Summer of Seventeen

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “Good guess!” she snapped, then stared straight ahead.

  Megan plugged in her iPhone and I didn’t know if she really wanted to listen to Taylor Swift, or if it was supposed to cover up the sounds of our argument.

  For a whole week, all I’d wanted was to kiss the hell out of my girl, and now she was acting like a total bitch. I felt the headache that had been threatening to re-emerge all morning, blossom behind my eyes.

  I massaged my temples with my fingers, then gazed tiredly at Yansi.

  “Are you going to tell me what the fuck I’m supposed to have done, or do you want to yell at me, too?”

  She pressed her lips together and I could see Megan smirking at me in the rearview mirror.

  “Fine,” snapped Yansi. “Two words. Erin. Lenz.”

  I stared at her, surprised and confused by the fury I saw there.

  “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  “I thought you were different,” she scoffed.

  I rubbed my eyes, unable to dredge up the reserves of energy to fight with her.

  “Yans, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, watching her wearily through a haze of exhaustion. “I went to see a movie with Sean and Rob and then we hung out at the pier. I had a few drinks and … okay, I was totally trashed … Marcus drove me home. End of story.”

  “Huh. So you’re saying you didn’t see Erin last night?”

  Erin? I didn’t remember seeing her…

  “I’m saying that I haven’t got a fuckin’ clue who was at the beach last night. I was wasted, okay?”

  “You look like shit and I can smell the alcohol on you.”

  Her words were still harsh, but her tone had eased considerably.

  I pulled her hand into mine, soft and small, and a wave of something like peace rippled through me.

  “Yans, I swear … I would never cheat on you. You know what I think about that. Maybe Erin was there, I don’t know. But even if she was, I don’t give a shit.”

  She looked into my eyes, measuring the truth, then sighed and leaned her head against me.

  “I’m sorry. It really sucks not being able to go out or go to parties or anything.” Her lips twitched upward. “It would be easier if my boyfriend wasn’t so hot.”

  I blinked a couple of times and began to smile.

  “Yeah? I thought you said I looked like shit?”

  She laughed. “Comparatively speaking.”

  And I knew she’d forgiven me, even though I hadn’t done anything that needed forgiving, because she kissed me.

  For the first time in a week, I felt her lips on mine, soft and so fucking sweet; gentle pecks at first. Then she slid her arms around my neck and pulled me towards her. I held her waist and kissed her back with an edge of need and desperation that shocked us both.

  She gasped in surprise and my tongue slid into her mouth, stroking and licking against hers. She moaned quietly, and the sound went straight to my dick.

  I couldn’t stop my hand trailing down to her bare thigh, and I felt her shiver. I was ready to lay her down right here, but Megan’s whiny voice reminded me where I was.

  “God, you guys! I don’t need a live porn show in the back seat while I’m driving!”

  Esther turned around in her seat to stare at us, muttering, “Speak for yourself,” which I thought was seriously creepy.

  Yansi just laughed and tossed her long hair over her shoulders, but her eyes were wide and sparkling, and I knew she was as turned on as I was.

  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back again.

  “You’re gonna kill me,” I muttered.

  She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Aw, poor baby! Want me to kiss it better?”

  I groaned again, but my lips turned upward in a smile, too. I opened one eye and she looked smug, her eyes flicking down to my boner.

  I was surprised that she was being so, I don’t know, flirty? Was that the right word? Whatever the reason, I loved it—and hated it, because it just made me want her more, and I was already struggling with the boundaries she’d drawn.

  I took a long breath, and closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of her hand in mine, her thigh pressing against me … and prayed the hard-on would disappear by the time we arrived.

  We were driving down to Satellite Beach to meet up with some girl that Megan was friends with. Yansi knew her a little and said she lived in a condo next to the park. A whole bunch were supposed to be coming. I’d have been happy if it was just me and Yansi, but she didn’t get to see her friends any more than she got to see me. It was fair.

