extended it straight over her head。 He closed his eyes and tried to think of unsexy things； like the
way food always got stuck in his aunt Sophia？s dentures or how the side…walk in front of his
building always smelled like dog piss。 The sweat was already pouring down his face and they
hadn？t even done anything yet。 He used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his brow。
？Dan； no！？ whispered Bree。 ？Don？t let master see you do that。 The whole point is to sweat it out。
You can？t wipe it off。 It goes against his teachings。？
Why couldn？t Bikram have been a nice foreign film？ They could be eating popcorn in a dark；
air…conditioned theater making out instead of sweating in this stifling room and following the
orders of some sadist。 Suddenly the teacher rose from his seated position on the dais at the front of
the room and let his robe drop to the floor。
？Namaste！？ he called； in a joyful； booming voice； bowing slightly。
？Namaste！？ the rest of the class replied； bowing back。
Well； most of the class。
？Let？s begin with partner poses。？ He motioned for every…one to pair up。 ？Prepare for shoulder
stand。 Begin with downward…facing dog and tripod pose； if you wish。？
？Ready？？ Bree whispered。 She had a thumbnail…sized birthmark the shape of Texas near her belly
button。
Bree bent over and placed her palms on the floor in front of her and then waggled her butt as if in
preparation for take…off。 Dan looked around； alarmed； but everyone else was doing the same thing。
Their partners were even gently holding their hips。 Dan tentatively touched Bree on the waist and
she brought her right knee to her right elbow and then did the same with her left。
？Hold me steady；？ she told him。 Dan crouched next to Bree； his hands circling her taut middle as
she brought her long； toned legs straight up and smiled at him from upside…down。 ？I think I have it
now。？
？Oh； okay；？ Dan said； backing away。 But as he went to stand up； he realized that his boxers were
totally gaping in front and his ？friend？ was totally exposed 。 。 。 and totally excited。 Oh； God。 He
stayed in a half…crouch； desperately trying to picture Aunt Sophia？s cruddy teeth again。
？Young man。？ The scary naked yoga master pointed at Dan。
Me？Dan pointed at himself； still half…crouching。 Everyone in the class turned to look at him。
？Yes； you。 e； my son；？ the teacher said； beckoning to Dan with his long； skinny fingers。
？Go up there；？ Bree whispered from upside…down。 ？This is such an honor； I can？t believe it？on
your first time； too。？
Dan walked across the wooden floor trying to look casual； desperately cupping his crotch with
his hands。 He reached the foot of the platform and the teacher smiled down at him placidly。
？e； my son；？ the teacher said。 ？You？ll work with me today。 It？s your first time； right？？
Dan nodded nervously。 His whole body trembled as he stepped onto the platform。 The yogi
reached down and placed his worn palms on the floor； giving Dan a terrible close up of his
elephant…skin…wrinkled ass。 Everyone in class followed suit； and for a brief second Dan got a
surreal glimpse of Bree？s bare breasts upside down from between her wide…spread legs。 His
reverie was interrupted as the teacher grabbed him from behind； pressing his bare stomach into
Dan？s skinny bare back； and gently guided his head down； so that all Dan could see were his own
legs and the skinny legs of the naked guy straddling him。 Dan had never been intimate with an
older person before； let alone an old Indian yoga geezer。
But when a guy wants a girl； he has no shame。
n goes native
？I know a great place where we can go after this；？ Tawny announced。 She licked her thumb and
stuck it into the greasy basket of popcorn shrimp to pick up some fried crumbs。
Nate took a last swig from his limey Corona and nodded。 ？Fine by me。？
Crammed into a tiny table by the Oyster Shack？s greasy windows； they ate with their fingers；
sipped beer； and talked？ well； Tawny did most of the talking。 About how she was learning to surf。
About how her dad used to be a fire chief but had gotten hurt falling off a ladder and retired。
About how she？d been to Disney World four times。 About how her hair was naturally curly； but
people always thought she had a perm。 About how excited she was to finally graduate next year。
Nate barely listened to what she said： she was sexy as hell； and he enjoyed simply looking at her。
There weren？t many girls like Tawny on the Upper East Side： full； blond； wavy hair spilling over
caramel； freckled shoulders； pink lips that tasted like cherry ChapStick； long…lashed bright blue
eyes； and slender； tanned fingers covered with silver rings。
Blair was always quizzing him on his favorite song； his first memory； what he wanted to do when
he grew up。 She said she just wanted to get to know him； but it always felt like a test he was
failing。 Tawny seemed happy just to let Nate be who he was。
A hot； arrogant pothead？
When dinner was over； Tawny perched on the handlebars of his bike and shouted directions to
