Study Group

[Sammy]

"Hey, Sammy!"

Standing in the doorway of the restaurant is Stacey from the bus. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail which bounces above a white visor that matches her cut-off jeans and bikini top. Over her arm is a giant tote. She looks ready for a day at the beach. I haven't seen her since last Tuesday, and she looks completely different when dressed for school, so it takes me a minute to process who it is I am speaking to and why she knows my name.

"Stacey, Right?" I confirm. I called her by the wrong name last time and I didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Two sweet little dimples appear on her cheeks as she smiles. "You do remember! "

"Of course," I pull out my notepad. "You are far too memorable to forget," I grin back at her. I can see Luis smirking at me as he busses a nearby table. "You can sit anywhere you'd like, " I wave at the mostly empty restaurant. "What can I get for you?"

"Oh, yeah," she twists the end of her ponytail. "I just need to get some chips and salsa to go. This place makes the best chips!"

"Thank you," I grin. "Luis and I make them fresh."

She opens her mouth wide. "No wonder they're so good."

Luis chokes.

"It looks like we're all out up here, but let me take a look in the back."

Luis follows me as I walk back into the employee's area.

"Duuude! Is that cute redhead from Monday night?"

"You mean the one from the girl band, yes."

"You do know she's here for you, right, not the chips?"

"Nah," I shake my head. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

"I see you don't believe me," he places his hands on his goatee as he tries to look more academic. "When you go back out front with these chips," he hands me a fresh bag, "she's going to invite you to go with her to the beach."

"Well it is a nice day and..."

"And when you go with her, because I'm going to force you to do it," Luis continues to stroke his goatee sagely. "Because you need to get laid, my friend. You already lost your virginity. Why on earth are you holding out?

"Maybe I don't need to screw every new girl I meet," I hiss at Luis, trying to keep my tone down. "Why is everything always sex with you?"

"It's that way for everyone," Luis claims. "I'm just honest about it."

I hand Stacey her chips and grab a pico de gallo from the fridge. As she hands me the money she looks behind her at the door, and then back at me. "Do you want to come? My friends and I are meeting to play volleyball and maybe study after. We'd love it if you joined us."

Luis is standing just behind her, his eyes wide, his hands making a gesture as he mouths "I told you so" silently.

"I still have an hour left to my shift and..."

"No you don't\, buddy, remember I owe you an hour, so I can cover you." Luis lies. We have no agreement.

"Great," Stacey claps her hands. "I'll wait for you out front."

It takes me about ten minutes to clean off the smell of chopped onions from a day of making salsa. By the time I make it downstairs in boardshorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt, Stacey is leaning against the wall scrolling through her phone and looking bored. She is standing next to a cargo bike with two large saddlebags and an elongated back seat. As soon as she hears the door close behind me she jumps up, her face glowing with excitement, and hands me a helmet.

"Wanna ride to the beach?"

"Um...Wouldn't be too heavy with me on there as well?"

"Not at all!" she preens. "I added an electric motor. These things were designed to transport entire families. It can take one cute boy," she winks. "I hope this helmet is big enough. I keep it on the bike just in case I need to pick up one of my girls for a gig," she explains shyly. The helmet is bright pink glitter with a black unicorn on the side.

Laughing I squeeze the helmet onto my head. Once she is settled, I get on the back, holding onto her waist for support.

"Alright cute stuff, let's head to the Boardwalk!" she shouts back over the puttering sound of the electric motor coming to life.

It takes us about 15 minutes to zoom down the bike path leading down to the boardwalk. It's a beautiful sunny day in Late Fall, and being Santa Cruz, the weather is still warm and sunny. Because it is a weekend, hundreds of people are milling around, mostly tourists, who stop to take photos of themselves with a perfect California beach scene behind them, complete with surfers and palm trees. Growing up in the valley, I had very rarely gone to the ocean, most of our water sports are along the rushing American River where white water rafting, or lazy days motorboating on Folsom Lake are popular activities. I never learned to surf. Living this close to the ocean, maybe I'll learn.

Once we reach the beach, Stacey pulls a long chain and three different types of bike locks from the depths of her saddle bags. Apparently, a cargo bike like hers is a hot commodity in a town like this. Cheaper than a car and able to travel on paths that are closed to motor vehicles, it is perfect for a struggling college student--which makes it an easy target for bike thieves.

"I'm very protective of my things," she shrugs. "Bessy here cost me $6,000. I'd hate to see her in the arms of another."

The "girls" as Stacey calls them are already waiting, sitting on an oversized beach blanket with snacks and a few books. Veronica, the girl who had welcomed me to their table smiled when she saw me. Without her wig, she had a cute curly afro that stuck up in every direction.

"Punta, you didn't tell me you were picking up el guapo?" she sasses Stacey as she arrives.

"I decided to pick up some extra snacks," she explains. The rest of the girls titter in amusement.

Something must have shown on my face because the girl with the ebony-colored skin, Sabrina, adds "Don't worry, Space Boy, you're not on the menu."

"Today, anyway, " Jude adds, peeking over her sunglasses as she lathers a thick layer of sunscreen all over her golden-tan skin.

"Organic Chemistry," Sabrina whines. "I hate that class!"

"Well I can't help you much with that, " I shrug, "I'm a history major. Come to me if you need help with an essay or research. O Chem is out of my depth." I shake my head ruefully.

"That's okay, Space Boy," Sabrina forgives me. "You can be here for moral support."

Jude snorts.

Laughing I open up the chips and salsa, placing it next to their other snacks.

"Do you play volleyball?" Jude asks as she stands up and stretches out her quads, one leg at a time. "We were about to start a game."

"Not really," I admit, pushing my prescription sunglasses up my nose. "I'm a bit of a klutz when it comes to games involving balls." Realizing what I just said, my face grows hot.

"That's okay!" Veronica purrs. "We can help you handle them."

My skin feels like it is on fire. I am feeling the urge to hide behind something, but all that is available is a bunch of sand and some palm trees.

"Leave him alone, guys," Stacey admonishes. "We don't want to scare away our new friend."

Eventually, we decide that I should just take the score this time as the girls play two against two. Sitting in the sun, eating chips and watching these girls banter as they battle across a net, I am glad I came out here. Normally I wouldn't have been so brave, but I'm more afraid of Luis teasing me than I am of a few girls.

I think.

Stacey calls a time-out. Coming back to the blanket to grab her water bottle, she leans over me. Her breasts, shining with sweat, are almost level with my face as she leans over me.

"Do you need me to.."

She loses her footing. I try to catch her but we end up in an embarrassing tangle of arms as she lands gracelessly between my legs.

"Oh shit, Sammy are you..."

I don't hear the rest of what she says because looking at me from a beachfront restaurant is a familiar blonde wearing a red bikini and a large, wide-brimmed hat.

Is my professor following me?