Baby, You Can Drive My Car.

My boyfriend is an amazing guy, really.
With him I never needed anything because he’d just do them without me even having to ask.
It’s as if he can read my mind, as if he knows what bothers me now and what would bother me then.
He has never done anything wrong and I don’t think he ever will.
He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink and doesn’t do drugs for my sake; see, he says he doesn’t need any of those because he says that I make him happy already.
My boyfriend is a person any girl would dream of having, yet he’s not your typical prince charming because that would be just so cliché.
My boyfriend is also really funny but you’d have to be funny yourself to understand his humor.
Sometimes it comes in sarcasm, sometimes it’s a lame joke that only he can say and sometimes you can spot it in his voice tone… But it’s never mean or anything like the guys we know would say.

One summer day, we were driving in his convertible BMW, the warm air of Lebanon running through my hair making it go in all senses.
I was dressed in a multi-colored strapless summer dress and my neon orange bikini underneath it.
He was dressed in a sky blue polo shirt and swimming trunks in a slightly darker shade of blue and brown.
You can tell his favorite color is blue but let’s not talk about that right now.
Back to our story, shall we?
My boyfriend, by the name of Mike, started fishing through his pockets as if he remembered something.
“Babe, have you seen my phone?” I shrugged, trying to focus on the sights we’re passing more than him. “Check in the glove compartment, please.”

I opened the glove compartment and looked through the stuff he had there; I found a few interesting things but no cell-phone.
“Girls Gone Wild?” I asked holding the DVD up in front of his face. “Sweet…”

“Uh… I can explain?” he answered me but it sounded more like a question.

I laughed. I honestly didn’t care if he was interested in this crap because I know his feelings are for me.
“No, I don’t mind.” I said and smiled at him.

He slowed down the car and placed his hand on my cheek, stroking it gently.
“I love you.” He said.

Once he was trying to fasten up a bit, the car started shaking heavily and came to a halt all of a sudden.
“Oh man…” He groaned.

He got out of the car and opened the engine cover. Vapor started to come from there.
“Babe, is everything alright?” I asked.

He coughed a little bit. “We need to use your cell-phone. I have no idea what’s wrong. I think it might need some oil.”

I started looking through my beach bag for my cell-phone. I guess it wasn’t the best decision to throw it first thing in there.
As I was looking in there, I felt something sticky on my hands. I got all my things out of the bag only to find that my Nivea tanning lotion bottle had exploded in my bag, leaving some everywhere.
“Babe, my lotion has exploded and stained everything.”

“Zane, do you think it’s really time for this? We need someone to pick us, baby.”

“Ugh, even my phone is sticky.” I said frowning.

“But we can use it, right?”

“Yeah, we can. Here,” I said extending my hand to him so he can take it.

“Call Derek,” he said not even glancing towards the phone. “Tell him what happened.”

I dialed Derek’s number and waited for him to answer. “Hello?”

“Hey Der, what’s up?”

“Hmm, nothing much, you guys are not here yet?”

“No, the car broke down. Come pick us.”

“Alright, tell me exactly what happened.”

“After I was done packing and hung up the phone with Lena, Mike came to pick me up so we can meet you guys at the beach.”

“Yeah, Lena told me.”

“We were in the car, he slowed down to tell me that he loves me and once he tried to go faster the car stopped. We’re on the Dbayeh Highway.”

“Alright, I’m coming.” He hung up.

“He’s coming.” I told Mike.

“Tell him to hurry up.”

“Why? The bonfire doesn’t start for another two hours. He hung up anyways.”

We waited in the car until Derek came and picked us up.
“Zane, I thought you died.” Lena yelled and tackled me in a suffocating hug.

“Gee, thanks. Oh, by the way, can I use your sunscreen? Mine exploded all over my bag.”

“Yeah, sure. Here you go.”

I stripped down from my sundress and rubbed the lotion on my body. “Babe, could you do my back?” I asked Mike.

“Sure,” He said and took the tube from me. “Do mine?”

“Yeah, turn around.”

“So, what are we going to do now?” Derek asked looking at me.

I was about to answer when Lena did, “A game of beach Volley Ball?” she suggested.

