"You seem nervous," he says as he puts our bags down by the little desk. There's a chill in the air, so Avi turns off the air conditioner.
"Why do you think I'm nervous?" I look at him and remember our talk in the car about him wanting to have sex with me.
"Because you haven't said anything since we arrived."
I take a deep breath and watch intently as Avi steps closer to me. His boyish expression gives me a hint that he's just as nervous and insecure as I am.
"I'm not nervous. Really. I'm not," I say.
One side of his mouth quirks up into a smile. He doesn't believe me at all. "You want to go change in the bathroom?"
Change? As in getting in PJs?
"Sure," I say. Normally this wouldn't be a problem. This isn't the first time Avis seen me in PJs, but this isn't just any normal ordinary night. I don't want to wear a big ol' T-shirt to bed. But I don't want to go all sexy, wearing a skimpy tank top to tease him. Okay, I admit I kinda do, so I can see how much I can affect him, but I realize that's totally selfish and manipulative.
Oh, the problems of a teenage girl are endless.
I pull out a PJ set my mom got me for the trip. It's a light blue T-shirt and matching mini-shorts. It covers enough so I'm not showing too much cleave, but when I take my bra off in the bathroom I'm aware that the chill in the desert air is making me nippy. Over the sink there's a mirror, so I pull up my bangs to inspect George I. He's almost gone--yeah!
"When I leave the bathroom, I'm holding the clothes I've worn all day clutched in front of my nippyness. Avi is sitting on one of the beds. He looks up and his breath hitches.
"You're beautiful," he says, staring at me as if I'm a goddess.
A shy smile bursts out of me. "Thanks." I look back at the bathroom. "Don't you want to, uh, wash up?"
"Yeah." But I notice he doesn't bring any PJs with him into the bathroom. I quickly toss my dirty clothes on top of my suitcase, pull out my pink satin pillow, and hop onto one of the beds. Pulling the thin sheet and blanket above my nippy parts, I wonder what Avi will sleep in. "When he comes out of the bathroom, I finally know.
My mouth drops open and I swear I have to stop myself from drooling. Avi is wearing black boxer briefs. That's it. His military-ripped bod should be oudawed. He's got a serious six-pack and has muscles in places I didn't even know existed. And when my eyes wander to the bulge in his briefs, I can't help the blush that creeps into my face.
And I was worried about teasing him. Believe me, I'm not the teaser in this room. "You are seriously trying to tempt me, aren't you?"
He nods.
I reluctantly tear my gaze away. "Well, good night," I say, patting my pillow and pulling the covers over me. "Turn out the light before you go to sleep, will ya?"
That'll teach him to try and tease me.
But a minute after I pretend to go to sleep, I pop one eye open. He's still standing by the bathroom door looking every bit a hard-core male model with a body to die for... or at least to lose your virginity over. Knowing the guy inside the body is my one true love makes this situation almost unbearable.
"Can I at least push the beds together?" he asks sheepishly.
"I thought you were going to do it while I was in the bathroom. And then I thought since you didn't, maybe you wanted to sleep separately."
"I didn't want to push the beds together without asking you first. And then you came out here in that sexy outfit and I forgot all about it."
"It's not sexy," I tell him. "It's just a top and shorts."
"Amy, that's just about the sexiest thing I've ever seen on anyone. Maybe it's because it matches your eyes. Maybe it's because it's got lace around the edges. Or maybe it's just because you're wearing it." He looks down, embarrassed, as he pushes the beds together.
Since the frames are made of wood, there's a huge wooden gap between the mattresses. Avi folds one of the sheets into the groove and puts a blanket over it so it won't be too uncomfortable.
"What's this?" I ask, fingering the three-inch-long, olive green pouch hanging from a string around his neck.
He opens the pouch and reveals a silver metal rectangle stamped with words in Hebrew and a long number. "My ID tag. We cover it so the metal doesn't burn our skin in the heat."
There's a gold metal medallion hanging next to the ID tag. "What's that?"
He fingers the medallion. "All Sayeret Tzefa trainees get it. It has the words Respect, Strength, and Honor on it. Respect for your country, your enemies, and your comrades. Strength in body and mind. Honor to your country, your comrades, and the ones who served before you." He says it like he's had to rehearse the words for some test.
"Does everyone wear it?"
"If you're caught without it, you have to sing this stupid song to the entire squad. It's a new tradition. I think it was copied from some American Marines that did training here a few years back."
While I lie back on my pillow, Avi turns off the light.
A few seconds later I feel him sliding into bed next to me. His leg brushes mine and I hear his slow breathing. A sliver of light is shining through the window of the room, so I can make out his silhouette in the darkness. My heart is beating furiously with anticipation, especially when he turns toward me.
"Amy?"
"Yeah."