Salvatore [Top Gun: Maverick]

6

  It was weird receiving an email from Maverick saying to meet at the beach before she had her morning coffee. A prank perhaps? Though she doubt that was Maverick's type of humor. She glanced out her window to see, Hangman and Coyote loading some beach chairs into the truck of the car so Stella went to the bathroom to get ready.

  She could use a rest day, especially after last night's events which she was still reeling over. She was unsure if she could even be in the same room as the guy without wanting to die of embarrassment.

  She threw on her only bikini top and some matching bottoms as the thought getting a sun kissed tan excited her. All the long hours at the base and up in the air had prevented her from enjoying the sandy relaxing beaches of Southern California. She tossed a pair of sunglasses, sunblock, a hat, and even a book into her large tote bag before locking up the apparent..

  If the morning couldn't get even more eventful her car had decided not to start. She turned her keys dozens of times but it failed to turn on the dead engine. If she were back home, Stella would've taken the time to actually fix her car but since she was on a time crunch. She should've asked someone to carpool.

  The email said to meet at 9:30 and it was already 9:27. Stella decided to suck it up and call an Uber.

  Her Uber was an old man who kept giving her glances through the rear view mirror. Instinctively she held her bag to cover of the exposed parts of her body. What felt like hours they had arrived to the sandy shore with Stella wasting no time hopping out the car.

Stepping into the sand Stella realized she disliked the beach more then she tricked herself into enjoying it. She hated sand. And she was reminded of that as she struggling to trudge her way through. When Maverick informed the group to meet at the sandy shore, she assumed it would be a day off spent tanning and swimming in the ocean. Instead she was met with a whole lineup of men and women with two footballs place in between.

  The sun beat down on the group, making everyone's tone bodies glimmer. Stella pushed up her sunglasses to avoid being caught staring at the wonderful sight of Bradley Bradshaw's body.

  "You're late Jigsaw," Maverick called as she set her items down.

  "Car wouldn't start," she sighed.

  "Aren't you an engineer?" Hangman, of course, had to mention.

  She bite her tongue to refrain from answering and simply ignored the man.

  Now looking at all the other airmen she realized she hadn't dressed entirely appropriate for the occasion. Yes they were missing their upper body covering but they were dressed in denim shorts. Phoenix had a sports bra on and some spandex. Stella began to feel extremely exposed in her triangle bikini.

  "Someone didn't get the memo," Hangman said with a laugh glancing at Stella.

  "I thought we were having a fun beach day," she muttered her cheeks growing red. She rustled through her bag in search of some coverup but only pulled out a flimsy tie skirt.

  Everyone was now staring at Stella as she was caught in a dilemma. Maverick didn't know what to say without sounding a bit creepy and most of the other airmen didn't want to see Stella coverup. Her cheeks were growing red.

  Then Rooster left his position in the football line up and jogged to where Stella was. He was half naked with his perfectly sculpted abs on display. And those stupid sunglasses perched on his nose. At least Stella could blame the redness spreading over her cheeks on the sun.

  "Here I have a shirt," he said, picking up a blue hawaiian button up from the sand. Even though he was being kind, Stella didn't miss his wandering eyes trailing over her bare skin. She bit her tongue and prayed the goosebumps weren't noticeable.