First meetings, but this time with Lu!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day out, the sun was shining, the sea was calm, and there wasn't a cloud to be found in the sky. The passengers of the S.S. Turn Over, the sole ferry to the infamous vacation destination Rai Island, were merrily mingling about with each other on deck as they passed the time until they finally arrived. Each looking forward to their trip in their own way, the day being simply perfect for love and adventure as they all happily sailed across the crystal clear sea.

And for three girls, Rai Island would be more than just an adventure or a vacation, it'd be the start of their new lives in their new home.

Lucia Ka'Uhane, or just Lu as her friends tended to call her, stared out absently into the wide blue yonder as she let the fresh sea breeze wash over her. Enjoying how her skin warmed under the pleasant day's sun, the rays making her mocha tanned skin just a tad darker than usual, while her long silky chocolate locks fluttered around her as she let the songs of the seabirds carry her mind away to a peaceful place.

The peace was much needed right now.

It'd been one hell of a week for her and her two friends, and it'd be the biggest fucking understatement of the year to say that they all weren't all stressed to high hells in some way or another.

It had taken 4 long years, but Celi and Mimi, two of her dearest friends, had finally successfully freed themselves of their abusive parents for good. The battle had been long and hard, with opposition at every corner and they had to deal with lawyer after lawyer for years until the court finally emancipated them both and named Celi her sister's legal guardian until she was of age.

But the war had been won, and their long battle was finally over.

And naturally, they were both ecstatic once the papers had been finalized and the three of them had celebrated like there was no tomorrow at their success, the surfer being just as happy for her friends as they were since she knew how much it meant to them. And that night, they all gorged themselves on take out sushi and ice cream and soda, dancing around like idiots in Lu's living room to the sounds of movies and music playing in the background with not a single care in the world.

It was only once they'd all settled down for the night, tired and full of sugar, that they'd happily shared with her all their plans now that they were free. They wanted to move out of France, to somewhere far far away where they could make a new home for themselves and finally have the lives they'd always dreamed of, free from their parents who had kept them confined and constrained to their unrealistic standards in a place where they could start anew.

The news hadn't been much of a surprise to her to be honest, Lu had always known the two had wanted to get away, and had even helped them find a place they'd love once Celi had dived into her planning mode. Encouraging them even, to ditch the hustle and bustle of city life to find a more relaxing and small town to call home.

But despite wishing the two of them well with a happy smile on her face, she'd never quite known what she'd end up doing once they were actually gone. She had a life here in France, her and her Papa, and it was really the only one she'd ever known. Sure, she'd traveled a lot thanks to her dad's work, but she had a job here and a boyfriend too. Lu didn't know if she could throw it all away just because her best friends were leaving, so she simply vowed to enjoy her small amount of time with them while she had it, promising to visit them once they were all settled and wishing them all the best.

However, Lu's life in France wasn't as nearly rock solid as she had originally believed...

It was literally the day after the girl's big celebration at Lu's house, the sister's had left to go pack and do some much needed paperwork, all three of them nursing headaches from the amount of sugar, caffeine and dancing they'd done the night before, and Lu was simply out and about enjoying her day and trying to wipe away the soreness from her tired body.

She didn't know what made her go to the park instead of her beloved beach that day, or why she decided to go down the quieter path that very few liked to tread that led to a small pond, but her quiet leisurely stroll took a turn as she soon noticed a couple seated at the hidden bench just across the small body of water.

They were all over each other, lips locked in a passionate kiss as hands were groping, shuffling under clothes as needy muffled moans could heard, and Lu could already tell they were about to get hot and busy on that bench in a matter of seconds if she stuck around long enough.

Not that she, for one, could really blame them. She'd fucked her boyfriend right there on that bench herself quite a few times. It was the perfect place for a nice outdoor fuck session what with it being fairly hidden and all, and unless you knew the path that led there, there was no way for the casual walker to even see this tucked away pond let alone the bench across it.

Feeling a tad horny herself now as she heard the tall tell signs of the boy getting a handjob, no doubt while trying to work their clothes off as it happened. Lu decided to give the two some privacy as she pulled out her phone and tried giving her own boo a ring to see if he was down to play a little.

It'd been quite a while after all...

But she was only a few steps away when she'd heard the familiar ringtone of her boyfriend's phone go off in the distance, his favorite song I Got a Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas playing and she stood frozen, rooted where she was. Listening, disbelieving, as the music played loud and clear across the pond right where the couple she'd just seen were about to fuck, the phone in her hand still ringing over and over again as the music continued to play.

Against her better judgement, Lu could feel her body turn to look back at the couple on the bench.

The boy was scrambling to find his phone amidst his thrown off clothes, a familiar shirt that read "Free hand lotion, manual pump" with an arrow pointing down flying through the air as he cursed vigorously while the girl pouted up at him with her top pushed up and her tits bare, and Lu could only watch in horror as he finally found his phone and answered.

"Oh hey Lu, what's up?"

His voice rang clear through the phone with a slight echo, and she could see the boy talking on his phone across the pond, the music having stopped the same time as he'd picked up. And suddenly her was mind was racing, trying to scramble for words as she put two and two together. But she could see him trying to placate the girl he was with, kissing her deeply before turning back to his phone in exasperation.

"So why'd you calling so suddenly? Didn't I text you a while back saying I'd be busy for a while?"

And then Lu saw red.

It was all a blur after that, her emotions running haywire as she boiled over. Her anger, something that rarely reared its ugly head, screaming at her to FUCKING MOVE IT!

And the next thing she knows, she's running to the other side of the pond in a fury, her sandals flying off her feet as he asked her again over the phone why she was calling, he was busy and could they talk later? But she only clenched her phone in her fist as she saw him hang up without another word, the line on her end going dead at the same time. And she hoped, prayed, deep down in her gut that maybe, just maybe she somehow had the wrong guy.

