He nodded slowly and looked over my shoulder, appearing lost in his thoughts. “Yeah,” he finally said. “I am.”
I reached over and covered his much larger hand with mine. “Asa, call her. She’s your mother. She won’t hang up on you. Maybe she needs you to make the first move.”
He didn’t move his hand away from mine, but he didn’t say anything either. After several silent moments he lifted my hand and kissed the top of it. “I want today to be about you. I don’t want to think about my parents or any of that shit. I’m sorry I brought it up. Come on. Let’s get out and enjoy the sun.”
I wanted to push him to stop putting things off. He needed to contact his mother. What if she got sick? I didn’t want to believe that she was going to, but there was a very large probability that she could get Covid. He didn’t need to wait. No one knew how each person would react to the disease. I had a third cousin who had tested positive and never had a symptom, but Momma said that the cousin’s father had died from it. In only five days. I barely knew them, but it was reality and terrifying.
I didn’t see how telling Asa this story would help me with things, so I kept my mouth shut. I knew he’d heard similar ones on the news and social media. Covid-19 was a daily topic no matter where you were.
Asa climbed out of the truck and was on his way over to my side when I opened the door. He held out his hand and I slipped mine in his, and then he swung me toward him and grabbed my waist. Our bodies were flush, and my mouth was barely an inch from his. “Hey,” he whispered. “Let’s start this date over.”
I gave a small nod, thinking we still needed to discuss his refusal to call his mom but let it go. “Okay.”
His mouth covered mine then and his taste, scent, and touch made me forget everything, including my name. I wasn’t sure I could say it if someone asked me. Being with Asa made everything seem brighter. It took away the darkness and fear that the everyday world seemed to be eaten up with these days. He made me want to embrace life and inhale it. Enjoy it.
When he let my body slide down his and broke the kiss, I was breathless. He gave me a wicked grin. “I feel a bikini under your clothes. I’m ready to swim now,” he told me.
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in the truck. I was glad I’d decided on wearing the bikini I ordered online three weeks ago. My other bathing suit was too boring. Nothing like what most teenage girls wore. Using cash I had made from working, I had bought myself a Visa gift card and made the purchase. Catching the package that came in the mail before Momma saw it had been tricky, but I’d managed. I could never wear this in front of my mother. I’d have to wash it and then hide it tonight.
Later, after our date, I’d bring up him calling his momma again. He obviously wanted to forget it all for now and I was okay with that. Everyone needed a break. I didn’t know how many more dates I would get with him. Or when he’d call me again. Instead of letting that get me down, I was going to enjoy today. Pretend this was never going to end.
Asa dating other girls didn’t matter right now. If he could forget about his parents having Covid, then I could forget I was one of many for Asa Griffith.
My stomach soured at the thought, and I used all my willpower to ignore it and not let it get me in a mood. I could be moody about it tomorrow. Not today.
“I didn’t ask you if you could swim,” Asa said as he jerked his shirt over his head and tossed it on the hood of his truck. The sight of his bare chest made my mouth go dry. Every inch of him was rippled with muscle. I knew how nice his arms were, but now I was seeing how sculpted his chest was and speaking was hard. “Ezmita?” He said my name as if it was a question.
I shook my head to clear it. “Yes?”
He gave me a crooked grin. “Can you swim?”
Oh yes! I could. “Yes, very well, actually,” I assured him.
He acted like the news let him down. “Damn, that ruins my excuse to hold on to you while we are in the water.”
I laughed then and slipped off my sandals. “Sorry to mess up your plans.” I went to unsnap my shorts and realized he was watching me. Pausing, I looked up at him. He lifted his gaze from my shorts to my eyes.