Flora watched the navy polo shirt ride up Sean's torso. At first there was only a thin strip of tanned skin, but gradually the tan took over the navy as he pulled it off. It was only a few seconds, but she granted him the slow motion moment he deserved and played the whole thing in her mind oh-so-slowly.

Thank God for the beach. Thank God for summer. It was so good to be alive.

The four of them had relocated back to the beach where a tanning session was just starting. The ever-so-lovely J and J sat a few feet away, while Sean had taken the space beside her without hesitation. He sank down on the sand gracefully, setting his belongings right next to hers as if they were on a date.

Flora was almost hyperventilating. Luckily, years of strict dating training was embedded in her brain, and in a crisis like this her professional side took over. No need to freak out over a little bit of exposed college boy skin. She quickly checked that her legs were properly shaved.

They were. Her toenails were also nicely clipped. She wished she had put on her shimmer body balm, though. It gave her that I-just-came-back-from-the-Hamptons glow.

Sean tilted his face back, like he was enjoying the sun on his face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. That relaxed, contented look was strangely endearing.

Flora slipped on her sunglasses. It made gawking easier.

She had always appreciated how he looked underneath his clothes, but he was on an entirely different level now. This buffer, broader, bronzed college version of him was ready for a Men's Health photo shoot. There were too many attractions she almost didn't know where her gaze should travel to first.

Hiding behind her shades, she allowed her eyes to run down the contours of his muscles, hungrily scanning him and recording the data, like going through her groceries with a handheld scanner.

Firm pecs, got it (these looked stone hard). Round biceps, yup. Sculpted shoulders, V-line abs, slim waist—check, check, and check. His flat stomach was accentuated by a dusting of fine hair, which ran from his navel until it sensually disappeared beneath the waistband of his shorts.

Flora was already very much into him with all of his clothing intact, but she wasn't going to deny this upgraded layout. She liked how he looked. Very much.

She ordered herself to come up with something witty, impressive, or at least cute to say, but after a few swallows, all her stupid mouth could blurt out was,

"Have you been working out much?"

What? She sounded like the cougar in one of the bad dramas she watched, who was always hitting on the young pool guy hired for the summer. Next she'd be offering him lemonade and inviting him to come inside, pun intended.

Sean opened his long-lashed eyes. "Yeah, I still go to the gym. I play basketball sometimes, too, but I'm not on the varsity team anymore." His tone was innocent, as if he didn't get what she was implying—you're freaking sexy—and they were only discussing their exercise routines. He smiled at her, a little playfully, and said, "Intramural basketball doesn't sound hot, does it?"

It does when it comes from your mouth.

He mentioned that he didn't have too much time for sports anymore and his main focus was on academics. Following the direction of this topic, she asked him what classes he was taking.

Dear God. Now she sounded like his mom. Next she should ask him if he drank enough water and ate his vegetables like a good boy.

As Sean started to count off the subjects, Microstructural Evolution in Materials and Mathematical Methods, for starters, Jake interrupted with a sigh.

He turned around. "This is painful to listen to. Flora, nobody cares what classes he's taking." He picked up the sunscreen at his feet and chucked it towards her direction. "Stop with the small talk and lather him up."

That was the most blatant, tactless matchmaking she'd ever had the pleasure of participating in. Reminded her of how her friends in elementary school would push her from behind so that she'd crash into her crush. Even though she was thankful for the enormous shades that hid half of her face, it wasn't nearly dark enough to cover up everything else, things like desire and embarrassment.

Sean took the bottle from the sand and held it out to her. He smiled, and the sun reflected off his eyes, in such a way that the blue glittered with gold flecks. His eyes were an ocean with a thousand golden sails. "If you don't mind," he said. He was completely serene, thus making it hard to tell whether he was being flirty.

Her heart thumped. She took the bottle from his hand.

"My sunscreen is very weak," Jake called out. "I think reapplying every twenty minutes is in order."

Sean chuckled like he was humoring him. He shifted on the beach blanket so that he had his back to her.

