“I need to pee!” Kenz says. “I drank my Coke too fast.”
“I’ll go with you,” I tell her. Girl code. Nobody goes alone. It’s not the bathroom we worry about—it’s the trip to and from.
We leave Monica and Lin, and as we pass the six sexy country boys, I swear they all nod in unison, and it’s so adorably polite we can’t help but laugh a little as we nod in return.
The bathroom line is long and takes forever. I start to get antsy. Kenzie and other women sing in their stalls when a new song comes on that raises a huge cheer from the crowd. I haven’t heard it before. It’s a slow ballad.
When Kenz is finally done, we rush back through the crowd. It’s even darker now, and I’m lost for a second. I’m looking for our line of guys, but I can’t see them. My heart sinks. Did they leave already? All that flirting for nothing?
“There’s Monica!” Kenzie says, and when she points she gasps and I see why. Our friends are surrounded by the six guys, and they are chatting away.
They struck when our group was halved. Very smart. Less intimidating and easier than approaching all of us at once. Kenzie gives my hand a squeeze and we move forward.
“Be cool,” I whisper. Kenz nods and tries not to smile.
As we join them, I can’t help but see villainous possibilities in each of these guys—the way they size up my friends, just as we sized them up—probably thinking of how they can use us and be done with us. Think again, boys.
Black Hat Boy turns his head and lifts his chin when he sees us coming, making my stomach flip. Up close, he’s shorter than I expected, but his face is even hotter. One of those guys with dark-brown eyes and flawless skin that you can’t help but stare at.
I look away and focus on Monica and Lin instead.
“Y’all made some friends?”
“Yeah,” Lin says. “This is . . .” She starts naming names and I nod at each guy, but the names fall straight through my memory. Until she gets to Black Hat Boy. Mike. I’d been expecting him to be an Austin, Tucker, or Hunter, but nope. Just Mike. I give him a nod like the others and look away, pretending to be interested in the flashing, colorful lights from the show down below.
The main act is starting onstage, so the lights around us dim, and the volume gets even louder as the crowd cheers. Kenzie cups her hands around her mouth and lets out a wooo! as Brown Hat Boy next to her claps his hands. Above us, the stars are twinkling in a cloudless sky, and it couldn’t get more perfect.
Mike sidles up next to me, and I continue watching the show. Everyone around us is on their feet, dancing, swaying, singing. I sway, too, then flash him a smile and focus on the band again.
“Enjoying the concert?” Oh, my. He’s got a country lilt.
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s my first one.”
“Ever?”
“My first country concert,” I clarify.
He nods. His eyes are hooded under the black brim of his cowboy hat.
“Where you from?” I ask.
“Culpeper.” Ah, lots of farmland. “You?”
“Dumfries.”
I wait for him to give me an ew look or reaction, but he just nods. We do some basic chatting while keeping our eyes on the band, and I find out he’s a senior headed to Longwood University this summer. All these guys are graduating in less than two months, and they’ve got the carefree attitudes to show it.
Another song comes on that we learned in the car, and the four of us girls gather together in a huddle to sing. The boys surround us, watching us with confidence, giving off clear vibes to everyone else that they’ve claimed us. But really, us girls are the ones who own them. The four of us share knowing smiles as we shake our booties.
We dance through one more song, paying little attention to the guys. When the third set comes on, something slower, I turn to Mike in his black cowboy hat, and put my arms on his shoulders. A small grin graces his face as he takes my hips and we begin to dance. He’s waited patiently for this. I freeze for a second as he starts to sing along, his voice sounding smooth and perfectly in tune. I can’t help but melt as he croons the romantic lyrics to me.
But I will not fall.
I tilt my head up and take his lips with mine. Without hesitation, he kisses me back, his mouth firm and assertive with a hint of rum. I feel almost secluded and protected under the darkness of that wide-brimmed hat.
“You taste good,” he murmurs against my lips, making me blush a little in the darkness. I wind my arms tighter around his neck and press my body to his. He moans into my mouth, burning me up.
