“Sure.” I felt great. Relaxed to the max. Free as a bee. This was how I should feel all the time. Al opened another beer for me, then he took my face in his hands and kissed me. His lips were soft and his breath sweet with the taste of beer and marijuana. His tongue gently probed past my lips, exploring my mouth, brushing against my teeth and gums; so different, a million times better than with Russ the parking guy. He pulled me closer so that I was sitting across his lap. Between swallows of beer, we kissed and kissed until all the beer was gone and we were lying on the blanket with me on top of him, both of us breathing hard and looking into each other’s eyes. I had wanted to make out with Al forever.

“Jackie,” Al murmured then kissed me deeply and pressed his hips against mine. His erection against my leg startled me and I pulled back.

“Feel how much I like you?” he asked. Then he reached under my shirt and cupped my breasts into his heated hands.

The sensation aroused me, and my breath became shallow. Nicole had already gone to second base and once even third. She’d described it as “no big deal.” It seemed a pretty big deal to me. Nicole’s large breasts were a hot topic among the staff at the hotel. I hoped Al thought mine were okay.

“Al?” I checked to see if anyone was watching.

“Let’s find some privacy,” he whispered.

The skies were graying as I stumbled across the sand toward the parking lot. “Whoops,” I giggled, realizing my shoes were on the wrong feet.

“Watch your head,” Al cautioned, holding my arm as I climbed unsteadily into the front of the van. He guided me past the seats and through the beaded curtain. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dark. There was a mattress covered in glossy bedding; satin or polyester. Several mismatched pillows cozied up to an oversized, pink Teddy bear with outstretched arms, the kind of stuffed prize you’d see in a booth at an amusement park that nobody ever wins. Overhead, a gauzy fabric had been stretched out and billowed across like a canopy.

“You like it?” Al seemed proud like he’d decorated it especially for me. I answered that yes it was very nice.

But the shiny sheets troubled me, or maybe it was the sound of the car alarm nearby.

“What if your friends come?” I asked, pulling my knees up to my chest. “How will they find us?”

“Shh.” He put a finger on my lips. “Lie down with me.” He gently untangled my limbs and laid me down. Two Als swayed above me and overlapped in my vision. I blinked and concentrated on his nose to bring his face into focus.

“Jackie, Princess,” he murmured, rubbing my shoulders. “You are my princess.”