by Hayleigh Sol
Just like the gimmicky gift shop. Which we were now perusing like the rest of the sheep. It was my own fault; I’d mentioned that I should get postcards for my friends at some point during the vacation and Luka had thought there was no time like the present. The minute I found and began browsing the racks of postcards, bookmarks, and tchotchkes, he disappeared.
I’d managed to select cards for three of my five besties when I sensed someone watching me from my right side. A glance in that direction revealed a shelving unit piled with stuffed animals on both sides, but nothing more. I returned to my task.
The sensation of being observed came back and, this time, I checked all directions, still failing to see where Luka had wandered off to. Perhaps he’d found a restroom. Back to the cards.
Alright, now my peripheral vision picked up on someone moving over there.
Slowly, I turned my head to the right. Just in time to catch a stuffed gray squirrel duck its head below the top of the shelf.
Hmm, stuffed animals don’t usually self–animate for the purpose of spying on shoppers. Or, at all.
At the moment, my fluffy friend seemed to be playing possum. Huh, I wonder if squirrels and possums are related. I resumed the postcard hunt.
When I sensed movement again, I waited…then whipped my head around to catch him. The squirrel panicked—yes, I realized how ridiculous that sounded—and froze.
We stared each other down, neither flinching. A cartoon voice rose over the aisle. “Uh, excuse me, have you seen my nuts?”
Laughter flew out of me. Heads turned my way and I quickly stifled it.
“You see, I thought I’d left deez nuts over here”—the squirrel gestured with its paws and I tried not to snort—“but now I can’t find them.”
Still grinning, I stood on tiptoes and spotted Luka bent over to stay below my line of sight, his hand inside what I now saw was a plush puppet.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Squirrel, but no, I haven’t seen your nuts. Well…not for many years, anyway.”
He glanced up and met my eyes, a wicked gleam in his.
Oh, my poor tingling lady bits, was he sexy.
Mischievous Luka was always fun; I couldn’t wait to hear what the squirrel had to say next.
“I have no response to what you just said that isn’t highly inappropriate for the little ears across the way.” Speaking in his normal voice again, he tilted his head to indicate the two under–ten–year olds I hadn’t realized were five feet from us.
“Well, then, if you’re done playing with furry woodland critters… Actually, bring your friend on over here. I’ve got an idea.”
His eyebrows rose but he complied. I set us up for a selfie, posing with the squirrel between us and the postcard rack in the background. Luka leaned in, dazzling smile in place. “I’ll have to show this to Gram. She has a picture of us riding bikes together when we were kids; this’ll be a cool then–and–now kind of thing.”
“And here I thought you wanted to send a picture of me to your friends for their approval.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. Not sending it for approval, but so they could have a gander at He Who Popped My Cherry.
I told Luka I was doing exactly that and the expression on his face could only be described as delighted. Yeah, I didn’t know where my sassy attitude was coming from either. But I liked it. And I liked that he brought it out in me.
He was still close enough to look over my shoulder as I attached our photo to a group message, the caption reading, “Hunting for missing nuts with this little scamp. Oh, and the squirrel came along, too”. Luka chuckled and asked to see pictures of my friends.
As I scrolled through the images on my phone, I refreshed his memory with brief tidbits about each of them. When a picture of Brad popped up, I moved past it as rapidly as possible. The next one was us dressed up for his company’s holiday party last year, our arms around each other’s waists. I blew past that one, too. Luka noticed.
“Was that your ex?”
“Yeah, that’s Brad.” I pushed the button on the side of the phone to darken the screen and tucked it back in my pocket. Seconds of awkward silence floated between us, making me wonder if I’d made another misstep where Brad and Luka were concerned.
“Huh.” There was a boatload of meaning in the word.
“‘Huh’?”
His shoulders shrugged before one corner of his mouth turned up. “I just thought you looked happier in the photo we just took than in that one with him. Your smile’s more…genuine, more you.”
Huh. I didn’t take my phone out immediately, but when I scrutinized the images later—and alone—I had to agree. Further investigation of other pictures with Brad revealed a similar phenomenon. It wasn’t like I was frowning in them, but someone who really knew me would’ve seen the strain around the edges of my smile.
Sure enough, the texts I got from the ladies as Luka and I drove back to the campground showed they had seen what he had.
Simone: The elusive (and handsome!) Luka…we meet at last. That’s him, right?
Bailey: That’s gotta be him. She’s grinning like the day she found out the plastic straw ban passed. Unless you found another vacation fling already? Emphasis on the fling.
Emma: Aw, Maya, he looks nice! Kind eyes, friendly smile. And you look sooo happy!
Holly: Sit on his face yet?
I laughed out loud at Holly’s blunt delivery, then had to make something up to tell Luka, who was surprised and curious about my outburst. He probably would have found her text as humorous as I had, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to admit how often I’d thought about doing exactly what she’d asked me.
Lisette: Yes, you both look very happy and, dare I say, orgasmically satisfied. But shouldn’t we be discussing his cryptorchidism?
Bailey: His what now?
Lisette: His missing nuts. That can be a pretty serious medical condition, you know.