But then she was close enough to see the stupid pair of demon wings tattooed on his shoulder blades with the skull in between them and any doubt she had fizzled into dust, now knowing that that was in fact, her stupid gonna be dead in a second boyfriend.

Or rather, her ex-boyfriend.

After that, the surfer pounced the no good cheater with a mighty battle cry and slew of profanity that'd make a sailor blush, her fists flying as she beat the ever loving crap outta the fucker, pounding him black and blue until he was a crying mess on the ground. It took a park ranger pulling her off of him, kicking and screaming, before she finally stopped. And by that point he was begging for mercy, his new lil'miss having taken off as soon as she came flying in with her clothes and hair rumbled, and his wallet clutched tightly in her hands.

She'd gotten off with only a warning thankfully, and despite having the authoritarians called on her, her papa wasn't upset with her by any means for trying to beat crap outta her ex. Only rightfully pissed that the little shit he'd trusted with his little girl's heart had turned out to be a lying cheating asshole in the end.

So it was with no surprise to her when he'd fully agreed to her impulsive, but justified, decision to follow Celi and Mimi to Rai even though they'd yet to even buy a house yet. Lu wanting more than anything to simply move house now that she no longer had anything tying her down to France, and her papa agreeing with that sentiment wholeheartedly since he'd long since wanted to get out of the fashion photography scene.

Now here she was, just about 2 days later with only a bag with just a few days worth of clothes in it and her beloved surf board in hand, and her new island home coming into view.

"Welcome to Rai Island folks! Watch your step as you disembark the ferry!"

The warm rays of the sun shined down on the sands of Tatawal Beach as the locals mingled with tourists and enjoyed a sunny Saturday. It was mid-afternoon and white fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, unperturbed by the reasonably crowded beach that stretched all the way to the harbor. There were plenty of vendor stalls and equipment rental shacks lining the beach, all doing a solid business today.

A slim trail of cigarette smoke escaped his nostrils as his icy blue eyes scanned the scenery. Well, it would have been serene if there weren't so many goddamn people here. John frowned a bit, but tried not to let it get to him. He was here with his family, enjoying a well-earned day off, so he was going to make the most of it. And god help anyone stupid enough to try to spoil their fun. Pushing his long brown curly out of his face, he glanced over at his family members.

His mother, unsurprisingly, had her hands full with little Joanna, who had recently learned to walk and tumble, and thus was racing around the area in a game of keep-away. Bobby, only a few years older, was sneaking extra snacks from the cooler and sharing them with his friends. Keith had let his mother braid his hair and was building something or another, but John had zero interest in whatever it was. And the twins, Casey and Raph, were pulling pranks on some kids their age, splashing about in the water.

John took another drag on his cigarette and glanced to his left, where Fred was lounging on a beach chair, surrounded by his lackeys from school. They were seeing to his every need, which kind of pissed John off, but he decided to ignore it in favor of the ice-cold beer his older brother Terry was handing him. He cracked open the seal and gulped down the cool amber liquid, sighing in relief.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Chuck and their dad chasing the twins around after getting ice down their backs. Patty was stretched out on a beach chair, sunbathing next to John's older brother and enjoying his quiet company as her skin slowly soaked in the rays. It was days like this when life wasn't so hard, and the Wilders could just relax and have fun.

After a long while, Terry nudged him with an elbow and nodded towards the harbor. Icy blue eyes narrowed with an "I don't give a shit about that" expression but Terry motioned towards the full ferry again. John huffed and begrudgingly looked over.

Was that... pink and dark pink hair?

"What the actual fuck?" Confusion pulled the words from his mouth before he even thought about it. Two beautiful girls, one his age and one younger - probably sisters, if he had to guess - were disembarking from the ferry... with luggage. And they were accompanied by another girl, this one with mocha skin and blue highlights in her dark hair. This one was also touting luggage and seemed pretty close to the pink-haired girls. Was she simply their friend or a relative? And the three of them were all fairly young but they were moving to the island without anyone who appeared to be a parent or legal guardian?

That was a shitshow waiting to happen.

The two older girls couldn't have been older than 16, his own age, and the younger one seemed to be Fred's age. And of course they were all pretty little things. Even at this distance, John could see that the girls his age were real head-turners. He wouldn't be surprised if they weren't models or some shit like that - they certainly looked like the kind of girls he'd expect to see in one of those fashion magazines he never bothers picking up. What the hell were they doing on their own?

The tattooed boy studied all the passengers disembarking the ferry. Tourists made up the majority, but he did spot a few locals returning from the mainland. There were several couples of varying ages, families, a few business groups, a couple of his aunt's employees... but no one who looked like they were related to any of the pretty girls with their luggage.

"Son of a bitch." John cursed.

Patty sat up on the other side of Terry at the remark, lowering his sunglasses. "What's wrong?" She asked, her soft brown eyes scanning the immediate vicinity for whatever could've upset him. John nodded towards the pretty girls getting off the ship, clearly agitated. Immediately, she frowned, "Where are their parents?"

Terry shrugged and shook his head. "Didn't see any."

"I'm gonna go over and talk to them." John had already sprung up and was making a beeline for the unsuspecting trio before anyone could stop him. He heard his older brother and Patty get up in concern, the responsible girl moving to tell Elaine about the situation. He didn't hear Terry follow after him... but then again, no one ever hears Terry move until it's too late. He did, however, hear his stoic brother warn, "Don't do anything stupid."

But John ignored him and easily caught up with the trio of new girls.

Between the two older girls, the one with the dark pink hair immediately caught his attention with her alabaster skin and her perfectly pristine outfit. Giving her a long look from head to toe, his attention landed squarely on her posterior. The way she had stopped and was now standing made it jut out slightly and gave him an idea. An awful, terrible, hilariously inappropriate idea that made his lips curl in sadistic glee. He knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he absolutely should NOT do it.

