It was almost noon when the car turned left into a parking space.  Jackie jumped out of the front seat first, followed by Danielle from the backseat.  The sand crunched beneath their feet as they headed to the trunk to help David unload the supplies they had brought with them.  Jackie grabbed hold of three folding beach chairs, David lifted the cooler out of the trunk, and Danielle grabbed the enormous tote bag filled with sun-block, frisbees, towels, and more.  David headed forward as Jackie paused and waited for Danielle to catch up.
“There he is,” Jackie said teasingly to Danielle.  “And he’s staring right at you.”
“No he’s not, he’s looking at your boyfriend,” she retorted.  
“Maybe, but it made you look.”  Jackie gave her a victorious look, then the two chorused laughter as they walked up to the place where the three boys were standing.
“What’s so funny?” David asked as he put his arm around Jackie and pulled her in close to him.
“Oh, Dani and I were just discussing how sad you guys will look when she and I whoop you at volleyball,” Jackie replied.
“Oh really?”
“Yep.  That and how high you’re going to jump.”  Jackie winked at her friend as Danielle passed her a bottle of cold water behind their backs.
“How high I’m going to jump when?” he asked suspiciously.
“When I do this,” and with that she turned the bottle upside down, letting the freezing cold water pour down onto David.  He opened his mouth in shock, looking down, then back up at Jackie with a look of revenge painted on his face.  
“Oh, it’s on now!”  He then chased her through the sand and into the water.  When he finally caught up with her, he picked her up easily and carried her further into the lake.  Danielle could hear Jackie screaming for help playfully as David tossed her into the water, getting revenge for what Jackie had just done.  Adam, Danielle, and Rick all laughed and watched as the couple played in the water.
“You’re next,” Adam said as Danielle stared out at her friends, a smile stretched across her heart-shaped face.
By the time she was able to ask what he’d said, Adam had already swooped the petite girl into his arms and was carrying her closer to the crystal clear water.  She grasped around his neck, taking in the feel of his strong arms underneath her as she, too, yelled for help.  It was already too late, she went flying into the water, surprised at how deep it had become so quickly.  She closed her brown eyes as tightly as she could and held her breath as she felt Adam’s hands release her.  The water engulfed her, soaking her with cool water.
She felt something brush against her bare back.  Jerking around suddenly, she opened her eyes.  The bubbles cleared around her and she saw the perfect blue eyes staring into her own.  Danielle took in every feature of Adam, from his jet black hair and the way it swayed in the water, to his hands and how comforting they were as he grasped her own within them.  He kicked fiercely to the surface, the light becoming brighter and brighter as he pulled her up.
She took in a deep breathe when she finally felt the warm air hit her face.  Danielle moved her right arm and kicked her feet, keeping herself afloat.  Her attention immediately turned to Adam, who was also treading water a mere six inches from her.  His hand still had her’s enclosed within it.  He began to get closer, so close that she could feel his warm breathe on her face.
“Dani!” Jackie bellowed.  The two immediately parted at the blonde swam up next to them.  “Watcha doin?”
“Nothing,” Danielle quickly stated, beginning to inch farther from Adam as she said so.
“Well, stop goofing off.  It’s about time these boys put their money where their mouth is and play us at volleyball.”
“Alright, Miss Hypocrite.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault David threw me in,” she said defensively.
“Well, I couldn’t-“ Danielle started, but Adam interrupted.
“I’m the one that brought her out here, so prove your anger and try to beat me in volleyball.”
“Oh, I plan on it.”  With that, Jackie began to swim closer to the shore, turning to tell Danielle to hurry up.  Adam and Danielle hesitated, laughing as they watched Jackie march on to the beach stately.
“You ready?” he asked her.
“A better question would be are you ready?”  Danielle raised an eyebrow and smirked at her soon to be opponent.  Adam just smiled and shook his head.  Danielle gave in and also grinned.
“Let’s go.”
“Right behind you,” she said as he began swimming toward the sandy beach.  She watched him walk over to the cooler where Rick was standing.  As he grabbed a soda from the blue container, she wondered about what would have happened if Jackie hadn’t interrupted them.
“Danielle Elizabeth!  Get over here and help me show these boys whose boss!”  Jackie already had the ball in her hands, readying herself for the serve.
“Coming Massa!”
“Well do it a little faster!”  Danielle swam freestyle over to the beach, grabbing a towel from her nearby beach chair which David and Rick had set up for them, and dried herself off.
“Alright, let’s do this,” she told her friend as she jogged up to the net and got into the standard volleyball position, knees bent, fingers interlocked.  She rocked back and forth slightly as Rick, David, and Adam did the same on the other side.  Adam was directly across from her.
“Go easy on me,” he whispered through the net.
“No promises,” she said as she heard Jackie’s hand hit the ball from behind her.  The boys scattered trying to get the ball back over the net.  Rick backed directly into David and the two fell.  They stood, covered in sand, bickering playfully about how the other was supposed to get the ball.  The game continued similarly until David called the final point.
“Four-twenty!” he shouted.  Disappointment could be heard in his voice, realizing that he and his two best friends were about to be beat by two girls.
“I’m never gong to let you live this down, Babe!”  Jackie yelled across to her boyfriend.
“Yeah, I know.”  He threw the ball into the air, hitting it straight at Danielle.  She jumped, and spiked the ball, scoring the final point and winning the game.  Jackie ran over to Danielle and laughed as she grabbed Danielle in a big hug and jumped up and down.  The three boys rolled their eyes, then walked underneath the net to congratulate the girls.  Rick and David both shook Danielle’s hand quickly, then continued to Jackie, who made them both bow to her.  Adam and Danielle laughed at them.
“I told you to go easy on me,” Adam whined.
“And I told you no promises.”
“So you did.  Congratulations, Madame.”  He took her hand, bowing slightly, and looked up at her as he kissed the top of her hand.  She just looked at him, a million wishes and hopes running through her mind.
“Thank you,” she said politely as he straightened up, still holding her hand.  He nodded his head, then released her hand and walked over to Jackie.  Danielle noted that he simply shook Jackie’s hand and smiled at her.  Looking away she smiled, making sure that no one saw her do so.
For the next couple of hours, the group of friends swam, played frisbee and ate hot dogs that Rick grilled on a portable barbeque he’d brought with him.  As the day came to a close, they said their good-byes and planned to do the same thing the next weekend.  “After all, the men had to have a rematch,” according to Rick.  Jackie quickly hugged both Rick and Adam.  Rick then hugged Danielle and the boys all exchanged handshakes.  Finally, Adam walked over to Danielle.
“Sorry about attacking you and throwing you into the water,” he apologized.
“You should be, I could have drowned,” she said sarcastically.  The pair laughed.
“I had a great time, I can’t wait ‘til next weekend.”  He smiled at her.
“Neither can I.”  He pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her.  She could feel his skin against her own. His pulse could be felt through his chest, and she hoped that he couldn’t feel her heart rate speed up.
“Come on, Dani, I’m tired,” Jackie complained.  Adam and Danielle pulled away from each other.
“I’m being beckoned.”
“I can hear that,” he chuckled.  “Well, I’ll see you later,” he said as he walked her to the car.
“Yes you will.”  She climbed into the backseat of the Mustang.  “‘Bye, Adam.”
“Goodnight, Danielle.”  His voice echoed through her mind as he stepped back and they pulled away.