When the song ends, I turn around and lean my back against his chest. He puts his arms around me, and we spend the rest of the concert like that. My friends do the same. I see them dancing with their guys, laughing, and, yes, kissing. The two straggler boys end up wandering off, I assume to meet other girls.
Mike sings in my ear with his lovely low voice, and we rock back and forth to the beat. He knows every word to every song. Several times he rests his chin on my shoulder, placing kisses on my cheeks, even nibbling my earlobe. I can’t believe I’m snuggling with a cowboy. I take what I want from him: his affection, his kisses, his full attention. It’s everything I need right now without the heartache that goes along with commitment.
At the end of the show, Mike whispers in my ear, “You gotta phone number I can have?”
I turn to him, looking up with a small smile. “You’re going off to college. You’ll meet lots of girls.”
He looks at me funny, as if surprised. “You don’t wanna hang out before I go?”
I shake my head. “I’m not trying to get my heart broken by a boy who’s on his way out.” I go up on my tiptoes and press my lips to his one last time. His eyes are still sort of bulging with shock, and I’m guessing no girl has ever denied him her digits.
“I had fun tonight,” I tell him. He’s gawking, staring at me as I back away, the crowd surging around us with people trying to leave. I find Kenzie and take her hand.
“Bye!” she’s telling Brown Hat Boy.
“Wait,” he says, but she’s already turning away, giggling as I pull her. Lin and Monica are ahead of us, getting pushed along by the surge of concertgoers. I take one last peek over my shoulder and see the four guys standing in a line, just like they were when we first saw them, watching us. But their expressions this time are baffled. Not a single one of the poor guys knows what hit him.
Chapter Fourteen
Monday Night
It’s time for night two of kiss collecting. Right now, the four of us are tied. I pull up in front of Monica’s old brick rambler and climb out, grabbing my things. We’re all staying at Monica’s tonight since she lives so close to the party.
Thank God for friends. Mine are crazy and silly, and I love them so hard. They have been just what I need.
As always, dressing for the party is a free-for-all. We throw our clothes on the bed and start digging through, since we wear similar sizes, though nothing fits us exactly the same. Monica ends up with my lime-green V-neck tank pulled low over her chest.
“Dang, chica, this shirt’s too small.” She peers down at the inches of cleavage on display.
“Um . . . it doesn’t look like that on me,” I tell her.
Kenzie giggles. “That tank can’t handle D-dub’s cargo.”
Now we all laugh. It’s been a while since we used our nicknames. In the beginning of sophomore year we realized the four of us had different cup sizes. Monica was a D cup, Lin was a C, I was a B, and Kenzie was an A. We started calling each other D-dub, C-kat, B-diddy, and A-dawg.
Stupid, I know, but we thought we were so witty to be able to talk about our bra sizes in public with nobody catching on.
“Yeah, this isn’t gonna work,” Monica says. “My girls are getting squished too hard.”
She peels the tank over her head and tosses it back on the pile. We aren’t comfortable enough to go naked around one another, contrary to the fantasies of our guy friends, but we’re okay
with being in our undies.
Monica leans over me to grab another shirt off her bed, and her boob side smacks me softly but firmly in the forehead.
“Arg!” I laugh, hunkering down. “You just boob punched me in the head!”
“Sorry!” Monica laughs. And then Kenzie lets out adorable giggles that shake her whole body.
“Boob punch!” Kenz grabs her stomach and rolls around. It’s near impossible not to laugh when Kenzie gets like this. “I wish I could boob punch someone! No fair.”
“Don’t worry, I can’t either,” I say.
I grab a pink scoop-neck shirt of silky material. I think it’s Kenz’s.
“Can I wear this?” I ask her.
She finally catches her breath and says, “Of course!”
A good song comes on the playlist and Lin dives toward the music dock, turning it up so we can sing along. Kenzie is as off-key as always, but still sings at the top of her lungs. Monica’s two little cousins try to come in and dance with us, but she wrangles them out and locks the door.
