Summer Heat: Anthology

by Sonya Jesus

  Politely excusing myself from these two unfamiliar faces, I slip into the food line. I am hungry, so it shouldn’t seem rude. I could clearly tell they didn't know who I was either. Popularity wasn't my thing in high school, and it isn't my thing now.

  When you try to eat decent 80% of the year, days like these make my taste buds run wild waiting excitedly for all the greasy, sugary goodness about to be thrown at them. Plus, I can salivate in line all I want and not make a fool out of myself. I'll probably pay for it later tonight and tomorrow, but right now, my taste buds and I could care less. I can feel them chanting in my mouth "give me" over and over again. This line better move because the longer I stand here, the greater the chance of me ordering one of everything will happen.

  "I see nothing has changed; always the first one in the fry line," a male voice says into my left ear.

  Oh my god. That voice instantly makes my knees weak and my tummy tighten. No other man ever made me react like this. Musky male sounds so cliché to say, but that's how he smells. As if at any moment a woman could walk by, and just hearing his voice or smelling his scent, her panties would drop. His tone could calm the world of all hate.

  I daydreamed about this moment for a while now, and in those dreams, I take what I want. I grab him and pull him close, kissing him like I've never kissed a man before. I tell him all my deep, dark secrets of lust that have been building over the years and how much I missed him. I can't even remember the last time we really hung out together and not at a family function.

  "Mags?" Maybe I'll act like I didn't hear him. I’ll stand here hoping this line moves forward and try to calm myself down. "Seriously?" Now there is a finger jabbing into my rib cage. Trying to push his hand away and not giggle has me fully facing him and putting both my hands on his forearms.

  "What is your problem, dude?" I try playing the I didn't know card. "Is it cool now to just go up to a girl and start poking them from behind?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

  The playful gleam is wiped from his eyes and is replaced with shock and a little bit of guilt, but now I can feel the shock on my face because I'm basically looking at a stranger. He has hair literally everywhere on his face and head. When he figured out how to use a razor, a long time ago, that was it for him. Del always wanted to portray the badass, but his personality never really let it take over. Of course, situations arose over time that would allow cocky anger to come out, but once it was over, that was it.

  "Sorry, Mags, I really thought you saw me coming over to you. I swear you looked right at me. You know I don't just poke anyone," he paused for my response. "Seriously, are you alright? I know it's been a while since we've seen each other, but we are still friends, right?"

  "What? Oh, yeah, friends. We'll always be friends." What the hell did I say? His new look has me speechless right now. I want to touch his face so badly, but I'm pretty sure that's frowned upon to do to someone you haven't seen in probably almost a year.

  Damn, a year or longer. That can’t be right, but I'm pretty sure the last time we interacted face-to-face was last summer. It was mostly niceties and then hanging in the bigger group together.

  "Hey, the line is moving. Move or get out," an angry woman yells at me from behind as she tries to keep her tiny little humans in line with her. Turning around, I see there is a huge gap between me and the people standing in front of me. It's amazing how I was starving one minute, and then Del shows up, and my hunger is gone, at least for food.

  "Sorry," I mumble and shuffle forward. I need Sass here to help break up all this awkward silence and let me compose myself. I wonder if she knows about all this hair covering him now and how she feels about it. Being his sister, she probably doesn't even care or just makes fun of him non-stop; I, on the other hand, can't form a complete sentence because of it.

  "So, let me guess," he says while putting his arm across my shoulder, squeezing me into his side. "You will be getting the loaded fries, a super-sized funnel cake, and to top it off, a large, fresh-squeezed lemonade." He smiles at me because he does know me so well.

  "Is that going to be your order, miss? Anything else?" While he was spurting off my order, we ended up being next. I really don’t want to admit that this order is right, and that's everything I want, which makes him smug and me looking like a starved beast. "Yes, that's all I want," I whisper back.

