Lifting the top of the cooler, I drop the beers inside before stepping to the back of the boat.

“Who wants to tube first?” Randy smiles as he puts the boat in gear.

In unison, Lauren and Eve scream, “Me!”

Vincent laughs, and I try to smile, needing to act like a normal guy who’s well-adjusted in the world. A regular guy who is vacationing with his best friend and a beautiful woman.

“No problem, ladies. You’re both small enough to share.”

The captain drives approximately ten minutes into the center of the lake. The temperature outside feels around eighty-five degrees.

He stops the boat to grab the tube while Lauren does a little shimmy out of her short sundress. I want to stand up and cover her or tell her to keep it on. She lifts it from the floor and neatly folds it, placing it down on the seat. Her bathing suit is cherry red and shows the tops of her breasts. I sigh in relief because it’s a one-piece and not a skimpy bikini. Her fingers move deftly as she braids her shining hair to the side, laughing at something the captain said. Lauren weaves each section of her hair together until she looks like a bona fide mermaid. How she does her hair like that, I’ll never know.

Turning around to face the water, she holds the top of the silver ladder that leads to the lake. I stare at her back, and my jaw drops. The suit dips all the way down, reaching the top of her perky ass. The bottom isn’t much either. It’s not a thong, but it’s small. Like, really fucking tiny and barely covering. I want to run up with a towel and cover her before anyone can see what I see. That she’s perfect.

I need to calm down. “Yo, Vincent, grab me a beer.”

He opens the cooler and takes one out. “Not too cold yet.”

“It’ll do.”

I catch his throw. It pops open with a hiss, and I drink. It’s warmish, but I’ll take what I can get. Leaning over the edge, I watch Lauren climb onto the black-and-white-striped tube. On her stomach, she holds on to the small black grips, long legs behind her. I wish I’d checked the tube before he placed it into the water. What if it has holes?

The girls scream their heads off with glee as Randy turns the engine on high, turning the boat left and right in an attempt to get them to flip. My throat dries as I continuously scan the lake. What if there are hidden rock formations, and the tube hits one? A million terrible scenarios pass through my head, all ending with Lauren hurt. The tube pops up against the water over and over again, making a popping sound. My hands start to shake.

“Get low!” someone yells as gunfire sprays.

Rex and I drop down, the rocks on this dingy mountain digging into our stomachs.