Nate。 She threw her head back and her long wavy hair tickled his nose。
？Slow down！ No； speed up！？ she shrieked。
？Where are you taking me？？ Nate shouted as they bumped over tree roots and rocks。
Tawny glanced over her shoulder at him。 ？You？ll see。。。。 Hey； stop！ Let me off。？
Nate skidded to a stop and Tawny hopped onto the ground。 Her lavender…colored hot pants had
ridden up； giving him a great view of her tan； surf…toned ass cheeks。 Shit； was she foxy！ ？That was
fun；？ she laughed； crashing through some low bushes toward the beach。 ？Ditch the bike。 It？ll be
safe there。？
Nate leaned his bike against a nearby tree。 The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the boughs
overhead； but it was cool and very still in the woods。
Following Tawny； Nate thought about how weird it was that he？d only been out of school for a
couple of weeks and yet his entire life had pletely changed。 He was working construction and
dating a hot Hamptons chick。 Well； why not？ If Blair could change everything？she was getting
married； for Christ？s sake？why couldn？t he？ It was easier to be with Tawny than it was to be with
any other girl he？d ever known； she wasn？t demanding and self…absorbed like Blair； she wasn？t
na？ve and needy like Jenny； she wasn？t unpredictable and inattentive like Serena。 She just 。。。 was。
Classic stoner logic。
？e on；？ Tawny urged； backtracking to grab his hand and pull him through the bushes。
She led him into a sun…dappled clearing where two massive trees had fallen on top of one another；
creating natural benches that were obviously popular with the locals； since the forest floor was
littered with old beer bottles and cigarette butts。 Three guys hunkered on one of the felled logs；
passing a joint between them。 Behind them； through the trees； the blue…black water of the sound
glinted and swelled。
？Hey guys！？Tawny cried。
Three heads swiveled in their direction。 With their baggy jeans and plucked eyebrows； gelled hair；
and dorky striped button…downs； these were the kind of guys Nate and his friends would have
scoffed at if they？d ever e across them in the city。 They were the kind of guys who got into
fights with bouncers and wore gallons of cheesy drug…store cologne。 And they were also；
apparently；Tawny？s friends。
？Nate；these are Greg；Tony；and Vince。？
？What？s up？？ Nate asked； nodding uneasily in their direction。
Tawny clambered over the trunk and took a seat next to Greg； a deeply tanned guy cupping a
joint in his palm and jutting his chest out into the air territorially in a way that reminded Nate of a
bulldog。
？We？ve got some herb； bro；？ announced Vince； who appeared to be Greg？s twin。 ？Have a seat。？
Nate？s ears pricked up at this offer。 He hated being called ？bro？ by guys he didn？t even know；
and he hated guys who pretended to be cool when they were really losers； but he had to admit a
smoke？even with these dorks？sounded like his kind of dessert。
Tawny took a hit and handed over the slightly damp roach。 Nate inhaled greedily。
？Good stuff； right？？ the guy called Greg asked gruffly。 ？I got it off my regular guy。 He？s always
busiest in the summer； you know； but he saves the best shit for loyal year…round cus…tomers like
me。？
It wasn？t great stuff？the Hawaiian stash Nate had stored back in his bedroom was much
better？but he couldn？t plain。
？Fucking city kids；？ growled Vince； taking the joint from Nate。 ？They always fuck everything up
during the summer。 Fucking traffic。 Fucking clubs。 Fucking pain in the ass。？
Eloquently put。
？Summer crowds； man；？ mumbled Tony； who hadn？t yet spoken。 He was glaring at Nate；
studying him suspiciously from under the perfectly creased bill of his Coney Island Cyclones
baseball cap。
Nate was zoning out as usual； the way he liked to when he was smoking herb； but he heard what
the guys were saying。 Loud and clear。
？Totally。？ Tawny yawned； lazily resting her blond； curly…haired head on Nate？s shoulder。
Nate glanced down at his tattered work outfit。 It was pretty clear Tawny disliked the wealthy
crowd that flooded the Hamptons every summer； and Nate was definitely part of that crowd。 With
his workingman？s tan and ragged clothes； she？d probably taken him for the kind of guy who had
to spend his summerearning his money； presumably to pay his way through Yale in the fall。 He felt
a stab of guilt。 He hadn？t exactly been honest with her。
Old habits die hard。 ？Same old story every year；？ Tony continued。 ？Why don？t they find
someplace else to go； like France or some shit？？ ？They？re not so bad；？ Nate ventured。 ？I mean；
I？m kind of from the city？？ ？Youare ？？ Tawny demanded； lifting her head。 She narrowed her
normally wide blue eyes。 ？You never said anything。？
？You never asked；？ Nate pointed out。 There were murmurs from the other guys。 Vince spat into
the sand。 Out on the water； a fishing boat flashed its lights。
？I knew it；？ Tony said； spitting on the ground。 ？I could just smell it on you。？
？But I mean； it？s no big deal。？ Nate shook his head。 ？I mean 。 。 。 I？m not like a lot of those