“I vaguely remember her saying something like that,” said Dani.
“I’m not swimming in that,” said Jae. “I’m from Miami—”
“We know,” replied Dani, cutting her off.
“Okay. So, this isn’t what we’d hoped for. I say we get on the next train to Cannes and go to the beach there. What do you think?” Thank God for Lou taking charge—and for listening to our tour manager.
“I’m up for it,” I said.
“Me too,” added Dani. “Jaelee?”
“Well, I’m not staying here,” she scoffed.
It was decided, and less than an hour later we approached a completely different kind of beach, Plage Zamenhoff. It was the kind with soft white sand and sun loungers you could rent for ten euros a pop. Dani found it online while we were on the train. It was a public beach, so about half the price of the more exclusive beach clubs, and for four tourists (let’s be honest, we were far from travellers that day), it was ideal.
We paid a short French guy and he led the way through rows of sun loungers to four sitting side by side. “Merci,” said Dani, giving her approval. We could see the sea from our vantage point and there were a few empty loungers between us and the nearest people.
I was settling onto mine when I turned around and was met by the surprising sight of Jaelee’s breasts. “Oh, wow …” I didn’t really care—there were bare breasts everywhere on the beach. I’d thought of going topless myself. I just hadn’t expected to get a face full of boob.
“Jaelee,” said Dani. “Do we need to see your boobs?” Apparently, Dani did care.
“We’ve shared a room since we started this trip. You’ve seen my boobs before.” Jaelee lay down on her lounger and placed a large straw sunhat on her head.
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“It just is.”
I noticed that Lou was silent. She didn’t swear, so maybe public nudity wasn’t her thing either. Jae ignored Dani, who tutted loudly as she set up on her own lounger.
I got out my sunhat, put it on and pulled the brim low over my face, then made sure my cover-up covered my arms and chest. I’d slathered on sunscreen before we left the campsite, but I was feeling the slight sting of the previous day’s sunburn and I didn’t want to take any chances.
“I’m going for a swim,” said Lou. And if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would never have believed what she did next. She whipped off her bikini top, dropped it on her lounger, and marched towards the water.
“Woo hoo, go Louise!” called out Jaelee.
“Oh, brother,” said Dani, nestling further into her lounger.
I sat upright and watched as Lou walked into the water. She waved to us and called, “Come in. It’s great!”
“What the hell,” said Jae, standing. She headed off.
“Dani? Are you going in?” I asked.
“Not if I have to go topless.”
“You don’t.”
Dani didn’t look convinced. “What if I just stay here and watch our stuff?” She had a point. It probably wasn’t a good idea to leave everything unattended.
“If you’re sure.”
“Go!” she ordered.
I stood and slipped off my cover-up, then looked out at Jae and Lou, both standing waist-deep in the blue water, boobs out, no qualms. The hell with it, I thought. I undid my bikini top and put it on my lounger. I heard another, “Oh brother,” from Dani but I ignored her. I held my head high and, for the first time in my thirty-five years, walked half-naked through a throng of strangers. No one stared. No one cared.
I got to the water’s edge and walked in. Then walked straight back out again. Holy crap, that’s cold.
“You coming in?” asked Lou.
“It’s freezing.” My teeth started to chatter despite the sunny afternoon.
“Like hell, it’s great,” chided Jaelee.
“I thought you were from Miami, Jae. Isn’t the ocean hot there?”
“You’re a lightweight, Cat.”
Jaelee had found my weakness—I, bold, gutsy, do-not-mess-with-me Cat Parsons, was absolutely not a lightweight. I lifted my chin, stuck out my boobs, and strode purposefully into the water, the iciness biting into my legs, then my lady parts. That was the most shocking part. The poor things nearly crawled up inside me as I waded over to Lou and Jae.
“Isn’t this awesome?” asked Lou.
It most definitely was not awesome. I may have been an Aussie girl deep down, but I’d also acclimated to the land after ten years in England. I tried to remember the last time I’d been in the sea. I couldn’t.
Lou submerged herself up to her shoulders, then swam off with a few strokes of breaststroke. Jae followed, and I was left standing by myself in the gently undulating swell. Bollocks, I thought before taking off after them. Maybe swimming would warm me up.
I’m doing it. I am a wild, sexy, sophisticated woman and I’m swimming on the Riviera. I’m … Let’s be honest, I’m freezing my tits off.
I tried to touch the bottom, but I was in over my head, so I swam a few strong strokes towards the shore. Jae and Lou were treading water a little way off, and Lou called to me, but I was single-minded. I wanted to be on dry land, tout de suite.
When I could finally touch the sandy bottom, I did that weird “walk out of the sea” thing where it’s like walking through quicksand and the water’s pulling against you and you’re leaning forward struggling to get to shore while still looking cool. I got to the shallows and straightened up then, boobs out, walked back towards Dani and our stuff.
French Riviera
“How was it?” She peered at me above her sunglasses.
“Amazing. You should go in.” Sometimes I am a sadist.
“Meh, maybe later.” She rolled over and let the sun hit her back. I dried off and was just shimmying into my bikini top (note: this is very difficult when you’re wet and it’s dry) when I heard a man’s voice say, “Oh, hey, guys.”
Before I could register whose voice it was, I clutched the bikini top to my chest.
“Oh, hi, Craig,” said Dani. What?! Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks. Wonderful. It was Craig, his man-boy mountain frame towering over us as I tried to retain my dignity. It was all well and good sharing my breastage with hundreds of beach strangers, but Craig? Little bro’ Craig? Just, no.
“Hey, Dani. I thought it was you coming out of the water, Cat.” Great. So, he’d seen me without my top on. “I’m here with some of the guys.” He pointed in the opposite direction from the water—bollocks, maybe the other guys had too. “Oh, Dani. Jason’s here. Should I go get him?”
“Sure. Yeah.”
“Be right back.” The whole time I was standing there with my bikini top in hand and covering my boobs as best I could considering I have C-cup boobs and A-cup hands. It was one thing for Craig to have seen me half-naked from a distance, I didn’t need to scare the poor boy. As soon as he left, I turned towards the sea and put the top on as quickly as I could before he came back with Jason in tow.
I stretched out on my lounger and waited for the sun to warm me up, and Lou and Jae arrived shortly after. “God, I love swimming in saltwater,” said Lou as she grabbed her towel to dry off.