  The motion of the car and the soothing press of Yansi’s fingers had me drifting back to sleep. When the car jerked to a halt, I nearly got whiplash, only the seatbelt holding me back.

  “Holy crap!” Esther yelled, as Megan looked at her sheepishly.

  But at least it had woken me up.

  Yansi had her hand clutched to her chest and took a deep breath. I couldn’t resist planting one on her rosy lips—goddamn, they looked so juicy.

  She laughed quietly and then pushed lightly on my shoulder.

  “Save that thought,” she whispered.

  Yeah, as if I’d be thinking of anything else now.

  I climbed out of the car, squinting in the sunshine before pulling my sunglasses over my eyes. They were fake Aviators, and Yansi said they made me look like Zac Efron. I was kind of pissed when she told me that, because I don’t look anything like that dude. But then she said she had a thing for him, so I guess I didn’t mind that much.

  I felt Yansi’s hand slide up my back and I turned to grin at her.

  “No you don’t!” snapped Megan. “Not until we’ve got everything out of the car and down to the beach.”

  She grabbed a fistful of my t-shirt, dragged me around to the trunk, pointing at two enormous coolers.

  “Carry those!” she ordered.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I muttered under my breath, while Yansi laughed at me openly.

  Then she grabbed a bunch of beach towels and followed me down the trail.

  “You have a great ass,” she whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh, yeah!”

  “It’s all yours,” I challenged her. “You only gotta ask.”

  “Maybe I won’t ask; maybe I’ll just grab a hold,” she laughed.

  “Fine by me.”

  As the trees thinned out, I could see people already laying out beach towels, and a couple of guys throwing a football. Some of them I knew, but there were several I didn’t. I thought maybe they went to Viera or Rockledge schools.

  Yansi laid out two towels for us while Megan took charge of the food and Esther was eye-fucking one of the guys playing football.

  I tugged off my t-shirt and plopped down next to Yansi. She was wearing some real short cut-off jeans that showed her butt cheeks, and a tank top that was cropped above her belly button. She looked incredible.

  “How come you were allowed to leave the house like that?” I teased.

  She smirked at me and pointed to her sweater.

  “I tied this around my waist. Papi couldn’t tell the difference.”

  “And your mom?”

  Yansi laughed. “She just shook her head and said to tell you hi.”

  I really liked Yansi’s mom.

  Just then a girl walked past wearing the smallest bikini I’d ever seen. It was only a couple of triangles that covered her nipples, and a thong that covered ... well, not that much. I couldn’t help looking. No straight guy could.

  “Stop staring at that slut,” Yansi whisper-yelled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

  “I can’t help it,” I said, unpeeling my eyes. “She’s got a bitchin’ rack ... but yours is better.”

  Yansi slapped her hand down on my stomach then shook out her fingers.

  “Ouch! Your stomach is so hard! You hurt my hand.”

  “Is that my fault, too?”

  “Yes!” T
hen she lifted up onto one elbow to study me. “You’ve gotten more ripped since you started working for Papi.”

  In just one week? I didn’t think so, but if Yansi liked the way I looked, I wasn’t gonna argue.

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh my God, yes! Megan and Esther were just saying. They always thought you were hot, but when you took your shirt off, they were practically drooling.”

  I squinted up at her, trying to hold back a smile.

  “You know, I’m kinda shocked. You let them talk about your boyfriend like that?”

  “Not just you,” she smirked. “We rate all the hot guys.”

  I closed my eyes and winced. “I don’t think I want to know.”

  “It’s okay, you’re sittin’ pretty in the number one spot.”

  A huge grin stretched across my face, and my ego swelled like my dick.

  Then her smile slipped away. “I’m sorry I was being a bitch before. I mean, about Erin. I do trust you, it’s just that…”

  I looked up at her.

  “Just what?”

