Determined to get a picture, Pandy crept along the path next to the shore. She peered through the tall grass and nearly gasped aloud. The herons weren’t alone. Standing nude in the middle of the inlet, balanced on one leg, arms stretched overhead and palms together in a classic yoga pose, was SondraBeth. She was now so slim and her skin so white, Pandy at first mistook her for some kind of large, exotic bird and nearly dropped her phone in excitement. But birds didn’t have mature female breasts.
Pandy let out a long, slow breath and began to creep closer. SondraBeth continued to stare straight ahead, the pose rock-steady even as the herons began to approach. She was so still, the herons must have mistaken her for one of their own, for they hardly glanced in her direction. Moving one careful, silent inch at a time, Pandy slunk through the bushes until she was a mere twenty feet away.
Staring at SondraBeth, Pandy suddenly understood what her friend had meant when she said that acting was about being still. Pandy wondered how it must feel to be able to stand perfectly motionless like a statue; so much a part of nature that even nature took you for granted. She considered making her presence known, but then thought better of it. This was obviously one of SondraBeth’s few private moments, and Pandy was encroaching. She’d back away slowly, and SondraBeth would never know she had been there. She’d file away the image as one of those unusual experiences that keep their power only when they remain secret.
She was about to sneak back to the golf cart when suddenly SondraBeth turned her head and stared straight at her. Embarrassed, Pandy froze. Had SondraBeth actually seen her, or had she merely sensed a presence?
“You look just like Margaret Mead,” SondraBeth said.
Pandy stood up and laughed. “Did the hat give me away?”
SondraBeth dropped her pose and smiled. “Maybe.” The herons, startled by the movement, raised their silvery wings and sped across the water like two small, shiny jets.
“Beautiful,” Pandy murmured.
“Aren’t they?” SondraBeth leaned over and splashed her face with water. She slicked back her hair and looked at Pandy. “Are you coming in? The water’s fine.”
“Sure,” Pandy said in surprise. She removed her shorts and took a step toward the water. SondraBeth shook her head and laughed.
“You have to be naked, too. Otherwise it’s not fair.”
“Oh.” Pandy considered her request. Normally, Pandy did not do naked, especially in front of other women. Even when she was a little girl, changing rooms had been a hurdle. She could never figure out how much nakedness was exhibitionist, and was torn between wanting to look around and wanting to act like it wasn’t any big deal. She admired women who had mastered this issue, and longed to be like them, but an ingrained self-conscious embarrassment at her body’s flaws always prevented her. SondraBeth was apparently free of such mundane concerns, but on the other hand, she actually did have a perfect body—or once had, anyway, before she became so thin. And she had certainly performed her share of sex scenes, albeit tasteful ones, in front of the camera. Pandy supposed that after a while you became desensitized, like all those topless sunbathers in France.
What the hell, she thought, unfastening her bikini top and sliding out of the bottom. She carefully folded the pieces into little squares and wrapped them and her phone in her shorts. A slight breeze tickled the fine hairs on her arms. Having made the decision to shed her clothing, she no longer had any reason not to own her nakedness. She strode confidently into the water.
The bottom was slightly squishy; she felt like she was walking in a bowl of oatmeal. Pandy laughed and raised her arms to balance. SondraBeth smiled approvingly. “Cool, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Pandy said.
“You can walk for miles, and it doesn’t get any deeper.” She started splashing farther out.
“Amazing,” Pandy murmured as she followed her.
“You’re amazing, too,” SondraBeth said. “Think about what you created. An entire world came out of your head. Think of all the people who benefited.”
The sun and the warm air were like a dozy lullaby.
“I don’t ever want you to think that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me,” SondraBeth said.
They were now so close that Pandy could imagine their breasts touching. She flushed at the thought. She took a step back, and SondraBeth took a step forward. Pandy could feel SondraBeth’s warm, salty breath on her lips. “Peege,” she murmured softly, her eyes closing.
For one wild second, Pandy thought SondraBeth was going to kiss her. If she did…
But instead, SondraBeth’s eyes popped open. A tiny reflection of the sun burned in each pupil, turning the irises iridescent green.
Then she blinked and laughed. “What in God’s name are we going to do about Doug Stone?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHY DO we have to do anything about Doug Stone?” Pandy grumbled a few minutes later, marching behind SondraBeth in the soft sand as they trooped back to the golf cart.
SondraBeth reached into the cart, felt for a bottle of water, and poured it down her throat. Scales of salt fell off her face as she tipped her head.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Why shouldn’t we?” she asked.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Pandy said, swinging into the driver’s seat. “And I realized that I’m totally over Doug. While you were out there posing, I finally felt like I just didn’t care.”
SondraBeth paused to give Pandy a curious look. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Pandy shrugged and turned on the ignition.
“That’s too bad,” SondraBeth said, sliding into the passenger seat. “I was thinking it might be fun to invite him to join us.”
“Here?” Pandy gasped, looking over her shoulder as she backed the cart over a pile of broken shells.
“Why not? It might be fun.”
“But I’m already having fun.”
“You, PJ Wallis, are scared,” SondraBeth said teasingly.
“Well, as you said, I am all squish and elbows,” Pandy replied cheerfully.
The sun blazed through the windshield. “Whoa!” Pandy jerked the wheel to avoid an iguana the size of a large house cat.
“It’s just too bad, is all. I’m sure if he knew you were interested—”
“He’s with Lala Grinada, remember?”
“Oh, that. That means nothing.” SondraBeth waved this away. “Besides, he might not still be with her.”
Bouncing over the rutted track, Pandy remembered Doug braced above her. When she’d gripped his smooth, muscled arms, she’d noted, curiously, that his skin felt as soft as cashmere. In that moment, she’d told herself she must be the luckiest woman in the world. And in the next moment, she’d realized it couldn’t last. It was just too perfect. Like a scene in a movie.
“Naw,” Pandy said now, steering the cart up to the house. “I’m done.” As she opened the door, the cold air-conditioning hit her like a slap. SondraBeth closed the door behind her. Pandy suddenly felt like she was being sealed inside a refrigerator. She walked across the polished living room floor to open the French doors. She inhaled the warm air and turned back into the room.
“The thing is, I had my fun with Doug,” Pandy said. “I mean, I had sex with a movie star, right? That’s not something that happens every day. On the other hand, it’s never going to be my life. So why bother?”
“Oh, right.” SondraBeth yawned pointedly. “I forgot that’s all Doug is to you. An actor. A notch in your belt. He is a person, you know? But if you’re really not interested…”
“It’s not that. I mean, of course he’s a person.” Pandy sighed; she hoped SondraBeth wasn’t going to get all huffy about being an actor again. She looked at her watch. “Do you think it’s too early for a drink?”