Page 14 of Something Good
One corner of my mouth curved up. “Pickyouup? You just using me for a ride, Whitt?”
He laughed. “Nah, man. I’m just trying to get you out of the house. You barely do anything other than work here.” He shrugged, but I didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye as hecontinued, “The ride thing’s an extra bonus. Dad’s car is in the shop, and he commandeered my truck until his is done.”
“Alright. I see how it is.” I held up my fist, and he bumped it. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I walked back to the lifeguard office, rotating out with Rafi to man the front desk for the last hour of my shift. Thinking over what Jason said about me being a homebody, I realized he wasn’t wrong, which was unlike me. I was naturally outgoing, but I’d been in a funk since moving back to Astaire. With all of us going off to college in the fall, it had seemed pointless to invest in new friendships. Add in the shit with Sammy, and I’d been a brooding mess. It would be good for me to get out and hang with everyone. It wasn’t like I was divulging all my secrets to these people. We were just going to have a good time.
A shadow fell over my desk, and I looked up to see Sammy staring down at me. Jimmy and some other kid, I thought maybe Joey was his name, hung back a little way away.
“Can I help you?” I asked, trying for a cool demeanor.
He placed his hands on the desk and leaned into my space, stopping when his face was inches from mine. “You like watching me when you’re on duty, golden boy?” His voice was low, so only I could hear, but that didn’t stop my cheeks from heating and my pulse skyrocketing. Even if his words had been spoken only for me, anyone walking by would surely notice the way he was invading my space.
“Fuck off, Sammy.” I pulled my head back, trying to put some space between us, but he only leaned in farther, following my retreat and placing his lips next to my ear. The whisper of his breath against my skin sent goosebumps skittering down my spine. “Did you jack off thinking about that kiss the other night?” I drew in a sharp breath, but he continued before I could respond. “I did. Came so hard I almost blacked out.”
He pulled away abruptly, turning and walking over to his brother and his friend. “What was that all about?” I heard Jimmy ask as they started to walk away, his eyes lingering on me with concern.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sammy said before they disappeared around the corner.
I sat back in my chair, my heart racing. I waited for the weight of anxiety to seep in or the panicky agitation that came with an impending anxiety attack, but moments passed, and when none of that happened, I became uncomfortably aware of my body’s other reaction to our interaction.
I was hard as steel. How was it that he could be such an asshole and still leave me wanting him?
I pulledup to Jason’s house just after eight and sent him a text letting him know I’d arrived. Moments later, he bounded down the steps of his front porch, smiling as he looked back toward the door, saying something to his mom.
He wore chino shorts and a light-blue fitted tee stretched taut over his broad shoulders. His dark hair was obscured by his backward ball cap, but his blue eyes shined bright in the evening sun as he flashed a grin in my direction. He was a big guy at six foot three and two hundred and forty pounds, which was almost entirely muscle. It was easy to imagine him on the football field, though he’d told me he wrapped that up this year since he was planning to forgo college and take an EMT training course in the fall. If I had any space in my brain for anyone other than Sammy, I’d probably find him attractive.
Apparently, my type was slender blond skater boy with asshole energy.
“Thanks for the ride,” he said as he climbed into the Jeep and buckled himself in.
The drive to the lake was short, and we rode in amicable silence, neither of us filling the space with chatter. We rode with the windows down, the summer air thick and humid as it whipped through my Jeep. The bonfire was in full swing when we arrived. We parked and made our way down the path to the beach where a roaring fire had been built, with flames licking the dusk-colored sky painted in oranges, blues, and purples. On the other side of the fire, several pickup trucks had parked side by side with their tailgates open, and I could see a line of people jockeying to get to the keg that was loaded in one of the beds. Someone had perched a Bluetooth speaker on a different tailgate, which was currently blasting out a country song I vaguely recognized but didn’t know the name of.
In unspoken agreement, Jason and I made our way over to the truck with the keg. I wasn’t a huge drinker, and I didn’t think Jason was either, but it was just what you did at these things, and I figured a beer or two wouldn’t hurt. I’d told my mom I was sleeping over at Jason’s so she wouldn’t know the difference. Pasting a smile on my face, I greeted some of the kids I was acquainted with and made small talk about plans for the fall. I joked with a couple of Jason’s friends and tried to find a balance between being polite but not flirty with the girls.
A chorus of cheers caught my attention, and I turned my gaze to see Sonny Gordon and Hannah Sinclair, fellow lifeguards and one of the more popular couples from Jason’s class, chugging beer from a funnel. They appeared to be racing, and at the rate they were going, Hannah was going to kick his ass. I shook my head at their antics but smiled nonetheless. I didn’t really know Hannah, but I remembered Sonny being a pretty good guy, if not a little impulsive, and smarter than most people gave him credit for.
I was halfway through my third beer, feeling relaxed and on my way to a bit of a buzz, when I spotted a head of blond curls moving through the crowd on the other side of the bonfire. I craned my head this way and that, trying to see past the throng of people, but he was on the move and hard to pin down. Jason said something, and I nodded absently, not really listening. My attention was focused on Sammy. It had to be him. I’d know those blond curls anywhere.
I thought I’d lost track of him when suddenly, he popped out of the crowd again, just a few feet away. My pulse accelerated at the sight of him so near, my cock instantly reacting to the memory of the way he’d gotten in my space this afternoon. Thankfully, it was dark, so no one would be able to see the erection tenting the front of my shorts. At that moment, our eyes caught, and for a second, I was transfixed, unable to look away. Goddamn, he was beautiful with the firelight flickering around us, catching all the natural highlights in his blond locks.
Jason nudged me rather forcefully, pulling my attention away from Sammy. “Damn, man. What was that for?” I asked, rubbing the side of my arm where he’d elbowed me.
“Dude. I called your name like three times. I was asking if you want a refill?” He nodded toward my cup and looked at me expectantly. I looked down to see it was empty. I must have finished my beer without noticing.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, holding my cup out to him. He looked at me intently, concern clouding his eyes as if he was regretting offering another round. But when I continued to hold my cup out, not flinching from his gaze, he took it and refilled it.
“I guess I’m driving tonight,” he said with a sigh as he handed me back the fresh beer.
“I got you here. Only fair that you get me home,” I responded, shooting him a grin before taking another drink.
“Fuck off,” he said, but there wasn’t any heat to his words. “Give me your keys,” he said, holding out his hand. I reached into my pocket, pulled them out, and dropped them into his hand. “You’re going to regret it if you don’t slow down.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a roll of my eyes as I took another sip.
By the bottom of my fourth cup, I had blown past a little buzzed and was firmly in drunk territory. I was feeling mighty fine as I set my cup down, knowing I needed to take a break or I was going to be puking before too much longer, and Ihatedpuking. Besides that, I needed to piss.
I stepped back, bumping into someone as I tried to get clear of the crowd so I could head over to the stand of trees at the edge of the sand. Jason reached out to steady me, raising his eyebrows in concern, but I waved him off, managing to pull myself together enough to convince him I was alright. I ping-ponged through the crowd before finally making it clear and taking a deep breath of the sultry night air. Turning toward the trees, I started heading in that direction, picking my way through the uneven sand, trying not to trip and fall—no easy task in my condition.
