Free Boswell, LaVenia by THE DAWNING (The Dawning Trilogy) Page A

perfect laughs, so at ease and everyone knowing everyone else.  She put her hand to her forehead, remembering a small zit she’d used her new hair style to try and conceal.  How did they all manage to have Hollywood skin?  Didn’t any of them ever eat a pizza?
                She suddenly decided to notice how Jason was dressed.  These were his friends after all, so how did he dress?  She usually avoided doing that, noticing him closely, though she wasn’t sure why.
    He was wearing a pair of made for Florida black casual wool dress pants, an ocean blue button up dress shirt, probably Armani, that had fine silky looking threads in it, probably was pure silk, to add a tiny bit of shimmer when the light struck it just right.  He had his long sleeves rolled up several turns of the cuffs.  The shirt was unbuttoned, as usual, two buttons from the top.  Show off, she decided as she stared at his gold necklace and his wide chest.  Humph!  He did have a wide chest, she just realized with a little bit of irritation.
           Looking down at his feet she took in his Italian leather shoes, matching belt and he wore a wide gold wrist watch, one of those expensive brands she’d bet.  All of it set his deep olive-brown skin off in a magnificent way, she decided with a little catch in her breath.  His solid black hair was always perfect with a little wave in it all over.  An aristocratic, perfect nose set between perfectly spaced eyes, high cheeks and lean square jaw with just a hint of a clef in it made up his face.  Jennifer knew he was Italian, Egyptian, Greek and Jewish.  His mixed Mediterranean heritage was beautifully obvious.  Just as her pale skin and brown hair and eyes showed she was nothing but a mutt.
           A male model, medium tall, well developed with defined musculature, self assured and gorgeous, that’s what Jason looked like, she realized for the first time with stunned surprise.  Why hadn’t she ever really noticed it until now?  He was sizzling hot.  When had her shy but talkative little friend turned into this hunky, manly, heart stopping Jason sitting here looking ever so boldly and questioningly at her?
           She felt her breathing pick up and she didn’t understand why.  Continuing her perusal she noted he had perfect white teeth too, sparkling, she saw almost with dismay.  The lips were not too thin and not too full, okay, they were perfect too she admitted to herself with growing irritation.  His brown eyes were under a brow bridge of perfect eyebrows that cocked up on the right when he was perplexed, irritated, angry or contemplating something.
           Right now that right brow was cocked and his eyes were twinkling at her as a slow smile spread across his face.  “Did I dress wrong?” he asked, still holding that easy ambiance as he relaxed in the seat.
           “You know for sure and certain you’re dressed perfect!” she muttered, feeling oddly super irked with him and with herself.
           Suddenly she felt so out of place it was devastating.  Looking down at herself, and then around at others she felt strange.  She wasn’t badly dressed, but there was a subtle difference from the rest.  Class.  She didn’t have class.  It was so obvious she wanted to cry or run away.
           Jason frowned for a moment, got up, took her by the hand and began introducing her again to about everyone there, some possibly twice.  It was a large crowd.
          
    The two of them strolled down to the beach and were sitting on a blanket he’d grabbed off a small table stacked with blankets and towels at the end of the patio for the beach goers.  Another blanket he’d wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm from the wind.
           Staring off into the distance, watching two shrimp boats heading back to Mayport, and three sailboats seeming to zigzag through the current from far right to far left, out about half a mile,