Luckily, I was able to smother my laughter this time, but decided it wasn’t safe to continue reading my incoming messages. Ignoring the phone, I quizzed Luka on other national parks he’d been to while he maneuvered around the slower moving RVs that seemed to dominate the highway. It was close to dinner time and we decided we were too hungry and tired from our day of hiking to make something back at camp. I looked up dining options in Oakhurst, the tiny town south of the lake, and praised the cellular gods for providing enough bars to conduct my search.
Once we were seated at an outside table and had ordered food, I headed for the restrooms and checked in on the group text. Which had continued, down a disturbing path, without me.
Bailey: Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t have his balls. That’s where the baby–making juice is stored, right?
Holly: I’m sure that’s not a concern, with or without balls. Knowing Maya, she’s packin’ eco–friendly rubbers. Remember, those kinds of bags are not reusable.
Me: You’re all terrible people and I can’t believe I’m still friends with you.
Simone: Ignore the free–love twins and Dr. Disturbing. I’m sure Luka has perfectly lovely, intact testicles.
Emma: Umm, are any man’s balls considered “lovely”? Never mind. Tell us how the sexy times are!!
Me: Nothing to tell. We’ve just been hanging out as friends.
Emma: ??
Simone: Not even a kiss? You were holding hands the other night. What happened to all that flirting and reminiscing?
Bailey: Ah, he doesn’t have the balls to make a move, huh?
Lisette: While undescended testes are no laughing matter, I see what you did there and am proud to call you a friend.
Me: You guys suck.
I washed my hands, wondering why I’d ever wished for cell reception.
Bailey: Come on, that was funny and you know it. You’re only grumpy cuz you want to bang this guy and it’s not happening.
Me: It’s true. I
convinced myself (for about a minute) that we should just be friends but now…arrgh! All I can think about is kissing him. And other stuff.
Emma: So grab that man and smash your lips against his! And other stuff.
The idea had merit. More than that, it sounded fantastic—to the younger Maya that still lived inside me. This version, though, was too shy, too uncertain, to make the first move. When we were together before, Luka had been the pursuer, coming by my family’s campsite to ask me to go places. He’d been the one to kiss me that first time—both first times. I couldn’t help but wonder why history wasn’t repeating itself.
Following the Willow Creek Trail the next morning, I was all too aware of the shared history Luka and I had in this same spot.
Or was it that one? Farther ahead? Maybe we’d passed it already.
Having spent all day together again, including s’mores and stargazing around the fire after we’d gotten back to the campground last night, I was surprised Luka had asked me to go hiking with him today.
“More hiking? Yosemite wasn’t enough for you, you masochist?”
He laughed. “The one I’m thinking of for tomorrow is easy, I promise.”
I was skeptical. So far, Luka had shown himself to be capable of any physical activity we’d done. He was in great shape.
Holy hotness, was he in great shape.
“Which trail?” My frown only seemed to encourage him. When he leaned in close, my breath caught.
Was he finally going to kiss me? Dammit, did my breath smell like s’mores or like the garlic–heavy pasta I’d eaten at dinner?
His arms wrapped around me, his mouth so close to my ear I could feel his breath on my skin. Instant nipple perking.
“It’s a surprise.” The whispered words gave me goosebumps and made my eager nipples pop even more. Luka hugged me and kissed me—on the cheek—before he strolled off into the darkness. I was one hundred percent certain the bastard knew how he’d affected me and was smirking all the way back to his tent.
That was alright. I’d deliberately worn shorts today that made my butt look much better than it actually was—something about pocket placement, I’d been informed by our fashion expert, Bailey—and I walked in front of him on the trail as often as possible. Twice now, I’d turned back to say something to him and caught his eyes focused on those back pockets. I hoped his own shorts were feeling uncomfortably tight across the zipper.
“How’re your legs doing up there, trailblazer? Need a break?”
I paused and turned to wait for him to close the small gap between us. “It was a rough start, but I think this is actually helping loosen me up from yesterday. How about you, do you need a break?”
Shaking his head, he smiled wryly at my teasing, but he did pull a water bottle out of his backpack and take a long drink. I took the opportunity for a few sips from my own.
“I’ve always liked this hike; I’m glad this was the surprise.” I smiled at him but he shook his head again, swallowing the mouthful he’d just taken.
“This is only part of the surprise, but I’m starting to worry the other part might not be possible.” My head tilted in question. “I was looking for our old lagoon.” He looked up and down the trail, then sheepishly back at me. “But now I can’t remember exactly where it was.”
Okay, that was adorable. “That’s funny, I was thinking the same thing. Has the terrain changed that much, do you think, or are we getting old?”
“I don’t know. I thought a trip down memory lane might be fun. But, it appears memory lane’s being a little punk.”
I’d have chuckled with him, but the look in his eyes made my knees weak. I swallowed over the sudden dryness in my throat. “Maybe we just haven’t gotten there yet.”
When I said it, I’d been thinking we hadn’t reached the physical location itself. The charged tension that passed between us had me wondering if there was more to it. Were Luka and I in a place, mentally, to follow the path a kiss would inevitably lead us down?