  Moving to the pay side, this man still has his arm wrapped around me. So much so, his hand is cupping my shoulder. I can feel how ramrod straight I'm standing because of all this contact. He's my friend. I need to relax and see what the hell is going on.

  Turning my gaze toward him, I can see the humor now pouring from his eyes. "You think you know me so well, don't you? All smug that you got my order right," I say. I am not going to let him fumble me up any more tonight.

  "Finally, you speak. I had to do something to get you talking. I thought maybe you didn't like me or something." Basically, he scoffed at that thought.

  "I didn't realize my friend turned into Sasquatch over the last year. It has me confused." This remark must shock him because I know his jaw just hit the ground. I know Sasquatch might be a little harsh, but I can't let this slide without some good old ribbing. Finally, he takes his arm off me and rubs his fingers along his jawline, allowing me to breathe.

  "Yeah, well, I went through a rough patch, and time slipped away from me. One minute I shaved, and the next I had a beard. It hasn't bothered me too much, so I still have it."

  Rough patch? Sass never told me anything about Del having a hard time.

  "Everything alright?" I would take anyone down for causing him pain or problems.

  "Of course, Mags." There goes his arm again wrapped around me. He is being so touchy right now. If it lasts, I don't know if I'll make it out of here tonight whole. "Nothing can keep me down for too long, and there will always be bumps along the way when you own your own business."

  "Order 113 is now ready," the cashier yells.

  "I'll get the food; go get napkins and whatever else you need." He sort of shoves me away and winks at the same time. Pretty sure my knees became a little weaker over a simple wink. A simple wink, who would've thought.

  I wonder if he can tell I'm completely out of my mind right now. He seems to be acting like nothing is out of the ordinary, and we act like this all the time. We never, and I mean NEVER act like this EVER. Do I get my hopes up or calm down and see what the real reason is behind all of this touching and acting all chivalrous? Del always had good manners, but waiting on a woman, I've never witnessed before. The only woman I've ever seen him wait on is his mother and grandmothers. Those women would've hit him upside the head if he didn't offer to help them when needed.

  I’m going to pull myself together and act like he is not completely throwing my axis off and bringing in storms of wonder all night long. When was the last time we even had carnival food together? Acting all smug like he knows all the junk food I allow myself on this night that happens once a year. I'm not strict or anything, but on a normal day or outing, I would never consume all of this at one time. Normally, I try to be extra good during carnival week and sort of starving by the time we get here, so I can pig out and not feel completely gross by the end. Well, I'll feel completely gross, but not for days.

  I still can't get over the hair. It's one thing to dress a little differently like I am tonight for an occasion, but I never would've ever imagined a beard. Then for him to look hotter with the beard is shocking. I've never felt an urge so great as my hands rubbing along his jawline to feel the coarseness of it. Even the hair on top of his head, I wanted to rub on. This is going to be a long night of me telling my hands "to keep to themselves."

  5

  While finishing off the last of my funnel cake, everyone at our table is staring at me. "What? Do I have food on me? What is all the staring for?" I can feel some powdered sugar on my lips and some on my right cheek. There is no clean, civilized way of eating a funnel cake. Powdered sugar goes everywhere, and for me, i
t's my face and shirt. Another reason why I went with light pink for a top, because it is not as noticeable.

  "It's always amazing watching you eat when we are here. We tip-toe around you most of the time with food, but I've been here like 10 minutes and have seen you consume more in that time than all last year," George states while sweeping his hand over my empty plates. "See?"

  Yes, George showed up as Del and I got back to the table and instantly started commenting on the food I bought. First, trying to play it off as Del's and asking Del to split everything with him. All the while, he was staring right at me with a shit-eating grin on his face. I guess there are worse things friends can make constant fun of you for, and this is it for me.

  Del didn't seem very happy with his brother's ribbing, and Sass, I'm pretty sure, gave me a he-might-be-into-you look. It sounds weird, but her eyes kept bouncing back and forth between George and me. Then she too had a grin a mile long on her face but was completely missing the frown on her other brother's face.

