Page 19 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
It was a boomerang conversation, going from inane topics to heavy ones in an instant.
Candace talked about wanting to get away from her uncle’s controlling tendencies and gave a lecture about building a diversified investment portfolio.
She surprised Daisy when she made a reference to a show it turned out they both loved.
They proceeded to make a series of inside jokes in mock-imitations of the four-fingered, yellow cartoon characters.
Daisy came as close as she could to admitting that she’d been struggling. The weight of it all as she talked about it, the pressure she couldn’t escape, seemed to shrink as Candace’s hand found hers in the darkness.
Eventually, their talk reached a natural lull. It was like coming up after a long dive. They spoke for so long, Daisy forgot all about the fireworks. The party, the other people, were background noise. She was here for Candace, and Candace…
“I’m glad you came tonight. I’m moving right after graduation, so I wasn’t sure I’d see you again before I left.”
Inside her chest, Daisy’s heart performed wild somersaults. What could she say to that? A grand revelation that was as glorious as it was disappointing. Candace wanted to see Daisy, but she would be gone soon. Was there a way to make this moment last forever?
“I’m here,” Daisy whispered, almost to herself. “What were you hoping would happen if I came?”
The sand shifted. Shadow swallowed Daisy as Candace’s form moved over her. Then, atop her lips, she felt a subtle, soft press.
Candace’s lips.
It was Daisy’s first kiss. She felt herself lift up, catapulting into a stratosphere of sensation she’d only dreamed of, while her toes curled into the cool sand to keep grounded. It was a vain effort.
The kiss lasted all but a few seconds before Candace pulled away. But it happened. She wanted to know Daisy in that way. Not only was she interested in women, she was interested in her .
Breathlessly, and so adorably unsure, Candace asked, “Was that okay?”
“I dunno… We’ll have to try again.”
Nervous, giddy laughter escaped them both. A beat passed, a mutual intake of bated breath. Then, their lips collided.
It was awkward and unrefined. More fumble than finesse, as they tested each other’s bounds with clipped kisses and tentative touches. Yet, before long, they eased into a rhythm, soft and swaying like reeds in the wind.
Candace relaxed over Daisy as they both sank against the dune.
The grit of the sand, the annoying places it slipped into, was a distant afterthought compared to the yielding press of flesh.
Daisy never knew how warm it would feel to be held like this, how goosebumps would rain over her skin with every needful shift.
The first slip of Candace’s tongue along Daisy’s lower lip caught her off guard.
Daisy was ready for the second, and she met Candace’s tongue with her own.
Sweet saliva tinged by mystery alcohol swept her on a journey of forbidden taste.
She was not sure if the moan came from her throat or Candace’s, but she was unable to stop herself from adding another.
—followed by a gasp as fingers slipped under Daisy’s tank top collar and moulded around her breast. Breaking their lips, Candace asked Daisy in a hot puff of breath, “Do you want to slow down?”
“Fuck no!”
Daisy did not want to waste a single moment.
She found Candace in the darkness. The pulsating thigh that her fingers grazed against was a drum beat urging her on.
She ghosted her fingers from that low point, up and up, until she reached the miniskirt’s hem.
As Candace kissed her again, Daisy took it as permission to go further.
She did not want to overthink, or worry, or wonder. She wanted to know Candace, too.
However, the side she saw next was the worst part.
Being with Candace Perry should have elated Daisy.
It should have made her belly flop, and her heart flutter.
Instead, before she could enjoy any of those sweet sensations, an explosion rumbled the air.
As the fireworks burst into bright, beautiful colors, sparks rained down below.
Sparks that illuminated the bonfire attendees, Daisy and Candace included.
Over the crowd’s general “oohs” and “ahs,” a shrill voice cut above them.
“ Oh my GAWD. Is Bagel Girl trying to kiss Candy Perry?!”
It was impossible to tell who said the words as a wave of eyes turned to Daisy and Candace on the dune. So many eyes. Fellow students, teachers, and even Candace’s own Uncle Perry watched the pair like they were on a stage.
Daisy did not look at them. Her attention was locked on Candace, who sprang up so fast you’d never think she was the one who made the first move. Successive fireworks showed flashes of emotion over the girl’s face like photographs as she looked down at Daisy.
Embarrassment.
The lingering flush of lust .
Fear.
And total, gut-wrenching sorrow.
Yet, with the crowd looking on, it was like she became a different person. Tossing her hair back, she boasted, “Can you blame her? Who wouldn’t want a piece of me?”
Daisy stammered under her breath, “But you… I—”
“It was brave of you to make a pass, but I told you, I’m not that kind of girl.”
“Yeah,” some Pier Princess defender jibed, “keep dreaming, lesbo.”
Then, they laughed. Candace joined in, laughing along with her friends and both of their schools, while Daisy felt like she was sinking into oblivion.
It was only thanks to the finale, and all its glorious, attention-grabbing glory, that Daisy was able to escape. Scrambling through the sand, she stumbled up and away from the beach as fast as her shaking legs would carry her.
Where she got was here: Lonely. Directionless. And, worst of all, right back where she started, sitting next to the person who hurt her most.
Daisy shook her head to clear the past. The nature center and the simulated waves that lapped against the sides of Horace’s enclosure helped to ground her.
“You know why I don’t like social media?
” Without waiting for a response, Daisy explained, “I was outed to my whole school. Hell, the whole island found out. They harassed me for years for trying to get with the Pier Princess. It was humiliating, and I just had to take it. You, though… You got to fuck off to New York like it never happened. So, Candace… If you were me, would you want anything to do with you?”