site.
I realized I had been staring with my mouth ajar, and shut it with a snap. Weakly, I gave a small wave, rooted to the ground, the cooler dangling beside me. When he started my way, I almost bolted back into the Bronco, but held my ground by a thread. Up close I could see the sweat and dirt coating his entire body. Gray smudges of what I guessed were concrete ran up his arms. All I wanted to do was reach out and see if he felt as good as he looked.
“My eyes are up here.”
I jerked my gaze up, face flaming. Then the absurdity of his words hit and I laughed. That seemed to break the tension, at least on my end, and I lifted up the ice chest in my hands. “I brought snowballs.”
At his blank look, I opened up the chest and picked out one of the colorful balls of ice in paper cones. “Here,” I said, handing him a blue one and a spoon.
He took the cup from my hands, staring at it. “We call these snow cones where I’m from,” he said, spooning a bite into his mouth.
The ice treats were a summer tradition down here. Already the sun was beating down; I could feel perspiration prickle my scalp just from standing there. I’d lived here for several years and still had trouble with the humidity in summer. “I figured y’all would probably be needing something like this about now,” I said, finally finding my voice.
“I hope you brought enough to share.”
I hadn’t seen Trent come up and turned a startled look at him when I realized he stood just behind Everett. “Um, yeah, actually,” I replied, lifting up the cooler. “I couldn’t fit more than eight in here, though, but I can run and get more if you want.”
“No shit.” Trent’s cocky smile broadened as I showed him the rest. “My dad left with a few guys to pick up supplies, so this is perfect. Bet they stopped to get something cold anyway; doubt they’ll bring anything back.” He took the cooler, and then slapped Everett on the back. “Dude, your girlfriend’s awesome.”
My jaw dropped at the other boy’s declaration but I couldn’t get any words out correcting him before he hurried away back to the work site. Several other boys in various states of undress had appeared to see what the commotion was about. They swarmed around Trent as he set the cooler down on a pile of cinderblocks, each pulling out their own treat.
“I think you just gained several new fans.”
I cringed at Everett’s words, and pointed awkwardly between us and Trent. “About what he said …”
Everett waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. You want to meet them?”
“Meet who?”
“The crew. Your fans await, m’lady.”
I gave an awkward laugh but followed hesitantly after him toward the group. There weren’t as many as I’d thought, barely a handful, and they all seemed about the same age. They turned at my approach and the sudden attention was hard to bear; I gave a small nervous wave.
“You already know Trent. His dad runs the company.” Everett pointed at each boy in turn. “This is Cole, Jake, Daniel, and Vance. This is Lacey St. James.”
One of the boys with a small ponytail, Cole, stepped forward, studying me. He was definitely the handsomest of the lot, but there was a hardness about him I found disconcerting as he studied me. “I know you, don’t I?”
Come to think of it, he did seem familiar, and then I realized where I’d seen him. “You’re the bass player for Twisted Melody.” The band was a regular institution in bars around the county. I remembered Ashley telling me she’d slept with the band members, although I never wanted the dirty details. “I’ve seen y’all play a few times around here.”
“Ignore my gorgeous friend over here.” Vance, the lone black boy of the group, bumped Cole aside with his shoulder and extended his hand to me. “Nice to meet you. If you keep bringing treats by, then you’re welcome to come here anytime.”
Daniel was staring at me, a goofy smile on his face. He seemed to be the
I realized I had been staring with my mouth ajar, and shut it with a snap. Weakly, I gave a small wave, rooted to the ground, the cooler dangling beside me. When he started my way, I almost bolted back into the Bronco, but held my ground by a thread. Up close I could see the sweat and dirt coating his entire body. Gray smudges of what I guessed were concrete ran up his arms. All I wanted to do was reach out and see if he felt as good as he looked.
“My eyes are up here.”
I jerked my gaze up, face flaming. Then the absurdity of his words hit and I laughed. That seemed to break the tension, at least on my end, and I lifted up the ice chest in my hands. “I brought snowballs.”
At his blank look, I opened up the chest and picked out one of the colorful balls of ice in paper cones. “Here,” I said, handing him a blue one and a spoon.
He took the cup from my hands, staring at it. “We call these snow cones where I’m from,” he said, spooning a bite into his mouth.
The ice treats were a summer tradition down here. Already the sun was beating down; I could feel perspiration prickle my scalp just from standing there. I’d lived here for several years and still had trouble with the humidity in summer. “I figured y’all would probably be needing something like this about now,” I said, finally finding my voice.
“I hope you brought enough to share.”
I hadn’t seen Trent come up and turned a startled look at him when I realized he stood just behind Everett. “Um, yeah, actually,” I replied, lifting up the cooler. “I couldn’t fit more than eight in here, though, but I can run and get more if you want.”
“No shit.” Trent’s cocky smile broadened as I showed him the rest. “My dad left with a few guys to pick up supplies, so this is perfect. Bet they stopped to get something cold anyway; doubt they’ll bring anything back.” He took the cooler, and then slapped Everett on the back. “Dude, your girlfriend’s awesome.”
My jaw dropped at the other boy’s declaration but I couldn’t get any words out correcting him before he hurried away back to the work site. Several other boys in various states of undress had appeared to see what the commotion was about. They swarmed around Trent as he set the cooler down on a pile of cinderblocks, each pulling out their own treat.
“I think you just gained several new fans.”
I cringed at Everett’s words, and pointed awkwardly between us and Trent. “About what he said …”
Everett waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. You want to meet them?”
“Meet who?”
“The crew. Your fans await, m’lady.”
I gave an awkward laugh but followed hesitantly after him toward the group. There weren’t as many as I’d thought, barely a handful, and they all seemed about the same age. They turned at my approach and the sudden attention was hard to bear; I gave a small nervous wave.
“You already know Trent. His dad runs the company.” Everett pointed at each boy in turn. “This is Cole, Jake, Daniel, and Vance. This is Lacey St. James.”
One of the boys with a small ponytail, Cole, stepped forward, studying me. He was definitely the handsomest of the lot, but there was a hardness about him I found disconcerting as he studied me. “I know you, don’t I?”
Come to think of it, he did seem familiar, and then I realized where I’d seen him. “You’re the bass player for Twisted Melody.” The band was a regular institution in bars around the county. I remembered Ashley telling me she’d slept with the band members, although I never wanted the dirty details. “I’ve seen y’all play a few times around here.”
“Ignore my gorgeous friend over here.” Vance, the lone black boy of the group, bumped Cole aside with his shoulder and extended his hand to me. “Nice to meet you. If you keep bringing treats by, then you’re welcome to come here anytime.”
Daniel was staring at me, a goofy smile on his face. He seemed to be the
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