The small motel room had cracks in the walls and indications of water damage on the popcorn ceiling. Lyla wrinkled her nose. "Smells kinda funky in here."

"The bathroom's worse," Darcy giggled. She emerged wearing a leopard print bikini and mules. "You like the shoes?" She pointed her toes.

She dodged the question when someone knocked on the door. Darcy opened it to find a cute guy dressed in a bathing suit and flip-flops, his arms covered in tats. The image of tattoos gave Lyla a jolt.

The cute guy peered over the top of his sunglasses at Darcy. "Hey, neighbor. Is she okay?" He handed a beer to Darcy.

"She's just jumpy." She cracked the top and took a drink. "She's on the run from the Russian mafia. Of course, now that you know, we'll have to kill you."

"I want my beer back." He grinned.

She held it away from him with an outstretched arm.

"So, Natasha," he said to Lyla. "You wanna beer?"

"Da."

When he tossed one to her, the wet can slipped through her hands and landed on the bed.

"Natural athlete." Darcy teased and wiped the foam from her upper lip.

"The sign says no pets." He sipped his beer.

Darcy looked at her friend and shrugged.

"Open your curtains," he said.

Lyla separated the curtains to discover a large blackbird perched on the windowsill, tapping its beak aggressively against the glass.

"That is definitely not a seagull," he said.

"Shoo!" Darcy waved her hands.

The bird stared at Lyla. The guy swatted at the bird with his beach towel. It cawed loudly and flew away.

"Thanks." Darcy smiled flirtatiously and took another drink of beer.

.....................................................................................

That afternoon, Lyla and Darcy claimed a spot on the beach where they put down their towels and bags.

"Let's go for a run," said Lyla as she nested her sunglasses in her hair.

Darcy sprayed herself with suntan lotion, most of which blew away in the sea breeze. "How about you go for a run and I'll stay here with the towels?"

Lyla kicked off her flip-flops and started down the shoreline. She loved the feeling of her feet in the wet sand leaving temporary imprints before the curtains of surf washed them away. SPLAT, SPLAT, SPLAT. She ran along the water's edge, seafoam occasionally lapping at her ankles. She turned at the jetty and jogged back, looking for her friend.

Darcy watched two college guys throwing a football. She didn't even notice her friend returning.

Lyla panted. "You ready to go in?"

"Not yet."

She tugged Darcy's freckled arm. "Come on."

"I just put on sunscreen."

"Don't make me drag you in."

Darcy reluctantly complied, all the while ogling the guys. When the first waves crashed against their legs, the girls screamed.

"Oh, my God!" Darcy's teeth chattered. "It's so cold."

"Don't be such an old woman," Lyla said and dove into the next wave. She popped up and wiped the saltwater from her eyes.

Darcy had retreated to shore.

Lyla waved to her friend. "Get your skinny butt in here!"

Darcy shook her head.

Lyla noticed Jack and Carissa strolling in her direction, arm in arm. She couldn't take her eyes off of Jack's tanned, toned body. He looked like an athlete who'd been sculpted in milk chocolate.

Carissa turned heads in a black thong that showed off her shapely figure and insanely long legs. Her supermodel body was sleek and tight. She'd pulled her thick blonde hair into a high ponytail, which she swung back and forth with exaggerated head movements.

"Get over yourself," Lyla muttered. She'd made the mistake of turning her back to the ocean.

Darcy's voice snapped her out of her trance. "Look ouuuuuut!" she shouted.

CRASH! An enormous wave crushed Lyla and ripped off her bikini top in the process. She crossed her arms over her chest and ducked down into the water.

Carissa cracked up, Jack couldn't help but chuckle.

Neck-deep in the frigid, salty water, Lyla searched frantically for her turquoise top. Darcy fished it out of the surf and tossed it to her humiliated friend. She feverishly worked the top back into position and tied it as best she could.

Two of Carissa's cheerleader fangirls, Nicole and Emily, and their boyfriends offered sarcastic applause to her as Lyla trudged out of the water, looking like a drowned collie. She kept her head down on the way to her towel as guys hooted.

Noah, a loud-mouth heavyset kid that she recognized from the football team, clapped loudly."Hey, Lyla!" he hollered. "I got bigger boobs than you." His friends laughed and jeered.

"Forget them," said Darcy. "They're just a bunch of--"

"I'm going up to the pool," Lyla grumbled. She wrapped the towel around her waist, shouldered her bag, and hiked back across the hot sand.