I found myself paying particular attention to my appearance, shaving carefully and flattening my unruly mop of curls with some wax. Excitement rose in my belly for the first time in years. As I applied aftershave balm, I pondered what had got me as excited as a teenager, I mean I was used to beautiful women, every day in LA gorgeous ladies would slip me their phone numbers or simply blatantly proposition me, it was nothing new. Being surrounded by girls in LA just didn't excite me anymore and despite trying threesomes, I'd completely lost interest in casual encounters.

There was something about those girls that appealed to me on a deeper level. Maybe it was their ability to forge such a deep connection to each other, or the easy way they lived, eschewing the big city lights for a better, more peaceful existence on the beach. Whatever it was, it called me, like a siren. I slipped on a tshirt and some shorts and headed out.

Janine had put an apron on over her bikini and was busy flipping steaks on the barbie as I strolled over. "Hey Henry," she called out "how do you like your steak?"

"Medium rare please," I replied. They smelt amazing. The girls were all seated on loungers behind her. "Hi everyone," I said, drinking in the vision.

Doc handed me a bottle of cold beer and introduced everyone. "This is Juliet, she lives in this house," she nodded at a petite, slender beauty. She's originally from Northern California."

Juliet stood up to shake my hand. She was a pretty girl with auburn highlights in her brunette hair and expressive large green eyes that you just had to gaze into. "Hey Henry, nice to meet you. I hope you have a good vacation."

"And this is Ali," said Doc, motioning towards a tiny girl in an acid orange bikini, "better known as The Pixie, for obvious reasons."

Pixie hopped off the lounger and stretched up to plant a kiss on my cheek. "Nice to meet you." Her wild curls bounced as she moved.

"Then from the other house there's Ava," Doc said, motioning to a polished looking woman with light brown hair, cut into a stylish bob. She was wearing a designer silk top with matching silk shorts, giving the impression of a fashionista on her day off. I shook her hand.

"This is Rachelle," Doc moved on to the statuesque blonde seated beside her. She's a rehab therapist, but she won't tell you off for a few beers." Rachelle winked at me, before rising gracefully to kiss both my cheeks.

"That must be a harrowing job," I remarked.

"It can be at times, but it's very rewarding," she said. "Don't forget I get to see the success story's, so it's not all doom and gloom." Her voice was soft, almost lilting.

We then turned to the last girl, Miss Hibiscus herself. I felt my stomach flutter again, just at the sight of her. "This is Iris," Doc told me. I held out my hand. "She's an IT specialist."

"Delighted to meet you," I said as I took her hand. Just touching her felt strangely exciting and I wondered if she felt the same as she pulled her hand away just a little too quickly. "What sort of IT work do you do?"

"I code visual special effects, mainly for commercials," she said. Her voice was accented, which surprised me.

"Where are you from originally?" I asked.

"Myanmar," she said. I didn't have a clue where that was. She must have seen the confusion in my expression. "Used to be called Burma," she clarified.

Janine interrupted, "foods ready."

I followed the others as they grabbed plates and made their way to the table, which was laden with mouthwatering dishes of coleslaws, potato salad and rice concoctions. I was starving by that point. Janine placed a huge steak on my plate and smiled as I heaped the sides around it. "Cooking for a hungry man is one of those things that makes my heart just sing," she announced.

"You'll end up with a fat husband," Rachelle warned.

"Like Jed," Juliet remarked. They all laughed as Janine pulled a face.

"I'd just have to make him work off all those extra calories," she said, to more laughter.

The whole meal was like that, full of banter and fun. The girls clearly had a strong friendship, like I imagined a family of sisters would be. It actually reminded me a little of how it was when all my brothers and I got together, the ribbing, laughter and in-jokes that happen after many years of knowing each other well. As the sun went down and the stars came out, I relaxed and enjoyed my new friends company, thanking the gods of lonely men for sending me to San Vinco.