...so of course he did it.

Faster than the blink of an eye, John's hand snaked forward and smacked her rear.

John had been expecting some sort of retaliation, particularly getting backhanded, but the fist connecting with his jaw was certainly a surprise. If the spitfire would've been taller, she might've broken his nose. As it was, his head jerked with the force of her punch and it actually made him take a step back. That was certainly something he'd never encountered before - a girl ready to wipe the floor with him. Well, color him impressed!

"Not bad, sweethea-ugh!"

What he wasn't expecting was the suitcase she hit him with, followed by an onslaught of blows that would spell disaster for a lesser guy. While John wasn't knocked to the ground, he wasn't exactly having an easy time trying to stop her from going full Tasmanian devil on him. The sound of Terry's laughter floated to his ear and annoyed him, the bastard. What kind of an older brother sat by and laughed his ass off while his closest brother was the victim of assault? Terry, that's who.

Eventually, Terry took mercy on John and walked over to the raging girl, tapping her politely on the shoulder. As the dainty girl turned to look at the interruption, her blows slowed dramatically. The eldest Wilder son towered over most people but compared to the rosette he practically looked like a human tank. "Please excuse my idiot brother. I'd like to tell you he's not always like this, but that'd be a lie." He said quietly to the angry newcomer, then turned to John, "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid."

For his part, John rubbed his jaw and looked relatively sheepish. "Hey now, I just figured I'd give her a friendly pat and an old-fashioned welcome!" He readjusted is cowboy hat and looped his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans, inked tanned skin stretching over his muscles in the warm sunshine.

Patty finally caught up to the lot of them, having gathered her stuff and placing it back into the floral beach bag now slung over her shoulder. "If by old-fashioned you mean the 1950s or earlier, congratulations. Your inappropriate behavior is an embarrassment to us all." She said, narrowing her eyes at him behind her sunglasses.

John immediately put his hands up to placate his brother's girlfriend. Even though she was only about five foot seven he'd learned early on not to upset the girl. She was smart, well-connected and didn't put up with anyone bullshit. When Terry had first introduced her, John had slung his arm around her shoulders and licked her cheek. She'd retaliated so fast with a fist in his stomach that he'd folded in half like a lawn chair.

"Alright I'm sorry, jeez."

Patty then turned to the three girls with a friendly, welcoming smile on her face. "Welcome to Rai Island, one of the most pleasant islands in the world! My name is Patty, and this is my boyfriend Terry." She indicated the more muscular Wilder with dark curly hair and a plain baseball cap, then in a flat voice added, "You've met John."

"Hey!"

"Anyway, would you three accept some brunch as an apology? It's John's treat, since his manners are clearly lacking."

Nothing escaped Patty's sharp brown eyes and attention to detail - including the way that the darker-haired rosette was ogling John's six pack and happy trail, well... now that she'd stopped wailing on him long enough to actually look at him. The blush across her cheeks was clearly not just because she was angry and embarrassed, and it only was more noticeable when her friend bluntly pointed out the girl's interest.

Interesting...

Perhaps John might have a chance after all if he played his cards right, the dark-haired girl surmised, but she doubted anything would go all that smoothly. While Terry was big, quiet, and scared the living shit out of people, he was actually really a big teddy bear who was protective of his family and loved cute things. Of course, almost no one outside his family knew this, aside from Patty. John, on the other hand, was the kind of guy who would bulldoze his way through obstacles once his mind was set on a goal.

And it seemed that his newest goal was Celi herself, the poor little thing. As Terry temporarily left to explain the situation to his mother, Patty gave the girl a sympathetic smile, knowing full well how much of a headache dealing with John was. Elaine briefly made eye contact with Celi and mouthed an "I'm sorry about him", motioning to John, before she had to scrabble to keep her hold on Joanna.

John for his part, looked quite pleased about the whole situation.

"Okay ladies, there are a few different places we can go for coffee here." The boy explained, tipping his hat a bit, "There's Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks all over the place, just like anywhere else if that's what you're used to. There's also plenty of diners that'll serve coffee any time you want it. And there's a couple Tim Horton's around too - "

"The Daily Bean." Terry interrupted with absolutely zero room for argument.

Of course, that didn't stop John from trying to argue anyway, but the moment he opened his mouth, Patty interjected, "Terry's right. The Daily Bean is the best cafe on the entire island, hands down. Their coffee is the best, their ice cream is delicious, and all their food is handmade every single day. Plus we get a discount because Buster works there."

"Yeah," John scowled, knowing it was fruitless to argue with Patty of all people, "Buster works there."

"Alright, it's decided!" Patty overruled him, "Grab your things ladies. You're about to get your tastebuds rocked!"

"I'm sure that's not the only thing you'd like rocked, eh Celi?" The rosette's faced burned brightly with embarrassment as she heard the taunting whispers of her oldest friend in her ear, her hand coming up and smacking the other girl quickly on her exposed back with a loud WHACK in retaliation.

"Hush you! I'd like no such thing!" She frantically whispered, hoping the others hadn't heard before marching over in a huff to grab her forgotten bag lying helplessly on the ground. The surfer still chuckling underneath her breath, rubbing her sore backside, knowing she'd gotten under her skin good.

Stupid Lu!

It was just like the surfer to poke fun at her like this! The brunette knew all to well that Celi didn't do well with guys, never had, never will! They were all just stupid, immature, sex-driven perverts who didn't know the meaning of "No" and this guy clearly was no different!

But that never stopped Lu from teasing her to high heavens, trying to make her blush with innuendos and perverted jokes, like she was no better than the boys in that aspect!

Honestly!

