Free Light Years by Tammar Stein Page A

looked away. I suddenly felt foolish with my pushed-out breasts and sexy clothes. I reached up with my other hand and grabbed a pole for better balance, trying to ignore the fact that it made my shirt ride high above my waist. Most people just take a cab when they go out on Friday night, but I wanted to save the money. I was beginning to think taking a taxi might be worth the extra expense.
    The bus stopped several times, and after ten minutes I found a free seat, which I wasn’t about to give up any time soon.
    The waiter-boy kept looking at me, but I ignored him. When the seat behind me opened up, he moved into it. I could feel his eyes boring holes in my back.
    I turned in my seat and glared at him. “What do you want?”
    He seemed slightly surprised. “This seat was open, I can sit wherever I want to.”
    “Well, stop staring at me.” I was sure he would try some stupid pick-up line and I was already annoyed with myself for dressing this way.
    “You did a good thing, giving up your seat.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes, staring fixedly at a spot near my right shoulder. The words were grudging, like he wished he didn’t have to say them.
    “Oh.” Now I really felt stupid. “Thanks.”
    He got off a few stops later and I looked out the window until he passed. As the bus pulled away, I finally relaxed. My thoughts drifted back to Dov and his brown hair that looked so soft. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to happen tonight. I hoped he was a good kisser. Would I find out?
    I got off at my stop and hurried over to Leila, the pub where we were meeting. Of course, after scanning the crowded place, I realized I was the first to arrive. After working my way to the bar, I ordered a rum and Coke.
    Leila was packed with tiny round tables that had four, five, sometimes six people crowded around them, drinking beer or cocktails, nibbling on the olives and peanuts that came to every table. The walls were painted a deep lilac with silver stars, comets, and solar-system swirls twinkling all around. I tried to see if they’d painted any real constellations, but it all looked random.
    Someone came up and stood next to me at the bar.
    “Hi, sweetie,” Daphna yelled in my ear, and then she gave me a wet kiss on the cheek. “I’m late, I’m late.”
    “For a very important date,” I said, but she didn’t get the
Alice in Wonderland
reference.
    “Everyone else is waiting outside. We can’t get a table here so we’re going someplace else. Are you going to finish that?” She pointed to my drink.
    “All yours.”
    She downed it and we left.
    Outside, Dov and Bar were waiting. Bar had just bought a tiny two-door hatchback, and he’d parked it up on the curb with the hazard lights flashing as they waited for us. Dov got out and tilted the seat forward so Daphna and I could get in behind him. I smiled and he smiled back. I brushed by him as I got into the car.
    Bar had some sort of techno music blasting from hisspeakers and was driving to the pulsing rhythm, veering around cars, hand on the horn.
    “I can’t watch,” Daphna wailed, and buried her face in my shoulder. She smelled of something that wasn’t her perfume. Seemed the party had started without me.
    Dov turned and looked at her in amusement.
    “What about you,” he said. Our eyes met. “Scared?”
    “I’d like to see my death when it comes.”
    “Ah. Brave and beautiful. I can respect that.”
    “That’s a relief.” I wasn’t even blushing. Maybe because it seemed he was testing me.
    He turned to face the front again.
    “You’re so mean to him,” Daphna whispered loudly. I finally got a good look at her eyes. They were bloodshot.
    “Did you smoke up?”
    “Don’t be mad,” she whispered. “I want to have fun tonight.”
    “Daphna, are you insane?” I tried to keep my voice down. “What the hell were you thinking? You’re in the army. Do you know how much trouble you could get into?”
    “Maya, don’t be a drag. I know everyone at the MP