It was nice lying next to each other while getting dry from the sun. Although Liam had to be careful not to get too much sun, because he had the typical very pale, Irish skin and was extremely sensitive to the sun. He never got any freckles though, only strong sunburns.
“Did I never tell you that I swim?”
“No. I would have remembered that.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Well, I’m generally not very athletic, and I hated the stupid team sports in school, especially rugby. Every guy in my class was older and taller than me anyway, so being the youngest and smallest guy is not a great advantage when you have to play rugby.”
“Poor you, were those big guys hard on you?” She drew on his chest with her fingertips.
“Yeah, most of the time. The worst were American football players. After two years in America I had more bruises that there are dots on a Monet painting. Americans are so competitive, it’s crazy. Until I lived there I always thought Ireland had the least civilized teenagers, but I was wrong…”
Jo chuckled. “So you preferred swimming?”
“Definitely. There was no stupid team I had to join, and I was actually pretty good at it, not like all those other sports we had to do in school. Well, there was one thing I really liked at American high schools…”
“And what’s that?”
Liam grinned. “Cheerleaders.”
“Hey!” Jo punched him in the shoulder.
“Sorry! They were probably the dumbest girls I’ve met, but those tiny skirts…”
“I can be a cheerleader if you want me to.” She climbed on his lap. “Well, not that I can jump around like that or do any of those weird moves-“
“Oh, you move just fine.” His grin grew wider. “I just remembered that one particular lap dance of yours…”
“You will always tease me for that, won’t you?”
“It was one of the cutest things you’ve ever done.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be cute! Everybody says I’m cute, and I’m tired of being cute.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“I want others, well, you to look at me like you look at those cheerleaders. When you see cheerleaders you don’t think they are cute, right?”
“No, I think they are hot.”
“Exactly. And that’s what I want you to think of me.”
“But I already do think that of you. You are hot.” He sat up and kissed her. “But you’ll always be cute as well, and I’m glad about that.”
She smiled shyly. “Really?”
“Really.” The same moment his stomach rumbled. “I’m actually hungry. After all that swimming and other…exercise.”
Jo laughed. “Yes, me too.” She climbed from his lap. “And we will do something that I always wanted to do.”
“What’s that?”
“We will order pizza and eat it on the floor, on the expensive carpet that my mother loves so much. Oh, and of course we won’t have any shoes on.” She chuckled.
“Josephine Williams, you are such a naughty girl!”
“Did I never tell you that I swim?”
“No. I would have remembered that.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Well, I’m generally not very athletic, and I hated the stupid team sports in school, especially rugby. Every guy in my class was older and taller than me anyway, so being the youngest and smallest guy is not a great advantage when you have to play rugby.”
“Poor you, were those big guys hard on you?” She drew on his chest with her fingertips.
“Yeah, most of the time. The worst were American football players. After two years in America I had more bruises that there are dots on a Monet painting. Americans are so competitive, it’s crazy. Until I lived there I always thought Ireland had the least civilized teenagers, but I was wrong…”
Jo chuckled. “So you preferred swimming?”
“Definitely. There was no stupid team I had to join, and I was actually pretty good at it, not like all those other sports we had to do in school. Well, there was one thing I really liked at American high schools…”
“And what’s that?”
Liam grinned. “Cheerleaders.”
“Hey!” Jo punched him in the shoulder.
“Sorry! They were probably the dumbest girls I’ve met, but those tiny skirts…”
“I can be a cheerleader if you want me to.” She climbed on his lap. “Well, not that I can jump around like that or do any of those weird moves-“
“Oh, you move just fine.” His grin grew wider. “I just remembered that one particular lap dance of yours…”
“You will always tease me for that, won’t you?”
“It was one of the cutest things you’ve ever done.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be cute! Everybody says I’m cute, and I’m tired of being cute.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“I want others, well, you to look at me like you look at those cheerleaders. When you see cheerleaders you don’t think they are cute, right?”
“No, I think they are hot.”
“Exactly. And that’s what I want you to think of me.”
“But I already do think that of you. You are hot.” He sat up and kissed her. “But you’ll always be cute as well, and I’m glad about that.”
She smiled shyly. “Really?”
“Really.” The same moment his stomach rumbled. “I’m actually hungry. After all that swimming and other…exercise.”
Jo laughed. “Yes, me too.” She climbed from his lap. “And we will do something that I always wanted to do.”
“What’s that?”
“We will order pizza and eat it on the floor, on the expensive carpet that my mother loves so much. Oh, and of course we won’t have any shoes on.” She chuckled.
“Josephine Williams, you are such a naughty girl!”