Hotter Than Hot

Chapter 1 

(Pepper) 

The fan oscillating back and forth over my body was not nearly enough to cool me. I had long since rid myself of any sweat absorbed clothing I had been wearing before. Now all I can do is lay naked in the path of the sad attempt of a breeze and hope for a quick death. Sweat rolled down my face in thick, hot rivulets that no amount of wiping could rid me of. 

It was hot. 

No scratch that, it was sweltering. Steaming. Boiling. Absolutely miserable. Why were we so unlucky to have our AC break on the hottest day of the year? Apparently, it was a widespread epidemic in our community, which is why our repair time is pretty low on the list for the day. Lucky us. So here we are, left to suffer, forgotten by the blissfully ignorant world that revels in the luxury of cool, crisp air at their disposal. 

Suddenly, without warning, my window bursts open. I make eye contact with my very best friend, Asher, and for a second, I forget my nakedness. 

His eyes sweep down my body and widen at the unexpected sight before him. “Hey, Pep-Uhhhhhh…” He stammers as he trips, falling into the room with a yelp. “Shit.” 

My brain has frozen completely. It refuses to move any part of my body as I watch Ash stumble around, trying to regain his composure. Not much ever seems to rattle him, but apparently my body managed to do so. Not sure if I should take that as an insult or a compliment. 

“Oh! Shit! Sorry!” I yell, much louder than necessary. 

Fortunately, the ability to speak seems to have also unlocked the freeze response I was previously experiencing. I reach over and grab a sheet and wrap it around myself to the best of my ability, which is difficult with all the dampness. I manage to do so, despite my body crying out in protest at the increase in temperature. 

“Hah… I think, uhm… I think, uhh… I think I’m gonna head out.” His voice sounds strained and he’s standing in a weird position, hunched forward slightly as though he was punched in the stomach. Or at least that’s how I assume one would stand in that scenario, I’ve never actually seen that happen before. 

I rush towards him, my awkwardness switching to concern, afraid that he might have been seriously injured in the fall. His eyes go wide as he jumps away from my grasp. 

Well, that’s definitely new. Usually, we are usually very touchy feely. We’ve been friends since as far back as I can remember and never once has he jumped away from me like this. Heck, we

snuggle during movies and even sleep in the same bed on occasion. What could have happened to him? 

He glances down at me and then straight up at the ceiling. “Yeah, I’m uhm… I’m gonna go. Yeah. Uhm… shit. Sorry.” Again, his voice is strained and I wonder if maybe he hit himself in a ‘delicate’ area on the way down. It does look like he might be shielding the area. That would explain the hunching forward and weird voice, right? 

He jumps out the window, leaving me speechless. Until I glance in the mirror and gasp. The sweat has made my thin sheet nearly transparent. Hopefully it wasn't like this when he looked down. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it was. 

“What is wrong with me?” I smack myself in the forehead before remembering all the sweat. Ugh, gross. I need to go check on him. Maybe he has been scarred by the sight of my sweaty grotesque body. No wonder he ran away. 

I decide, against my better judgment, to get dressed. It is a rather difficult task that I do not enjoy doing, but I need to head to Ash’s house to check on him. I can at least take him some frozen peas or fetch him ibuprofen, right? That is the right thing to do since it was technically my fault he’s hurt. And I can also apologize for my state of undress earlier, of course. 

I slip on my coolest summer dress, which I realize too late is a tad too small, but it will have to do for now. I’m not putting on anything else warmer on the hottest day of the year. As I leave the house I grab a water bottle from the fridge and hold it to my forehead. My dad rolls his eyes at me but says nothing as I slip on my shoes and walk out the door. 

Time to go apologize for being naked. 

*** 

Chapter 2 

(Asher) 

“Stop, stop, stop, stop.” I chant as I stomp around my room, trying to rid myself of the image I just witnessed. 

“Just don’t think about it. Everything is normal.” I stop pacing, trying some deep breathing to keep myself from thinking about her body. 

“Go away.” I say down to my unwelcome ‘visitor’. 

“Come on. Why now?” I sigh. I’ve worked so hard to ignore my feelings, now is not the time to screw it all up. Just because I caught a glimpse of heaven, doesn't mean I can ruin our years of

friendship. She is just a friend. A very good friend. A very pretty friend. A friend that I would very much like to see naked again. 

“No, stop that.” I have to erase these thoughts. She clearly doesn't see me as any more than a friend or she wouldn’t be so comfortable around me and I can't bring myself to lose her. I need her like I need air to breathe. She is the reason I get up in the morning. I can’t give her up. So we will just bury this deep down and forget about it. 

