A Good Dude (37 page)

“Some of the tamales are ready!” Candace yelled, and then moved quickly to let the crowd rush past her. Tino walked up and put an arm around her waist.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Candace said with a big smile. “Your aunts are cool. I learned so much from your mom. I still don’t think your grandma’s crazy, though.”

“Wait till she gets a couple pints in her,” Tino said. “I don’t think she drinks,” Candace said. “She’s got a big glass of tea in there.”

Tino laughed. “
Tea
? My grandma hates tea! Get a sip of that
tea
next time you have a chance.”

Candace didn’t taste Grandma’s drink when she went back to the kitchen, but she did take a quick sniff when no one was looking. The stuff was strong enough to start a car.

* * *

The party was still jumping late into the evening, just as Tino said it would be. Things did get a little rowdy towards the end, but it never reached the level of craziness Candace expected. All of the drinkers were the polite drunks you see on TV, not the belligerent boozers you run into at the train station. Tino said everyone was on their best behavior because she was there, but Candace knew it was Tino who had exaggerated about his family’s tendencies. Maybe if she expected the worst, nothing they did would surprise or offend her.

And that strategy might have worked, because Candace didn’t have any negative experiences during her visit. Everything was charming, new, and exciting. The tamales were the biggest hit, but there were also pies and cakes galore. Candace ate so much, she thought she might have to wear her maternity pants tomorrow. And she didn’t drink any alcohol, not even when someone mixed up a batch of margaritas.

At exactly midnight everyone went to the living room and crowded around the Christmas tree. Tino’s dad got on his hands and knees and handed out presents to the anxious adults and children. Candace didn’t expect anything, but midway through the pile of boxes he held a gift into the air.

“This one’s for Candace. Where’s
Candace
?”

“She’s right here!” Tino yelled. “Go on, girl. Get your present.”

“Who got me a present?” she asked.

“Santa Claus, baby.”

Candace retrieved her gift and tore it open like everyone else. It was a pair of wool gloves with a matching sweater. Both were pink, Candace’s favorite color.

* * *

They left Grandma’s house at 2:30 a.m.

When they got home, Leila was fast asleep. Candace took her to the bedroom and laid her gently in the crib. When she got back to the living room, Tino was still there, waiting to kiss her good night.

Candace took her stocking cap off and tossed it to the couch.

“Did you have fun?” he asked.

“I did.” She stepped to him until their bellies touched. “Our first Christmas.”

Tino smiled down at her and kissed her softly. “Are you going to open your gift?”

Candace had forgotten about the present. She picked it up and sat Indian-style on the couch with the decorated bag in her lap. Tino sat next to her and took his hat off. He cradled it nervously.

“Wait,” Candace said. She rushed to her room and came back with a small box. “Here’s what I got you. And you can see it’s too small to be an ant farm.”

Tino smiled. They tore their gifts open at the same time and stared in astonishment. Candace had a square can in her hands from the Fossil watch company. Tino had the exact same can in his hands, except his was black and hers was blue.

“No way,” she said.

“You got me a watch, too?” he asked.

“Did you follow me to the mall?” Candace wanted to know.

“No. I got that a couple days ago.”

Candace shook her head.

“Open yours,” Tino said. “If it’s the same watch, I’m gonna trip.”

They opened their canisters simultaneously. Both contained a brand new watch. Both were silver and shiny. Candace’s was smaller, but it looked like the same model as Tino’s. Her watch face was pink, his was blue.

“This is weird,” he said.

“It’s crazy,” Candace agreed.

“Or maybe it’s not,” Tino said. He put a hand over hers and stared into her eyes thoughtfully. “Maybe this is a sign of how close we are.”

Candace liked that. Tino leaned in, and she closed her eyes when they kissed, but once again he was poised to ruin the moment.

“I gotta go,” Tino said and stood abruptly.

Candace stood, too. She put her arms around his torso and locked her fingers behind his back.

“Kiss me again, Tino.”

He did, and he opened his mouth this time. As their tongues danced, Candace felt like she was in a spaceship rocketing toward the moon. Everything about him was awesome.

Tino put his arms around her. She felt his hands on the small of her back. He lowered them to her butt and
she moaned in appreciation, but then they were gone. Tino backed away. “I guess I, uh, I’d better go.”

