Between You and Me

Chapter 4

"Whoa!"

She could not get her eyes off of the bare-naked, tatted-up, sweaty, muscled chest as it stood out in the backyard. Perfection, that is what it was. This boy looked like one of those bodybuilders that worked out every day. He was in great shape. Very muscled, but not too much. Not like he was on steroids or anything, he was all natural.

Tristan was already gorgeous in the face, but now that she saw his body, he was ten times hotter. a guy like that, never worried about what he looked like, he knew he was perfect.

She stood in the kitchen glaring out the window and into the backyard as if she were watching a Netflix movie. Tristan was in the backyard, mowing the grass, one of the first tasks he decided to do after he got all situated in his new room. He had just taken off his tee shirt as it was scorching hot outside. She did not realize he had so many tattoos. She could see some on his arms before, but not nearly covering his whole chest.

His long hair was now in individual braids touching his shoulders. He wore green gym, shorts that sagged a bit and showed his gray boxers. But her eyes stayed glued on his abs. Every muscle was defined with nice cuts and glistened with sweat. She guessed that the equipment he put in the basement was not just for show.

She sucked in her breath as she watched this gorgeous boy, oblivious to her at the window, run a towel over his chest and face to dry off sweat. She felt something warm inside her, heating up watching the display.

"Damn!"

That was her sister, who snuck up behind her and too was watching over her shoulder. "I don't even like dudes and I see why lil homie has the girls going crazy over his ass."

Johanna looked away, went to the sink, and turned on the water for no reason. She was supposed to be catching up on some of her TV series, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU, or The Mentalist. Shows that would take her all summer to finish. Not ogle some guy.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Girl, that man is fine, you were looking a lil too hard." Zee went over to the upper cabinets to search for something, opening and closing them. Most of the food that was there when her grandmother passed, they threw out and bought new food. Only some of her seasonings and a big bag of rice they kept.

They went grocery shopping on their first day and stocked the place with their favorites. Zee filled it with junk, processed food, ready-to-eat, and microwaveable food because she never cooked. She filled it with healthy food, fresh fruits and veggies, tofu, tempeh, almond milk, vegan cheese and plant-based meats, and whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice. Also, some junk food she liked to indulge in once in a while.

"I wasn't." Why lie? She thought Tristan was gorgeous, but she knew she never had a chance with him.

Zee stopped searching the cabinets and turned to her. "Don't even."

"Don't even what?" She cut the water off and turned to her sister.

"Don't even start to have a lil crush on that boy. Not happening. Just leave him alone."

"What? I-I don't have a-"

"Lie to yo momma, not me." Zee went to the last cabinet and pulled out the junky snack that was her favorite, Flamin' Hot Cheetos. "Anyway, he ain't trying to go for you, sis. You're too uh...basic for him."

Well, she knew that but her sister did not have to say it. In her mind there was hope. She did not understand makeup outside of lip gloss and a little eyeshadow. She never dressed the best or showed off her body. Nothing about her would make a guy like Tristan turn his head her way.