Yep. Just forget about seeing her. 

The knocking sound at my door jolts me back to reality. It’s her special knock that she always does as she flounces into my room before I can ever muster a response. Typical Pepper. It's not like she’s ever worried about keeping any boundaries between us. Leaping to sit on my bed, I grab a pillow to hold on my lap that will hopefully hide any indecent thoughts that might… ‘arise’. 

“Hey, Pepsi. Whatcha doing here?” I try my best to sound nonchalant, but it comes out sounding like I’m reexperiencing puberty. 

She sits next to me, a look of concern written all over her face and it's everything I can do to stop myself from leaning forward to kiss her. I would do anything to take all her pain away, to keep her from ever suffering. 

“Are you okay, Ash?” Her eyes are wide, and I suddenly feel bad for making her worry. “You ran away so fast, I thought maybe you hurt yourself.” 

She glances down towards the pillow. Oh god, she doesn't mean what I think she means, does she? I don't think I can handle her talking about this part of my body right now. It doesn't need any of her attention. 

“Oh yeah, totally fine. Just remembered a thing I needed to do real quick.” I internally roll my eyes at myself. Yeah, real slick. Idiot. 

“Uh huh…” She does not look convinced at all. “Then why did you jump away from me when I tried to check on you?” 

“Oh, uhm… Not sure why I did that.” I blurt out, as my inner monologue chants ‘Liar, liar, liar.’ 

“Listen, I’m sorry if I totally freaked you out with my gross body. I get it. I just wanted to come and make sure that you hadn’t been injured because of me.” She says sheepishly, her cheeks turning bright red. 

“What?” I am absolutely baffled by what she said that I can’t think of anything else to say, so I just stare at her, hoping she continues to explain because I can’t understand a word she is saying.

“I had no idea you would be coming over and it is just so hot today and our AC suddenly stopped working, and it was just unbearable and I didn't know you would be coming in the window. Did I already say that? Anyway, sorry. I guess I’ll just head out if you're okay.” She does an awkward giggle and stands up to leave. 

And of course she's wearing a super short skirt, torturing me again with the promise of what I can never have. I put the phrase ‘just friends, just friends, just friends’ on repeat in my brain, but it's not doing enough. I want more like I’ve never wanted more before. 

“Wait.” I gently grab her wrist, halting her movement. “Sit down, Pepsi.” 

I can't stand to let her leave thinking that I find her disgusting. I need to fix this because it’s so absolutely ridiculous, but how can I do that without crossing the line? 

“Ah!” She yelps as I tug her back onto the bed next to me, where she belongs. Nope. Nope. Back to chanting ‘just friends, just friends, just friends’. 

“Just to be clear, you thought I left earlier because… I found your body disgusting?” My mouth didn't even want to say those words, they just felt so wrong as they came out. 

“Well, yeah. If you aren’t hurt, then what other reason would there be?” The look of confusion on her face seems genuine, but she can’t be this naive, can she? 

“That couldn't be further from the truth.” I’m so completely baffled that I forgot to censor myself and hold back. She has to know she’s attractive, right? I mean, guys stare at her all the time. Does she really not notice any of them? 

“What? What do you mean?” She leans forward, closer to me, like it’s easier to hear the truth if she’s closer to the source. 

Well, here goes nothing. 

*** 

Chapter 3 

(Pepper) 

My mind is reeling. Is Ash saying what I think he’s saying right now? That he doesn't find me repulsive? Surely I’m misunderstanding because a few years ago I accidentally heard him talking to his friends about how he could never find me attractive because I was like his little sister. Admittedly, it devastated me at the time, but I’ve gotten over my crush now and accepted that we would only ever be friends.

So yeah, that can’t possibly be what he means, can it? 

He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, but I feel like he's the one losing his. “You're kidding right? You don't see how every guy looks at you?” 

I feel my mouth pop open on its own accord. It seems I have lost control of my body yet again. I've lost all rational thought as well. This feels too similar to a confession of love and my brain cannot comprehend what is happening. 

His eyes bore into my soul, like he's begging me to believe him. “Are you seriously shocked? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. How can you not know that you're attractive?” 

Tears spring to my eyes without warning. I try to blink them away, but I am unsuccessful. Does he really mean this or is he just trying to make me feel better? I have lost the ability to speak. I probably look like a fish, staring at him with my mouth hanging open. Just a stupid confused fish. 

