Camp Rewind Page 11

  “Like, industrial robots?” Jamal looked every bit as hungry for details as Rosa. “Toy robots?”

  “Um…” Alice glanced back and forth between them. All this attention made her antsy. “I started out designing industrial robots for the factory floor, but over the past five years, I’ve been working with robotics designed to aid in deep-sea exploration…going where people can’t, basically.” She watched their reactions, amazed by the depth of the respect she could see in their eyes. “I also have a personal project I’ve been working on for years. A companion robot I call AFFY.” Self-conscious about her motivation for building AFFY, not to mention the meaning of the acronym she’d chosen (A Friend For You), Alice trailed off. “Yeah. Different kinds of robots.”

  “You build robots,” Rosa repeated. She glanced at Jamal before turning back to Alice to give her hand a fervent squeeze. “That’s bad-ass!”

  “Really?” Alice had figured that Rosa would be let down by the discovery that she wasn’t in charge of creating a cyborg army or a cabal of house-cleaning androids. “I guarantee you it’s not as exciting as it sounds.”

  “No? I saw how much you enjoyed building a catapult out of Popsicle sticks. I’m not buying that you don’t get off on building motherfucking robots.” Rosa took a breath, then exhaled slowly in an apparent effort to calm down. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you feel self-conscious. You just need to know that what you do is super cool.”

  “Agreed,” Jamal said. “Way cool.”

  “Thanks.” Alice shuffled nervously before saying the first thing that came to her mind. “But it’s not like I’m building giant fighting robots or anything. Just submersibles and—”

  Rosa gasped out loud. “Wait, could you? Build a fighting robot, giant or otherwise?”

  Programming and mechanics were the only aspects of life in which Alice rarely doubted herself. “Well, yes. If I wanted to.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want to?”

  Rosa’s question was so earnest that Alice couldn’t help but laugh. Jamal shared her amusement, vocally and with gusto, and that’s when, against all odds, Alice relaxed and began to enjoy the camaraderie. Smiling, she said, “If you wanted me to build you a fighting robot, I totally would.”

  Jamal snorted. “Keep your voice down or you’ll have a line of new best friends out the door.”

  “I’ll say.” Rosa looked at Alice as though she wondered what else there was to learn. “I absolutely want a fighting robot. We could enter it in a competition.”

  Alice’s heart pumped harder at the implication that they might continue seeing each other after the weekend was over. “Maybe we will.”

  “Personally, I’d like to do some research on simple robot designs for a future camp session.” Jamal scanned Alice’s face, as though gauging her willingness to talk more in depth about the subject. “Maybe you could give me some tips, send me in the right direction?”

  One of the male campers approached them with a simple, slightly modified version of her catapult in his hands. “Mind if I give this a whirl?”

  Jamal ushered him forward. “Absolutely.”

  “Why don’t you let me think about it for a day or so, and I’ll come back with some ideas for you?” Alice wanted to be helpful but could feel that she was about to hit her limit for social interaction in a group setting. “I told Lila we’d take a hike after this, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to the fresh air.”

  Jamal gave her an easy grin. “Sure thing. I’ll let you brainstorm. You can decide whether it’s feasible as a camp project.”

  “Sounds good.” Alice turned to Rosa, who stared at her with a mixture of fondness and respect. “Should we go say good-bye to Bree and head out for our hike?”

  To her relief, Rosa picked up on her cues immediately. “Let’s do that.” She shot Jamal a teasing wink. “Shall we leave these here as examples?”

  “If you don’t mind.” Jamal fiddled with one of his own specimens, a simple but well-constructed slingshot on a base. “We need all the inspiration we can get.” He sent them off with a friendly wave. “Have fun on your walk, ladies. Be safe.”

  They said their good-byes and walked back to their table only to discover that the flaxen-haired woman Bree had been admiring earlier had joined her. The two of them had their projects laid out side by side and were clearly engaged in some playful flirtation while they worked. Bree tore her eyes away from her new companion as they approached, seeming surprised but not unhappy to see them again. “Hey, you two. Lilaa, Alice, this is Enid.”