  Yansi rolled her eyes. “It’s Erin. She’s such a skank—guys only like her because she’ll sleep with them. It creeps me out that you ever dated her.”

  “Jeez, Yans, one freakin’ date over a year ago!”

  “I know, I know. But you did go out with her so you must have liked her then—or maybe you just wanted to get laid.”

  “For fuck’s sake!”

  “Well, why did you ask her out? Was it just because I wasn’t allowed to date?”

  I took a deep breath, trying not to get irritated.

  “Yeah, kinda. A bunch of us were going to a party and Se— the guys had been going on at me because I was the only one going stag. I just thought, you know, it would be fun … and I knew Erin would say yes.”

  Yansi side-eyed me.

  “But it wasn’t fun. She was a pain in the ass.” I paused. “Why are we still talking about her?”

  Yansi shrugged. “I was jealous.”

  I rolled onto my side. “You don’t need to be. I’d never…”

  “I mean a year ago. I really, really wanted to go out with you. I was so furious with Papi that he wouldn’t let me—not just you, any guy who asked me out.” She sighed. “But I liked you right away. You were different—you didn’t flirt with all the girls; you just talked to us like we were humans. The other guys were so immature. And I knew you weren’t gay…”

  “What?”

  Yansi grinned at me. “Well, it’s one of the possibilities when a guy seems too good to be true. But Wendy de Luca said definitely not.”

  She raised her eyebrows challengingly and I had to look away.

  “Yeah, I heard about that,” she said, nudging my side. “I also heard you were a really good kisser.”

  “Want me to remind you?” I offered.

  “Nah, I have a good memory.”

  She laughed as I grumbled quietly.

  “I was really surprised when you asked me out because the girls told me that you didn’t date. Half of them had crushes on you. Some guys would have been total players, but I don’t think you even noticed half the time. And all the guys respected you. So when you were nice to me, they were, too. It just really helped, you know, being the newbie.”

  I laughed. “Yans, that had nothing to do with me. Believe me, every guy in school wanted you, but you were kind of scary. I mean, when Kevin Clayton said that shit about you in the lunchroom, everyone expected you to go off crying. Most girls would have, but Sean told me you handed him his ass without breaking a sweat. Jeez, I would have loved to see that.”

  Yansi laughed. “Yeah, well he shouldn’t have called me a bitch just because I wouldn’t go on a date with him. Anyway, the only guy I wanted to say yes to was you. I was just so mad that I couldn’t. I didn’t believe it when you said you’d ask again when I was 17. I mean, I didn’t expect you to wait,” she looked across at me, “but I hoped you would. So when Erin went around bragging that you’d asked her out a month later, it really hurt.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I know she still wants you.”

  “Who cares? I don’t want her, I want you. So nothing else matters.”

  Yansi smiled. “And that’s what makes you different.”

  I leaned across and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her down for a kiss, showing her that I meant what I said—that I didn’t want anyone else.

  After a few minutes, she pulled away and laughed softly. “I think Papi is going to tell Pilau and Beatriz that they can’t date until they’re 30. Mami says every time I have a date with you he gets another gray hair.”

  I grinned up at her then scooted down to kiss the bare skin of her stomach, feeling her muscles shiver. “You want to really give him something to worry about?” I asked, only half joking.

  “Maybe I do,” she replied, her voice husky.

  “God, you’re so beautiful.”

  “You’re pretty hot yourself,” she whispered, reaching up to kiss me again.

  “It’s good to know you only want me for my body, Yans. What are you going to do when I’m bald, take my teeth out at night and have a gut bigger than Kim Kardashian’s ass?”

  “Dump you,” she said.

  I burst out laughing. “Wow, that’s harsh!”

  “Live with it!”

  “Guess I’ll have to.”

  “Ha! Like you guys don’t do the same thing. Sean’s always going on about tits and ass. I don’t think he ever looks at a girl’s face.”

  “He looks—it’s just not the first thing he looks at. By the way, he thinks you have great ass-ets.”

