Chapter 33

Danny Evachevski and Josh Archer had been pals for years. Though a year younger and a grade behind Danny, they shared many interests and desires normal for teenage boys, and certainly, some of those involved the opposite gender -- especially those of the opposite gender, wearing as little as possible, preferable out at Turtle Hill, the local spot where the kids all went to get close. So far, it had been mostly academic for Josh, but this year, he had his driver's license and that might make a difference in finding the appropriate feminine companionship.

The problem was that no such feminine companionship was on the horizon, for either Josh or Danny, and as they sat in Josh's "new" old Chevette at the Frosty Freeze, none seemed likely to turn up.

They'd long since finished their ice cream, and were sucking on cokes, just to kill time. At one point, it looked as if both of them had jobs lined up for the summer, but both had fallen through. Then, the business with the snake led them to think that Pam might be able to hire them to look for more Gibson's Water Snakes, but that had fallen through, when Pam told them that she'd only gotten half the funding she'd hoped for, not even enough to do half the job. Even so, they'd been out a couple of times, helping Pam look for snakes, but without much success, and both of them agreed that slopping around in the swamps, looking for snakes, for free, while the mosquitoes carried them away, was not their idea of spending the summer. About all they'd been able to work out was a few hours a week delivering appliances for Danny's father, and it kept them in coke and gas money.

So, having exhausted the subject of girls, all that was left to talk about was football, and with practice starting only six weeks off, it was something to talk about.

Josh didn't want much to talk about football; he'd be hearing it enough before long, sweating in August, with coaches yelling at him. This fall, with a car, now, and an active spot on the varsity, rather than just a walk-on, he might be able to develop some female attention that he'd been unable to as a sophomore. "It's not right what they say about football players getting all the girls," he thought. "Football players have it as rough as anyone else."

Just then, a vision of loveliness got out of the back seat of a car, and walked into the Frosty Freeze. She was only in view for a few seconds, but in those seconds, Josh was able to note that she was wearing very short shorts, a bikini top, had a hell of a tan, and long blonde hair down to her cute little butt. "My God," he moaned. "Did you see that?"

"What?"

"That blonde that just went inside," he said. "Must be some summer complaint. I've never seen her before, but she was absolutely gorgeous."

"Didn't see her," Danny said. "You want to go inside and hit on her?"

"No, man," Josh replied. "She was with her family. We wouldn't get off dead center."

They were talking about how they were going to kick butt on the Coldwater Icebergs in the season opener when the door opened again. This time, both of them were looking. "There she is again," Josh said. "Man!"

Danny stuck his head out the window. "Hey, Amy!" he yelled. "Over here!"

"You know her?" Josh asked.

"Sure," Danny said. "That's Amy Ashtenfelter. Known her for years. They've got a cottage out by my folk's place." He didn't have time to explain before the vision of loveliness walked over to his side of the car. "How you doing, Danny?" she said, in a sweet voice that Josh though had to be the sexiest he'd heard, except maybe for Danny's sister, Jennifer.

"Pretty good," Danny replied. "This is my buddy, Josh Archer."

Amy bent down to look in the window, across the car at Josh. He looked back, and hardly saw her face, his eyes more on the deep, deep cleavage the bikini top revealed. "Hi, Josh," she said.

"Hi there," Josh managed to say somehow. "How long you up for?"

"Oh, we'll be here all summer," Amy said, squatting down. The cleavage went away, but Josh still sat, enthralled, as she and Danny gossiped a bit, until a yell of "Amy" came drifting across the parking lot.

"Be right there, Daddy," she yelled back. "See you around," she said to Danny and Josh. She stood up and hurried across the parking lot to her parent's car, the tight shorts emphasizing the wiggle of her cute bottom. Josh was ready to bite nails at the sight.

"My God," he said. "You mean...

Danny was reading his friend 20-20. "Ever since I was in day care."

"But how..."

"I can't explain it. She's just a friend."

"Is there any way..."

"I dunno. 'Course, she's older now. Maybe I can work something out. Maybe a double date, if we keep it real, real cool."

"We could..."

"Naw, they're strict vegetarians. Be ready to eat your spinach, Josh. I'll see what I can do."