“Shit. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He swipes his thumbs across my cheeks to wipe away the tears, but it’s useless. They won’t stop. “Shit, are you okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry.” I shoo his hands away from my face. “It’s fine, they just won’t stop for some reason. You can keep talking.” I shrug at him like my world is not currently imploding on itself right now. 

He moves his hands down to my shoulders. “Maybe you should go, before I say something stupid that I end up regretting.” 

His words leave me even more confused. Does he like me or not? “Wait.” 

He’s looking at me, waiting for an answer and then I realize I’m the one who spoke. Why did I say that? I have nothing, but I can’t just leave it like this. It’s too confusing. Am I reading into things? Making it more than it actually is, like I always did before with my crush on him? Am I just getting my hopes up again to have them dashed on the rocks below as I jump off the cliff yet again? I can’t do this again. My heart can’t take another break. It might actually shatter this time. And then what would be left of our friendship? I can’t live without him. It’s impossible. 

“Sorry, I just… I don’t… I’m not sure…” I stop myself, take a deep breath and start over. “I don’t, uhm… I don't understand?” 

That’s okay, right? I mean, I’m not pushing him to confess to me. I’m just asking for clarification. That should be alright. Hopefully.

He sighs, rubbing his hands over his face, causing the pillow to fall from his lap. We both look down at the same time and see the tent in his pants. Both of us share shocked expressions, but for different reasons. 

“Oh…” I say without thinking. Mentally berating myself for being so stupid. Obviously, he meant he saw a naked woman's body and he couldn't help his body’s natural reaction. Of course, that makes complete sense. 

“Oh?” He replies, looking just as confused as I’m feeling. 

“Yeah, I get it now.” I say, as I stand up to leave him for some alone time. 

“Do you really?” He looks at me with a hint of a challenge that I don’t quite comprehend until he grabs my wrist and pulls me onto his lap. 

“Wa-Wait! Wh-what?” My mind is officially offline. I have no idea what is happening. Is this a move? Is this a challenge? Is he teasing me? Testing me? Hitting on me? I don’t know. 

“You said you understood. Why are you so confused?” He smirks at me with a look I know all too well. It's the same look when he's winning at the video game we are playing, or when he makes a bet that he just knows he's going to win or when he's about to send me back to start with a ‘Sorry!’ which is why I refuse to play his favorite game now. 

“Is this a game? Is that what you are doing right now?” He thinks he's going to win? He looks completely shocked. “What? No! Of course not.” 

“Then are you pranking me? Because this isn’t funny.” I don't think I can actually handle if this is a joke, but I need to know now before it goes any further. 

He looks dead serious at me and I regret asking. “This is not a prank.” 

“Okay, well… I understand that your body had a natural reaction to seeing a naked female, so we can just pretend this never happened and move on with our lives.” I try to fake a smile, but I’m not feeling it. I just know this isn’t going to end well for me. 

He scoffs. Yes. Actually scoffs. “No, I had a reaction to the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” 

“I know you are just saying that to make me feel better. I don't expect you to lie to me just to stroke my ego. To be honest, I heard you tell your friends that you would never find me attractive.” 

***

Chapter 4 

(Asher) 

Shit, she heard that? I was just trying to get the guys off my back, I didn't mean a word of it. Well, I guess it’s time to man up and tell the truth. I thought it would be harder to do, but somehow with her sitting on my lap like this, it feels so right to say the words out loud. 

“I’m sorry you heard that, it wasn’t true at all. I just wanted them to leave me alone. To be honest, you are all I can think about. You are my first thought in the morning and my last thought before bed. There’s never been anyone else because you are all I could ever see.” She gasps so loud, that I stop talking to make sure she's okay. 

“Sorry, did I upset you?” I cautiously ask, because I feel like it's too late to go back now, but at the same time I don't want to upset her or make her hate me. She shakes her head, but closes her eyes, like she can’t quite look at me. It makes me nervous that I’m screwing this up completely, but when she opens them again, there’s something there that I’ve never seen before and it spurs me on to continue. 

I take a deep breath, hoping I'm not making a huge mistake. “I have loved you for years and I will always love you, no matter what. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, as a friend, or as more. I just want to be with you, however you will have me.” 

She sobs and I think I have made a huge mistake, but then her lips meet mine in a soul crushing kiss. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted but I’m worried I pressured her into this. 

“Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated just because I said all that.” I try not to let my disappointment at that possibility show. No pressure, but so much pressure. 

“Ash, I’ve also loved you for years. I want to spend my life with you, as more.” She kisses me again and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have her as my best friend and now more. 

All because it was the hottest day of the year.