after her and it wasn’t until she’d been gone awhile that he realized he was sporting a ridiculous grin while staring off toward the back door, waiting for Candace to reappear.
She finally did, carrying the ice-cube bin. Tad’s smile disappeared. He was horrified with where this was going. “I dare you…” Candace rattled the box of ice cubes. “To dump this entire thing down your boxers.”
“What? That’ll kill me.” Tad stood.
“And that cartwheel near did me in.” Candace was drunk. Her smile was loose, her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were glassy. It was that laugh she had that reached out and grabbed him. Candace had a strange way of making everyone around her as happy as she was—or maybe it just worked like that on Tad.
Tad groaned and unbuttoned his pants. “Let’s get this over with.”
Candace paused. “Seriously?”
Tad grabbed the bucket from her hands and poured the ice cubes straight down his underwear, and he danced. He shouted. He winced. “Holy shit!” He kicked until the ice cubes were flung out into the yard somewhere. He let out a sigh of relief and grabbed the front of his crotch.
“Here.” Candace’s face was pulled somewhere between a smile and a wince as she handed him a warm rice heating bag.
“Oh my God.” Tad took it from her and stuffed it down his pants. “I don’t know how, but I both hate you and love you at the same time.”
Candace laughed. “I get that a lot. I really didn’t think you’d do it.”
“I did it.” Tad eased himself back down onto the seat. “But you’re right, let’s forget the dares.”
“We’re not teenagers anymore, are we?” Candace sighed and sat down beside him.
“I’ve been telling you that for months now.”
Candace took a deep breath. “If we’re really going to do this, why don’t we just hit the grand slam?”
Tad held his breath and stared down at her lips as she formed the words. He’d never noticed how smooth they were, or that they were such a soft pink.
“Why, at camp, did you lead me on like that? Why act like you like me for an entire summer and then right at the very end humiliate me in front of everyone? If it was over, why not just say so, to me, privately? Why stoop to their level and use that lame fat joke?”
Tad sucked in a deep breath. He hadn’t expected that question, but maybe he should have. “I think it’s actually your turn to answer a question.”
“Seriously? Fine, ask me a question.”
“Who was your first kiss?” Tad asked, still thinking about her lips and blaming his thoughts on the alcohol and the lack of sexual stimulant. He couldn’t believe he was recovering from the ice cubes so quickly.
“Tommy McPherson. Now, Tad, why?”
“You’re not going to like the answer,” Tad warned her and took a swig right from the bottle.
“Try me.” She wasn’t angry, and that surprised him even if it had taken place nearly ten years ago.
Tad ran a frustrated hand through his hair, disheveling it. “I don’t know. I know that sucks but that’s the only answer I have. I was young. I was dumb. I was too young for you. And yes, I know. I’m older than you.” He laughed wryly.
“It wasn’t the weight?” Candace asked, deadpan.
“No. It had nothing to do with your body, but everything else about you scared the hell out of me.”
“I did?” Rudy had gotten up and scratched at the door. So Candace rounded up their shot glasses and the bottle while Tad whistled for the other dogs. Candace pushed the door open for all of them.
“Yeah, you did. I think about it all the time, actually, since you came back into my life.” All the dogs had gone inside and found somewhere to lie down, a toy to chew on, or headed to their large water dish to drink out of.
*
“You do?” Candace asked, finding the two of them sandwiched in the doorway. Half in, half out. She looked up and searched his face. Everything was soft from the alcohol. She felt both warm everywhere and
She finally did, carrying the ice-cube bin. Tad’s smile disappeared. He was horrified with where this was going. “I dare you…” Candace rattled the box of ice cubes. “To dump this entire thing down your boxers.”
“What? That’ll kill me.” Tad stood.
“And that cartwheel near did me in.” Candace was drunk. Her smile was loose, her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were glassy. It was that laugh she had that reached out and grabbed him. Candace had a strange way of making everyone around her as happy as she was—or maybe it just worked like that on Tad.
Tad groaned and unbuttoned his pants. “Let’s get this over with.”
Candace paused. “Seriously?”
Tad grabbed the bucket from her hands and poured the ice cubes straight down his underwear, and he danced. He shouted. He winced. “Holy shit!” He kicked until the ice cubes were flung out into the yard somewhere. He let out a sigh of relief and grabbed the front of his crotch.
“Here.” Candace’s face was pulled somewhere between a smile and a wince as she handed him a warm rice heating bag.
“Oh my God.” Tad took it from her and stuffed it down his pants. “I don’t know how, but I both hate you and love you at the same time.”
Candace laughed. “I get that a lot. I really didn’t think you’d do it.”
“I did it.” Tad eased himself back down onto the seat. “But you’re right, let’s forget the dares.”
“We’re not teenagers anymore, are we?” Candace sighed and sat down beside him.
“I’ve been telling you that for months now.”
Candace took a deep breath. “If we’re really going to do this, why don’t we just hit the grand slam?”
Tad held his breath and stared down at her lips as she formed the words. He’d never noticed how smooth they were, or that they were such a soft pink.
“Why, at camp, did you lead me on like that? Why act like you like me for an entire summer and then right at the very end humiliate me in front of everyone? If it was over, why not just say so, to me, privately? Why stoop to their level and use that lame fat joke?”
Tad sucked in a deep breath. He hadn’t expected that question, but maybe he should have. “I think it’s actually your turn to answer a question.”
“Seriously? Fine, ask me a question.”
“Who was your first kiss?” Tad asked, still thinking about her lips and blaming his thoughts on the alcohol and the lack of sexual stimulant. He couldn’t believe he was recovering from the ice cubes so quickly.
“Tommy McPherson. Now, Tad, why?”
“You’re not going to like the answer,” Tad warned her and took a swig right from the bottle.
“Try me.” She wasn’t angry, and that surprised him even if it had taken place nearly ten years ago.
Tad ran a frustrated hand through his hair, disheveling it. “I don’t know. I know that sucks but that’s the only answer I have. I was young. I was dumb. I was too young for you. And yes, I know. I’m older than you.” He laughed wryly.
“It wasn’t the weight?” Candace asked, deadpan.
“No. It had nothing to do with your body, but everything else about you scared the hell out of me.”
“I did?” Rudy had gotten up and scratched at the door. So Candace rounded up their shot glasses and the bottle while Tad whistled for the other dogs. Candace pushed the door open for all of them.
“Yeah, you did. I think about it all the time, actually, since you came back into my life.” All the dogs had gone inside and found somewhere to lie down, a toy to chew on, or headed to their large water dish to drink out of.
*
“You do?” Candace asked, finding the two of them sandwiched in the doorway. Half in, half out. She looked up and searched his face. Everything was soft from the alcohol. She felt both warm everywhere and
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