June has only one more summer before she marries her high school sweetheart. She intends to make the most of it, but she has no idea what is waiting for her in Dolphin Coast. Socks on the Beach is a tale of steamy love, jaw-dropping heartbreak, and...
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Sam tried to warn me, but over the course of Monday to Saturday I'd become quadrupedal and grown a long, furry tail.
Eight-to-five I napped on my bed (handjob futon), stared at 'Alex' (the iguana), finished my kibble (Cap'N Crunch), and read Jane Austen.
Okay, maybe I'm a little different from a dog...
But when I heard that front door creak open, it changed my perspective on canines forever. If I hadn't been specifically asked not to in a language that I understood, I would've been barking my head off! Seriously, it was the most exciting moment of my day.
Especially since I thought I'd be spending the week with Dean, but he'd left town in a hurry Tuesday night. He said something came up and he'd explain later, but I hadn't heard from him which wasn't too unusual for our dynamic. Our contact was intimate but sporadic.
Friday night Sam and I stayed in, eating takeout fried rice from the box, high out of our minds and binge-watching cheesy rom-coms in our pajamas. I tried my best not to feel like I'd replaced Pearl.
"Hey, Sam?" I asked and she hummed, her mouth full. "What do you think of everything going on... like with me? You haven't really given me your opinion."
Sam paused until she swallowed. Her umber-toned skin absorbed the light of the television, casting a flickering array of reds and blues and yellows across her cheeks and nose. She was cinematic.
"The only person who is gonna have to live with your decisions is you, and I don't want to influence you; just tell you how I see it. I think that you and Dean are a ticking time bomb, if I'm being honest..." She readjusted in her seat, pulling up her paw-printed pajama bottoms.
"But that's besides the point. You only get one life, and for a girl who read all of Jane Austen's published novels in a single work-week, you sure do like to pretend that you're not a romantic. And that you're not as smart as you are. This... life can't be enough for you. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think we both need to cut down on the weed."
Nope, not happening. Not yet. Not now.
Sam's eyes met mine.
"I think I can make it work with Dean. I know it sounds crazy but I've had years to think about this. Thank you for telling me the truth though," I replied, picking at an individual grain of fried rice with my fork and ignoring the rest of her answer.
Even though doing so brought me shame, I wasn't ready to admit that she was right.
"Of course."
"Hey Sam?" I asked again and she hummed again. "What do I need to know going into my first trip tomorrow?"
She set her takeout box on the sticker-covered glass coffee table, balancing the gigantic spoon that she'd selected for 'efficiency reasons' across the opening. Alex's UV light clicked off, and I knew by then that meant it was nine.
