* * *
The second time I saw Liam he was working in a field, picking corn with some hired hands. Liam pointed to a tan guy’s ripped abs. “I think you’ve been stung by something,” he joked, eliciting a laugh from the group. “Do you need an epi-pen?”
“Dude,” the ab-man retorted. “I was just about to ask you the same question.”
Liam laughed good-naturedly. “This is all me, baby,” he replied, proudly striping off his shirt to reveal a blindingly white puffy torso.
The other guys were laughing so hard they didn’t notice Tamsin and I observing them from the fence.
“It’s awfully hot,” I baited. “Sure you don’t want to take your pants off too?”
“Crikey,” Tamsin exhaled, using her current favorite catch-phrase.
Liam deliberated for a moment before complying and striping off his pants to reveal work shorts. He threw the worn violet pants of the six hundreds at me. “I’m not going to say no to a girl who wants to get in my pants,” he teased.
“I don’t return boy’s pants till they take me on a date,” I retorted, slinging the trousers over my shoulder and sauntering away with Tamsin in tow.
“Should you really be dating some country guy when you’re with Oliver?” Tamsin chided, forever the maternal prude.
“What happens on summer break, stays on summer break.” I shrugged.
“How will Oliver feel about that?” she persisted.
“Oliver is in the Lakes District surrounded by bikini-clad bimbos,” I replied, bitterly. “I don’t think Oliver will be thinking about much at all.”
“It’s fine,” I assured, wrapping a sisterly arm around her. “It’s just harmless fun. Nothing is going to happen.”
I was wrong.