked Jane to join simply because she was sitting across from him in the living room, scrolling through CNN headlines on her iPhone, when Daniel called. Ben didn't want to make the three-hour drive alone and she was simply there and totally available. Oh well – sometimes in life you win simply by being available. Jane was not the spontaneous, last minute road trip kind of girl, but - as stated – there was no saying "no" to Ben. Jane was headed to Dewey.
***
Ben shouted from outside the motel room door. "Come on, Jane. I have a Corona Light waiting for you."
Jane gave her brown curly hair one last scrunch between her fingers and dropped her towel to the floor. She pulled a light green halter top from her duffel and a pair of fraying blue jean shorts. The halter was old, leftover from her college days. It gave her cleavage a lift, while still fitting loosely over her stomach. The shorts were just the right length, highlighting her muscular thighs yet still covering her ass cheeks. This was her summer sexy outfit – what she whipped out when needing to feel most confident. Although covered in a glisten of sweat, she felt ready to face the evening.
The door to their second-floor room opened to a wooden deck, packed with aging patio furniture. Stepping outside, a gentle breeze offered immediate relief from the hot, sticky room. She could smell the salt in the air and hear the methodical crashing of the waves in the distance. The motel was about a block away from the Atlantic Ocean. If you crossed the street, you would run into the Delaware Bay. Surrounded by water, this small town felt cut-off from the rest of the world.
"There she is! Lime or no-lime?" Ben asked excitedly.
"Lime please."
Ben used the edge of the patio table to pop the top of a Corona Light bottle. He then firmly inserted the lime and his thumb into the neck of the bottle and nimbly flipped it over and back. Who knew adding lime could be so damn sexy? Their hands grazed slightly as Ben handed Jane the icy Corona Light. Ben gave her a wink with one eye and twisted the brim of his white Nike baseball cap back and forth amidst his brown curls.
Ben looked to his friend standing near the far railing of the deck. "Jane, I would like you to meet Daniel." Daniel smiled and bowed. Daniel was blond, fair-skinned and blue-eyed. Almost a mirror opposite of Ben's olive complexion. Yet both Ben and Daniel had the "look" of the typical hot-blooded American male (i.e., tall, muscular build with defined jawlines). You could tell they were both athletes once upon a time, but neither kept regular hours in a gym anymore. They hid their slightly-aging athletic physiques behind mirroring outfits of tan shorts and pastel V-necks.
Daniel spoke with a sly smile. "Jane, you are even more lovely in person than Ben has described." He took Jane's hand and gave it a gentle kiss. By the slight slur to his words and the unbalanced way he walked toward Jane, she knew Daniel was already way ahead on the beer count. Daniel continued, "Welcome to our little beach club. Me and Ben try make the sojourn down here at least once every summer."
Jane gave a shy smile and an awkward curtsey. "Nice to meet you . . . so how do you guys know each other?"
Ben responded in his typical jocular tone. "Oh, me and Daniel go way back. My absolute, one and only. We have been joined at the hip since middle school."
"Yea, and same high school and undergrad. The whole law school thing has got me going through Ben withdrawal. Thank God he will be returning to me in Wilmington this fall." Daniel added.
"Oh, let's not speak of the future. Real job – real life. Let's live it up tonight." Ben retorted.
"Yes – let's not talk of mine and Ben's inevitable separation. Too heartbreaking" Jane moaned, trying to match Ben and Daniel's sarcasm. But, was it her? Or, was there a tad too much whimsy in her voice. Oh well.
Daniel added, "You are the first law school kid Ben has brought to one of our impromptu beach trips. You must be special."
Jane blushed, "Nah – just available. And Ben loves my incessant babble. Something to keep him occupied for the ride."
"Oh, come on Jane. I just wanted to give you a little taste of my roots. I think you will love this place." Ben said with a slight hint of seriousness. Then, he raised his Corona Light into the air. "Here's to Friday nights, new friends, and old stories." Daniel and Jane raised their bottles and brought them together to join Ben's in an enthusiastic clink of glass.
They lounged at one of the deck's patio tables long enough for each to down another two beers. Jane listened and, when appropriate, laughed, as Ben and Daniel reminisced over shared memories that spanned the lifetime of their ten-year friendship. Ben sprinkled in a few law school stories to keep Jane engaged. Always the gentleman.
The sky to the right of the deck began to turn a brilliant orange as the sun sunk over the Delaware Bay. Jane's skin warmed and her thoughts folded slightly at the edges as the alcohol began to flow through her blood. Daniel's phone (set to early 2000s hits on his Spotify) began to play J-Kwon's Tipsy. The crashing of the waves (accompanied by J-Kwon) and the thick summer air spun together to create one of those perfect moments. The type of moment where the night is still in front of you – what lies ahead is completely unknown, unspoiled by the inevitable passage of time.
After a few beats of break to the conversation, Ben stood up, took one last swig of his Corona Light, and announced. "Alright guys – time to make moves."
***
It was about a ten-minute walk along the bar-lined street before the trio arrived at Ben and Daniel's traditional "Friday-night Spot." The bar was positioned right in front of the Delaware Bay. Most of the bar had no floor, leaving exposed sand beneath their feet. Now she understood why no one wore heels here – flip flops were a must. In fact, directly above the bar hung dozens of abandoned flip flops and tennis shoes strung from fishing line like Christmas garland. A footwear lost-and-found turned kitschy bar decoration. How do that many people leave a bar without their shoes? There was a large fire pit with a crackling bonfire at the front of the venue. A cover band blasted nostalgic hits to the right overlooking a raised deck for dancing. Bay-views and the warm breezes permeated every inch of this open-air beach bar, giving the whole place a whimsical, care-free vibe.
The three hit the bar first to get drinks. Ben convinced Jane to order something called an Orange Crush. It was fruity and refreshing, but she could still taste the sting of alcohol. Ben stuck with beer, while Daniel ordered some type of mystery red slushy called a Dewey Devil. After that, Ben grabbed her hand and led her directly to the wooden deck immediately in front of the band.
