"Be good," my dad says, bending down into the passenger side window to hug me as Avi climbs behind the wheel. "Avi, keep her safe."
"I will."
I know it's going to be a long drive, because the base is south of the Dead Sea. The sun is setting when we reach Haifa, and we still have more than a few hours to go.
I talk to Avi about Miranda liking Nathan, but Nathan liking Tori... and Tori not liking anyone. When I ask about Noah, Avi tells me that he's a good guy who really doesn't mind doing any of the jobs the army assigns him.
"I've never seen Noah upset. Not even once," he tells me.
"When I first met Noah, I thought he'd be a good match for Miranda," I say. "Or maybe Nimrod would."
"Miranda isn't Nimrod s type."
I tsk. "What's that supposed to mean? Just because she has a little extra padding doesn't mean--"
"Nimrod's g*y."
"Gay? As in..."
"He's got a boyfriend."
"Does he know that you know?"
"Everyone knows. He doesn't exactly keep it a secret. This is Israel. While we might not be the most tolerant people in the world, being g*y here isn't a big deal. Even in the military. Nimrod's a damn good soldier, and we're lucky he's on our squad. He's practically fearless and makes me a better soldier."
"'You make me a better soldier, Avi," I tell him. "I just wish I was a better friend to Miranda. I want her to be happy. Do you think setting her up with Noah would work?"
Avi takes my hand in his and kisses my palm. "Trying to make the world perfect again?"
"I'm good at doing it for other people. I seem to screw up my own life pretty good most of the time. I guess we all have our talents, don't we?"
He nods.
"Speaking of making life perfect, Avi. Umm... do you remember last summer when we pulled off to the side of the road?"
"Yeah. How could I forget?"
"Okay, so I know I'm a girl and shouldn't be asking this, but you only live once and life is short. Can we pull off the road? We're in the middle of a deserted road in the middle of nowhere, Israel."
Avi flashes me a shocked expression. "I thought you didn't want to have sex until we were married."
"I'm not talking about sex. I'm talking about kissing, and maybe a little body exploration..." But as my voice trails off, I wonder what Avi has in mind. "Why? Do you want to have sex?"
He nods. "I'm a guy, Amy. Of course I want to have sex with my girlfriend." "You do?"
"Oh, yeah," he says, his voice deep and sexy. My eyes graze over him, and now I know why being alone together brings us closer to dangerous territory. These are the times my dad and mom have warned me about, when my commitment to staying a virgin until I'm married is compromised by my raging teenage hormones. "Don't look at me like that, Amy." "Like what?"
"Like you're ready to be mischievous." "What if I am?"
Avi rakes his hand over his head and moans. "I'm seriously one minute away from begging you to be mischievous with me."
"Well, now that my safia's okay, I want to think about you and me. And since you don't have to report back to base until tomorrow, and it's already late, maybe we can spend some alone time tonight. At a hotel."
"Really?"
"Let me weigh the options. Option 1: Go back to the base, not have a second of private time with you, get up at the crack of dawn, or Option 2: Private time alone with you. It's a no-brainer, Avi. I pick private time alone with you."
I think of Avi and me together... all night... in a hotel room. The word "perfection" doesn't do the fantasy justice.
"You're not still feeling super mischievous, are you?" he asks. "Because if you are, this probably isn't the best idea."
I can't wait to spend all night, alone, with my boyfriend. "Trust me, Avi. It's a great idea. Seriously, when are we going to have the chance to be alone again?"
He picks up his cell, makes a reservation at a hotel, and starts driving. Soon we arrive at a hotel on a kibbutz near Ein Gedi.
Avi pays for the room, signs papers, and gets a key from the girl at the front desk. I stand beside him, trying to act like getting a hotel room with my boyfriend is no biggie.
When in reality...
It is a biggie. A real big biggie.
Avi takes our bags and I follow him to our room. It's at the end of an adorable little one-story brick building with bright purple and yellow flowers outlining the front sidewalk. Avi opens the door and we walk inside.
When the door clicks shut, the reality of being alone with Avi hits me. I'm with my boyfriend without any parental supervision. I'm almost a senior in high school, almost an adult... in a year I'll be living on some college campus by myself, making decisions on my own.
I would never have put myself in the position of being alone with a boy in a hotel room if I didn't 100 percent trust him. I know Avi won't force me to do anything I don't want to do. The problem lies with me: I don't know if I trust myself. I admit, when I look at Avi I want him; I want him to kiss me until I cant breathe and touch me until my body melts under his touch, and I want to feel every inch of him. Will I be able to stop myself?
There are two single beds on either side of the room. They're just simple foam-filled mattresses on wooden frames that don't look very comfortable (which my parents would probably think is a good thing).