  Rosa and Alice each said hello, drawing a polite greeting from the woman at Bree’s side. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

  “Likewise.” Rosa patted Bree on the shoulder. “Can you believe how talented Bree is, Enid?”

  Enid nodded in passionate agreement. “That portrait is unbelievable. Absolutely breathtaking.”

  Bree had no trouble accepting the compliment or escalating whatever they’d interrupted. “You’re too sweet, Enid. You know…I could draw you, if you’d like.” She curled her lips and winked. “Clothing optional.”

  Enid’s cheeks turned pink, but she seemed delighted to have received such a bold proposition. “Check, please!”

  “On that note,” Rosa interjected, “Alice and I are going to take a walk and have some quiet time.”

  “Quiet time, I gotcha.” Bree gave them a thumbs-up. “Go, have fun.” She focused again on Enid. “We will, won’t we?”

  Enid quivered. “Yes, we will.”

  Once Rosa had guided them outside into the fresh air and relative quiet, Alice began the decompression process. The tension in her muscles gradually melted away, leaving her in a state of moderate physical exhaustion from the sheer effort of holding herself together for so long. She sagged against Rosa, appreciating the solid warmth of the body at her side. It left her wanting—no, needing—more of what she’d so far only sampled. “Want to go back to that tree where we ate breakfast?”

  Rosa changed direction mid-step, pointing them toward their new destination. “Yes.”

  “Thanks. I need a break from other people for a while. I’d like to just be with you.”

  Rosa pulled her into a sheltering, one-armed embrace. “I want to be with you, too.”

  Alice looked around to ensure nobody was within earshot. “Do you think we could make out again?”

  “Kiss a woman who builds robots for a living?” Rosa snorted, then laid a loud, wet one on Alice’s temple. “Sold.”

  Chapter Eight

  Sold was an understatement. Though Rosa would never admit it out loud, she was infatuated. Deeply, painfully infatuated. Now that she’d gotten to know Alice better, she found not only her sweetness or her sensuality or even her gentle compassion compelling. She admired her brain, her subtly competitive nature, the courage she showed by pushing against the boundaries of her comfort zone, again and again, because she knew it would help her grow and because she wanted to be happy. When Rosa factored in the thrill of bedding a lesbian virgin—a woman who’d only been touched by an ex-husband who likely hadn’t satisfied her the way Rosa could—Alice was a wet dream come to life.

  She also might actually convince Rosa to fall in love again.

  Not that she planned to tell Alice any of that. It was better to keep that, along with the rest of her unrealistic, selfish desires, to herself. While Alice had impressed her more than once by summoning a quiet, determined strength to confront situations she found scary, being together in the real world would require more than mere bravery on Alice’s part. Though they could take steps to prevent anyone from knowing about their relationship, and keep Alice’s personal information offline while counting on the passage of time to diminish the threat of harassment, Rosa’s next partner might one day be targeted because of something she’d written. She couldn’t let that happen to Alice. She wouldn’t.

  Alice cleared her throat, alerting Rosa that she’d fallen silent for too long. “You all right?”


  “I’m excellent.” Rosa mustered what she hoped was a convincing smile. She didn’t want to dwell on the future today. Camp was supposed to be a vacation from reality, not a way to complicate her life or further depress herself. Vowing to focus instead on having fun with Alice this weekend, and hopefully getting laid, Rosa shoved aside all thoughts that didn’t pertain to the here and now. She tightened her arm around Alice, relishing every second of physical contact. “You really don’t give yourself enough credit. You were great in there. The building part and the social part.”

  Alice gave her a tepid smile. “You’re very kind, but I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say I was great.” She leaned against Rosa, who pulled her closer. “I was adequate. I didn’t embarrass myself.” She fell quiet, but Rosa could practically hear her brain whirring as it replayed every bit of the experience. “At least I don’t think I did.”

  “You didn’t. Not at all.” Rosa couldn’t hold back a frown as she studied the lingering tension on Alice’s face. Was it possible she truly didn’t realize how much her designs had impressed everyone? Or how friendly, un-intimidating, and receptive the arts-and-crafts crowd had actually been, to both of them? “Everyone loved you—and your siege machines. You held your own with Bree. I’m proud of you.”

