"What the hell, man!" Eric shouted at Tommy after the door had shut. "You told me your aunt was going to be here and that Tami and Jessica could share a room."
"I never told you my aunt was going to be here."
"I asked if she was there, and you said yes!"
"Yeah, because she was here when you asked. You didn't ask if she was going to be here! And I said Jessica was going to be here and that we had an extra room. That's all I said. Is that what Tami's so upset about?"
"Yes!" Eric cried. "She's pissed off at me now!"
"Look, man, don't blame it on me. I can't help it if your girlfriend's a total prude."
Eric gripped the thick strands of his hair and nearly pulled some out when he dislodged his hand. He took a menacing step toward Tommy, his jaw clenching. He wanted so badly to punch him right now, but it wasn't Tommy's fault, not really. He hadn't been too clear when he'd made the plans, and what about Tami? Wasn't she seriously overreacting, after all? He'd never done anything to pressure her. How could she think he was trying to trick her?
"Sorry, man," Tommy said. "I shouldn't have said that. She's not a prude. I mean, maybe she is, but I shouldn't have said it."
"Sweetie," Jessica said from behind him, "I don't think you're making it better. Just stop at sorry."
"Sorry," Tommy said.
"Look, if it'll make Tami more comfortable, I'll room with her while y'all are here," Jessica told Eric.
Tommy did not appear to like that idea at all.
Eric sighed. "I gotta talk to her. I'll let you know if we're staying or not."
When he got outside of the house, Tami was wiping tears from her eyes. She turned away from him to try to hide them when he came around to the trunk. "Tami, I didn't know. I swear." He put a hand flat on the trunk next to one of her bags. "Why would you think I did?"
"Because Tommy said y'all planned it this way."
"He must have meant that he and Jessica planned it this way. Not me and him. I didn't get enough details, and I should have, but I really thought his aunt would be here. I wasn't trying to trick you. Why would I do that?"
"Your friends think I'm a prude."
"What?"
She pointed toward the house. "The window's open. I heard all that."
Eric glanced back at the open window. He lowered his voice. "Let's go for a drive." He put her bags in the trunk, unlocked her door, and shut it for her once she was in. The metal handle was hot and singed his hand slightly when he pulled it open, and Tami was wiping away the last of her tears as he backed out of the driveway.
He tore off quickly for three blocks and then pulled into the far end of the mostly empty parking lot of a surf shop, where he jerked the car into park and shut it off.
"Do you think I'm a prude, too?" she asked quietly. "Like your friends do?"
"No. But I wish you hadn't gone off the rails like that, because it was embarrassing."
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your friends."
He shook his head and sighed. "I don't really care about that," he muttered. "I wish you hadn't reacted like that because I wouldn't do that to you, Tami!" He smacked the steering wheel in frustration. "I wouldn't do that to you! Because I love you!"
It got suddenly very quiet in the car, and he wished he hadn't raised his voice. Or slapped the steering wheel. Gradually, he realized she wasn't quiet because of the yelling or because he'd pounded the steering wheel. She was quiet because he'd let slip the three little words he'd been holding so close to his heart, for fear she wouldn't say them back.
"What?" she asked.
He swallowed. He looked out the window at two shirtless bikers in swim trunks who were pedaling by the shop. "I love you," he repeated. He bit his bottom lip and waited for her to say something.
"I love you, too," she said softly. "Maybe that's why I got so upset, because I really thought...I mean I do think...you're such a great guy, Eric. And I've fallen for you. Totally. And in that one moment, I was afraid maybe I'd been stupid again, that I read you all wrong, that I was just lying to myself, that maybe I'm not very good at judging guys, and..." Her voice hitched.
He turned to her. "You aren't wrong! You aren't wrong at all. I love you. I love you so goddamn much."
Tami gasp-cried, laughed, and then grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him in for a long kiss. When their lips parted, he bent his neck and pressed his forehead against hers. "I swear I wasn't planning to try anything this weekend. I mean...anything more than we've already done. I was maybe gonna try some of that in the water."
She smiled and sniffled.
"Look, Tami, I get you wish you hadn't had sex with that guy at that party. And I know you thought Mo was constantly trying to get you into bed. And he probably was."
"We didn't go all the way," she told him, "but sometimes I think I let Mo do things, and I did things with him, just because I thought I had to give him something, you know? Or he'd break up with me."
Eric pulled back a little, his arm still around her and his hand resting on her shoulder. He searched her eyes. "I'm not gonna lie. I want to have sex with you something awful. No question about it. But I don't want you to feel bad about having sex with me, the way you felt bad about that guy at the party. I don't want you to feel like you're letting me do things just because you have to, the way you did with Mo. I want you to feel good about everything we do together. And when we finally do have sex, I want it to be great for you. I want it to be something you never regret, even if you dump me one day. So when we do do it...it's gotta be the right time. For you. Okay?"
She nodded. Her eyelids fluttered and she swallowed. She was trying not to cry again.
"Don't cry. Don't cry. I hate it when you cry." He kissed her.
She sniffled. "It's a happy cry this time."
"Don't happy cry. Happy kiss."
Tami smiled and kissed him. They spent the next couple of minutes tasting each other's lips and tongues, until it go too hot in the car to bare. Tami pulled away, turned, and cranked down her window. Eric did the same thing and then started the car to get the A/C going. With the car idling, he turned to look at her again. "Jessica says if you want, she'll share a room with you."
"Eric, I can't. I can't stay here overnight without an adult in the house."
"After everything I just said, you still - "
"- I trust you. I do. I'm sorry I jumped to that conclusion without talking it through first. I just got scared and upset because it sounded like - "
"- I know what it sounded like. You believe me though, don't you?" he asked.
"Yes. I believe you. I trust you."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I told my aunt an adult would be here. She only agreed on that condition. I'd be lying to her if I stayed without one. I used to lie my mom all the time. I don't want that anymore. I was so immature. I want be the kind of niece and daughter who can be trusted. And if I do this, I might lose my aunt's trust."
Eric nodded slowly. "A'ight."
"I'm so sorry."
"Well, listen. We left early in the morning. It's not even one thirty yet. Let's stay for the day. Go to the beach for three or four hours. Swim. Maybe ride the ferris wheel on the pier. Then we'll go out for a nice, early dinner. And after dinner, I'll drive us back to Euless. I'll have you home by midnight. What do you say?"
"That sounds really great. I'm just sorry to make you drive ten hours in one day."
"Eh. It's Texas. I've done it before."
She smiled. "I really want to spend a day at the beach with you."
He grinned. "So let's do it. But I better go back and tell Tommy what's going on."
"Your friends are going to hate me now."
"No, they won't. And, hell, I don't even know Jessica. And that's not going to last after the summer's over anyway. You'll never see her again."
Tami snorted. "She seems nice. And pretty."
"Yeah, but she lives in San Antonio, and Tommy isn't going to hold out. He's a total horn dog. She probably deserves better anyway."
"But you're not a total horn dog?"
"I am, but I'm used to delaying gratification and working for the things I want. Tommy's not. He gets everything handed to him. Like that Jeep."
Tami leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Well, when you work for something, they say it's even sweeter when you get it."
"So they say." He wiggled an eyebrow and put a hand on the stick shift. "You want them to come to the beach with us," he asked as he reversed out of the parking space, "or you just want it to be us today?"
"Would it be selfish if I said just us?"
"No. That's why I asked. Didn't know what you wanted."
"Just us," she said firmly, and he smiled as he drove down the road.