So what if her face was red? She blushed easy, it came with being pale, Lu knew that! And yes, perhaps her eyes drifted a bit as she was looking at that dumbass, but only because she'd never had to face a shirtless guy before! Just where was she supposed to look?!

You'd think he'd have the decency to put on a shirt if he wanted to talk to a lady!

Stomping her foot in frustration, the rosette tried to vent her anger some before they took off to this "Daily Bean" they'd mentioned, her head turning to where her sister was with a slight scowl, the girl still surrounded by people and oblivious to the tiff her sister had just gotten into.

Now Celi loved her sister dearly, really she did. But right now the older girl couldn't help but be just a little cross with her, since in the end, it was her fault they'd had to stick around for so long and she'd had to deal with that idiot!

"Mimi! We're leaving now! C'mon, we're going to grab some food!"

A bright pink mop of hair could be seen amidst the crowd, jumping up and down at her calling. The bubbly little pre-teen gave her a smile and a thumbs up that she'd heard her big sister loud and clear, her ire completely missed as she motioned with her hands that she'd catch up with them as she started the long process of trying to scoot her way out of the crowd of her own making.

"Need me to go grab her?" The surfer piped up helpfully beside her, knowing as much as she did how long it could take for Mimi to free herself from her new friends, but the rosette only shook her head.

"Nah, she'll catch up easy, she's still got her skates on remember?"

Nodding over to Patty and the boys she let them know that as well, so long as it was close by, Mimi would find them easily enough. The girl had an almost uncanny knack for finding people after all.

"Alright lead the way, I'm starving"

The Daily Bean was a chic little cafe with stone walls, wood trim, and large glass windows looking out onto the golden sands of the beach and the cerulean waves beyond. It had a prime spot on the boardwalk that netted it attention from beach-goers, tourists, and locals alike, and it always did a ton of business. Even now, many of the tables were filled and happy customers were enjoying the atmosphere. The air conditioner in the cafe kept it a cool, comfortable temperature for everyone seeking a little reprieve from the warmth of the sunshine outside.

Upon opening the door to enter, the mouth-watering scent of warm, freshly baked sandwiches rushed to greet every customer, followed by the scent of rich, decadent coffee and desserts. There was a pretty blond girl handing an order to a small group of customers as the group of teenagers entered the cafe. On the other end of the counter, there was an exceptionally attractive - albeit exhausted looking - barista smiling his most charming smile as he chatted up the elderly customer before him.

"My, aren't you a flirt!" The little old lady said as the barista keyed her order into the register with a practiced ease and a smirk. With a couple taps her total bill was cut in half and she glanced up at the handsome boy on the other side of the counter. "That's quite the senior discount you have here!" She exclaimed in wonder, only for him to flash a wink and wiggle his thick brows at her.

"I'll give it to you for free if you join me for dinner." He offered.

"My Harold wouldn't like that very much."

"Your Harold better step up his game if he doesn't want you to run off with a younger man then." He teased good-naturedly, his emerald eyes glinting with flirtatious mischief. His dark brown hair contrasted with the vibrant sky blue shock of curls he'd dyed, and they draped beautifully along his smooth, flawless alabaster skin. Even though he looked and felt almost completely drained, it didn't detract much from his androgynous beauty.

She handed him the money and he gave her the change, blowing her a kiss before directing her to the other end of the counter. "What a saucy boy!" She giggled, tottering over to retrieve her order with her cheeks dusted pink.

Buster grinned after her, satisfied that he'd probably made that old lady's day. After all, every woman deserved to feel beautiful no matter what age they were. And if she just happened to go home and tell her husband, perhaps he'd give her some much-deserved attention. Good. Just because she was old it didn't mean she shouldn't get any action.

Out of his peripheral vision, he happened to notice a group of six walk up to the counter - three locals, two of which he was related to, and three new girls. Terry, Patty, John... and he wasn't sure where the girls came from, but they were definitely pretty. Hell, two of them looked as though they could have been models! The third girl was clearly the younger sister of the primly dressed girl, as both had pink hair.

He may have been only running on about fifteen minutes of sleep but Buster suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes darting between the rosette and the brunette. Recognition washed over his face and his eyes shot up in surprise. "Whoa... didn't expect to see fashion models today." He murmured to himself before clearing his throat and smiling, "Welcome to the Daily Be-"

"Fashion models?" John interrupted, "Who said anything about that?"

Buster face-palmed and shook his head at John. "Don't you read? These two have been in a bunch of different magazines." He motioned towards the older pink-haired girl, perfectly dressed in a classy outfit that looked effortlessly flawless. "She's usually in a bunch of classy outfits, formal wear and such..." His hand drifted towards the girl with the mocha skin and stunning teal eyes, "And she models swimwear."

His emerald green eyes lingered a little longer on the brunette and he gave her a charming smile. He had certainly spent a lot of time with the swimsuit pictures of her and had fantasized about having her in his bed, but he couldn't exactly tell her that right now.

When she leaned over the counter and into his personal space, he felt his heartbeat quicken and his face heat up. This beautiful girl wasn't just any swimsuit model, this was Lucia Ka'Uhane giving him her undivided attention. Buster suddenly felt very self-conscious at that moment. Did he look good enough? Smell good enough? If she decided to ask a favor of him, would he be willing and able to do it for her?

Yes. Absolutely. Anything she wanted at all.

And here she was, asking him if he liked any of her work in particular. Offering to recreate a few private shoots for him as a tendril of silky hair slipped down over her shoulder and rested against the soft-looking cleavage she was showing. His mouth felt very dry all of a sudden and the boy swallowed hard. "Miss Ka'Uhane, it'd be an understatement to say that I enjoy your work." Buster had the grace to look a little shy, "You could say I'm quite a fan."

Truthfully, he had every photoshoot of hers that was ever publicly released.

And he was intimately familiar with every single one of them.

