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or laughing. Maybe her judgment of his carefree attitude had been a little harsh.
                  It hadn’t taken long for her to realize during today’s lunch he was very well put together. He contemplated the decisions he made with a rational and sound mind. How could she find fault in that?
    He was definitely an enigma of a man, one she hadn’t completely figured out what she’d do with. Sure, she’d had lunch with him today and they had a dinner date tomorrow night, but where did she go from there? Would this strictly be a summer fling? Or would it be an on again off again casual relationship? It surely couldn’t be more than that. On a good traffic day there was at least a two hour drive between them.
    Imani laughed. She was such a lost cause. As much as she just wanted to kick back and enjoy the experience for what it was, old habits died hard. She couldn’t help analyzing her current situation. It was in her nature. But she had to do her best just to go with the flow. She had enough to worry about.
    Kicking off her flip-flops, she made her way over to the door leading to the back porch. Opening the door, she allowed the cool salty breeze in. It was such a nice evening. How in the world had she stayed away from Myrtle Beach so long? Somewhere along the way she’d forgotten how to stop and just enjoy life. Fortunately, she had the opportunity to do it now and she wouldn’t let it pass her by.
    Taking a deep breath, she stepped back inside, closed then locked the door. She didn’t need to stay up too late. Tomorrow she had an early morning appointment at the spa. When she booked it a few days ago, she hadn’t realized how much it’d come in handy. Hopefully she’d be able to relax enough before her date with Carson.
    Shutting off the lights downstairs, she made her way up to the master bedroom, a wry grin on her face. If anyone had told her a few months back she’d be where she was today, she would’ve laughed in their face.
    A short time later she crawled in between the cool sheets, rolling onto her side. The window next to the bed gave her the perfect view of the beach. She focused on the water, allowing the ebb and flow of the waves lull her off to sleep.
     
    * * * *
     
                  “Relax, Imani, or you’re going to pass out.”
                  She stared at her reflection in the mirror and did her best to follow her own advice. She’d just finished putting the final touch on her make-up. Carson had advised her to dress casual, so she’d chosen a teal colored sundress and a pair of white strappy sandals. Her hair fell into soft curls around her face, but she had hair clips and a ponytail holder in her tote bag in case she needed them.
                  The doorbell rang and she jumped. Laughing at herself, she shook her head, studied her appearance in the mirror one more time, then headed downstairs.
                  When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. While Carson’s usual wardrobe consisted on khaki pants and a golf shirt with Baxter’s Bar and Grill on it, she hadn’t really taken the time to admire his physique.
    Have mercy. He had a nice one.
                  He’d paired a deep purple T-shirt with a pair of white swim shorts and a tan flip-flops. A pair of what looked to be designer shades sat on top of his head, keeping his unruly hair in place. Corded muscles in his arms and firm calf muscles let her know he did some sort of workout regimen.  He was freaking gorgeous.              
                  Boy am I in trouble.
                  “Hey, beautiful. You look lovely.”
                  And you are walking sex-on-a-stick.
                  He grinned and for a moment she wondered if she’d said the words aloud. Then she realized she hadn’t. In fact, she was just standing there, staring like a loon.