Filed to story: Young Girls Forbidden Love Series: My Best Friend’s Daddy
“Sure, I can take a few. I really want to read this book, though, so if we could be fast…”
“Oh, that is an awesome idea!”
Lauren grabbed the book out of my hand and flipped it from the front cover to the back. I must have looked confused because she quickly explained.
“We could take a few shots of me reading on the beach. I haven’t done that before. Is this one of those books that will make me look smart?”
“Yeah, I guess we could. It’s just a romance novel, I don’t know if your followers will think it makes you smart, but it might make you a little more relatable to some people.”
“Smart people read, Shelby. You, of all people, should know that. Maybe I will stop getting all those mean comments about being stupid. I can caption it ‘steamy reading on the beach.'”
Lauren took her place on the lounge in a very photogenic pose that made her look graceful while still artfully showing off her cleavage. She opened the book and draped it over herself, careful not to block her best assets.
After a few pictures, she would check my work and find the smallest thing she didn’t like and would make me take more.
“Make sure you get the lighting just right and hold the camera up higher for a better angle. Oh, and make sure to get a good view of the ring. I’m hoping someone will notice it, and then my comment section will blow up.”
“Don’t you want to wait until the actual announcement?” I asked.
“Oh, no! I am going to pretend like it is a mistake that I posted a picture with the ring on; that way, it will attract more attention.”
“It’s always about the attention with you,” I said under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Tilt your head up higher, so you don’t have a double chin.”
Lauren gasped and asked to see the pictures I had taken, so she could search for the nonexistent double chin. I felt bad as soon as I said it; I didn’t need to stoop to her level.
After finding out so much about Lauren’s past, I understood why she could be so hard to be around at times. If I had found out my father wasn’t really my father after he passed away, I would have been devastated too.
“I think it was just a shadow, Lauren; you don’t have a double chin in any of these pictures. I don’t think it is even possible for you to have a double chin,” I said, trying to make up for my moment of weakness.
“Of course, you’re right,” Lauren said as she handed her phone back to me. Apparently, we weren’t done taking pictures.
“Maybe we could get a few shots of me in the sand. Those always get a ton of likes.”
Lauren began to position herself on her stomach in the sand with the book open in front of her. She bent her knees, so her legs were in the air, and she bit the end of her sunglasses while she pretended to read.
The pictures looked like they belonged on the cover of a magazine. Lauren looked so natural, even though she was strategically posing herself.
“Lauren, do you ever get tired of this?”
“Of taking pictures? No, not really.”
“Not just of the pictures, but of constantly worrying about what others are thinking of you.”
“That is why I take so many pictures; if you put your best picture out there, the only ones who comment mean things are the people who are jealous.”
“It just seems like so much work to paint yourself as perfect all the time. I guess that is why I stopped using social media so long ago for the most part.”
“For once, things actually are perfect. I have the perfect fiance, and soon I’ll have the perfect wedding too. If you ever want to get back onto social media, I could help you. A lot of guys have a thing for redheads.”
“I’m good for now, but thanks,” I said and resumed taking pictures.
I realized that Lauren likely didn’t know about my past relationship with Todd because I never posted anything about it on social media. If I didn’t tell her, she likely wouldn’t ever know, and I did not want to be the one to break that news to her.
So I kept my mouth shut and kept taking every picture Lauren asked for.
“I think I should have something I can work with from these. Thanks, Shelby, for helping me out. It was so much fun to spend some time with you,” Lauren said and made her way back to the ship without looking back.
It wasn’t exactly my idea of fun to take pictures all afternoon, but I was finally alone, and I could enjoy my book.
I took Lauren’s chaise lounge under the shade of the canopy. Even with the breeze gently fluttering the sheer curtains hanging off the canopy, I was still dripping sweat. I had to stand directly in the sun to get all of the shots until my wet tank top clung to my body.
I checked the beach to make sure it was empty before slipping my shirt off and setting it next to me on the empty lounge chair. I felt so much cooler as the breeze snuck through the gaps of my lacy bralette.
I opened my book and was so thankful for the silence. I got sucked into the story on the pages, so much so that I did not hear the voices approaching until they were only a few feet from me.
“Can you call and make sure the interest rate we discussed earlier is set in stone?”
“Of course, sir.”
I didn’t have time to slip back into my shirt, so I pressed the open book to my chest, taking advantage of the little coverage it offered me.
I looked up to find Michael and Reggie staring at me. Reggie quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks glowing crimson.
Michael stared openly at my body, and when his eyes met mine, I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
***********************************************
*Shelby*
“I am so sorry; we didn’t realize you were out here. We will give you some privacy,” Reggie said as he kept his head down and shuffled through the sand back to the dock.
“We aren’t leaving for a few more hours,” Michael said, holding my gaze as tightly as I was holding the open book to my chest.
“Take your time and enjoy yourself. I will make sure no one comes down and bothers you if you would like to resume reading.”
Michael winked at me and then followed Reggie back to the dock. I watched him as he walked away, his neatly pressed linen button-up fluttering gently in the breeze.
Once he and Reggie were at a safe distance, I grabbed my shirt off of the lounge chair next to me and slipped it over my head.
I let myself fall backward on the plush cushions and closed my eyes, imagining Michael undressing me the way he had done with his eyes when he realized I was wearing nothing save for my bralette.
A wave of heat rushed through me at the thought until I remembered where I was.
I sat up so quickly that I made my head spin. After waiting a few seconds to regain my balance, I placed my book under my arm, and with my head down, I raced back to my room.
As soon as my door clicked closed behind me, I headed for the shower, throwing my clothes to the floor on my way there. I stood for a long time under the cool water.
Eventually, I felt the embarrassment wash down the drain. It took even longer for the heat Michael made me feel to wash away.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I made my way out of the bathroom. I would have loved to sit on the balcony and let the breeze help extinguish what I was feeling, but I figured I had already taken too much risk for one day.
Instinctively, I grabbed my phone off of the bed to text my friends an update.
Shelby: If I could die of embarrassment, you two would be making funeral arrangements as we speak.
Lin: Oooo, is there some daddy drama we need to know about?
Shelby: Ew, don’t call him daddy! But unfortunately, yes. I was just lying on the beach in my lacey bralette, and I had no idea Michael was walking by until it was too late.