I could practically hear my friends telling me not to overthink it, to enjoy hot sex with an old flame. The more time I spent with Luka, the more I asked myself if it would be enough. This time, when I didn’t have college and my bright–and–shiny future to distract me, it wouldn’t be so easy to leave him at the end of the vacation. To forget him.
Not that I’d ever really forgotten Luka. More like, I’d tucked him into my box of special things. Memories to be smiled and sighed over once in a while before they were tucked away again. I’d told myself that was the magic of a summer fling. The spark was blindingly bright but, when the fire burned itself out—or the vacation ended and reality returned—you got to keep the warm glow of happy memories.
Being with him again forced me to see he was pretty great, now and then. I hadn’t exaggerated his thoughtfulness, his intelligence, his sense of humor. Which made me nervous I was going to make a mistake, that I’d do something to screw this up. Whatever this was.
As we continued up the trail, I chastised myself for thinking Luka wanted more than vacation sex himself. Before I could play that guessing game, he stopped my forward progress.
“Maya.” I turned to look at him. “I think this is it.”
I’d been so focused on my whirling thoughts, I hadn’t been paying attention to the water running alongside us. He was right, this was our spot.
We shared a smile that was sweet, tinged with spicy. In unspoken agreement, we set our packs down against a log and walked to the water’s edge. Looking out at the pool, I saw myself there in his arms at seventeen. Suddenly, I didn’t care about any of my worries or what–ifs. All I wanted was his mouth on mine.
“Did you bring your suit?”
He’d suggested I wear a swimsuit under my hiking clothes this morning and, not knowing where we were going, I’d followed his advice. We ditched our outer layers and waded into the water, the temperature far colder than I’d expected or remembered.
“Holy frostbite, it’s freezing in here!”
Luka had already submerged and came up doing that water–flinging head toss guys learn to drive women crazy with desire. Like the way they take their shirts off with one hand on the back of the collar. Yeah, he’d done that maneuver, too.
Why is that so hot?
“It’s not so bad if you get all the way in, I swear.” I cut my disbelieving eyes to him, making him laugh. “Come on, you know I’m right.”
“Oh, this is gonna suck.” Deep breath, full plunge.
I was right, it sucked. But I swam around a bit and it wasn’t so bad. I popped up a few feet away from Luka, who looked pleased I’d joined him.
Two men with hiking poles and backpacks walked past our spot at a brisk pace, glancing our way with smiles and nods we returned. Treading water, Luka looked at me with a slight frown between his brows.
“This place isn’t quite as private as I’d remembered.”
His perturbed expression made me laugh. “Why, were you hoping to put the moves on me again?”
“Well…it is the site of our first kiss—”
“Second.”
Now he huffed out a laugh, swimming just a bit closer to me. “I’m not counting that little peck when we were kids.”
“It counts,” I told him primly as I aimed a splash in his direction. I wasn’t about to let him take that sweet first kiss away from me.
“I don’t know about that.” He grabbed my wrist that was set to splash him again, gliding me through the water toward him in a move that was a near carbon copy of before. “Would it count now?”
Before I could answer, he dropped a quick kiss on my lips. My eyebrows raised in stunned surprise at his sneak attack, meeting his proud–of–himself grin.
I reminded myself to keep treading water and gave him a saucy look of my own. “Tough to say. For a ten–year old, that first peck is a big deal. We’re not ten anymore, tho
ugh.”
From the suddenly intense focus in his eyes, he’d gotten the message I was sending. Luka wore a relaxed or smiling expression so much of the time, it was easy to forget the scorching heat of his hungry gaze. It took my breath away.
“So, what I’m hearing”—he moved toward me again, a sleek predator closing in on the prey he was about to devour—“is that we’ve moved past the chaste stage.”
All I could manage in light of his bikini–incinerating smolder was a nod. He planted his feet and scooped me toward him with one arm as his other hand went to the back of my head. I gasped at the suddenness of the move and his mouth was on mine in a searing kiss that was anything but chaste.
Our lips fused and our tongues tangled, each of us moaning at the deliciousness of the moment we’d been hurtling toward. It felt like he was touching me everywhere at once, but it was my brazen hands that slid inside his shorts to grip his ass and pull him closer to my center. His moan that time was long and sexy as hell. I bit into his lower lip, imagining all the things I wanted to do to him once we were naked. Then, I pictured all the things I wanted him to do to me and groaned in pained want.
Loud voices sounded from the trail, breaking through our lust–imbued fog, and we released each other as if burned. Luka stared at me with that same intensity in his mesmerizing teal eyes, breathing as hard as I was, before he dunked his head under the surface to cool off. I swam farther away to regain control of my faculties and put my swimsuit back where it belonged. Trying my best to look like an innocent fellow nature–lover when the family of four tromped by, I waved and hoped everything was covered.
The mother of the group hurried past with what I swore was a knowing, yet approving, look my way once she spotted Luka come up for air. If I’d been in her shoes and seen the wet hunk of manly deliciousness that was Luka and a shaky–looking woman with recently ravished lips, I’d probably have given that chick a wink myself.
