Chapter Thirteen
We powered along, giving a wide berth to all the other boats that were littered throughout the lake.
Once we were clear of them, Toby floored it, jerking us backward and causing Ellie and I to hang on for dear life. The thrill of the surge and the power of Stan's boat was exhilarating. It was fast; very fast. I looked at Ellie, who mirrored my own gleeful smile, as we set across the never-ending stretch of water, the wind spray of the water cooling my face.
"Faster!" Ellie yelled.
Toby leant sideways, struggling to hear. "Faster?"
"Yes, faster!" we screamed.
Toby accelerated before the words were fully out of our mouths, and we hung on with white-knuckled intensity. I dipped my head to prevent my eyes from watering. Sean and Toby were laughing as they looked back to check on us (probably to make sure we were still onboard).
All too soon, Toby lowered the throttle, slowing the boat down as we reached our destination. We were on the opposite side of town, and I could see just offshore the very place I had been limping along earlier in the week.
As if it triggered a memory in Toby, too, he turned to me. "How's the knee?"
It was now only an embarrassing pink mark and looked far less fatal. I tried to bend my knee away from his eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing."
"What's this?" Sean's ears pricked up.
"Nothing," Toby quickly changed the subject. "Help me with this, Sean." He concentrated on something complicated on the control panel.
I guessed that Toby didn't stop for an iced chocolate with Sean after dropping me home. Didn't tell him all about his afternoon and how he rescued me, fixed me up. Didn't exchange smiles and laugh at each other's jokes.
I guess that's not really a guy thing to do.
Sean obviously didn't know what Toby was referring to. It seemed his knight-in-shining-armour rescue apparently wasn't anything worth mentioning to his mates, unlike my analysed play-by-play and detailed breakdown of events with Ellie.
I knew boys were different, less analytical, less emotional than girls (I mean I had done the survey in Cosmo, so I was kind of an expert), but I wondered if Toby would look as disappointed as Stan did when he broke it to Ellie about not being able to make it today. And then I scoffed at the thought; why would he? He had a girlfriend, he was probably disappointed about Angela not being here. Wake up, Tess!
"Time to shine, Tess," Ellie whispered to me.
She scooted out of her denim cut-offs and peeled off her top, revealing a black bathing suit that exposed her flat stomach. Her suit was linked together by large rings along her sides, giving it the illusion of a one piece. Sean looked up from the logbook he and Toby were leaning over.
He smirked. "You girls must get the most unfortunate tan lines."
Ellie laughed as she adjusted the gold links. They really would leave unusual whites circles on her skin.
She looked at me expectantly.
"Where are the tunes you boys are so famous for?" Ellie asked. She stretched her long arms above her head, tying her hair up in a messy ponytail that always somehow managed to look good.
I took a deep breath. Here we go. I chucked my thongs off, trying not to think too much as I crossed my arms and peeled my dress upward, over my head. Thank God for all the times Ellie and I sunbaked in our backyards, turning every couple of minutes like rotisserie chickens, and the only time I ever exposed my midsection. One thing I wasn't bashful about was my ability to tan a sweet, golden brown colour. It was the best thing about summer: my hair lightened and my skin darkened. And at this very moment, my darkened skin was exposed to two new sets of eyes that trailed over my attire - or lack thereof. I quickly glanced away, embarrassed, as Toby and Sean's eyes lingered at my chest.
Oh my God, Toby was looking at my boobs.
Toby coughed and tried to find something on the boat to occupy his attention. Sean's brows raised, and he glanced at Toby with a not-too-subtle smile. Ellie looked triumphant, smiling, twirling her hair around her finger. I only prayed she wouldn't embarrass me further by giving me a thumbs up.
I pretended not to notice when Toby's eyes betrayed him, when his gaze strayed back towards me in a long, assessing look. He wasn't wearing sunnies either, so there was no hiding it. But he wasn't smiling like Sean had been; he seemed uncomfortable with it. With me.
I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Mission accomplished: I had gained his attention, yes, but I wasn't sure it was in a good way.
Ellie was working on sunscreening her nose and cheeks, slathering it over her neck and shoulders.
"Tess, can you do my back?"
I squirted the lotion onto my hands and rubbed it vigorously into her skin like I had done a million times before.
Ellie threw the sunscreen over to the boys, landing at Sean's feet. "That sun's got a bite in it."
They looked at the bottle, then uneasily at each other.
"Sorry, mate, but I am not lathering you up," Sean said to Toby.
"Likewise." Toby frowned.
Ellie rolled her eyes. "Honestly, what big babies! Here ?" Ellie snatched the bottle off the deck and squirted some lotion on her hand as she approached Sean. Oh, she was good. "Turn around," she said, in a no-nonsense way.
Sean even looked taken aback. "Yes ma'am." He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on top of his bag.
Now it was our turn to try not to stare, and judging from the smile that crept onto his lips, he totally knew it. His broad muscular shoulders were something to behold on his six-foot-three-inch frame. A chiseled six-pack, I didn't even know guys in Onslow were built like that. He cast a wicked grin at us as he turned around to expose the taut curves of his smooth back. All of a sudden I was envious of the task Ellie had before her. Even Ellie, who was no stranger to the ways of skin on skin, seemed to pause and showed a moment of fluster. I tried not to smile. Was she blushing? She shook off her moment of weakness, placing it in that locked cage of hers, and rubbed the lotion onto his shoulders.
Sean stretched his neck and leaned forward a little.
"A bloke could get used to this. So what do they recommend? Application every hour?"
"Every four," Toby corrected, as he peeled his own shirt off and walked over to stand directly in front of me. I stood frozen with sunscreen-covered hands.
He gave me a small smile and said, "Be gentle with me," before turning his back to me.
