Page 53 of Pretend You Love Me

“No one else can see us, right?” I call.

“There’s no one for miles,” he says.

“Do you own all this?” I wave around.

“Yes. It’s private.”

Good. The last thing I need is naked pictures of me all over the internet. I’m pretty sure no one knows who I am or that I’m here, but I can’t discount the possibility.

“Do it. Do it,” he chants.

I shake my head. “You’re ridiculous.”

I reach behind me and unhook my bra. I let it fall to the ground, and then I slip out of my panties. He’s not saying anything, and he’s too far away for me to see his facial expression.

I climb down the ladder from the dock. When my feet hit the water, I yell, “Holy-moley, why didn’t you tell me the water is freezing?”

He cackles. “Ginger, you’re in Alaska. What did you expect?”

“But it’s freaking summer.”

“You should feel it in the winter.”

“No thank you,” I say.

He’s swimming my way.

“No touching,” I yell again as I lower most of my body into the water, holding my arm over my head.

“I hadn’t forgotten,” he says as he gets closer.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I whisper.

“Never skinny dipped before?” he asks, as he pushes the raft toward me. I rest my left arm on it.

“Gosh, no.”

“Why don’t you curse?”he asks.

“I do.”

“No, you don’t. You called me a butthead the other day, and I heard you sayheavens to Betsythe other day like you’re ninety years old.”

I laugh. “I didn’t sayheavens to Betsy.”

“You did.”

“Well, sometimes I curse when I’m really, really mad.”

He shoots me a look. “You haven’t been really mad at me yet?”

I laugh and lean more of my weight onto the raft. I know he’s getting an eyeful of my breasts, and I feel like I’d normally be self-conscious, but I’m not. I feel free and relaxed.

“I curse in my head, don’t worry.”

“That’s weird.”

“Is it?” I’d never really given it much thought.