I silently groaned but the boys seemed to hear. “What’s wrong baby?”

“She doesn’t seem to like the idea.” Derek answered him.
He knew me too well.

“No that’s fine.” I said and smiled.

Derek and I have dated before I had met Mike, that’s why he knows what I like and he also asks what I want before listening to Lena.
“What do you want to do, baby?” Mike asked and I shrugged.

“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t care if you want to play Volley Ball.”

“Alright, you two figure it. Derek, baby, come with me.” Lena said and smirked.

“Oh man, he’s totally getting some.” I heard Mike mumble, although I don't think I should have.

“Babe,”

“Yeah, sweetie,”

“You want to… Uh, you know..?”

“Not if you’re not ready,” He said and smiled a warm smile at me.

“Maybe later we can?” I suggested and smiled.

When they got back, I couldn’t help but laugh at how Derek was acting.
He was jumpy and hyper as if he had just eaten a whole bag of gummy bears.
He always acted like this after sex.
“So what did you agree on doing? Volley ball, right?” Lena asked us.

“Yeah, we were just saying that you guys are going to play Volley ball while I’m going to tan,” I said.

“But we’re going to need a fourth person.”

“Yeah, I know. My best friend Juliann and her boyfriend are on their way here. He’d play with you.”

“I don’t think that’s a really good idea, Zane.” Derek suddenly said.

“Why baby? Come on, I want to play some Volley ball.” Lena whined.

“Zane, you do remember that Luke and Juliann hate me, right?”

Yes, I do. I thought to myself.
Juliann and Luke hated Derek since the day we broke up, claiming that he was only using me.
“Don’t be silly, they love you. You and Luke have been best friends before you even met Mike.” I said, patting him on the back.

When Juliann and Luke arrived, they were a bit surprised I might say.
“Please don’t say anything.” I whispered to each of them at once while hugging them.

“Alright, let the fun begin.” Lena said while clapping.

“Joy.” Juliann leaned into me to whisper in my ear. “She better be good in bed or I’ll slaughter him.”

I laughed really hard. “I’ll remember to ask him.” I whispered back.

“What are you laughing at babe?” Mike asked me.

“Nothing,” I managed to say between laughter. “You guys go play now. I’ll stay here with Juliann.”

“Are you sure you’d be okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” I replied.

“Luke, remember what we told you.” Julie said to Luke and winked.
We both laid down our towels on the ground – me using Mike’s towel because mine was dirty.

“Do you still miss him?” Julie suddenly asked me out of nowhere.

“Mike is a really good guy.” I said to her.

“Not what I asked, but is he really that good?” She said and grinned hard.

I grumbled. “I still don’t know that and I truthfully don’t care. He’s a really sweet guy.”

“Who are you and what did you do to my Zane?” She asked jokingly.
Before I could say anything, I saw Derek coming our way.

“Shut up,” I muttered to Juliann.

“What are you doing here?” Julie growled at him when he stood by me.

“Came to get water,” He replied.

“Is she good?” I asked him. He looked bewildered. “Lena, is she good in bed?” I asked again.

“Is Mike good?” he challenged.

“Not my point, Derek.”

“Exactly mine.” He said and left to where they were playing.

Time passed quickly after that; the sun went down and stars filled up the dark sky, the summer flies were soon replaced by the famous fireflies lightening up the atmosphere around us.
“Remember when we used to catch those and put them in jars?” I asked Juliann.

“Yeah, but they’d always die. I don’t know how Derek’s used to live for days.”

Derek was too caught up in his thoughts to notice that she mentioned him.
I was sitting in front of Mike with his arms wrapped around me tight, my head and back pressed against his chest.
“The stars are beautiful,” Lena said in awe.

“You know what’s amazing and beats all stars? The moon, it’s so special and unique.” I always had a thing for the moon since I was younger. “There are so many stars in the wide sky, but only one moon.”

“I’m looking at something beautiful right now,” I heard Mike say from behind me. “But she goes by the name of Zane.”

I turned to him and pressed my smile to his in a small but passionate kiss.
“So Mike, did you tell her yet?”

“Tell me what?” I turned back to Mike only to see him motioning to Derek to shut up.

