𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 |𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐊𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐙| 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃

𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑰𝑺 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬?

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

"Cain!" I hollered over the music. "You're blocking my sun!" We were on a catamaran for the day. It was basically a booze cruise and I was laying on the bow net soaking up some sun.
     
"This seat taken?"
     
He sat down. "It is now." Cain chuckled, handing me a frozen margarita.
     
"Thanks."
     
"No problem."
     
"What are you doing over here? There're topless girls everywhere, you should be motorboating hoes. Kinda like Ashton and Sawyer are right now."
     
"Eh, child's play."
     
I laughed, "Since when?"
     
"Do you find it that hard to believe I like talking to you?"
     
"Hmm... I don't know what I think but since you're here." I handed him tanning oil. "Make yourself useful." He, grinned putting his dimples prominently on display. His jaw was clenched and there was a gleam in his eyes like he was amused with my banter.
     
"You're using me? So soon?"
     
I smirked, untying my top while I was still laying on my stomach. "Do your best."
     
As soon as his hands were on my shoulders, I inadvertently moaned, "Damn, that feels good." "I aim to please."
    
"So you've said."
     
He smiled, his straight white teeth shining with the glare of the sun.
    
"What do you want, Cain?"
    
"Can't a guy just say hello to his friend?"
     
"We're friends now? When did that happen? I don't even like you that much."
     
"After all these years?" He held his hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture. "That really hurts, Johanna""
      "You're so full of it." I couldn't help but smile. "So this is how it works, huh? I don't know if I should be offended or flattered that you're hitting on me."
     
"I'm not hitting on you. I just have this magnetic pull about me. Trust me, it's a blessing and a curse." I rolled my eyes.
     
He chuckled, a throaty sound escaping his lips. "Where's Tom?"
     
"He went snorkeling with some chick."
     
"Do you uh... you know... ever get jealous?"
    
"Of what? Tom and his latest conquests?"
    
"Yeah."
   
"No. I mean Tom's been chasing pussy since we learned how to walk. It's part of his personality."
     
"So, you're telling me if he walked up to you and confessed his undying love for you, you'd turn him down?"
     
"It's not like that between us. We're just best friends."
     
"He's seen you naked."
     
"When we were three!" I shook my head. "What is it with you guys and the constant badgering lately about us being more than we are to each other?"
     
"You do realize that every girl he's ever dated has had a problem with your friendship, right?"
     
"Dating is a term I'd use loosely with Tom."
     
"He literally drops anyone and anything for you. Including us."
     
"Bullshit."
     
"Johanna! You're blind if you don't see it." I rolled my eyes again.
    
"Fine. Let me elaborate... how many times has he left his date for you?"
     
"I needed him. I've had bad break-ups."

"How many times has he gone straight to your house after those said dates?"
     
"We were neighbors."
     
"What about the last four years of college?"
     
"I have my own place, he goes there for privacy from his parents."
     
"His parents who live on the other side of their property because Tom is always in the cabin... you mean those parents?"
    
"You're blowing things out of proportion."
     
"How many times has he ditched us to hang out with you?"
     
"I can't help that I'm more entertaining than you guys."
     
"How many times have you crashed boy's night because Tom wants you there?"
     
"I help him get laid, of course he wants me there."
     
"He beat up your last boyfriend."
     
"He cheated on me."
     
"Wow. You really are in denial. Tom would do anything for you. If that's not love, then I don't know what is."

"See, I know he loves me, I love him too but we're not in love with each other, Cain. That's the difference. I know you don't understand that because you don't know the meaning of the word."
     
"Yeah? Then answer this one, Johanna. Why are you the only girl he looks in the eyes?"
     
"What?"
     
"You heard me."
     
"I did, but I don't speak dumbass so..."
     
"Any other girl, it's her ass or her tits. Never in the eyes. Ever. Even when they're talking right to him. You're the only chick he's ever given his complete attention to when you're speaking."

     
"That's because I'm not a bimbo and we both know that's Tom's type."
     
"Yeah... the exact opposite of you," he mocked. "I wonder why?"
     
"You're supposed to be rubbing my back, not being a pain in my ass."
     
"Well." He glanced behind him. "You do have a nice ass." I nodded. "That I do."
     
He smiled. "You have an answer for everything, don't you, Miss Johanna?"
     
"Yup."
     
"That's all right. Because one day, you're gonna look at Tom, really look at him, and realize you've never been just best friends and I'm going to say I told you so."
     
"Whatever. Since you've got everyone else all figured out, Sherlock, what is your life plan?"
     
"Yes. Unlike you oblivious idiots, I know exactly what I wanna do."
    
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
     
"You're looking at it."
      "You mean you're finally going to charge for sex? Considering how much sex you do have, that's actually a smart life choice."
     
"Cute."
     
I smirked. "So what's your big masterplan?"
     
"I told you, you're looking at it. Laying on it."
     
I gazed around. "You mean the boat? You want to own a catamaran?" "Something like that. I want to open a business that caters to selling the dream."
     
"Selling the dream? What do you mean? What dream?"
     
"Love."
     
"Come again?"
     
"I mean take a look around, Johanna. What do you see?"
     
"Ummm, people?"
     
"No. You see people hooking up, you see couples reconnecting, you see the dream of love. It's been on this island the entire

time we've been here. Why? Because everyone is on vacation and they're here to escape from one thing or another.
     
"Okay... so what does that have to do with you?"
    
"I want to sell the dream, have couples who need to reconnect on my catamaran. I can do this. I can cater to a couple for a week or two. Take them offshore to go fishing while the wives do exactly what you are right now, drinking like a fish and laying out in the sun as their big strong husbands catch their dinner. Then they can have moonlight dinners, they can dance under the stars. You know, sell the dream."
     
"Wow, you've really given this a lot of thought."
     
"I'm a psych major like you. I know a lot about the human mind."

It was true, over the last four years Cain and I had a couple of classes together. He was smart, perceptive, involved in class discussions, and from what I could tell he received good grades.

Suddenly, he stared straight into my eyes and said, "I don't believe in love, but I want to sell what my parents never had. A relationship, a connection, a desire to please one another. I'm going to sell the dream, even though I don't believe in it."
     
      This whole conversation almost knocked me on my ass.