  "Well, George, thank you for that profound insight, and you all know I pig out here. I save calories all year for this week, and don't any of you look at me like I'm crazy. I already know that." Long ago my friends/siblings used to worry about my daily routine of exercising and paying attention to what I was eating. Sometimes it does get a little out of control, and Sass steps in, putting me in my place and then taking me out for tacos. Tacos are a wonderful goodness that puts everything back into perspective, especially when it is fifty-cent taco night at our local bar.

  "Any time, honey. You know I like keeping it real with you," he says, laughing, which makes us all laugh and conversation start to flow again. Friends seem to pay attention when George and I start to banter back and forth because you just never know what might come out of our mouths. Making fun of each other is our thing.

  "So, you see my brother a lot?" Del asks. Of course, when we walked back over to the table with my food in his hands, everyone shifted so we could sit next to each other, which led to his right outer thigh touching my left outer thigh, and that thigh hasn't relaxed since. This kind of touching has never happened between us. Okay, I'm sure as kids, maybe, we didn't know, but this is so completely out of range for us. I'm not even sure if I tasted all this food I just consumed, which, I think, is a little sad because the food, though awful for you, is so amazing. Sounds like I should be having a love affair with the food instead of a man.

  "Sometimes," I say, shrugging my shoulders. "No more than usual. You know George and his future career take top priority over anyone else, so sometimes I don't hear from him for a while." I'm not banking on this, but it seems to me Del is jealous, and I swear the non-existent space between us disappeared with his body up against mine. "You know his training comes first, and depending on this year, he might actually be in the top 100 for the draft. Wouldn't that be awesome?" He stares at me in a way that makes me want to explain how I know so much, but that's ridiculous. I shouldn't have to explain anything when it comes to his brother.

  "Oh," he says, rubbing his hand back and forth through his hair like that it's going to solve whatever is running rampant in his brain. "Guess I forgot how into George's career you are." He sounds like a petulant little boy. Do I tell him how much I have watched his career from afar, and how I want him to take my tattoo virginity and no one else? No matter where we end up in life, I would always have his mark on me. I know I wouldn't be the only one with his mark, but in my mind, it would be extra special because of our longtime relationship. Maybe I should keep the dreams of where I end up on his table almost naked under a blanket as he works to myself? Boy, how that blanket moves around.

  I never took Del as a pouty boy, but I think I'm witnessing it for the first time today. "I figured you wouldn't even be here tonight with that full back piece you have been working on for the last two months. Cataloging the whole process on your page has been awesome to watch. I'm always excited for the next installment to be uploaded." One night they even did an hour-long live video of their session. It's awesome when people use social media in a positive way, even if it's for their company. I made sure to be off that night and sat waiting with popcorn for the video to start.

  Well, I think, I might have finally made Del speechless because his mouth is opening and closing like a fish trying to breathe out of water. I probably gave away too much and sounded crazy, but instead of saying "oh I pay attention to your work" and left it at that, I went full-blown stalker. "Sorry to sound crazy, but I was trying to show you that I am interested in both of you."

  "What about me?" Sass yells from across the table. I get nervous for a second to see how much she really heard and how she's taking our talk, but of course, my best friend just wants to be number one over her brothers.

  "I live your life practically. Cool your jets. I pay attention to you too and live it sometimes; extra special you are," I say.

  "Love you too." And just like that, she's back into the conversation she was having before sticking her two cents in with us.

  "It seems my family is always vying for your attention," Del says as he puts a little space between our bodies.

  Not what I was going for at all but probably needed at the moment. I have no idea what's going on, and something inappropriate happening in front of these people, well, practically strangers, is not a good idea.

  So, I lean into him and whisper, "Your family has always had my attention. I pay attention to all of you." The look in his eyes is exactly what I was going for, unbridled confusion. "Hey, everyone," I yell, "let's hit up some games and rides before the night is over."