I had so enjoyed Ellie's moment of unease. Not so much fun when it was me. The only difference was, unlike Ellie, as I studied the lean bronzed lines of his shoulder blades, I didn't have the skill to tamper down my awkwardness. Ellie threw over the sunscreen, which I dropped. Twice.
Toby flinched as I touched the middle of his back with my lotioned hand. I paused momentarily, and watched him relax before starting again. I started to rub it in until the whiteness disappeared, and it blended into his deep brown skin. His back was so smooth. Whenever I applied lotion onto Ellie, I did it with a slip, slop, slap and all done! She would always ask if it was rubbed in properly, and I usually lied and told her yes, even though it never was. I hated having sunscreen on my hands and just wanted to get it over and done with.
But in this instance I wanted it to last forever. I was slowly working in the lotion, sweeping circular motions, as I became more at ease with touching him. When I glanced at Toby's profile, I saw his eyes were shut, his expression serene. By this point, Sean was smearing his face with sunscreen and rubbing it over his chest, arms and legs as Ellie looked dreamily on. All too soon every last drop had been absorbed into Toby's skin and my job was done.
I coughed, and said, "Good to go."
I held up the tube to Ellie, miming for her to do mine, but she just shrugged and cringed, showing me her hands.
"Aw, Tess, I just wiped them clean."
I glared at her. "I'm sure that ?"
"I'll do it," Sean and Toby said in unison.
Ellie smiled broadly. Her smug smile spoke for her.
'Aren't you glad you wore the bikini?'
Sean and Toby looked at each other, surprised. Motioning to Toby, Sean swept his hand in my direction as if to say, 'After you', and now Toby was the one that looked out of sorts.
"You have to make sure she gets covered well, Toby; Tess burns easily," Ellie said.
It was an utter lie, which I made obvious when I glared at her. She dipped her sunnies down her nose to give me a wink before she pushed them back in place and leaned back on her towel in the sunbaking position.
With a subtle, deep breath, I turned around and Toby placed his hands gingerly on my back. I could feel his breath on my neck and my body swayed with each hypnotic caress. I fought not to let out a moan as he massaged the sunscreen into my muscles. It felt so intimate. I blinked with surprise as he dabbed sunscreen on the top of my ears.
"Oh, I forgot to do yours." I spun around.
His eyes went to my hands and a look flashed across his face, a look I had seen before, the night in the poolroom when he shook my hand.
"What?"
A crooked smile formed as he shook his head. "Nothing."
"What was that look for?" I pressed.
Toby grabbed my wrist and brought my hand up towards him, turning it from side to side in deep scrutiny.
"Your hands are tiny," he said.
"Shut up, no they're not. Thanks a bunch, I'll make sure to sign up for the freak show next time the circus is in town, shall I?"
A crease formed on his brow; he looked annoyed.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing." He grabbed my other wrist and turned my hands over so my palms faced the sky. He smiled slowly; my skin tingled under his fingertips.
"So dainty." He looked at me now.
"Dainty?" I repeated.
"Yep." He held his hand up in front of me and motioned for me to do the same. I placed my hand against his. The tips of my fingers only touched the top crease of his, he bent the tops of them as if to prove a point. I mock-glared at him.
"Don't be fooled," I said, "they pack a mean punch."
"I'm sure they could. At the right angle, they could slip between my ribs."
"They are not that small."
"What were you saying about the circus?" he teased.
I went to hit him with my freakishly tiny hands, but he grabbed my wrist, too quick.
"Oh, you're fast," he said, fingers locked around my wrist as I tried to pull it free. He grinned. "But I'm faster."
I struggled to break free from his vice-like grip.
"Tobias, didn't your mum teach you to play nicely?" Sean said dryly as he and Ellie watched on.
It was a Mexican standoff now; Toby didn't want to let me go in case I lashed out.
"Truce?" he offered, watching me suspiciously.
I smiled sweetly. "Truce."
He slowly let me go, and I calmly placed my hands by my sides. He seemed to relax, thinking it was over. I moved to brush past him and, with his back to me, slowly picked up the sunscreen. I silently pointed and squirted a stream right across his shoulders. He froze and slowly half turned towards me. I covered my mouth trying to contain my laughter.
He gaped at me, like he couldn't believe what I had done.
"Oops!" I said. "My dainty hands slipped."
He nodded as if all was fair in love and war. He went to reach for a towel but he faked out and instead lunged for me. I screamed, darting over the side benches and trying to escape him. I jumped behind Sean.
"Save me, Sean!"
Sean stood firm like a fortress protecting his people, until of course I realised his people was Toby. And I learned a very valuable lesson as Sean shrugged, as if to say 'What's a fella to do?'
Toby stepped by him and grabbed me.
"How could you?" I cried at Sean in over-exaggerated horror.
Sean held up his hands. "Sorry, my sweet, brothers in arms."
Toby flipped me over his shoulder, my legs flailed and screams echoed across the ranges.
"Toby, put me down!"
"It's been nice knowing you, Tess." He walked me over to the edge of the boat.
I couldn't catch my breath for my own hysteria, it was like getting tickled to the point of madness; he eventually propped me down on the boat ledge. I was leaning precariously backwards, Toby the only thing keeping me from tumbling over the edge: his stomach pressed up against my legs, holding my upper arms.
"Don't you dare!"
His smile was wide and wicked, exposing all his bright white teeth.
He slowly pulled me towards him and leaned his head to the side. My ear tickled, his lips brushing against them as he whispered.
"Tess?" His voice was low and seductive. I was hypnotised by his proximity, his deep brown eyes. I couldn't form words, I just held my breath.
The corners of his lips lifted into a curve. "I'm sorry." And with that, he let go and I plunged backwards into the ice cold lake water.