EXTRACT FOR
Burning Love: Desire by the Fire
(Darren G. Burton)

Double Date





"Don't be nervous," Ian said to his friend. "She's apparently really cute and quite a nice girl."

"I'm not nervous," Pete lied. "Blind dates are always a little scary, though."

Ian shook his head. "It'll be fine, mate. Lara says her cousin is really hot."

Pete shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, we all know that a girl's opinion of another girl's looks isn't always very accurate. Not from a guy's viewpoint anyway."

"Don't blow this for me. I've been trying to line up a date with Lara for nearly a month now. And she only agreed if I could find a date for her cousin while she's in town. If you back out, I lose out as well." He looked his friend squarely in the eyes. "I'll pay for everything. For me, you, Lara and her cousin."

Pete thought about it, then nodded. "So what do you have planned?"

"Taking them out to dinner to start with. Then I was thinking of grabbing some drinks and heading down to the beach. There we'll get a fire going, consume some alcohol and get laid."

"You sound pretty confident about that last part," Pete noted.

"That's because I am," Ian assured him. "I know Lara fancies me. She's just been playing hard to get; making herself appear more chaste than she is."

"So what time?"

"Ill pick you up at six."

*  *  *

That evening Pete was a happy man. Lara's cousin Holly turned out to be really pretty. She had a nice slim figure under a yellow dress that hugged her feminine curves very nicely indeed. Her dark hair went well with her olive skin and she had eyes of sapphire blue that really sparkled across the dinner table at him.

Everything was progressing nicely. Lara and Ian were getting along famously, constantly flirting with one another, and Pete seemed to have formed quite a good connection with Holly. He regularly had her laughing, and that was always a positive sign.

After dinner was done Ian made the suggestion of getting some drinks and sitting by a fire down at the beach. The girls really liked that idea so they piled into Ian's car, picked up some takeaway alcohol from a bottle shop and headed down to a deserted section of beach where they weren't likely to be bothered by anyone.

Ian had come prepared. With Pete's help he hauled two large old blankets from the trunk and a pile of firewood he'd collected earlier. Matches and newspaper were added to the load and the four of them strolled down onto the sand. The blankets were spread out and Pete set to work digging out a hollow for the fire to rest in. Ian stuffed newspaper into the ditch and some twigs on top. He lit a match, touched it to the paper, where it caught alight instantly. The twigs cracked and sparked and started to flame. Pete placed some heavier wood on top and watched the fire until he was sure there was no chance it was going to go out.

A bourbon and coke premixed can was handed to him and he snapped the ring tab. As he sipped it he looked up at the black sky. There was no moon, but a myriad of stars sparkled as far as the eye could see. It was like a black carpet adorned with dazzling diamonds.

The fire cast everyone in its eerie red, orange and yellow glow. Ian and Lara sat quite close to one another on their blanket while Pete and Holly had some distance between them.

"Cheers," Ian said and everyone clinked cans and took a sip.

"So you're only in town for the weekend?" Pete said to Holly.

She nodded. "But I've been trying to make the most of it." Holly smiled. "This is the second time we've been to the beach today. But I don't mind. I love it down here. It's beautiful at night with the fire going."

"It sure is," Pete agreed.

"I take it you're single?" she said suddenly. "Or you wouldn't have double dated tonight."

"Yep. Free as a bird."

"Me too. I'd prefer to stay that way at the moment. No ties. Just have some fun, you know."

Pete found himself wondering exactly what she meant by that last statement. Was she referring to fun of the physical and intimate kind? Should he ask her straight out?

No. Not yet, he decided.