blown this whole thing out of proportion. You know? I mean, who’s going to look the other way if he’s seen a couple of gals in bikinis. And, when you think about it, that’s really all they did, isn’t it?”
“They didn’t come all the way down the mountain,” Andrea said, “just for a closer look.”
“They claimed they were never up there.”
“They lied.”
“It’s very possible they won’t try anything,” Rick said, trying to sound as reasonable as Bonnie. “But we should be prepared in case they do. All it’ll cost us is a little discomfort. I think that’s preferable to letting our guard down and hoping for the best.”
Andrea nodded her agreement. “I don’t want to wake up and find a strange cock in my—”
“Cut it out,” Bonnie said.
“That’s the first thing I’d do.”
Bonnie shot her a sour look and Rick grinned. “Anyway, I’ll keep watch. So you won’t have to worry about that.”
“Are you just going to let Bert sleep?” Andrea asked.
“Might as well.”
“I’ll stay for a while then.”
“What about your frozen ass?” Bonnie asked.
“I think somebody should stay out with Rick, don’t you? If he’s alone, he can’t cover his back.”
“Whatever you want,” Bonnie said. “I’m turning in. And if you’re asking, I’d advise you to do the same, Andrea.”
“Yeah, sure. See you soon, Bonnie.”
After Bonnie was inside her tent, Andrea got up from her rock. She turned her back to the fire and bent over. Her jeans were tight and faded, their rear pockets frayed. There was a butterfly patch over her left buttock. “Pardon the view,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Rick.
“View’s not bad.”
She rubbed her seat with both hands. Then she stood up straight and turned around. “It’s true about the rivets, you know. They heat up really fast. I’ve probably got little red burn spots on my butt.” She sat down again and pushed her hands into the pockets of her puffy down vest.
“Don’t your arms get cold?” Rick asked. They were covered only by the sleeves of her plaid shirt.
“They’re all right. How long have you and Bert been going together?”
“A few months.”
“Live together?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh yeah? Who’s the holdout?”
“She’s not ready to give up her independence.”
“Where’ve I heard that before?” Andrea smiled. She looked beautiful, her eyes shining, her face burnished in the trembling glow of the firelight, glossy curls hanging across her forehead from under the edge of her stocking cap. “How come you let her talk you into this torture-fest they call backpacking?”
“She had her heart set on it. I didn’t want to disappoint her.”
“That’s about the way I got into this. Bonnie got the goddamn call of the wild, and talked me into coming along. Too bad we all didn’t run into each other a lot earlier. Those two sourdoughs could’ve kept each other company and left us out of it.”
Rick smiled. “Those are the breaks.”
“What would you like to be doing right now, if you weren’t stuck out here in the armpit of the universe?”
“Ideally. Maybe sitting at home with a drink, watching a good movie on the VCR.”
“Yeah. All right. What kind of movies do you like?”
“All kinds. Thrillers, mostly.”
“I knew a guy who lived off campus and had a VCR. All he ever played on it were sex movies. The idea was, I was supposed to get turned on and go crazy.”
“Did it work?”
She smiled. “Maybe. How about Bert? Does she like to watch that kind of stuff?”
“She’d rather do it than watch.”
“Well, lucky you. Does she see ... other guys?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“What about you?”
“I’m not into guys.”
“You know what I mean.”
Rick’s heart quickened. Good Christ, he thought. Don’t jump to conclusions, maybe she’s just curious. “I haven’t,” he said. “It ... hasn’t come up.”
“It has now,” Andrea said.
“She might wake up.” His voice came out hoarse.
“That’s a chance we’d have to take. We could go off into the trees.”
“What about our three friends? Not to mention maybe mountain lions on the prowl?”
Still smiling, Andrea stood and brushed off the seat of her jeans. “I can see you’re not ready for this. But it’s gonna be a long night. If you change your mind, you’ll know where to find me.” She nodded toward her tent.
“Bonnie’s in there.”
“She won’t tell. In fact, I’m sure she’d be happy to keep watch later on. We could use the tent.”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it,” she said. Then she turned away. She strolled across the camp, bent down, and crawled into her tent.
For a long time, Rick sat motionless.
He stared at Andrea’s tent.
Then he got up. He went to his pack and took out the bottle. When he returned to the fire, he sat on the rock where Andrea had been. That way, her tent was behind him so he wouldn’t have to look at it.
He opened his parka, took out the revolver, and rested it on his lap. Then he unscrewed the cap of his bottle and drank. The bourbon heated a path down his throat, spread warmth through his stomach.
You’re going to stop thinking about Andrea, he told himself.
He thought about how she had looked sitting across from him in the firelight. He remembered the way she had rubbed the seat of her jeans and he could almost feel her buttocks through the warm denim. He had half expected her to show him the marks that she suspected the hot rivets had put on her rump. If the rivets felt so hot, were they pressing her bare skin? Wasn’t she wearing panties? He wondered if she had taken off her jeans before getting into her sleeping bag. Maybe she had taken off everything, and was lying awake, naked in the snug warmth, waiting for him.
I’m not going to change my mind. Not the right place. Not the right time. There’s Bert. And you never know when those three scumbags might come sneaking out of the trees.
Rick looked quickly over his shoulder. He scanned the darkness behind him. Then his gaze lingered on Andrea’s tent.
When their time for watch comes up, he thought, she’ll probably stay inside, expecting me. How am I going to handle that?
Maybe I won’t tell them when it’s time. Maybe I’ll just stay here all night.
He turned again to the fire. He took another drink and looked toward the dark bushes. A rustle. Then the crack of breaking twigs. His head snapped forward, eyes riveted to the bushes. His breath came in shallow gulps.
Christ. My nerves are shot.
Another swig.
And another rustle. More of a flurry this time.
Birds?
Not in the dark.