  “You are?”

  The depth of emotion she heard in the simple, whispered question startled Rosa. She stopped walking, gazed around to make sure they were alone, then drew Alice into a tender, heartfelt hug. “Yeah, Alice. Extremely proud.” Rosa kissed a hot cheek and, reluctantly, returned to Alice’s side so they could resume their journey. “I could tell none of that was easy for you, but you did it anyway. Not everyone can overcome their fear and really put themselves out there. You did. That’s impressive.”

  She could sense Alice’s embarrassment without even looking at her. “I’m trying.”

  “And doing remarkably well.” Rosa glanced over as Alice cracked a tiny smile at the compliment, which elicited an answering grin from Rosa big enough to make her cheeks ache. “Also, you look absolutely beautiful right now.”

  Alice’s characteristic pink glow deepened. “Thanks. So do you.” With effort, she made brief eye contact before returning her attention to the uneven ground. “Looks like Bree may have found someone else for the weekend. Any regrets?”

  Rosa snorted. She doubted she’d lost her chance to be with Bree, particularly if Enid was open to a threesome. But no one excited her like Alice. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever excited her like Alice. “None at all.”

  “Even if all we do this weekend is kiss and…touch a little more?”

  Rosa pressed her nose into Alice’s hair, which smelled vaguely of apples. “Even then.” She tickled Alice lightly, a gentle admonishment. “Stop being so dubious about my wanting to spend time with you. I’m having fun. Aren’t you?”

  “The most fun I’ve ever had.” Nothing in Alice’s tone cast doubt on the sincerity of her statement. “That’s why…It’s just…I…” She cleared her throat, obviously embarrassed by her inability to put a thought together. She breathed in. Exhaled slowly. Then said, “Maybe you seem too good to be true?”

  Here’s a woman with shockingly low standards. More of the self-loathing that had become second nature over the past eighteen months swamped Rosa. Losing the battle with her own insecurities, she said, “I’m not even half of what you deserve.”

  Alice bumped her shoulder into Rosa’s, knocking her slightly off balance. “Don’t say that.”

  Rosa accepted the correction with a nod. “I’m just saying, don’t be surprised that someone wants to be your friend. You’re attractive, you’re smart, you’re interesting, you’re fun to be around…there are far worse choices for a companion out there, believe me.” Worried that she was skirting awfully close to revealing her unexpectedly deep feelings, Rosa pivoted back to the subject of Alice’s past. “Did you date in high school?”

  “No. My parents forbade it. When I started seeing John in college, we kept the relationship secret for over a year.” Alice shrugged self-consciously. “I’m ashamed to admit how much influence I allowed them to have over my life, and for how long.”

  “Not anymore, though.”

  “No.” Alice straightened, a minor adjustment that made her seem more confident. “But unfortunately, my opportunity to learn how to be normal has long since passed.”

  “You so sure about that?” Rosa stepped onto the leftmost trail where they split, following the path back to their personal make-out spot. “I mean, granted, you’ll never actually be sixteen again. But you’ve already made two friends here at camp—three if you want to count Jamal—and we are currently sneaking off to do what teenagers love to do…”

  “I suppose you’ve got a point.” Alice rested her head against Rosa’s shoulder. “You still seem too good to be true.”

  “So do you,” Rosa said without thinking. The pure pleasure Alice radiated in response nullified her concerns about voicing the truth, despite how vulnerable it made her feel. “In the past, I always wanted to be social. Fearing other people is new for me.” She paused, considering what she wanted to articulate, how much she wanted to reveal. “I hate it. I hope one day the fear goes away and that I’ll regain the confidence I used to feel in crowds or with people I don’t know. But for now, the only way I’ve felt halfway comfortable meeting new people has been to disguise my identity and hide who I really am. Except with you.” Overcome by emotion, Rosa lifted their joined hands to kiss the back of Alice’s, waiting until after she was sure her voice wouldn’t waver to speak again. “I really, truly didn’t plan to tell anyone my name this weekend, let alone confess my entire life story. If nothing else, I need you to believe how much I genuinely like and trust you. Otherwise you’d still be calling me Lila, like everyone else.”