“Uh, let’s take a walk shall we?” He asked me.
I stood up and pulled him with me.

“I don’t know how to start this…”

“Babe, you know you can tell me whatever you want. I'll never be mad at you.” I told him, trying to soothe his pain.

“My dad is making my family move with him to where he works. That includes me.” He said.

“Oh and where is that?” I asked surprised; it never occurred to me that that’s what’s bothering him. I thought he might say that he’s seeing someone else or that he cheated or something.

“Dubai, but I won’t be staying long.”

“Hmm, that’s not a big deal then.”

“Zane, you’re a great girl and I really think that you should see someone else until I come back.”

Tears filled my eyes. “You want to break up?”

“No, no, we’d still talk on the phone, skype, IM… All that but I mean you’d need someone to fulfill your physical needs.”

I breathed in and swallowed my tears while breathing out.
“When do you leave?”

“In a few days from now.”

“Could you spend the night at my house? I think I want to do something.” I smirked and regained my composure.

“Sure, baby,” He said and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go back?”

“No, let’s leave.” I said and led him to Derek’s car. “I have a spare key but don’t ask me how.” His eyes bulged out of their place. “Don’t worry, he won’t mind.”

I started kissing him roughly the minute the door to my room was closed.
We laid down on my queen sized bed and the clothes were shed each piece at a time, some ended up ripping.
“Shit, we don’t have a condom. Are you on anything babe?”

“Uh, second drawer.”

He stretched his arm towards the drawers and opened the first one. “No,” I yelled and smacked his hand away, “the second one.” I said and closed the first.

“What’s in the first one?”

“Nothing interesting,” I lied.

“I want to see.” He said and opened it. I didn’t bother stopping him; I already lost the urge to do it.
“Is that Derek?” He asked holding up a picture of Derek's profile kissing my cheek.

I nodded slightly “All the pictures in that drawer are of Derek, Luke, Juliann and I.”

“So you were dating before?”
I nodded again.

“Why didn’t any of you tell me?”

“We didn’t want it to be awkward; we both already moved on and forgot about it.”

“But you still have all the pictures.” He protested. “And not hidden somewhere. In your nightstand’s first drawer, that means you look at them most of the nights.”

I had nothing to say about that. I lowered my head in embarrassment.
“Are you naked in this one?”

“We both are, in most of them too.”

“That means… You…” I nodded. “Was he good?”

“Ugh, what’s up with people asking me that today? Derek asked me if you were good, you asked me if he’s good and Julie asked me who’s better. He was perfect. Are you happy now?”

“You’d rather go back to him?” he asked choking on his words.

“What we had was a relationship full of lust and that’s why Julie hates him now. She says he was using me.”

He stood up. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Stop,” He stopped where he was and turned to me. “That’s from the past.” I said touching his arm. “Let’s lay down.”

We laid down with my head on his chest and his arms engulfing me.
Tears spilled from my eyes at the thought of Mike beating Derek, losing both of them.
“Babe,” He said kissing the top of my hand then my palm. “Go back to Derek when I leave.” He said while kissing my hand between each word. “But don’t let him use you.”
I smiled up at him.

Autumn had come fast and dull after Mike’s departure, with its amazingly warm colors preparing us to a chilly winter.
As I was walking down my driveway with a book in my hands, dead leaves crunching under my converse, I tripped over a small rock on the floor but didn’t hit it hard. Instead, I was surrounded with muscular arms.
“Derek, I,”

“Good news, I broke up with Lena, and Mike said you wanted to see me?” He smiled at me.

Tears soon started to flow like a waterfall. I took his hands in mine and said nothing.
I reentered the house that I just got out of and went up my room, Derek’s hands still in mine and him hot on my trail.
I went inside and opened my first drawer, “remember these?” I opened my second drawer, “and these? Good thing Mike was your size.”

Yes I had done it with Mike, three nights in a row before he had to leave.
“He was or was it a bit slipping off of him?” He said smirking. “Anyways, was he good?”

“No one’s as good as you are.”

He leaned over and pecked my lips. “So do you want to remember how good it was?”

I nodded my head thousands of times.
He pushed me on the bed in a wild but gentle way and everything went back to the way it was before. Perfect.