Unspoken Pleasure

My goddess returned, running a damp rag over some long strands of hair and tossing a towel onto my stomach. I quickly cleaned myself up and put the towel to the side. She was still standing by the bed nude with a look of concentration as she worked over her hair thoroughly. I suddenly remembered that just a couple hours ago I had been paralyzed at the touch of my hand on her knee, and yet already it seemed like this is the way it should be. What could be more natural than beckoning her to the bed where I waited to hug her the whole night through? I reached up to pull Thuy back into bed with me, but she pulled back, saying, “So, think you can make it to the gas station now?”

“Try and stop me.”

—

Twenty minutes later, at sometime around three in the morning, we arrived at the all night convenience store by the Interstate. Thuy’s hand fell into mine and we walked quickly towards the door. However, as soon as I placed my free hand on the glass door, Thuy did a hard U-turn, spinning as fast as she could, her hair falling down to cover her face. This was a practiced motion she had used for years to hide.

“What’s wrong?”

“Julie.”

“Who?”

Thuy continued under her breath. “Ms. Pep Squad.”

I stared blankly.

“Played the flute. Always sat in the front right seat of every class. ‘Can’t keep a secret’ Julie!”

“I have no idea what we are talking about.”

“Jesus, Jake. Soccer Team Julie.”

“Ohhh!! Julie! What about her? She works here actually. Assistant. Manager, I think. I see her all the time.”

“Well. You are about to see her again because she’s behind the counter.”

I looked up and saw Soccer Team Julie behind the counter. Her hair looked red today. I wondered what color it used to be. She gave me a quick wave. I knew why Thuy had avoided using the name. It seemed that Julie had really only dated two or three guys in all of high school, but they all were on Varsity Soccer, and the rumor spread quickly of something more. But I guess the name had stuck, even if it wasn’t true.

“Did you two not get along?”

“Jake! No, it’s just…”

“Oh. We are about to buy condoms from ‘Can’t keep a secret’ Julie at three in the morning. So much for privacy about us, huh.”

“Welcome back.”

I thought about it for a second. “Does it matter?”

“Yes! No! I don’t know! I just don’t want us to be talked about. Maybe if I don’t go in and stay out here.”Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

“Yeah, she might think I’ve been standing at the door for five minutes with my other Vietnamese friends, because the population is so enormous here in Arkansas.”

“OK, fine.”

“Thuy, it’s actually good luck in some ways. Everyone already thinks we’ve been at it for years. So if Julie says something, who’s gonna think this is new?”

Thuy stood, unmoving. I held the door open for her and after a beat she went in, her hair still covering her face.

Julie called immediately. “Hey, Jacob,” she said with some energy. “Hey, Jennifer,” she said with a little less. “Good to see you two together again.”

“How’s the evenin’ treatin’ ya?” I asked.

“Butt boring.”

“Congrats. Usually you tell me it’s Super Ass boring.”

“What can I say? Good day. Maybe I just think about butts a lot watching that cute one of yours.” I felt Thuy disappear down an aisle.

“Yeah, sure,” I said and turned to find Thuy staring at a display of mixed nuts and orange slices. “Hey, Jule, which aisle has the contraceptives? Condoms.” Did I hear a squeak from the orange slices?

Julie looked at me and then slowly pointed towards the back corner.

“Thanks.” I said and went to find Thuy who had vanished. When I finally found her hiding behind a large Miller Lite display, she started jumping and slapping at my chest silently.

“What are you doing asking her?!” she threw at me in a barely constrained whisper. “And talking to her at all? And why does she call you Jacob?”

“I asked just to tease you and she calls me Jacob ’cause she’s flirting with me.”

“I know she’s flirting with you.” Thuy looked at me like she was going to start hitting me again, so I covered my face. Finally she just sighed and said, “I hate small towns.”

“You love ’em! You’re always on about loving small towns and you can’t wait to get away some day.”

“Stop remembering everything about me. Come on, let’s go buy something because you are looking really cute with that what-who-me grin.” We walked to the back of the store with Thuy saying, “You’d be in trouble more about the cute butt thing if you hadn’t completely forgotten she existed in the parking lot.”