A confession and an invitation

"Ummm, could you hand us our bikinis, please?" Darla asked sheepishly.

"Well, you had your chance to wear them," Joey explained, "but you didn't want to."

Joey's smile grew wider as he leaned down, his eyes fixed on the two girls, who were now exchanging nervous glances. He picked up the bikinis, holding them tantalizingly out of reach. "I think I'll just hold onto these for now," he said, his voice low and playful. Darla took a step forward, but Joey held out a hand, palm facing her. "No, no, don't move. I like the view." Julie's face turned bright pink, and she looked away, trying to cover herself with her hands. Darla, on the other hand, seemed frozen, her eyes fixed on Joey's face.

Joey's gaze lingered on Darla, who seemed to be lost in thought. He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving her face. "You know, Darla," he said in a low voice, "I've always had a thing for you." Darla's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back, bumping into Julie. Joey chuckled, his eyes never leaving Darla's face.

"Well," Darla tried to come up with the words, "you should have told me at a different time."

"I couldn't! You were always with someone else, or Mary was around. But now..." He let the sentence trail off, his eyes roving over her body.

Darla's eyes darted to Julie, who was still covering herself with her hands, her face a deep shade of crimson. Joey's gaze followed Darla's, and he chuckled, seeming to enjoy the awkwardness of the situation. "Don't worry, Julie, I'm not interested in you," he said with a smirk, his eyes returning to Darla. "At least, not right now." He took another step closer to the pool. "Mind if I join you two?"