Undoubtedly she was so far out of his - or anyone else's - league that no one should bother to get their hopes up, but the temptation was just too great. "I would be overjoyed with anything you decided to give me." His voice was soft enough so that only she could hear him, partially for privacy, partially because he was actually a little nervous, "And I'd love to take you up on your offer if you're comfortable with it."

Saying he was 'quite a fan' was a nice way of putting it. He'd read every article that had accompanied her photoshoots, followed her public online socials, saved all of her online photos, and had looked up how to pronounce her last name correctly... despite the microscopic chances of them ever meeting in person. But lo and behold, she was actually standing in front of him. And flirting a little. Or was she teasing him?

It didn't matter. He'd welcome anything from her.

The distinct feeling of one of his coworkers leaning over his other shoulder from behind to teasingly whisper into his ear, "Did you forget how to do your job?" Buster straightened immediately and cleared his throat, the coworkers backing off with a chuckle.

"Erm... what can I get you?"

A warm giddy feeling bubbled in Lu's chest at the clear and blatant admiration the barista had for her, making her flirty teasing grin ease into a more natural but heartfelt smile that couldn't contain her happiness.

It was flattering, not to mention a tad embarrassing, to know that someone enjoyed her work so openly. The praise certainly perking up her mood quite a bit as she felt proud that the job she'd done for years was so greatly appreciated by such a sweet guy like him.

The fact that he was being so adorably shy about it too, when not even a minute ago he was looking quite the serious flirt, made her chuckle a little at his expense, and she couldn't help but reach out to give a playful tug to a lock of his sky blue hair.

"Hey now, you can just call me Lu. Miss Ka'Uhane is way to long for my taste" She said, twirling his hair around her finger and enjoying its softness. He really was quite the cutie now that she had a good look at him. The boy was quite a bit taller than her in height, his build was lean but muscular, and it clearly showed he liked to stay in shape. While his pale alabaster skin contrasted the dark chocolatey brown of his hair, and made the bright emerald green of his eyes stand out beautifully.

If not for the rumbled clothes and clear work exhaustion, she'd almost believe that he was a model in his own right, one that she'd have been more than happy to work with too. She was even about to suggest they do a shoot together for fun once he got off, a little private affair where just maybe she'd be tempted to give him an exclusive shot for his personal use only.

But a head of rainbow hair peeked out over his shoulder and cut her off before she could even suggest such a thing, the teasing whisper reminding them both that he did have a job to do right now, and made the boy straighten himself immediately as he asked for her order awkwardly.

Lu was more than a little disappointed at the interruption of course, frowning as his soft locks slipped from her fingers, but she did understand that he had to get back to work. A job was a job after all. But that didn't keep her from pouting over at his coworker, the non-binary only chuckling again at her obvious disappointment and winking playfully at her before sashaying away to fill the orders of Celi and the others.

"Guess that private shoot will have to wait for later then" She thought forlornly as she straightened herself across from him, looking contemplatively at the menu for only a second before grinning to herself as she thought of something good.

"Let's see...I'll take an iced matcha latte with raspberry, one of the specials of the day, and your socials please"

His fingers expertly keyed in her order, then the orders of her friends, then Terry, Patty and finally, a relieved-looking John. Buster quirked his pierced brow at his cousin, not really understanding why he'd been looking guarded and suddenly relieved, but the teen's attention was elsewhere. Namely, it was focused on the older rosette - Cecilia Shiel, glamorous fashion model from France.

Ah, that was it. John was clearly sweet on her and was probably worried that his cousin would try to steal her from him. Honestly, who could blame him? That girl was a real knockout and could rock any outfit she decided to put on. She was always flawless in each and every one of her photoshoots and her appearance suggested she was virtually untouchable. If it were just her here, Buster probably would have tried to win her heart.

But she wasn't here alone.

She'd shown up with the one swimsuit model he'd been transfixed upon since her very first photoshoot was published. The gorgeous, most irresistible girl he could imagine, who haunted his daydreams and whispered to his mind when he was alone and horny. The things he imagined doing to her... the things he imagined her doing to him...

And she'd given him permission to call her by a nickname.

And requested his socials as part of her order.

His heartbeat pounded in his chest as he added the family discount to their orders, once for Terry, once for John, once for Patty. Granted, he wasn't supposed to add it three times to one group order but he knew management would never consider firing him. He was both their most dependable employee and their biggest draw for customers, so he got away with all sorts of things when he did decide to pull them. He paused for a moment, glanced back at Lu, then added his employee discount on top of it and gave them their total.

John breathed a sigh of relief as he opened his wallet and Buster immediately understood that he must've messed up pretty badly if he was paying for everyone. Once John had been given his change, Buster grabbed the cup for Lu and marked it for her order, scribbling his socials towards the bottom quickly as they all had the same handle - Rebel_Rabbit.

But just as he was turning to hand off the cup to Gina, she squealed in excitement and called to the guy standing behind the group. "Oh Tommy, you came to see me at work!" The busty blond trilled, eyes sparkling in happiness as she skipped over to the cash register. Buster expertly stepped out of her way so she could wait on her latest beau, deciding to personally fulfill Lu's order as his coworkers filled the rest of the orders.

Once he'd had her drink ready, his socials included, and the daily special bagged up for her, he turned to make his way over to the pick up counter. Only to see the same head of rainbow-streaked hair lean over the counter and start whispering to the girl. "He's pierced other places too, you know - "

"Toni."

Toni whipped around to see Buster frowning at them, a hint of red on his cheeks. The shorter tanned employee grinned cheekily at him as if they hadn't just been trying to slyly help him out. "I was just telling this lovely lady that your shift just ended." Toni said, pointing at the clock on the wall, "Go clock out and have fun."

Green eyes looked up at the analog clock to check, but his friend was right.

He'd been there a full eight hours today already.