When we’re finally dressed, and every strand of hair has been either straightened or curled, we apply lipstick and gloss for the maximum kissable look. Then we join arms and set off into Monica’s neighborhood for Callum’s house.
Watch out, baseball boys. Here we come.
It’s more of a get-together than a party. Most of the varsity baseball team is here, along with a few of the more popular boys from JV. Their girlfriends are here and a smattering of other girls who crush on them.
I’d been hoping for loud music and bad behavior, but everyone is crammed into the living room watching a game on television.
I’m so not feelin’ it.
Kyle is in a recliner, and I hold back an eye roll when Kenzie and Lin both rush over and sit on the arms of the chair on either side of him. He smiles like he won the lottery, which he did in my opinion. A tenth-grade girl who’s on the floor by his feet frowns.
This better not end badly.
Monica and I stand against the back wall and wave to the girls we know, trying to catch the eyes of the ones we don’t and smile at them. Girl camaraderie is a must. After a few minutes of boredom I cross my eyes at Monica, and she pretends to nod off, eyelids fluttering as her eyes roll back. Her head bangs against the wall and I snort as she rubs the spot, saying, “Ow!”
My spirits lift when an older boy comes in carrying two cases of beer. All the guys jump up and run into the adjacent kitchen, talking animatedly now.
“Callum’s brother,” Monica informs me. He drops the beer off, accepts money from Callum and his friends, then leaves us.
The energy in the house goes up as beers are passed around. All four of us girls take one. We’re not huge drinkers—let’s be honest, we’ll all be buzzed and acting crazy after one or two—but we let loose now and then. Kenzie threw up all over the inside of my van once, so I’ve tried to keep her from getting that drunk again. Cleaning puke is not my idea of fun.
Soon the group breaks off—guys with girlfriends going into the formal dining room to hang out and play cards as couples—the other half standing around in the kitchen, laughing and talking. It begins to feel more like a party. I lean against the counter and take sips of my nasty, lukewarm beer. Eyeing the crowd, I narrow down the selection to Brent Dodge from English class. He’s a bit on the short side, an inch or two taller than me, with a baby face. He wears his baseball hat low on his forehead. When he catches me looking, he pauses in his conversation with one of the guys. I smile and look away, angling toward Monica.
“Brent is staring at you,” Monica says through her teeth.
“Good. Who do you have your eye on?” I hold my breath and take three big glugs of the beer. Blech.
“Mateo,” she says, then chugs and shivers. “He’s cool.”
I look over at Mateo, the lanky pitcher. Monica has a thing for tall guys.
“Incoming,” she whispers.
Seconds later I feel body warmth from behind, followed by a voice.
“What’s up, girls?”
I turn to Brent Dodge’s smiling face. His cheeks are a little ruddy. Cute.
“Not much,” I say. The familiar light sensation of a buzz is beginning to lift me.
“I’m trying to find some cards for a drinking game. You in?”
Ugh. Drinking games always get me wasted. I grin and lift my can. “How ’bout I just cheer you on?”
“Sweet. My own personal cheerleader.” He beams at me once more before bounding off to find some cards.
“Too easy,” Monica said with a sigh. “Not even a fair win.”
“Go talk to Mateo.” I bump her hip with mine and she sidles away without hesitation.
My slight smile disappears when I look over and see Kyle cornered by both Kenzie and Lin. He looks to be enjoying their attention, but I can tell they’re trying to one-up each other. Lin bats her almond eyes and cocks her hip. Kenzie lets out a loud burst of laughter at something Kyle said.
Oh, brother. I hope they’re at least giving him crap about the mall cop thing.
I scan the room, eyes landing on the incredibly handsome but often overlooked Vincent Romas, third basemen for the team. His painfully quiet personality makes him disappear into the crowd, which is a shame. He has the face and body and baseball talent to make any girl swoon. But it’s a bit of a problem when he won’t converse . . .
I march right up to where he’s sitting in a recliner, my friendly smile in place.
“Hey, Vincent!”