  Pushing Del off the bench, I grab his strong, solid bicep with both hands. "You are going to be my buddy for tonight, right?"

  "No one else, sweetheart," he says back.

  If tonight we are going to play by separate rules, I am all game and taking every advantage I can get. Tomorrow might be a buzz kill, but tonight, I'm riding the buzz of Del until there is nothing left.

  6

  "One more time. I know I can get that stupid ball in the basket," Del says, slapping another two dollars on the wooden ledge.

  "Hey," I say, grabbing his arm, "why don't we come back. Take a break and try again later." So, I might be eating my words now because I swear we have been here for a half hour. What can we show for it right now? I'm bored, and Del is annoyed. We have watched a few carnival goers play and actually win at this game, while Del has been struggling. Most do lose but give up after the second or third try. Del is on a mission, and I'm probably to blame.

  "I'm winning you that damn big, floppy, brown-and-white dog. If we leave they might be gone when we come back," he says, throwing the baseball into the air.

  "Oh, so if we leave and come back, it's a guarantee you'll win, then?" Cheeky, I know.

  "Funny," he says, throwing each one and watching each one roll back out. This is probably one of the most rigged games at the carnival, which is why the prizes here are the biggest out of all the games. Del needing to win the dog for me is my fault. We were watching George and Sass beat up on the Whack-A-Mole game when I spotted the prizes across the way, and my eyes got huge. As soon as Del saw my facial expression, he grabbed me, and we have been here ever since.

  I don't think he knows my secret lust for a man winning me a prize, but when George won me a little Finding Nemo prize at the fishing pond, all bets were off. I was standing next to George, and of course, we were horsing around and yelling at each other to stay away from our area. Nobody hung around because it was the fishing pond game. Five-year-olds love this game, not adults, but we aren't ordinary adults. Finally, when I snagged a fish, I won a Dora The Explorer notepad and pen. We laughed, and then I gave it to a little girl who was struggling big time to snag one.

  George, in all the years of coming here and winning prizes, has never given one up, no matter what it was. He always looked a little weird holding a pink Barbie-like prize and smiling like he won a million dollars. He was the baby in the family, and it w
as his way or no way, so sharing was non-existent. He is still that way, even today.

  When he finally won his prize and we were done, everyone had left us, even Del. George mischievously smiled at me and then handed the little stuffed animal prize over to me. He winked at me after the exchange, and I wanted to say I knew what that wink was for, but with George, you never know.

  I wanted to believe that this little silent exchange we had was George’s way of telling me he wanted to make Del jealous. A big part of my brain was fighting with a tiny part of my brain saying this is a mistake and could cause problems, while the tiny little part that was left kept saying do it; it'll be fun. What it came down to was I wanted the little stuffed animal. We were family and getting a gift of any kind from family always brought happiness to me no matter what kind of day I was having. So, I took it with a big cheesy smile on my face because it was a gift, right?

  We had a list of games we wanted to hit up, and Whack-A-Mole was after fishing. George grabbed my hand, wrapped it around his arm, and we walked over linked together. Whispering in my ear while walking, he tells me how he was going to beat up on Sass at this game and how she has nothing on him. To the outside world, it probably looked like he was whispering sweet nothings to me, making me smile, and me gazing happily back at him.

  As soon as we met up with the group, Del tore me from his brother, sending daggers right at him. The knowing, amused nod I witnessed George giving him said exactly what I thought was going on. George had his brother's back. I have no idea what brought this on or why all of sudden these men are acting like this. George and I have talked a lot over the years, and even though we have secrets between us, my crush on Del was never brought up. I'm sure I always acted differently around Del, but it never triggered any conversations about it. George would be the sibling fine with us being together. Sass, on the other hand, I'm not so sure and would guess for mostly selfish reasons.