Handing Lu her order with a smile, he bid her a good day in case they decided to leave before he came back. Once the barista headed to the back room to clock out, Patty turned to Lu with a knowing smile, having seen the whole exchange. "I'm not in any particular rush to head out. Would you like to wait for Buster?" The girl asked her, "I'm sure he'd offer to help you all move into your new place. In fact, since John here has decided to be so welcoming earlier today, why don't we all offer to help you girls get settled in?"

Lu giggled knowingly at Patty, not the least bit ashamed to have been caught flirting with the cute barista as she planted herself prettily in the closest seat to the counter with her order on the table in front of her.

"I'd like to wait thanks, I wanna take care of this" She said, motioning to the phone she'd just pulled out of her bag. "Before he gets back so we can all head out together if he's willing to lend a hand"

Admittedly, Lu was also hoping he'd be willing to do little more than just "lend a hand" to her if he was down for it, but she wisely kept that to herself for now as she hastily typed his username into her phone. All while trying to ignore the ever growing amount of notifications popping up on her screen as she did so.

Her ex was certainly being persistent right now, she'd give him that.

But she was stubbornly ignored him as best she could, she had much better things to do with her time right now than cater to his whining, and the surfer was far more interested in spending time getting to know this Buster a little better now that she was free.

The cutie had tickled her fancy something fierce, and she willingly allowed him to distract her from all her woes with his adorableness.

Luckily for her, very few people, her ex included, knew that she actually had a private account on most socials to keep the pests away. Her main public account was simply being her work one that was mostly handled by a publicist to post whenever she'd be featured in a shoot or off to a new location, advertising the magazines she'd be in for maximum sells and profit and whatnot.

But her personal account only had those close to her on it, and it's where she shared all her personal pictures and stories with the friends and the family she held dear, and kept tabs on those she was far away from like her papa.

It was this account that she used as she pulled up Rebel_Rabbit in her search bar, and the rather handsome picture of the barista welcomed her as he sat in front a fairly impressive looking computer. From the looks of it, the boy seemed to be an avid gamer, something she was rather pleased about since she also loved to game.

But she could've sworn she'd seen that logo and usertag somewhere before...but she just couldn't quite place it.

Thinking nothing of it though, Lu quickly added him to all of her private accounts, a little message of "Thanks for the drink " attached so he'd know it was hers. Still not seeing the boy in sight, the surfer began absentmindedly scrolling through his feed with great interest. She was unabashedly more than a little curious about the boy who'd caught her eye and snooping through his posts was a great way to learn about him on the fly while they waited.

He posted fairly often, far more than her at least, and aside from video games there were various videos of him doing parkour, the exciting runs that he did mind boggling as the camera twisted, flipped, and turned with him. There was a bit of travel & fitness as well, some fashion things and even personal merch posts too. And oh god, the food pics! Lu's eye's positively sparkled at those, impressed that the boy could cook and damn well too if the taste matched the pics.

So immersed in his feed as she was, Lu barely noticed the presence behind her before a little whisper tickled her ear.

"You should look at his latest hike hun, I bet you'll love the view"

Turning around in surprise, Lu saw the barista who'd been chatting with her earlier, telling her in "private" that Buster had quite a few delightful surprises to be discovered. And not one to turn down such sage advice, she quickly looked at his latest story of him hiking up the nearby mountains.

The video started out normally enough, a picturesque view from the mountain top where he was, him talking about how hard but rewarding the trek was, the ever awkward shots of his feet as he moved closer to the edge, and then it flipped into selfie mode and her eyes widened hungrily at the sight.

He was talking to the camera still, his smile bright as he wiped his brow, but then he pulled back and gave a better view of his half naked form. His slim muscular torso was on full display as was the intriguing little piercings that glittered in the light, his movements fluid as he playfully flexed for the camera, and she could see the droplets of sweat beading and running damn his toned abs, into his neatly trimmed happy trail and she desperately wanted to follow.

"Makes ya hot doesn't it? That one's my favorite"

Lu could only silently nod in agreement as she watched transfixed, her interest in the boy now sky rocketing as his videoed self gave a teasing little wink before the feed went dead.

Luckily this had been one of his scheduled days to work instead of a last minute call-in, so Buster had brought a backpack with some essentials for after work. Once the door to the break room had closed he stripped himself completely bare of not only his uniform, but his underwear and socks as well. Setting the backpack on the nearby bench, he unzipped it and pulled out some deodorant, along with a clean outfit to change into.

A sudden buzz from his phone had him checking it.

Beach_Bunni is now following you. Follow back?

He tapped on the notification and the site pulled up the private account in question, a pretty picture of Lu smiling back at him next to the username and the message "Thanks for the drink " was attached. Her handle for her private account was remarkably similar to his, right down to the alliteration. Could their meeting have been fate?

Buster hit the follow button and her account opened up for him, graced with candid shots of Lu with her family and friends. These weren't some professional photos with perfect practiced poses, they were personal. And very much unavailable to the public eye. That she'd followed him with her personal, private account that by the paltry amount of followers suggested, very few people were given access to... that meant something, didn't it? Was she actually interested in him?

I've got to calm down and think about this logically. He thought to himself, finally reaching for his underwear and starting to get dressed, A girl like her is undoubtedly already taken, maybe by multiple partners, and there's nothing I can do but accept that. At least for now. He applied his deodorant and finished changing his clothes, refilling the backpack with his used uniform and pulling out his eyeliner pencil to touch up his eyes.

Watching his reflection as he fixed the liner, as wondered if he could be alright with being one of possibly many lovers if she was interested in him. Who was he kidding? Of course he would. After all, he was used to being people's side ho or fuck toy until his monstrous sex drive overwhelmed them and drove them all away. And his masochistic side practically guaranteed that he'd be fine with her having sex with whoever she wanted if it meant that she was happy with him.

