“Yes.”
“Please don’t make me sleep in a tent.”
He chuckled. “It will be much grander than that.”
26Field Trip
Ihit the brakes, my heart pumping in time with the turn signal. Once I made the left onto the dirt road, there was no turning back. The angel and the devil in my head were both making their case, but I decisively drove the car toward Teddy. We were meeting at the home of Herman and Estelle, the prior camp owners. They were visiting their grandchildren and had asked Teddy to keep an eye on the place.
My palms started to sweat—the steering wheel almost slipped through my hands. The sun flashed off the gold of my wedding band. I twisted it off and placed it in the cup holder, sliding the cover closed.
I passed several large houses on the opposite side of the lake from the camp. The fifth one was a two-story monstrosity of different kinds of architecture. It was as if the builder couldn’t decide on a style so included them all: beach house, ski chalet, and log cabin. There was a wooden plaque above the garage that read, THEHOUSETHATCAMPBUILT.
When I pulled into the driveway, Teddy was leaning against the stone fence, his face illuminated by the late afternoon sun. He looked like a golden Adonis. I didn’t get to go to Greece, but I was about to have a Grecian fantasy. He wore a plaid short-sleeved button-down shirt with tight, low-slung jeans, and hisever-present green converse sneakers. No socks. He also wore the same roguish grin as the first time we’d met.
Every fiber of my body was on fire.
He strolled over to the car, opened the door, and took my hand, helping me out. He brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I felt a vibration move from my hand and spread through my veins. He reached into the back seat, grabbed my overnight bag, and threw it over his shoulder. He took both my hands in his and we stood in front of the house, gazing at each other.
Teddy broke the silence. “How’d I do?”
“Is it just us?”
“Just us.” He nodded toward the door. “Shall we?”
I didn’t answer right away. I took a deep breath. “I’m nervous.”
He smiled. “Why?”
“I haven’t been with . . . I haven’t had as many partners . . .”
He squeezed my hands. “If the way we kiss is any indication, I think we’ll be just fine.”
He put his arm around my waist, and we walked into the house. The sun shone through the large picture windows that looked out onto the lake, and the room glowed. I paused in the living room, glancing at photos and tchotchkes on a table behind the couch. There was a fireplace with a weathered Woodlands sign hanging above it. I felt Teddy watching me as I walked out onto the porch, stalling. I gripped the handrail, trying to compose myself. Behind me I heard cabinets and drawers opening and closing.
Teddy joined me carrying a bottle of wine and two long-stemmed glasses. “Herman doesn’t drink, but Estelle loves her wine.” He set everything down on a table against the wall, slid a corkscrew out of his back pocket, and skillfully uncorked the wine. He handed me a glass and said, “To us.”
We clinked, and I took a gulp.
He put down his wine, took my chin in his hand, and tenderly kissed me. Our first kiss had ignited something, or should I say reignited something, that I hadn’t felt in a long time—desire. Even though my mind was screamingStop, I had no control over how my body responded to his scent, his nearness, his kiss. I placed my glass next to his and threw my arms around his neck, passionately kissing him back. He lifted me, holding me the way he did the night of the break-in.
We continued kissing as he carried me upstairs. He gently put me down in front of the king-sized bed. The room was cavernous with two large windows and a skylight. It was decorated in early American Holiday Inn, but instead of mass-produced landscapes there were photos of grandkids interspersed with kitschy signs lining the walls: NOLIFELIKELAKELIFE, RELAX, YOU’REON LAKETIMENOW, andMemories Made at the Lake Last a Lifetime.
We faced each other expectantly. If I was doing this, I was going to own it and enjoy myself.
I started unbuttoning his shirt as he lifted my sundress over my head. I felt nervous about my body. Since working all day at camp, I was in the best shape I’d been in a long time, but no one besides Ronnie had seen me naked in over fifteen years. I had stretch marks, and worse, Teddy was about to uncover that I wasn’t a natural redhead.
I began fumbling with his jeans, but he stopped me, pulling me into him and nimbly unhooking my bra. Then he stepped out of his pants, took a condom from his pocket, and tossed it on the bed.
Contraceptives—something I stupidly hadn’t thought about. I looked at the shiny wrapper and laughed.
“Did I miss something?”
“The condom. I haven’t used one of those . . . I’m thinking since I was in college.”
“A necessary precaution.” He kissed my wrist and said, “I have a confession to make.”
“I’m listening.”
