Chapter 59

Harley thanked him, then took Jennalee’s hand, eased her from the bench, and they set off. “Enough,” he said, and Jennalee left it at that.

“Where are we going?” she asked as they worked their way to the back end of the park, where a low fence marked the border.

“To a good spot up on the hillside.”

It was nearly dark now and Jennalee enjoyed hopping the fence and scrambling up the hill. Halfway up lay a fallen log, though no tree stood nearby. “Somebody decided a long time ago this was a good spot,” she said. “Was it you?”

“When we were kids, Garth and I dragged the log over here, so it’s kinda ours. Have a seat.”

Jennalee sat for about a minute, then slipped off the log to sit with her back to it. “Much better,” she said, and Harley joined her.

Night was well on now, clear and warm. Then came a sudden whee of something sent airborne, and the first giant burst of the evening, a huge pink thing that rained down so much, Jennalee ducked. Harley began to laugh.

“They can’t reach you,” he said. “It just seems like it. Trust me. I’ve always sat here and never got singed.”

Jennalee couldn’t bring herself to sit back up. She lay in the grass so Harley did, too, the show seeming to be directly over them, even as she knew that was not the case. Burst after burst came, always with the whee and loud pop, yellows, greens, blues. Starbursts with thin points, round bursts, ones that sparkled several colors, others that drifted like a waterfall. One after another they kept on, and Harley took Jennalee’s hand, giving her a squeeze. She edged closer to him and decided it was a fine night.

They didn’t speak during the show. It wasn’t necessary. Jennalee found herself surprised at how simple things could be with a boy and how good it could feel. She looked over at Harley, enjoying his profile reflecting the colors of the sky.

A vivid purple and blue burst struck just then, so bright the cool colors looked hot. And at that moment, Jennalee found herself almost tingling with delight and further, with the need to act upon it. She squeezed Harley’s hand and he squeezed back, but it wasn’t enough now so she rolled toward him, ignoring the overhead show.

If he were any other boy, this was when she’d unzip his pants and pull out his penis. She’d handle it until the boy was squirming, then get her mouth on it and give him a thrill. Looking at Harley, who didn’t look at her, she had to hold herself in check because her usual way felt so natural yet suddenly not. Harley was an odd boy, for sure. Just because he’d had sex with a man didn’t mean he couldn’t with a woman. She knew if she went to work on him now, he’d respond, because boys had little control over their penises. She could get one up with a look if she chose.

It wasn’t fair how Harley played hard to get, mainly because she knew he wasn’t playing. But his thing with Carroll Fraser was over, he’d been clear on that, so why trap himself with just men? Had there been others? she wondered. Boys at school? Pawn shop patrons? It was too much to consider, so she rolled onto her back and tuned in on the fireworks just as three went off a second apart, red, white, then blue. Oh yeah, she thought. Fourth of July.

The show finished with a huge fireworks flag on the ground and applause drifted over to the hillside. Then the sky was dark. Nothing but stars and half a moon.

“Good show,” Harley said without moving.

“Totally.” Jennalee wasn’t sure what was next. Maybe this hillside spot had been a plan for something else, and in a minute, Harley himself would unzip his jeans and present what she wanted. She was thinking of him naked when he sat up.

“How about we walk back to the inn?” he said.

“Walk? Are you kidding?”

“It can’t be more than a mile or two,” he said, “and it’s nice out. Plus I don’t feel like motorcycles right now. Or parents.”

Now Jennalee sat up because she saw he had a plan. He didn’t want to do it here. Sure. Too many people too close by. He knew of some spot on the way, some little nook off the road, and he’d pull her in there. She could fee his tug, see him drop his pants to present his erect penis. Maybe he’d want more than a blowjob. Maybe he’d want to fuck. She hoped he had a condom, but surely all boys traveled with them.