He wasn't her boss, he wasn't her boyfriend, and he didn't control her.

He just wanted to be with her.

Snatching his phone back up, the boy scrolled through her pictures to see her potential lovers and came across a strangely lit photo of Lu with a stunningly handsome man. His stomach dropped as his thumb moved to tap to make the picture larger, even as he tried to calm himself down. Of course he'd be incredibly handsome. He'd have to be in order to -

"Papa <3" The caption read.

Okay, now that he took another look at it, the man was clearly her father. Embarrassed, Buster skimmed through the rest of the photos looking for any other guys she might be into but there was nothing. The only man appearing in Lu's photos was her dad. Her tall, friendly-looking, incredibly hot dad. "That's enough social media for the day." The barista said flatly before unceremoniously shoving the phone into his pocket, slinging his bag over a shoulder and heading back into the cafe proper.

To his surprise, the group of teens were waiting for him. "You're still here?" He asked as he approached them.

Did he think she'd leave him behind?

"I didn't want to assume anything, but I'm glad you stuck around." Buster could feel his face heat up a bit when Lu sidled right up alongside him and hooked her slender arm around his. She was naturally good at making him blush it seemed, and that was quite a feat, considering the boy could charm the pants off practically anyone without even a hint of shyness. But the girl of his dreams - and fantasies - wasn't just anyone.

She was perfect.

She was also giving him all sorts of unexpected attention and asking him for a favor. The barista focused on what exactly she was saying, that they had a long day of hands-on work ahead of them and that Patty suggested he might be willing to help out.

Of course it was Patty who had suggested they stick around to ask Buster to help. He'd be willing to bet his entire paycheck that she'd also been the one to suggest they'd go to the Daily Bean specifically because she knew the quality was the best, that they could get the family discount, and that Buster would adjust the cost of their bill even further when they showed up with the exact swimsuit model that she'd previously busted him sighing over a few months back. That girl was observant in ways that only fictional murder mystery detectives were. And she had the wit to use the information she'd gathered to it's maximum benefit.

No doubt she'd been carefully watching the exchange between Lu and him the entire time, soaking up every tiny morsel of information into her brain and crafting a plan of action. Having Buster assist with whatever situation John had landed them in would lighten the load for everyone involved. Not only that, but it meant that John got to spend more time with Cecilia and Buster got to spend more time with Lu.

Which meant that both boys owed Patty a favor. Big time.

It didn't matter how tired he was, he couldn't allow this golden opportunity to slip through his fingers. So he gave her arm a little squeeze as she led him through the door and smiled at her. "I'd be happy to help however I can." Immediately Terry's massive arm shot out towards him, a venti-sized cup of hazelnut mocha coffee in his hand with a little crudely drawn smirking face on the side of it in marker. Toni strikes again. "Thanks." Buster said, grabbing the coffee and taking a long swig of it. He'd need it, after all.

Driving through the bustling streets with one hand on the wheel and his other arm wrapped around the lovely little bundle of sass and vitriol, John Wilder was feeling mighty pleased with himself. Sure his truck was packed with people that were technically seated illegally, and if he was being honest with himself, he probably could've been driving much more safely. But when had he ever given a hot steaming shit about any of that before?

No matter how much she squirmed on his lap, he was very much aware that Celi was secretly turned on by him. But the posh, polished girl was far too proud to admit it, nevermind the fact that she was drinking in his masculine scent. And of course she wouldn't believe him if he were to mention that the peaks of her nipples were starting to push against her fancy shirt.

Oh yeah, she totally had the hots for him.

He might have considered mentioning it if her little sister Mimi wasn't wedged between himself and Terry, balancing their very round cat in a cat carrier on her lap while she enjoyed the rest of her ice cream. Her feet - still in roller skates - were propped up on the dashboard without a care in the world. The tiny girl with bright pink hair chattered on, in the way pre-teens often do, to Patty and Terry about the large, round cat within the carrier.

"Your cat seems pleased." The eldest Wilder brother commented.

"This is Nyanko!" Mimi seemed delighted that the huge, mostly quiet, imposing older boy next to her had initiated the conversation with her, "He's the best kitty in the world and we love him very much, even if he's round." The kid's smile and cheerful demeanor was pretty infectious, John admitted silently to himself, it was no wonder she'd made so many new friends on the ferry ride to their new island home.

Though his good looks tended to draw attention from the female crowd, his chiseled physique and distaste for unnecessary small talk tended to project a tough-guy image. The first-born Wilder not only looked like he could easily flatten someone, but he also had the skills to back it up. And if that hadn't scared people enough, he barely made a sound when walking normally, so it was extremely common not to hear him sneak up on someone. Not many people wanted to tangle with a behemoth that could move silently.

Terry smiled warmly down at Mimi. "I also love things that are cute and round." He said, his cerulean blue eyes glancing at Patty as he gave the embarrassed girl a loving squeeze. She was a little chunky and had never quite been able to get rid of that last twenty pounds or so, but that just made him love her more. She was soft, squishy and huggable compared to the hard muscles of her longtime boyfriend.

Honestly, John could see why Terry liked someone so soft. Celi herself was soft and smooth and if he played his cards right, he'd be squeezing her the way Terry squeezed Patty.

As much as Buster enjoyed watching the girl of his dreams have the ride of a lifetime in the back of of his cousin's truck with him, the boy was no stranger to the horrible way John drove. There were heavy duty straps back here to grip onto for a reason. Granted, there were also straps to strap yourself in with, but that was it's own risk if there was a collision. The barista had used those to secure the girls' luggage so it was one less hazard to deal with while they were riding in the shitty truck.

For her part, Lu was hooting and hollering, tossing her hands in the air every time a pothole sent them airborne and whooping as they dropped back down into the bed of the truck. He'd had to snake an arm around her at the first bump when she'd nearly been bounced right out of the pickup. She hadn't even bothered with the grips at all, wanting to enjoy the ride.

