Ava and Zoe
These twins were more alike than I ever dreamed.
It was my third season working at the marina. Over the course of three summers, I had seen and likely flirted with hundreds, if not a thousand, very attractive females--women and teens of every race, creed, color, and age. And though I still looked, I had gotten to the point where I was almost numb to it. That was until last summer.
It was an absolutely beautiful weekend. A crystal-clear blue sky, a slight breeze from the west, and a high temperature predicted for the day in the low nineties. A perfect day for a boat ride. I would have loved to have the day off and go out with some buddies, meet some chicks, and party 'til dark. But I had to work. My rent wasn't going to pay itself, and I knew it.
To make matters worse, the boss had told us that morning that we were fully booked. Every boat, every Jet Ski, and even every pair of water skis had been reserved. And boy, were we hustling. We had to check them in, make sure everyone signed the liability waiver, help them all get aboard--and the most important thing; make sure at least one person in the party had some basic knowledge of handling a motorboat AND that at least someone would promise to stay sober until the boat was safely returned.
Somewhere around ten thirty, I looked up to see a huge party making their way down the pier and heading straight for us. There were at least half a dozen adults and twice that many kids. I looked at the boss, who nodded that the group was mine. As it turned out, they had reserved a pontoon boat, a ski boat, two Jet Skis, and two pairs of water skis. As I approached the gentleman who appeared to be the head of this entourage, I asked, "Are you the Sandlers?"
Still holding one end of what appeared to be a hefty ice chest with one hand, and a load of beach towels in the other, he quickly confirmed, "Yep, that's us--the Sandlers."
I reviewed the list of equipment they had reserved, and he readily agreed that it was accurate. The group appeared to be composed of several related families, as there were three middle-aged couples, accompanied by a collection of children ranging from pre-teens to young adults and every age in between. Still surprised by the size of the group, I said, "Is this a birthday party or something?"
Quickly moving to the front of the group, two young ladies immediately stepped forward, wrapping their arms around each other's shoulders and squealed, "Yes, it's our birthday."
"Both of you?" I said with a startled tone in my voice. I had not actually noticed them previously, but I should have. They both appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties, drop-dead gorgeous, and wearing the sexiest bikinis I had seen all day.
"Yes, both of us," they said in unison. "We're twins."
Now, they did look a lot alike. They had the same height, sexy figure, and skin tone, but their faces did not appear to be identical. Further, one was a sandy-blonde, while the other was a brunette. As they smiled and bumped their hips together, all I could think to say was, "So, how old are you?"
Again, in unison, they both exclaimed, "Twenty-one!"
"Wow," I said, "I should buy you both a beer--Happy Birthday."
"Not right now," Mr. Sadler said. "Come on, girls, get on board and help the little ones with their life jackets."
Twenty minutes later, they were all checked in and heading out for a day on the lake. As the small flotilla made its way out of the marina, I looked down at the manifest. Yes, it was three families, all with the same last name--Sandler. Reading down the list of passengers, and there they were--Ava and Zoe Sandler, both twenty-one years old.
They didn't return until after seven that night, and we were totally swamped checking boats back in as fast as we could. I didn't handle the Sandler's return, but as I saw Ava and Zoe, sunburned, dead-tired, and maybe a little tipsy, they passed me on the dock. Making eye contact, I said, "Hey, I owe you both a happy birthday beer."
I still didn't know which girl was which, but the one with sandy-blonde hair said, "You're on," while her sister smiled and walked on past.
That was the last I would see of either of them for two and a half months.
As the summer was coming to a close, I was getting fewer and fewer hours at the marina. I still stopped by to see if I could get any hours, but during the week, the answer was usually no. Of course, Memorial Day was coming, and we'd be as busy as the proverbial one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. But until then, I'd just have to bide my time.
Sitting at the bar in Cabo Jack's, I was aimlessly staring out across the lake when, out of nowhere, a female voice behind me said, "Are you going to buy me that beer?"
I spun my head around so fast that I almost snapped my neck. It was one of the twins--the blonde one. Catching my breath, I was able to respond, "Yes--of course."
I raised the half-empty beer bottle in my hand and signaled for her to take the adjacent bar stool in an awkward gesture of chivalry. Accepting my gallant offer, she slid up onto the stool beside me and, with an alluring smile, asked, "Do you remember me?"
Startled by the unexpected companionship, it was amazing that I could speak at all. And I had no idea whether this was Ava or Zoe, but I remembered the group and how I had promised the two girls a beer. Now, if I could only remember the family's name, "You're one of the girls I promised a beer to for your birthday," I was finally able to get out of my mouth.
"Ava--Ava Sandler," she said, extending her hand to shake mine.
"Jeff Hunt," I replied quickly, taking her hand. "And yes, I did promise you a beer. What would you like?"
"Corona."
It may have been a coincidence, but that was what I was drinking, and I waved to the bartender for two more of the same. With fresh drinks on the way, I turned to her and asked, "So, where's your sister?"
"Zoe? We're not identical, you know," she said with a smile. "We go our own ways."
At first, I wasn't sure if she was being blunt or just flirty. But as two cold beers arrived, a big smile spread across her lovely face. "Oh, I didn't mean anything...."
"I know, I was just teasing," Ava said as she raised her bottle to clink bottle necks with mine. "We are very close, but when it comes to men," she paused to lock her eyes onto mine, "we're each on our own."
I was the one to pause now. "Did you know I would be here?"
"No, but I was hoping."