Flora shook the bottle and squeezed. The lotion squirt out with a loud farting noise.

Thank you. That's enough damage for today. Well done.

She was torn between wanting to explain that she didn't make that sound and wondering if explaining made it worse. Kneeling behind him, she rubbed the lotion slowly over his shoulder blades.

His warm skin beneath her palms stirred up emotions she was already aware of, only now they were made more obvious. Part of her wished she could hurry up and finish the job, but part of her wanted to keep her hands on him forever.

He looked nice, smelled nice, and felt even nicer. She remembered how she used to massage his shoulders and he was always grateful, telling her how good it felt. After brushing away a patch of sand on his body, she smoothed over the muscles that lined up alongside his spine and reached the small of his back, where she could see the back dimples that she was crazy for. His shorts were hung low.

Off in a short distance, she could hear Jake inviting Jessica to swim and Jessica saying she hated swimming and Jake saying they needed to disappear and Jessica complaining that he was too obvious about giving privacy.

"Excuse my lack of skill," Jake said, his voice fading into the sea breeze, "but do you think I go around fixing people up all day?"

"Yeah, yeah...you're a matchmaking virgin..." Jessica said. Within minutes, they were off and had reached the water's edge.

Now alone, Flora was even more conscious of Sean's presence. He was sending over heat waves relentlessly like a radioactive element. He turned his head and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Flora. Want me to return the favor?"

Her sunscreen would stay on for at least two more hours, but it didn't hurt to be prepared and doubly protected, right? UV rays could be extremely harmful.

His fingers brushed at her hair and he gently pushed it aside. She could feel him working the lotion into the nape of her neck. How ironic this was, because sunscreen was supposed to prevent people from getting burnt, but everywhere he touched was like dripping liquid fire.

Sean's palms traveled to her shoulders. "I didn't know Jake planned this," he said. "Sorry about that. Hope you're not uncomfortable."

She did feel slightly uncomfortable, but it was in the best way possible. "I'm not sorry he planned this."

His hands paused for the briefest second. If it were anyone else, they might not have noticed, but Flora was familiar with every little hesitation and mood shift that Sean expressed. He picked up speed again, working over her entire back, his fingers slipping under her shoulder straps momentarily. When he finished polishing that fine sheen of lotion on her, he moved back to his spot beside her and turned to say,

"Well, this is our best double date yet, don't you think?"

It was such a simple sentence, but there was so much to read into. There were nostalgia, memories, hope, and the implication that he regarded this as something more than a friendly get together. He said our. And date. Also there was yet.

Flora decided to be bold. "I hope the best is yet to come."

Sean's head was lowered as he tried to keep the sun from shining in his eyes, but she could see the curl of his mouth. It took a moment for her to notice that the smile had vanished and he was staring intently at her bare stomach.

She knew he liked her in a bikini, but it wasn't like him to be so obvious. MIT must have been a cold, hard place where people wore Northface coats all the time.

"Flora, did you have surgery?"

Crap. She had completely forgotten about it. She had a laparoscopic appendectomy, a great doctor and three very discreet wounds; one was hidden in her navel, one was buried somewhere down her bikini bottom and Sean wouldn't be able to see yet (unless things went especially well later on), and one on the side of her abdomen, which was also the one he was frowning at right this instance. It was very small and she was surprised it didn't escape him.

"I had my appendix taken out."

"When?"

"Back in March."

He was silent as he digested this information. His lashes fluttered. "March. There was a day in March...I called you repeatedly that day but you never picked up. You told me you fell asleep. You said you were okay."

She nodded, too guilty to meet his eyes. "Yeah. I didn't pick up because I was in surgery."

"You had surgery and you didn't even tell me?"

"Sean." She was a little nervous now, because he seemed seriously upset. "Look, it's not exactly exciting news. It's not like I gave birth to a set of twins or something."

He faced her squarely. "You promised you'd never lie to me."

