Sue felt a blush creep up her neck. She should be annoyed, her peace shattered. But what she felt instead was a jolt of pure, unadulterated awareness. The way they looked at her wasn't leering or crude. It was. appreciative. A slow, thorough inventory that felt less like an invasion and more like a discovery. The athletic one, Tyrone, she would later learn he was called, had a calm, assessing quality.
His eyes, even from a distance, seemed to hold a quiet intensity. It was the other one, Darius, who broke the spell. A slow, brilliant smile spread across his face, and he started walking towards her, his friend following a few paces behind."Sorry, " Darius said as he approached, his voice as smooth and warm as she'd imagined. "We didn't mean to disturb your peace." He stopped a respectful ten feet away, a perfect gentleman.
"But honestly, we couldn't not say hello."Sue sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees in a gesture that was half-defensive, half an attempt to appear casual. "It's a public beach, " she said, her voice a little husky from disuse.
Sue felt a blush creep up her neck. She should be annoyed, her peace shattered. But what she felt instead was a jolt of pure, unadulterated awareness. The way they looked at her wasn't leering or crude. It was. appreciative. A slow, thorough inventory that felt less like an invasion and more like a discovery. The athletic one, Tyrone, she would later learn he was called, had a calm, assessing quality.
His eyes, even from a distance, seemed to hold a quiet intensity. It was the other one, Darius, who broke the spell. A slow, brilliant smile spread across his face, and he started walking towards her, his friend following a few paces behind."Sorry, " Darius said as he approached, his voice as smooth and warm as she'd imagined. "We didn't mean to disturb your peace." He stopped a respectful ten feet away, a perfect gentleman.
"But honestly, we couldn't not say hello."Sue sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees in a gesture that was half-defensive, half an attempt to appear casual. "It's a public beach, " she said, her voice a little husky from disuse.