the nude,” Randi said with a giggle.
“I happen to love that he sleeps in the nude.” Carly pointed at Ford and said, “But I’m a fearsome force when it comes to protecting what’s mine, so keep you paws off my man, buddy.”
They all chuckled. Randi flagged down a waiter and ordered three rounds of shots. When he brought them to the table, she lifted her glass and said, “To Zev, for finally getting his ass in gear and going after his Goonie girl.”
“Hear, hear!” Ford said, clinking glasses with Randi.
Zev and Carly tapped glasses, and Zev said, “Amen to that!”
They each picked up another shot glass, and Carly said, “To the Fearless Threesome. May next week bring you fame, fortune, and no shark bites.” She held her glass out, waiting for them to tap it with theirs, but they were exchanging glances she couldn’t read.
“I think you got the tagline wrong, babe,” Zev said.
“What do you mean? You told me you were the Fearless Threesome.”
“Were is the operative word,” Randi said.
“Now that Zev has a better half, I think it’s time we change our name to the Fearless Foursome,” Ford said with a wink, and they all clinked glasses with Carly.
There had been about a million times since she and Zev had reconnected when Carly hadn’t thought she could feel any happier, but as they cheered and drank, she realized she was wrong again. Being part of Zev’s circle of friends, his family on the sea, brought a whole new level of joy.
They entertained Carly with more stories until nearly eleven o’clock, when Zev took her hand and said, “If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to take Carly down to the beach for a walk.”
“That’s code for ‘get you naked,’” Ford teased.
They paid the bill and said their goodbyes in the parking lot. Carly hated leaving, but Randi and Ford made it easier. Ford hugged her and reiterated how happy he was that she and Zev were together. He promised, with a wink this time, to keep Zev warm and hoped she’d be back soon. She and Randi exchanged phone numbers, and Randi promised to keep Ford out of Zev’s bed in exchange for Carly bringing chocolates the next time she visited. They both wished her luck with the festival, and before parting ways, Zev took a last-time-we picture of the four of them for Carly.
She loved that the most.
It was a beautiful, clear night, and as they made their way down to the beach, the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore brought a heightened sense of peace. They took off their shoes and carried them as they walked along the beach. Carly was a little tipsy, and blissfully happy. She wanted the night to go on forever. But despite the alcohol warming her, she shivered against the breeze billowing off the ocean.
“Let me help you with your sweater.” Zev helped her put it on and said, “So, you said you’re from Colorado?”
She recognized the playful look in his eyes. It was story time. “No. Coronado. It’s a city in California. I traveled all this way in my dingy.”
He arched a brow. “In your dingy.”
“That’s right. I didn’t want to attract attention, given how famous I am.”
“Ah, right. I almost forgot. You’re an Olympic yodeler.”
She laughed. “You couldn’t go with pop star?”
“Way too easy.” He stole a kiss and said, “I’m a model.”
“Well, isn’t that fancy?”
He nuzzled against her neck as they walked and said, “If you yodel for me, I’ll let you touch my ten-million-dollar abs.”
“Ten million?” she said dramatically. “Is that all abs are worth these days? Sheesh. You should have been a yodeler. I’ve got seventeen houses and a kangaroo.”
They both laughed.
“You are living the high life,” he said. “I had a house once, but I got in a fight with the mailman who refused to deliver my mail just because I like to answer the door naked. The bastard burned down my house.”
She’d missed disappearing into the secret world of Carly and Zev. She looked out at the moonlight glistening off the water and said, “Ten-million-dollar abs and you only had one house?”
“I think my abs are worth ten mill, but all I was able to book were cheesy commercials. The casting directors said something about my penis being too big and inappropriate for movies.”
She giggled and said, “That must have been hard to take.”
“You have no idea. They were like, ‘Dude, you can do porn,’ and I was like, Screw that. I