Today we have Carina Press author Christi Barth here to talk to us about her newest release, a fabulous summer beach read, Love At High Tide. Welcome to The Book Pushers, Christi. 
Bringing a Wingman (or Woman) To Help Pick Out A Summer Fling: A Hindrance Or Help?
For decades (heck, maybe even centuries. I can picture a couple of guys in ill-fitting togas working together to make the moves on some unsuspecting woman on market day), guys have used a ‘wingman’ to pick up women. Thanks to gender equality, ‘wingwomen’ have evolved. But when it comes to a summer fling, is a friend a help or a hindrance? In my beach fling book Love At High Tide, the heroine’s BFF reminds her of the timeless tradition of girls sticking in pairs:
“Girl code 101. We go everywhere in pairs to look out for each other.” Trina threw an arm around Darcy’s waist. Sand rubbed in the tiny sliver of flesh between her bottoms and her tankini top. “So if a wave pulls my bikini off my boobs, you can warn me.”
“Or—and here’s a crazy thought—you could wear a suit that actually covers your breasts.” Trina’s tiny white tube top exposed quite a lot of freckled skin. Darcy wouldn’t have felt comfortable using that little fabric for a bandanna. “Built-in safety from flashing.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Trina giggled.
But a friend/wingwoman can be very useful in helping spot and appropriately appreciate the hottest man candy on a crowded beach:
Trina slapped a hand across her mouth and pointed at Cooper.
“Shhh. Watch those muscles ripple across his back. When was the last time you saw a guy that ripped in real life? We need to quietly admire all that flexing, golden skin. You know, like how you make me be quiet when we’re in art museums.”
She had a valid point. They stood, quietly ogling until a few seconds later, Cooper disappeared between the dunes.
You hit a point, however, where you don’t want your friend around all the time. When the wingwoman has done her job and you just want to be alone with the guy she helped you score. That’s when a friend crosses the line from help to hindrance:
“I wonder if the cousin that’s coming into town is as cute as he is. Maybe we could double date.” Trina turned to face Darcy, hopping backward in a tiny dance.
Putting a hand on her bouncing butt, Darcy turned her back around so Trina could actually watch the man she was tailing. “Aren’t you too busy tracking evil to spare any time for something as mundane as dating?”
“James Bond screwed every woman he tripped over. The bad ones and the good ones. If he had time for it, so do I.”
They were headed south. Of course, the majority of Ocean City sprawled south of them for one hundred and thirty-eight more blocks. It didn’t really narrow the possibilities of where Ivan was headed next. “I think I’d prefer you to choose a role model who isn’t almost killed three times in every movie. How about Miss Marple?”
“She didn’t have any sex. Geez, let me live a little.”
“You live plenty. Whereas I’ve been dateless in Africa for months. So how about you let me enjoy at least one night alone with Coop before you start horning in with talk of hypothetical double dates?”
I’d love to hear if a friend ever helped you land a summer fling, or hindered the process completely. Please share your story with us!
This sure sounds like a fun story. I’ve never been on a vacation with a friend where there was the potential for a summer fling, so no answer for you.