“I’m not saying it has to be this huge, romantic, in-love sort of thing.”
“Oh, yeah? Because that’s what it sounds like. Are you really that concerned about it? I think the real thing that’s going on here is the fact that you just don’t think you can win. The fact that she’s a virgin means she’s spent a shitload of time not being with any guy, and she doesn’t really seem like that attitude is going to change. At least that’s the impression I got from her when we hung out. And I think you’re realizing that you’re just not going to be able to do it, either. Which is fine and all, but I think we should acknowledge the fact that this is ending not because you’re being a gentleman about it, but because you know you’re not going to win.”
The thing was, though, I knew I could actually do it. One hundred percent knew it. And I couldn’t stand the fucking smirk on his face. Ben was my best friend, but I hated that he was sitting there thinking that he had won something, that he had found something that I couldn’t do. I should be the adult here, the grown-up, the 31-year-old man, not the 17-year-old that was apparently still residing inside of me, too, but that part of me simply couldn’t back down from a challenge like this, especially since it’s one that we had already agreed upon. It would make me look like I was the scared I wouldn’t be able to do it, even though that wasn’t the case at all.
“Fine,” I said. “We can keep everything exactly how it is. Nothing changes.”
He grinned. “Atta boy,” he said. “Now, you’re talking.”
Chapter Eleven
Allie
The Learning Center’s annual end-of-year fundraiser was being held at Moose Lake this year, which Becca told me was different than where they usually had it. The change in location, she said, had been at the request of some of the parents, who were wanting to try something “different.”
I was looking forward to it, but at the same time, I knew it would be a little stressful, just because there would be so many kids there, and I wasn’t sure if all of them knew how to swim.
“Usually, the fundraiser’s pretty boring,” Amy confided in me. “If you want to know the truth, so I’m glad that we’re having it here this year; I think it’ll be fun.”
It was a private beach, very large, with a dock, a fleet of jet skis, a pontoon boat, an anchored raft, a motorboat with a huge raft attached to the back, kayaks, a canoe, stand-up paddleboards, and a variety of lounge chairs, picnic tables, and beach toys. Two of the dads immediately volunteered to man the grill, while the mothers seemed to gather in small groups and the children built sandcastles, splashed in the water, and chased each other around on the beach.
“Are you going to try the jet skis?” Amy asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never ridden on one before. Now probably wouldn’t be the best time to try it for the first time, though I wouldn’t mind giving the stand-up paddleboard a try. That seems like a safer bet.”
She laughed. “I’ve tried that before. I have like no balance whatsoever, so I definitely won’t be doing that. Oh, there’s Cole and Declan.”
It seemed that all the mothers looked as they watched Cole and Declan make their way down to the beach. Declan had on a pair of turquoise swim trunks with sharks on them and a matching swim shirt. Cole was wearing a pair of green swim shorts and a short-sleeve madras shirt. They looked like a picture out of an L.L. Bean catalog.
I waved as they came over. “Hey, guys,” Cole said. “This is quite a turnout. Good choice on holding it here instead of the art center, though.”
“Can we go swimming?” Declan asked.
“Sure, buddy. Hold on one second.”
Declan looked at me. “Do you have a bathing suit? Will you come, too?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind taking a little dip,” I said. “The sun is pretty hot.”
I felt a little shy all of a sudden, as I pushed my skirt down and pulled my T-shirt off. I was wearing a very modest one-piece, but it was still a bathing suit, and I could see Cole watching me out of the corner of my eye. Which was silly, when I thought about it, seeing as he’d already seen the most intimate part of me, but I still felt a tad self-conscious.
The water was cool and clear, and it didn’t get deep until much further out. Declan bounded in, yelling at me to watch him do the dog paddle. A few of the other kids followed us in, and Cole and I stood there in knee-deep water while the other kids splashed around us.
“Something dramatic always happens at these things,” Cole said, surveying the beach. “I wonder what it’s going to be this year. Last year, they did a silent auction, and there was literally a fist fight over something... I can’t even remember what it was now. A weekend away at some bed and breakfast, maybe? I think that’s part of the reason why they decided to change the location.”
“It seems to be going pretty well so far,” I said. I leaned over and cupped some water in my hand, splashing it over my shoulders. A few of the guys had made their way down the dock and were getting some of the jet skis started.
“Watch how long I can hold my breath!” Declan said.
I turned and watched as he dove under the water and then kicked his way almost all the way back to the beach. He resurfaced, gasping, and looked back at us triumphantly.
“That was very good,” I said. “You’re a good swimmer.”
“He’s always liked the water,” Cole said. “And I enrolled him in baby swim classes when he was about six months. I didn’t want him to be one of those kids who was afraid of water or didn’t know how to swim until he was like 8 years old or something.”
“I didn’t do much swimming as a kid,” I said. “I always liked it, but my mother was more of a fan of the country club pool than going out to the lake or the ocean.”
Cole snorted. “I never understood that. Especially when you live somewhere so close to a nice lake or the ocean, but I get a feeling some of the parents here are like that, too.”