If Buster had been even a second slower she'd have ended up in the emergency room...

So the sexy swimsuit model had been in his hold for the rest of the trip, encouraging him to let go of the truck and have a little fun with her... right before they were sent crashing into the opposite corner during a sharp turn. Instinctively he'd pulled her onto his lap so that she wouldn't get hurt, pressing her against his body so that he could prevent her from being tossed unceremoniously onto the pavement. Or worse, into oncoming traffic.

Lu's body yielded to his hold immediately, and he felt his heart race in his chest. She had given in right away, her curves melding into him as if they had been designed to fit perfectly together all along. She was soft and smooth, her silky hair cool against his skin as she bounced on his lap with each bump in the road. And of course, of course his body reacted. He felt himself harden under her, despite trying to behave himself.

But it couldn't be helped.

"Seems like someone's enjoying the ride." She purred into his ear. His breath hitched, his pupils dilated, and his shorts suddenly felt a whole lot tighter. But before any kind of response could even be thought of, they were suddenly pitched to the left as John almost missed the turn. The back end of truck went up over the corner of the sidewalk, but thankfully it had been empty of pedestrians.

It was that moment when Lu finally decided to hang onto something. Both of her arms slid casually around his neck as she peered through the back window of the cab and remarked that John had tried to get a little too handsy with Celi while driving. Honestly, this development really wasn't surprising in the least - the brash Wilder living his life as inappropriately as he wanted, no matter what the consequences were. It would be admirable if only he used his brain a little more.

When they finally reached their destination and came to an abrupt stop, Buster sighed a little in relief, giving Lu a little squeeze before finally releasing his steely grip on her. A quick glance at some of his exposed skin indicated those angry red marks would bruise later, but at least the surfer was unscathed because of his efforts. He was okay with that. Vaulting out of the truck easily, he held out his hands to offer Lu some assistance.

His heart skipped a beat when Lu leaned forward to kiss his shoulder and apologize to him, his cheeks reddened. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected a model to hang her head in shame for something that happened to one of her fans, but it just proved that this was no ordinary model. She was kind and considerate in addition to being beautiful and talented. It just proved he'd been right to admire her.

"No need to apologize." Buster said, gently lifting her chin with a finger, "It's not the first time and it looks worse than it actually is because I don't tan easily. Besides, our family has a little trick to take care of stuff like this, so don't worry. They'll be gone before you know it." He gave her a charming smile, hoping that maybe it might help return her own glorious smile, "I promise."

Before he could say anything else, the truck doors opened and the teenagers inside spilled out.

On the passenger side Patty slid out first, sighing in relief as her white tennis shoes touched the paved driveway. As soon as she stepped to the side, Terry's mountainous form freed itself from the cramped space, bending forward to catch Mimi as she slipped off the seat and into the eldest Wilder's grip like a limp giggly noodle. He whirled her around like an airplane the same way he often did for his own younger siblings before setting her down and grabbing the rotund cat from the cab.

The driver side was a lot less harmonious, as John was currently getting an earful from Celi for allegedly trying to cop a feel. The teenager was trying to play it off as just making sure she was safe and sound, but the rosette wasn't buying it.

Buster shook his head at the scene and unwillingly slid his arms from around Lu, back to himself. It was better not to overstep any boundaries. They had just met after all and he didn't want to blow his chances by doing something stupid. He was entirely aware that she was way out of his league - hell, she was probably out of everyone's league - but he'd be happy if the two of them could at least be friends. It was the best he could hope for.

"Should we get started?"

John Wilder wasn't the kind of guy that just gave up whenever someone decided to yell at him. Oh no, he wasn't one of those pandering types at all. Sure, some might argue that it was less pandering and more "not being a douchebag", but that didn't concern him in the slightest. The second son of the infamous Wilder family greatly preferred living life on his own terms and he didn't care who he pissed off while doing it.

In fact, that was all part of the fun!

Especially since the vast majority of the island locals knew well enough to leave him alone to do whatever he pleased. And "whatever he pleased" usually came in the form of having fun at someone else's expense. It was frequently all in good fun, and today was just one of those times... especially because it meant that he could get a rise out of the very classy, not a single hair out of place fashion model, currently being carried around like a sack of potatoes. The angrier she got, the more he delighted in pushing her buttons.

Perhaps it was because she was new.

It was clear from her accent that the three girls clearly hadn't simply rode the ferry from the American shore not far from here. Oh no. These girls had flown all the way from freakin' France to plant their petite plush posteriors on island soil and that meant they needed to be introduced firsthand to everything Rai Island had to offer. And quite possibly the most infamous thing this lush paradise was known for - at least among the locals - was the Wilder family and all the shenanigans they were responsible for.

And luckily for Celi, she'd gotten to meet the absolute most famous Wilder in record time.

Though he doubted she realized how lucky she really was.

Especially at the moment, considering she was raging at him as if he'd personally wronged her. Well, to be honest he had, but she was bound to get used to it eventually. He'd wear her down over time so she'd build up a tolerance for the shit he pulled and come to welcome him with open arms in time. She just didn't know it yet.

But that was alright, he'd help her get there.

All it would take was patience - something John Wilder wasn't frequently known for - and some good old fashioned stubborn willpower, and Celi would be his for sure. The boy was definitely going to enjoy teasing and torturing her in the meantime though. He just couldn't help himself... she got so cute when she was all worked up and unsuccessfully trying to whoop his ass. And that look of pure, venom when the girl realized he'd nicked her new house's keys when she hadn't been paying attention had been SO adorable.

When she demanded he surrender the keys to her he simply grinned and winked at her, then unlocked her front door. Without giving into her demands and setting her down, of course. What fun would that be?