  Yansi scrunched up her nose and pushed my shoulder hard.

  “Oh gross! You let your friend gawk at me!”

  “Well, you know Sean. And ‘no’ isn’t really a word he understands.”

  “He’s even more annoying than usual lately.”

  I didn’t reply because that was true; I just didn’t know why.

  He’d been drinking a lot more than he normally did too, and smoking his damn head off. He said he was coming today, so I hoped we could hang later.

  “By the way,” Yansi said quietly, dropping her voice. “Papi’s really impressed with you.”

  I turned on my side to look at her. “He is?”

  She laughed lightly. “Yeah, he thought you’d quit after the first day.”

  I lay back and closed my eyes.

  “He wasn’t the only one,” I said bitterly. “Julia didn’t think I’d make it either.”

  Yansi was silent for a moment then squeezed my hand.

  “I told Papi that he was wrong, but you know what he’s like. He just said, ‘Una acción habla mas que mil palabras’.”

  Actions speak louder than words.

  “Maybe I’ll just fuck up and then everyone will be happy.”

  She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. Besides, I was boring myself with the pity party.

  Yansi leaned her head against my shoulder and I slid my arm around her. Then she picked up my free hand and started playing with my fingers.

  “I made you some Yiyimbre.”

  Damn, I loved those spicy gingerbreads.

  “You did?”

  “Yes.”

  I kissed her hair.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Warmth flooded my chest, and I closed my eyes as she snuggled into me.

  When she rested her hand on my stomach, a soft groan escaped me, and I could feel the blood instantly heading south.

  “Let’s go find somewhere,” I whispered to her.

  Her dark eyes burned and her cheeks flushed.

  “I don’t know, Nick…”

  “Please, Yans. Please.”

  I could hear the desperate pleading in my voice.

  “You know I want to…” she said quietly.

  “Then let’s go.”

  I was standing and tugging her hand, but she was resisting me.

  “I w
ant to … but I’m afraid I’ll let things go too far,” she said, staring up at me.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before flopping down next to her again. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t be one of those guys who pressured their girl to have sex. But waiting was getting harder. No pun intended.

  “Okay,” I said quietly.

  Yansi bit her lip. “Don’t be mad.”

  I opened my eyes and lifted my hand to her cheek. “I’m not mad, Yans. I can’t help wanting you—especially the way you look in those little shorts, but I can wait.”

  God, I hoped I wouldn’t explode first.

  She sighed. “I know you could have pretty much anyone you wanted. I know half the girls in our class are sleeping with their boyfriends and…”

  I stopped her words with a kiss. “I can wait. I promise. Just because I’m horny as hell, it doesn’t mean I’m going to screw anything that looks at me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Her reply made me kind of pissed, and it wasn’t like Yansi to be insecure.

  “I said so, didn’t I? Jeez, Yans, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?”

  “No, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I know it’s harder for guys.”

  I stared at her in disbelief.

  “For fuck’s sake!”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, I know you’re not like that. I’m being dumb. Just kiss me.”

  She pressed her warm lips against me and all the irritation rushed away. She kept kissing me, her tongue fighting with mine, her breasts crushed against my chest, until I’d forgotten my own name.

  Eventually, she pulled back, flushed and breathless, and I could hear catcalls and cheering behind us.

  “Oops!” Yansi giggled. “I did say it was too easy to get carried away with you, cariño.”

  I lay back breathing hard.

  “Yeah,” I croaked, then grabbed my t-shirt and draped it across my hips.

  Yansi looked at me questioningly as I raised my eyebrows.

  “Oh!” she laughed, her beautiful eyes glinting with mischief.

  Yep, I was a goner. Could guys my age have heart attacks?

  Then someone plopped down next to me.

  “Get a room, you stallion,” slurred Sean, with a laugh.

  Yansi threw him an irritated look then stalked off to talk to her girlfriends.