The Fluke

17 - Jules

I tried not to make too much of it, Tessa kissing Luke in the kitchen. I lasted about three minutes after dragging Spencer and Gavin outside with the bottle of tequila and then I found myself heading back inside. To torture myself, obviously. At which I was successful because the lovebirds were canoodling and Tessa was giving Luke a massage.

Despite Kage and Luke himself telling me that he is a good guy, Tessa was able to wipe that image away with one bounce onto Luke's lap. They were clearly involved, or at least had some unfinished business, and I'm not about to insert myself between them.

After rushing out of the kitchen for the second time I hurried over to the lounger where I had left my phone. I'm going to excuse myself to the guest house, but before I get the chance an arm is slung across my shoulders.

"So, what should we do with the rest of our day, Sweet Thing?" Gavin asked.

I managed a weak smile and then pulled my sunglasses down to shield my eyes from both the sun and prying eyes.

"Do you have to call her that in front of me?" Spencer glided through the water in the pool toward the edge by our feet.

"I can stick to calling her that behind closed doors, if you'd prefer," Gavin said while dropping his arm to my waist and tightening his grip, pulling me into his side.

"Oh, jeez. C'mon." Spencer pushed off the edge and starts to swim a lap underwater to drown out Gavin's laughter.

I take a deep breath and tried to focus on the peace I'll find when I am finally able to be alone and process everything from this morning.

In a flash and a golden blur Tessa appeared next to us on the pool deck. She looked just as flawless and sexy as she did five minutes ago only now she looked less like a potential friend and more like a potential life ruiner.

The distasteful thought entered my mind before I could stop it and when Tessa smiled gently at me I felt a tinge of guilt. It's not her fault Luke is a meandering womanizer, right?

But still. Tender are the unexpected wounds of heartache and hookups. I averted my eyes from her and glanced down at my feet, suddenly very interested in my need for a pedicure.

"We were just trying to figure out how to spend the day. Any ideas?" Gavin asked Tessa, his grip on me loosening so I take advantage and step away from him toward the pool lounger nearby.

"Actually," she said, "I was hoping to steal Jules for some one-on-one girl time."

"One-on-one girl time, eh?" Gavin waggled his eyebrows.

"Give it a rest for five minutes, would you?" Spencer shouted from across the pool.

Ignoring Gavin completely, Tessa smiled at me again. "What do you think? Do you want to go get our nails done?" She wiggled her bare feet and I noticed she has no polish on her toes either.

"Umm..." I racked my brain, desperate for any excuse not to spend time alone with her.

Before I get a chance to sputter whatever weak excuse I was going to muster, Spencer popped his head out of the water at the edge by our feet again. "That's actually a good idea. Gavin and I wanted to go into town to check out a couple sporting good stores. We can drop you off, hit the stores and come pick you up after a few hours?"

Tessa laughed. "How long do you think a pedicure takes?"

"A few hours." Spencer shrugged.

"Try one, maybe," Tessa said with an eye roll in my direction. "But that sounds good to me. If you guys take longer than we do I'm sure Jules and I can wander the shops until you're done?" Since I was clearly hesitant she posed this as a question.