Page 34 of All Your Pucking Secrets

I drive us to the nearest takeout joint and order a bacon cheeseburger and fries for me and a chicken burger for Echo. I pay despite her protests since it was my idea; I don’t know how much money she has but I doubt it’s much. Then I take her down to my favorite spot near the lake.

It’s only when I turn down the gravel road onto old man Wilson’s property that it clicks in my mind that I’ve never brought anyone here before. Not the girls I’ve fucked, or the guys from the hockey team. Not even Soraya, one of the few people who gets to see my softer side.

This place has been just for me until now, and I have no idea why Echo Dean is the one to make me change that.

We rumble down the gravel, past fields of corn, to the edge of the lake. Echo is quiet, but every now and then, she shoots a look at me out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps she doesn’t understand why I’m bringing her here. That’s fair. I don’t either.

The road ends abruptly up ahead, where it meets the water’s edge. Apparently, it used to continue on, but the lake water rose to cover it during a massive flood a decade or so ago and never retreated to its former level.

I slow to a halt and shut off the engine. I stare out at the water, which is a mass of black in the descending darkness, and then glance over at Echo. Her face is in profile as she gazes straight ahead and, all of a sudden, it hits me that she’s actually quite pretty.

Her nose is small and sharp, and there’s a dusting of freckles across the bridge of it. Her hazel eyes shine with intelligence, but there’s a warmth there too. Her figure is slim, and she’s not very tall, but she’s shaped nicely, and everything is proportional.

Perhaps I should have realized she’s attractive sooner. Eric certainly noticed, but I never got the appeal.

She turns to me. “This place is beautiful.” Her lips quirk. “I bet you bring all the girls here.”

“Actually, you’re the first.”

ECHO

I gawk at Tyler, stunned by the honesty etched into the hard planes of his face, but before I have time to respond, he shoves the door open, climbs out and shuts it firmly. I watch through the window as he goes around the back of the Chevy. Am I supposed to follow him?

I don’t know what to make of the fact he hasn’t brought other girls here before. When we pulled up, the stunning view stole my breath and I immediately assumed that this is where he brings people to hook up. I’d wondered what, if anything, he expected of me. But then he went and turned what I thought upside down.

The Chevy rocks, the balance of weight shifting as Tyler climbs onto the flatbed. I should probably see what he’s doing, but the inside of the vehicle is warm and cozy, and smells of burgers. I wait a few more moments, but when he doesn’t return, I sigh and get out.

I circle the Chevy and come up short, surprised once again. Tyler has arranged a bunch of cushions and blankets on the flatbed, forming a comfortable nest.

“Can you grab the food?” he asks. “We’ll have a better view out here.”

“Sure.” I retrieve the cardboard boxes containing our burgers and a small paper bag with Tyler’s fries and bring them around to the flatbed.

Tyler has set a small cooler beside the nest and is settling himself onto a cushion. He holds a fluffy blanket up and gestures for me to join him. I place the food on the flatbed and clamber up, then pick up our dinner and approach him shyly.

I know that for Tyler and his friends, physical intimacy is nothing, but this will be the first time I’ve been in such an intimate setting with a guy who’s not either family or gay. It leaves me feeling vulnerable.

I slip beneath the blanket and try to position myself as comfortably as possible, shifting around until I find the best place to lie. I prop a cushion behind myself, tuck the blanket over my lap, and drag the food closer.

“Thanks for the burger,” I say, opening the box labeled CB.

“No problem. Thanks for saving my ass in biology.” Somehow, the darkness makes him sound even closer.

“I was paid for it.” I don’t feel right accepting his praise when tutoring him was a job.

“Maybe so, but I’m not the easiest person to deal with.”

“Actually, working with you was easier than I expected.” I don’t want him to think anything else. Yeah, he was emotionally all over the place, but he tried, and that’s all a tutor ever wants.

He doesn’t acknowledge my comment, instead reaching into the cooler and pulling out a can of beer. “Want one?”

I wrinkle my nose. “No, thanks.”

I’m far from twenty-one and I’ve never been the type of person who likes breaking the rules.

He shrugs. “Have it your way.”

We eat in silence, but it’s not awkward. Once I’ve finished my burger, I set the box aside and rest my head against the cushion, gazing up at the stars. Our hometown isn’t large, so it doesn’t emit enough light to mess with the night sky. Unless it’s cloudy, we always have an excellent view.

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