"That's like...a white lie? Besides, it's not exactly a lie. I did fall asleep because I was under anesthesia. And the surgery went well so I really was okay."

"What?" He blinked. "Your ability to twist words is astounding. I don't know how to argue with you."

"Then don't argue with me. The patient is always right."

"I...Jesus, Flora. I can't believe you kept that from me. Didn't you want me to be there?" There was a hurt little boy in his eyes, like his parents stole all his Halloween candies.

As usual, Flora's heart tightened at that look, and as usual, Flora wanted to joke her way out if it. "I couldn't wash my hair and I looked disgusting. Besides, if you were there, looking so hot and everything, my blood pressure would've been dangerously elevated and my doctor might've come up with the wrong diagnosis."

He looked at her in a moment of silence, probably wondering if he should be flattered that he was hot enough to be considered a health hazard, or be offended that she wasn't taking his accusation seriously. Finally he sighed, and he squared his shoulders and reclined slightly backward. "You wanted me to be there," he said. "You were just afraid I wouldn't go."

The way he stated it, so matter of fact, left no room for denial. They knew each other too well not to read everything between the lines. She couldn't face rejection when it came from him, so she'd rather not give him the option of disappointing her.

"I knew you were busy with exams and stuff," she said. "And you were many hours away."

"You didn't even give me the chance to prove that I could be there for you too."

"I didn't want you to feel bad in case you couldn't come. Are you mad at me?"

He frowned. "No, of course not. I'm just upset with the situation."

For a while all she could hear were the waves. Sean seemed lost in thoughts, and she was jittery with the way things were going, like a lot of swept-under emotions were about to be pushed to the surface. The beachfront was peaceful, saved for a few seagulls that were pecking at the sand, but the air was condensed with unspoken words. He stared at the ocean, and when his gaze flicked back to her face, he was a cascade of rained-down sentences.

"I know you were unhappy with the way things were. I always make you wait when you want to tell me something, and when I finally call you back, I know the moment has passed. We keep rescheduling when we want to visit each other. I'm never there to share your food and our flirty messages don't lead up to anything. I'm so busy all the time. I can't give you a hug when you need it. I can't help it because this is just something that comes with not being physically together, but trust me when I say I'm not happy with it either. I'm mad at the distance between us, Flora."

She couldn't answer at once, shocked with his sudden outburst. His sincerity was so clear it was almost possible for her to reach out and grasp it.

"If it's any consolation, I would've gone, definitely," Sean said. "I may not have gotten there in time, but at least I could've been there when you woke up."

She swallowed. "If it's any consolation, I wanted to wake up to you too."

And then their eyes met, and at that moment the distance melted away like the bubbles the ocean brought in with every calming wave. Sean gazed at her, and it was like he forgot to think about the lines and boundaries for a second. He held so much affection in his eyes and he didn't try to hide it.

It didn't last too long, though. He raised his eyebrows. "You want to wake up to me? Even though I'm so hot I'd probably make your wounds erupt or something?"

"It'd be worth it. I promise I'll call you the next time I get an appendectomy."

"Very funny."

His eyes traveled to her stomach again. He reached out his hand, lifting his eyes to ask for her permission, before he lightly grazed against the scar with his fingertip. His touch was gentle, but it initiated a small ripple right away.

"Did it hurt?"

"Before the surgery, yes, but I recovered really fast."

"Too bad I weren't there to get you Einstein balloons."

She stared straight at his face, challenging him. "Einstein isn't my dream man."

Sean held her gaze, smiling a little before he broke eye contact first. "So, um...I heard through Jess that you weren't seeing anyone now."

"That's correct." Thank you Jessica, you passed on all the crucial information.

The waves were still crashing against the sand a small distance away, bringing in and taking away nothing, but Flora could feel something light and flirty building up between them, sturdier than a sandcastle. Like a seashell resonating with tales of the ocean, she could feel her body buzzing with giddy energy. The air smelled as salty as before, but now it was tinged with a new flavor.

It was possibility.