He jolts and looks up at me. “Oh, h-hey.”
I put a hand under his beer to feel the weight of it. He simply watches me.
“Drink up,” I say, giving it a lift. He lets out an amused huff and shakes his head but complies, drinking the whole thing. Pretty sure he’s blushing under all that tan skin.
“So . . .” I begin. Yes, I’m totally scheming. You see, Kenzie had it bad for Vincent this time last year. She tried and tried to get him out of his shell, and ended up feeling stupid when he wouldn’t make a move. I’d always believed Vincent was the kind of guy who needed the girl to make the first move, but Kenz had been too nervous—too afraid of rejection. “Kenzie looks good tonight, huh?”
He glances over at her before dropping his gaze to the floor.
“Don’t worry about Kyle,” I tell him. “They’re just friends.”
He grabs another beer from the coffee table and pops it open. I continue talking, unperturbed by his lack of response. I know I have his attention.
“She was so into you,” I said. Yeah, she’ll murder me if she knows I’m saying this. “She’s still sad that y’all didn’t even kiss.”
Vincent drinks half his beer in one go and gives a nervous laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s true.” I lean closer to him and whisper, “I dare you to kiss her.”
Again with the nervous laugh and a shake of his head.
“Why not? Are you seeing anyone?”
He shakes his head again.
I have to cover all my bases. “Do you like boys? It’s okay if you do—”
“No,” he says.
“All right, well. If you won’t kiss her, let me ask you this. Would you stop her if she tried to kiss you?”
His tan gets darker and I realize he’s definitely blushing. Vincent drinks more beer, tipping the can up high. I have to smile when he grins and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Yes or no?” I probe. “Would you stop her?”
Staring at the can in his hand, he quietly says, “No.”
I grab his arm, jumping up and down two times before getting control of myself. He smiles and shakes his head yet again.
“You’re crazy, Zae,” he says in his quiet, deep voice.
I can’t stop smiling. “I know. Nice talkin’ to you, Vincent.”
A flutter of anticipation hits my belly when Brent Dodge comes back in the room with cards. Several people cheer and pull out chairs at the kitchen ta
ble. Brent finds me in the crowd and his lips tip up, seeming relieved to find me still there. Another flutter ripples, and I realize this little game is all a prelude to a kiss—the exchanged glances and flirtations—the lead-up is sometimes the best part.
I move to the corner and grab ahold of Kenzie’s elbow. “Excuse us,” I say, pulling her away from Kyle. Her brow crinkles at the disruption, and Lin moves to fill the spot.
“I just talked to Vincent,” I whisper.
“Vincent?!” Her brow wrinkles tighter. “You’re gonna try to kiss him?”
“What? No! You are.”
She thrusts a finger at her chest. “Me?”
We peek over at Vincent, who is pointedly staring straight ahead, as if he has no idea I’m talking to Kenzie about him at this very moment. He totally knows.
“Of course you.”
“What did he say?”
“That he wants you to kiss him.”
Her mouth and eyes fly open. “He did not!”
“Did so.”
Her eyes go back to him, and she softens a little. “You’re serious, Zae?”
“I promise,” I say. “He really, really said it. He’s shy, but he’s still a guy. You have to take charge. Come on!” I waggle my eyebrows, and she chews her lip. A smile begins to form.
“Fine, I’ll talk to him and see how it feels. Let me finish my beer first.” She drinks all of it and makes a terrible face.
As she walks away I grab her arm again. “Remember, it’s just a kiss. No big deal.”
“’Kay.”
I let her go and breathe a sigh of relief. All three of my friends are talking to guys, boys they are going to use and not be hurt by, and I have one waiting in the wings. Just having fun. No big deal. This is how it should be.
I pull up a chair at the table and watch. It’s a good time—lots of laughing and making fun of each other. The guys get along like brothers.
When I see Kenzie and Vincent slip out the back door I almost whoop out loud.
“Vin and Kenzie?” Callum asks. “Hopefully he’s gettin’ some so he won’t be so damn uptight.”
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