So why do I hang out with Alpha Man again? Anyone? On Saturday afternoon he talked my sorry tired ass into going to the lake for a paddleboard ride. Because I had claimed “tired”, I let him haul both paddleboards from the truck to the lagoon’s edge.

I carried the paddles.

Hey, someone had to do it.

The lagoon is shielded, protected and very very quiet waters. After about two minutes of this, Alpha Man decided that the lagoon was for little girls, and he wanted to get out onto the open waters.

Actually, he didn’t say “little girls”, he said something else that I’m pretty sure I can’t type here. Then he flashed me the coaxing smile and tried to get me to agree to leave the lagoon. Which is a little bit like leaving a bathtub for the Nile. But because I’m a sucker, I followed.

Followed.

Because Alpha Man has to be in the lead, in charge and in control. Damn Alpha-ness.

I looked across the huge lake and took a big gulp. It was like a mile and it was deep and choppy and there were big boats and I didn’t wanna. I wanted to keep going along the quiet lagoon, you know, where it was SAFE.

So not a complete jerk, Alpha Man slowed down and gave me that charming smile and the “honey you can totally do this” when really he just wanted me to hurry the hell up so he could get his adrenaline rush and thrill.

So fine. I went. We were about a quarter of a mile across, with me going ”oh god oh god oh god I’m going to die” all the way and he’s trying to be all encouraging with the “you’re doing great, your paddle is backwards, you really are doing great” and ruining the whole thing by cracking his ass up every time I dropped my paddle.

And then he made it all worse by yelling back a vague sort of “last one across owes” and we all know what he meant by “owes”, just as we all know exactly who was going to be last one across. The guy is like a foot taller and had a hundred pounds on me.

I might have snapped. I might have yelled “just once I’d like it if you were sweet and sensitive and … and BETA!”

And he blinked, all surprised to find me a tad bit out of sorts. Men. Are. Clueless.

Oh and just so we’re clear, I did win, even if to secure the win I flat out cheated and there might have been flashing involved. Point is, he had to buy me Panda Express. Although if he happens by here today, I’m just kidding. I didn’t cheat at all and I owe nothing.

Hmph. Oh! And while I have you here, I’d love to hear what you’re reading … and if you’re looking for something, please feel free to go hit the Blazes this month. I’m in the anthology Born On The Fourth Of July, and also next month with in The Heat Is On … Click here: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-heat-is-on-2/ to read the first chapter … and here for the anthology’s first chapter: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/18/born-on-the-fourth-of-july/

Happy Reading! And hope to see you all on my daily blog, I love the company … Best, Jill

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