Chapter 4: Inciting Incident
Emily, who had been swimming towards Alex, made a sharp turn just a few feet away, her long, wet locks swishing behind her in the water. She stopped abruptly, revealing an impish grin on her face. Alex, who had been making his way towards her, suddenly found himself at a standstill, unsure of her intentions.
But just as quick as that grin appeared, it turned into an exaggerated gasp, as Emily's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening in mock horror.
"Oh my god, Alex! You have to be so careful. I didn't realize you weren't wearing any swimming trunks! You'll get arrested!"
Alex followed her glance down to the area below his waist, where he was still clad in his standard issue bikini. Alarm bells started to ring in his head, and the sinking feeling in his stomach plummeted.
"Wh-what?" he stammered, desperately trying to cover himself.
"I absolutely am wearing trunks." The flimsy material of his suit clung to his thighs like a second skin. What Emily said couldn't be true, or could it?
Emily, still maintaining a serious expression, shook her head. "Nope. I'm sorry, Alex. You have to leave now before someone sees you." The girls in the raft echoed her sentiment, splashing water in Alex's direction as they cheered her on.
Sarah cupped her hands over her mouth and hollered, "Come on, Alex! You heard her! Put on some pants or leave!"
As Alex stared in disbelief, Emily's eyes glittered with mischief. She waved goodbye with a gleeful smile before flipping over and diving into the sea, her powerful strokes pulling her swiftly away.
Alex stood frozen, horror-stricken and completely exposed. The hot sun overhead felt like hot coals on his skin, and an urgent desire to run away or cover himself took over.
The beachgoers, enjoying their Fourth of July outing, looked up, surprised and stifling laughter as they caught a glimpse of Alex's predicament. His face burned with embarrassment, and he tried to move, to gain his dignity back, hide himself with any articles of clothing within arm's reach.
One of Emily's friends, Sarah, swam through the shallow water towards him, a wicked grin on her face. She flexed her limbs, reached over, and grabbed Alex's forearms with surprising strength.
She looked into his eyes, a mixture of apology and amusement apparent in hers. "I'm so sorry, Alex. But you can't be here in just your bikini briefs. It's against regulations."
Helpless, Alex surrendered. Before he knew it, Sarah pulled him out further into the water, ducked beneath the surface, and managed to get his bottoms off while expertly navigating the underwater currents. Alex trembled with goosebumps at this exposure. Sarah resurfaced, gasping and laughing before swimming back to the raft.
Jess, another of Emily's friends, hopped off the raft and swam to float next to Alex, who now waded waist-deep in the ocean.
"Um," Alex squeaked, eyes wide in both fear and confusion. "Thank you... I suppose?"
Jess smiled kindly, reaching a hand out to help him into a pair of oversized boardshorts that somehow materialized out of nowhere. "No worries. If we let you stay any longer out here in your...
condition, you would have been the talk of the beach," Jess reassured him, her eyes twinkling with warmth. She handed him the spare pair of boardshorts, which he gratefully accepted. Alex quickly slipped them on, the loose fabric almost falling off his thin frame. As the shell-shocked fresher stood up, he couldn't help but feel the burning heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck and into his face.
"Thanks," he mumbled softly, trying to suppress the vulnerability that threatened to surface. Jess clasped his shoulders, giving him a reassuring squeeze.