“Why do you have to leave?” she asked.

He shrugged. “It’s late. It’s three o’clock in the morn—”

“You don’t have school tomorrow.”

“I know, but I . . . .”

She waited, but he didn’t come up with anything. “Why can’t you stay with me?” she asked. “All night, in bed, with me.”

He took another step back, and she followed. “Wha, you mean
spend the night
? In there?”

Candace nodded.

“Buh-but Leila’s in there.”

“She’s sleep.”

“But still. She might wake up.”

“We can bring her crib in here.”

“In here? There’s no room.”

“We can put it in front of the couch.”

“But you won’t hear her if she cries.”

“I’ll plug in the monitor.”

“Buh-but aren’t you sleepy?”

“Tino, I want to make love,” she said boldly. “Don’t you love me?”

He took another step back, and she didn’t pursue this time.

“You . . . . you . . . . yes, Candace. You know I love you.”

“Then what is it, Tino? We’ve been together for a long time, and you never come close to making love to me. You don’t like touching me?”

He gasped. “I, I duh, I do.”

She walked up on him again and pressed her breasts against his chest. “Then touch me.”

“Like, like, what?”

“Tino, calm down.”

“Okay,” he said hoarsely.

“Put your hands on me,” she said.

He put his hands on her sides with obvious uncertainty.

She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, “You don’t like my ass?”

“Yeah, Candace. You know I do.”

“Then grab it.”

He palmed it.

“No, Tino.
Grab
it.
Rub
it.
Squeeze
it.”

He did as he was told, and the juices began to stir in Candace again.

“Oh, God,” Tino said. His whole body shuddered. Candace looked up and saw that he was scared. His face was as red as his sweater.

“Tino, what’s wrong? Are you a—”

“Yes! I’m a Virginian, all right? I’m sorry.”

“A
Virginian
?” She smiled. Even in this dire situation he couldn’t be serious. “You’re a
virgin
?” Candace felt like a whole world of weight lifted from her shoulders. That explained everything.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I feel stupid.”

“It’s all right,” Candace said. “Come sit down.” She led him to the couch and they sat together. “You never had sex, Tino?”

“Not with somebody else,” he said, and blushed. “Man, I’m stupid.”

“No, you’re not,” she said. “This is just . . . . unexpected. And hard to believe. How come you never had sex?”

“I was going to.”

“Why didn’t you? In high school?”

He grinned at her. “Contrary to what you might think, Candace, I was not a very popular kid in high school. I was a nerd. The girls I went out with, they were weird, too. They were the poets and straight-A chicks. And they weren’t interested in sex, so I guess I wasn’t, either.”

“But—”

“And I wasn’t always the awesomely handsome guy you see before you now,” Tino said. “I used to have short hair and pimples. I wore glasses. And for a while my dad was injured and couldn’t work. I didn’t have a good wardrobe back then. You know how they treat kids with Wayless shoes.”

Candace did know, but it was hard to see Tino as the target of schoolyard bullies.

“I had big cheeks and big lips,” he said. “My mom says I grew into my features. Back then nobody wanted me.”

“Aww,” Candace said. “But what about when you got to college?”

“Oh, I went through a makeover then,” he said brightly. “I got my first job, and got some nice clothes. I let my hair grow out over the summer. When I got to college, you were the first girl I really liked. I wanted to be with you from the moment I saw you.”

No one ever made Candace feel the way Tino did. “I wish you would have told me sooner,” she said.

“Why?”

“ ’Cause I didn’t know what was wrong. My friends told me you might be gay.”

He chuckled. “I’m nowhere near gay.”

“Good,” she said. “That’s really good, Tino.” He grinned.

“So, um, do you want to do it tonight?” she asked. “Uh, okay. I think so.”

“Tino, if you don’t want to, then we’re not doing it. I don’t want to force you into anything.”

“No, Candace. It’s not that at all. I do want to do it, I’m just scared.”

“Why?”

“ ’Cause I never did it before. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Tino, there’s no way you could mess it up.”

“All right,” he said.

“All right?”

He nodded.

“Okay,” Candace said. “I’ve got condoms. Do you want to bring the crib in here?”