Page 91 of Just Friends
“Yeah, I feel alright,” I said.
“Good,” Niko said, reaching for the ladle, “then we add more steam.”
Reavo and I both protested. “No no no, don’t—!”
Pssssssssssss.
Reavo slumped against the wooden wall. “Aw, hell.”
The temperate spiked with another wave of broiling humidity. Reavo rocked back and forth, hands on his knees, grunting and groaning. But this time, I felt a little more ready for it. I knew what to expect.
Just gotta ride it out.
Moisture started leaking out of my opened pores.Whew,this was intense—I was sweating like it was late in the third period of a tight game.
After what felt like ten minutes, Niko broke the silence.
“Why you turn those girls down, Big Rig?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
I chuckled. “I don’t know, man. I just wasn’t in the mood.”
“They perfect, man.Perfect. Ten out of ten.”
I wasn’t going to argue. “Yeah, they were pretty hot.”
“But you don’t want them,” he said. “They not what you want.”
Maybe it was the language barrier, but it almost sounded like Niko was trying to get at something. I glanced over and shot him an inquisitive look.
He smiled coyly. “Good heat, yes? Feel good, right?”
“Yeah …” I muttered, still suspicious.
Reavo groaned miserably. We turned to look at him. Poor guy was turning bright red.
Niko waved him down. “Come down here, Derek.”
“Closer to that fuckin’ stove?Hellno. I’m hot enough up here as it is.”
“And why you think that is?” Niko pointed skyward with a grin. “Hot air goup, Derek. Only hardcorebanyalover sit on top bench.”
“Oh, fuck.” Realizing his brother-in-law was right, Reavo scrambled from the highest bench down to the lowest.
“Better, yes?” Niko asked.
“Yeah. Shit. Wish you woulda told me that ten minutes ago.”
Niko shrugged. “I thought you like it up there.”
“Bullshit,” Reavo hissed. “Now Iknowyou’re fucking with me on purpose.”
Niko snickered. “Is not so bad. I go up there now, and prove it.” He scurried up the bench to bask in the hotter upper levels. “Ahhh. See? Not so bad.”
“Yeah? You can go ahead and stay up there, then.” Reavo scooted next to me. “I’ll stay down here and guard this fuckin’ stove with my life to make sure you can’t throw any more water on those damn stones.”
Silence came over us again. We stared out the window, the minutes crawling by, sweat dripping down our bodies. The view of the garden and the trees was pretty, yeah. But it didn’t change much—after a little, it got kinda boring. But where else was one supposed to look?
A rush of wind suddenly swept past my ear, and—
