Chapter 4: Choose Brains Over Looks

Schuyler

"I'm sorry; it's been bugging me." I interrupt their teasing and motion in Dallas's direction to the guys flanking her. "I know your names are Rich and Garret, but I don't know which of you is which."

Laughter fills the air. My diversion works. In my periphery, I notice Calvin looking down, a smirk upon his face.

The blonde stands and extends his hand to me, his blue eyes meeting mine. "I'm Rich; I'm taller and better looking than Garret."

"Dude, you're the same height," Joe jeers from across the group.

"You'll have to excuse Rich; his golden locks are an attempt to make up for his deficit in the brains department. I'm Garret." The man to Dallas’s left stands, offering me his hand.

Dallas can't peel her eyes from him which leads me to believe she's choosing him over Rich. It's for the best. Two blondes would be much too perfect together.

"Rich-blonde, Garret-brains," I chant repeatedly after shaking Garret’s hand.

"Hey! I'm more than just my brains," Garret protests, pouting and crossing his arms.

"I'll choose brains over looks any day," I confess.

"Then, Calvin is your man," his three friends say almost in unison.

Crud! That backfired. Now, they are picking on Calvin again. I decide if they plan to constantly tease Calvin that I'll jump on the bandwagon.

"I know some women go for the whole tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, Nordic look.” I motion to Rich. “Your recessive genes are no match for my dominant ones, though," I state in jest.

"Oh, snap," Joe taunts, laughing.

"How so?" Rich counters.

"Brown eyes beat blue. Dark hair beats blonde," I explain until Dallas interrupts me.

"Schuyler would also annihilate you on the volleyball court," she brags, winking at me.

I glare at my friend. She knows my volleyball days ended with my car wreck. Please, don't let him challenge me. Dallas grins proudly back at me, unaffected by my glare.

"So, what are we talking about here?" Garret inquires. "High school volleyball or college?"

"College," Dallas answers on my behalf.

Why can't she keep her mouth shut? She's been with me every step of the way in my recovery. She knows I can't play anymore.

"Really?" Calvin quietly asks by my side.

I give him a faint nod, grinding my teeth and glaring at Dallas.

"You're too much for me," Rich admits, throwing his palms out in front of him and resuming his seat.

"I don't play anymore," I murmur.

All eyes on me, I drop mine toward the sand below our feet. Although they've only just met me, they understand my need to drop the topic.

"What time are the bridesmaids arriving tomorrow?" Rich asks Drew.

"They'll all be here by lunch," Drew answers from her perch on Joe's lap. "We'll eat lunch with you men before we meet with the wedding planner. Then, we’ll enjoy our mani-pedis in the spa."

"But, you'll join us for dinner, right?" Joe asks his fiancé.

Drew nods, and Joe places his hands on the back of her head, pulling her in for a slow, passionate kiss. I turn away, not wanting to intrude on their moment, to find Calvin looking my way. His mouth curves up at the corners. I can't help the smile that slides upon my face, too.

Nervous, I decide I should excuse myself to the restroom. I stand, and Calvin follows me–I'm acutely aware of his presence. My skin prickles, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand. At a dead-end, I freeze. Calvin fails to stop in time. His hard body collides with mine, causing me to gasp as a flicker of electricity zings through my body at his touch.

He places his strong hands on my upper arms. "I'm sorry," he murmurs near my ear.

I stand, frozen––my body won't move as my heart and mind run a mile a minute.

"I thought the restroom was back here," I explain finally as I step away from his grasp, turning to face him. My cheeks burn.

"I needed a break. They can be a bit much at times," Calvin confesses. "I saw a sign for the bathroom on the other side of the bar, though," he adds helpfully.

"Thanks," I whisper, unable to find my voice.

"I'll walk with you," he offers.

"You don't have to."

"I know. I want to," he smirks.

The brown flecks in his hazel eyes seem to dance as the corner of his eyes crinkle. He's handsome, but when he smiles, he's as hot as the sun. I have to look away. His hand lightly touches my forearm as he guides me toward the restrooms.

Though his fingertips barely make contact with my skin, I feel faint pulses of electrical current like my electric blanket makes. It’s almost like sticking your tongue to the metal of a 9-volt battery. Only this pulsing zing is everywhere all at once. My every cell is alive and alert, wanting more.

"Here we are," Calvin's voice announces, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Thanks." I pause before entering. When he doesn't walk away, I'm not sure what to do. "You don't need to wait. I can find my way back to the group on my own."

Calvin shakes his head as if he's trying to get rid of the cobwebs in his brain. Does he feel what I feel? Is he distracted by me like I am by him?

"I know," he states. "I'm just not ready to return."

As I enter the bathroom, my thoughts are on the man outside. He seems social and engages with his friends, so why does he need a break? Did something upset him? Washing my hands, I take in my reflection in the mirror. There’s something about Calvin that draws me to him; I just can't put my finger on it.

I find Calvin standing right where I left him. His hands are in the front pockets of his shorts, and he's looking through the window at the sun setting over the waves crashing onto the beach.

"Great view," I state, leaning against the stone wall. "It'd be nice to have this view every evening."

"Sure would," he concurs, joining me. "I'm not sure Rich will recover from your rejection," he adds after a few silent moments. He pulls his eyes to look my way. Aware of his gaze on me, I continue looking at the beach. "It wasn't so much a rejection as it was teasing him for teasing you." I bite my lip; perhaps I revealed too much.

"He's used to girls fawning over him. With your teasing and Dallas directing her attention to Garret, the poor guy's ego is taking a major hit this evening."

I pull my eyes from the peaceful view. His tongue sits on his lower lip, and his eyes map my face. I fidget under his stare.

"We need to get back," I suggest, not wanting to separate from Dallas on our first night at the resort.

"They haven't noticed we're gone, or they'd be hunting for us." As he speaks, he walks beside me.

When we round the corner, all eyes from the group look our way. So much for no one noticing. Dallas beams at me. I'm sure she thinks Calvin and I were making out. This will only fuel her desire to get me laid this week. I roll my eyes at her as I take my seat.

"The next round of drinks will be here soon," Calvin informs the group as he slides back into the seat next to mine. He apparently took a detour to the bar.

"Excuse me," Drew says, rising from her fiancé's lap. "I need to go to the ladies' room."

"It's right over there, around the corner," I offer, in hopes they all believe I was in the bathroom while Calvin was ordering drinks.

The rest of the night flies by, and conversation flows easily. After a long walk along the beach, I'm tired from our travels today and need to relax in my room.

"I think I need to call it a night," I announce to the group as we stand on the beach, just out of reach of the water crawling up the sand.

Dallas leans into Garret before walking to my side. "I'm going to hang for a while longer," she tells me in a hushed tone.

I nod. I'm not surprised; she's been flirting incessantly with him all night. I'm not sure what their room situation is, but even in our spacious bungalow, it's not large enough that I won't hear any interactions happening in her room. I hope she doesn't bring him back tonight; I desperately need sleep.