She tilted her face up and smiled at Sean behind her sunglasses. "How do you feel about this information?"

"That's the best news I've heard of in a while. And I thought I couldn't be happier when I passed my finals."

"You like that I'm single and miserable, huh?"

"I like that very much. The more miserable the better."

Flora laughed, liking that Sean didn't choose to go down the I-have-no-right-to-interfere-with-your-social-life route. "How about you?" she asked. "Met anyone special at all for the past two years?"

"Actually, there is." He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his thighs. "I met someone who changed my life."

"Should I be threatened?"

"His name is Fred. He's my best friend in college."

She asked to hear everything about him, so Sean started telling her that Fred was a year above him and felt like an older brother. They met when Sean was invited to pledge for the fraternity he belonged to. Greek life was a common thing at MIT where over half of the guys were involved, but he said it was rather toned down and laid-back, and all he had to do during the recruitment were things like taking part in philanthropy events on campus and sober monitoring for parties.

"So I was brought into a room," Sean said. "It was very, very dark. There was a creepy movie projected on the wall and some disturbing sound of metal scraping against metal and muffled screams in the background. There was a line of dark red drinks on the table. One of the senior guys asked us to pick one and drink it. It looked like blood."

"That sounds like some cult ceremony."

"Yeah, all the members were solemn, and for a moment it felt ominous but then Fred coughed and said, you don't have to drink it if you really don't want to. Then someone else said, it's tomato puree so if you could, like, just go through with it? I almost laughed. Right then I decided that it was the type of fraternity I wanted to join. They tried to be scary but they just couldn't. I never felt like I needed to prove anything with them."

Flora listened with a grin that seemed to have permanently resided on her lips. This was wonderful, sitting so close to him, with the balmy breeze ruffling through her hair and Sean's voice circling the afternoon. The sun washed down his toned body, highlighting the sand on his muscular legs. He was a movie she wished could play on forever.

"Fred's parents were Nigerian immigrants. They came here with nothing but they made a name for themselves with their real estate business in Manhattan."

"I see you enjoy hanging out with rich people," Flora teased. She liked how he didn't care for the lux life but he wasn't one to judge or be intimidated by it, either.

"Almost exclusively. I don't talk to people unless they have a trust fund."

She smiled. "So how did he change your life?"

"I have a favorite coffee shop off campus. Their yirgacheffe is out of this world but sadly their app was in major need of a revamp. I made one for them and entered it for a programming contest...just some basic functions, nothing groundbreaking, but it's easy to navigate and I won. It helped their business a little bit too. Next I designed a software system to facilitate the way we hand in our term papers, share notes, and keep track of citations. Fred thinks I have a talent for this."

"You're a genius."

"Far from it, but you know how I've always wanted to be an engineer? He talked me out of it. He thinks I could've gone to any engineering school and end up making roughly the same amount of money, but I chose MIT and I should make use of the resources we have here. We really do have a great environment and social connections. We get to meet all those legendary alumni, company founders and executives."

"You can be an entrepreneur. I heard that Boston has a lot to offer in terms of start-up opportunities."

He nodded. "I never thought of that before, Flora. I just wanted to secure a stable job with a decent salary, but it's like...have you seen Matrix?"

"Yes, I watched it after you told me it's one of your favorite movies."

"Remember when Neo was offered the blue pill and he could wake up in his bed and everything would be forgotten, or he could take a chance and swallow the red pill, and he got to stay in Wonderland and see how deep the rabbit-hole went? Fred made me take the red pill."

"Neo, sooner or later you're going to realize just as I did that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." Flora beamed. "I'm proud of you. You're going down the rabbit-hole now."

"We're bootstrapping our own mobile app design company. We got the fund from his family. I switched my major from Mechanical Engineering to EECS...Electrical Engineering and Computer Science...a few months ago."

"Are you going to come up with the next big thing like Google Maps or YouTube and takeover the world? I'll download your app right away. I'll ask everyone I know to download it, too."

"We're a B2B