Girls in Pants - Ann Brashares [80]
“I have an idea,” she said.
“Okay,” he said. He didn’t ask what it was. He was willing to go along.
They walked blocks and blocks and then up a long hill up to Rockwood pool. Then they step-jumped over moving water. And then ascended that long staircase. By the time they got to the fence, it was dark. And they were good and high. A high place was what you needed for a leap.
“Here’s where it’s good to climb up.” She pointed to the break in the barbed wire.
Brian seemed to think that made sense. She led the way; he followed. For such a chicken she really was a pretty good climber. She jumped the last five or so feet to get herself in the right spirit. He appeared gracefully by her side.
“You ready?” she asked.
“I think so,” he said faithfully, even though he didn’t know what she was talking about.
She began unbuttoning her shirt and his eyes widened slightly. She cast it off. She was wearing a pretty bra. That was nice. She saw her skin glowing in the warm evening air. She pulled off the aqua green scrubs. This was new. She slipped them off and folded them carefully. Her underpants were pink and not embarrassing.
Brian’s eyes glanced off her and then back on. They were careful, surprised, hopeful. And longing. There was that, too. He was looking for permission to let his eyes stay on her. And with her eyes, she gave it.
“Now you,” she said.
He took off his own shirt and jeans in a matter of seconds. He left them in a pile. His skin glowed just as brightly above and below the boxers that she herself had picked out for him, three pairs for nine dollars at Old Navy. She hadn’t realized she’d be seeing them again in this context. She drew in a sharp little breath. She had pictured him in her mind many times before. This was better.
She held his hand again. They let their eyes run over each other unchecked. What was there to hide anymore? She didn’t want to hide anything.
She led him to the edge. She picked the deep end on purpose.
They stood side by side, their toes curled over the edge. She looked at him, right in his eyes and he looked in hers. This was going to be fun.
One. Two. Three.
And so they jumped together.
Bridget’s body felt better. Dramatically ill, dramatically better, that was her all over.
Learning about the birth of Carmen’s baby brother gave her great joy. The news came like a dash of cold, fresh water on her soul. She spent almost a week’s pay sending flowers and balloons to Christina.
But, still, her heart hurt. She wanted to see Eric. She needed to see him. She craved his presence. But he was gone. Saturday he disappeared without a trace.
He wasn’t in his cabin. He wasn’t in the dining hall for three meals in a row. Finally she sucked it up and went to Joe. “I seem to have lost my partner,” she said, trying to sound casual.
“You like him now, do you?” Joe said smugly.
She felt like smacking him. “Do you know where he went?” She couldn’t bring herself to say Eric’s name.
“No idea,” said Joe.
She tapped her bare foot against the floor planks of the main office. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“He better be back by Monday,” he said. “We’ve got a tournament starting.”
She hated Joe at this moment, San José Earthquakes or no. He was a guy who rode his own agenda hard, and he didn’t care about yours. “Did he say anything to you?”
“He said he had to take off for a couple days. That was it.”
Bridget stalked away angrily. She practically screamed when a chunk of the pine floor dug itself deep into her big toe. Why didn’t she wear goddamn shoes? What was the matter with her?
Where had Eric gone? Why? Did he need to get away from her? What had happened between them?
That evening she tried running, but she felt weak. She couldn’t eat. She called Lena, Carmen, and Tibby on the common phone in the staff lounge and left messages for all of them. That made her feel panicky. Why couldn’t she find them? She