  “I believe you,” Alice said quietly. “I just…hope my lack of experience isn’t a disappointment.”

  Not wanting Alice to feel pressured to do more than made her comfortable, Rosa said, “You know, it’s not like I came to Camp Rewind to get laid.”

  Alice raised an eyebrow, seemingly more amused than upset about the possibility she was lying. “No?”

  Smirking, Rosa said, “I’m not saying the thought didn’t cross my mind…but no, that wasn’t my primary goal. I wanted to escape. To have fun. Make a friend, maybe share a few kisses with someone if I was very lucky.” Again, she pressed her lips against Alice’s hand. “You make me feel very lucky. Regardless of what we do, or don’t do.”

  “I feel lucky, too.”

  “Besides, the whole lack-of-experience thing is sort of…exciting.” Rosa lowered the arm she’d wrapped around Alice’s back and gave her hip a possessive squeeze. “Hopefully that doesn’t sound too creepy, but it’s the truth.”

  “No, it’s perfect.” Alice opened her mouth to follow up with another comment, but a distant noise drew their attention to a smaller trail off to the right. They were still a couple of minutes away from their breakfast spot, but the nature of the noise, and the slightly louder one that followed, piqued Rosa’s interest. Alice’s, as well. Coming to a standstill, Alice tilted her head and listened. “Was that…”

  An unmistakably feminine moan interrupted her question while confirming its answer. “Sounds like we aren’t the only ones who wanted quiet time,” Rosa murmured.

  Alice took a step away from Rosa and rose onto her tiptoes to search the trees surrounding them. The unseen woman cried out in apparent ecstasy, and at the same moment Alice’s mouth dropped open as she locked in on her target. “I can see them.”

  Rosa watched how the pulse point at the base of Alice’s neck began to throb, the way her breathing quickened, and decided that Alice—sweet, shy Alice—was a genuine voyeur. Without hesitating, she took Alice by the hand and walked them closer to the spot she was straining so hard to see. Alice’s eyes widened when she realized what Rosa was doing, and she immediately put on the brakes.

  “They’ll see us!” Al
ice hissed.

  Noting that Alice’s objection centered around being discovered watching—and not the potential violation of privacy she was committing against a couple who had chosen to fool around where they might be seen—Rosa smirked. “You looked like you wanted a better view.”

  She was stunned when Alice’s eyes got teary and her face flushed a deep red. “I’m so sorry. It isn’t right for me to watch them. Just like it wasn’t right for all those people online to…watch that video of you.”

  Touched by her concern, Rosa looped her arms around Alice’s waist and pulled her closer until their hips were pressed together. They stood just off the trail, and now that Alice had pointed them out, Rosa had no trouble spotting the increasingly noisy couple. The woman lay on her back on a blanket spread across the ground, nude, while her partner—a man, from the sound of his excited groans—rested on his stomach with his head between her spread thighs. Rosa murmured, “I made that video for my boyfriend, sent it only to him, and he respected my request not to share it with anyone else. Our friends here, on the other hand—” She paused to let Alice enjoy a shuddering moan from the woman, punctuated by her fist pounding the ground and a shouted praise to God. Rosa grinned and angled her face to lick, then nip, at Alice’s throat. “They have chosen to strip naked and get pornographic in a spot where anyone walking on one of the main hiking trails can easily see. And in case we don’t see them…” A strangled groan pierced the air, perfectly timed to underscore Rosa’s point. “They’re making damn sure we’ll hear them.” Rosa took Alice’s earlobe between her lips, nibbling. “I’m fairly confident these two are cool with being watched. If you want to look, you should. We should.”

  Alice planted her hands on Rosa’s shoulders, then glanced surreptitiously in the direction of the exhibitionist couple. “I don’t want them to know we’re watching, though.”

  Rosa tugged Alice a few feet closer to the lovers, placing her own back against the massive trunk of a redwood while encouraging Alice to use both arms to cage her against the tree. “If they see us, we’ll say we stopped to make out and were too distracted to even realize they were there.”