That's when I picture it. Him lying on top of me, kissing my neck.
The thought sets my skin on fire, flushing my body with heat, and it's not because of the hot tub.
Holy crap, I've never thought about him that way before.
The vision switches from Levi kissing my neck to me unbuttoning his jeans, revealing Superman underwear.
Ack! I clench my eyes shut. What the hell is wrong with me? Did I just superimpose Levi's face over Dylan's in a weird, sexy daydream? I really must need to relax.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. But my imagination runs back to the idea of Levi pressing his forehead to mine as he teaches me what guys want.
He would whisper, "Touch the Superman logo."
I squirm uncomfortably in the hot tub. Steamy water splashes over the side onto the porch.
"Oh my God," I murmur.
His eyes narrow. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." My voice cracks.
"Bullshit."
"Can you just talk to me about something?"
"Like what?"
"Anything."
"Did you see how Tom Brady was accused of breaking into Aaron Rodgers's house to steal the Packers' playbook?"
Levi starts rambling on about the Patriots, and my mind wanders again. This time I imagine rolling around in bed under the covers with him. Naked.
How would it even start? Would I climb in his lap? Would I just ask him?
"Maggie," he says loudly.
"What?"
"I thought you wanted to talk. You're ignoring me."
"Sorry. I was thinking … " If I can't talk to Levi, who can I talk to? "I want to learn how to fool around."
He furrows his eyebrows. "It's not really something you learn. You pick up your own style over time."
"Like swimming?"
"In a way, I guess. There's a rhythm to it." A grin breaks out across his face. "But it's a lot more fun than swimming laps."
"Could you give me some pointers?"
"Huh?"
I see now I can't beat around the bush. "I want you to teach me to hook up."
The smile disappears. His Adam's apple shifts as he swallows. "What?"
My voice shakes. "You heard me."
"What do you mean, ‘teach you to hook up'? You want me to draw some diagrams?"
"No … I want you to demonstrate."
He looks at me. Looks into my eyes. Then his eyes slide to my chest.
"Stop staring at my boobs."
"It's your fault."
"How is it my fault you're ogling my chest?"
"You're the one who asked me to be your sexual Jedi Master."
"Oh my God, you did not say sexual Jedi Master."
"You can't fault a guy for getting a little boob action."
Boob action? What is wrong with him? He's probably saying silly things to try to distract me while his mind races. That's how his brain works.
"I didn't say anything about a sexual Jedi Master," I say. "I asked you to teach me how to fool around."
"We can't. That's swimcest."
What Levi means is that Coach Josh would kill us. He is very much against New Wave kids dating. For instance, last year Susannah was dating this older swimmer, Lucas, who wasn't as serious about swimming as she is. He was always trying to get her to blow off practice, and as a result she swam horribly last year. Ever since they broke up, she's been at the top of her game. And one time a couple years ago, two swimmers hooked up for a while and they were all over each other in the pool, which nobody wanted to see. Not even pervy Jason. After the couple broke it off, things got very awkward between them at practice, and they refused to share a lane. Which, again, nobody wanted to see.
Still, we have hormones and spend a lot of time together wearing practically no clothes, so Coach understands that people are bound to fool around. But nevertheless, he'd probably kill us.
"I was being serious," I tell Levi. "I want you to teach me."
Deep in thought, he runs both hands through his blond hair. "Why?" he finally asks.
"I trust you," I say. "You're my best friend."
"That doesn't mean we should hook up … You should wait until you're with a guy you care about."
"This girl I stayed with at Cal told me that no one in college wants serious relationships."
"No one?"
"Well … what if I don't meet anybody? Or don't have time for a relationship? I want my first time with a guy to be special."
His eyes flash when I say that. "You think it would be special with me? I think it would be awkward as hell."
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