Ten years earlier...

My hand felt the woolen blanket under me and looked at the large crowd. The old wool felt rough and itchy, but it was my fate for the day. Why had I agreed to go to the festival? I didn't even like folk music.

The sun was already warm, and it wasn't even noon. Seriously, I had worked to close at Newport Creamery the night before. I came home with ice cream smeared across me from diving to get to the bottom of the tubs. My hands smelled like the bleach we used to clean with each night. It wasn't the most glamorous job, but it put money in my pocket. Plus, I was far from glamorous. As I watched my older sister Allison dance with her friends, I wished I was in my bed still.

Allison waved to me. "Come on, Em. Have fun."

Allison motioned for me to get up. I would trip over something or knock over someone's drink. My older sister was my antithesis. Older by three years, she was in college while I still had another year of high school. Allie's hair was straight and blond, not drab brown frizz. If it were dark chestnut like Anne Hathaway's, I might like it. Seriously, I looked more sorry than she did before she became the princess in Princess Diaries.

I gathered the coarse strands and secured them with the elastic on my wrist. What was poking behind my head was not a long silky ponytail like Allie's, but a brown poof like I use with body wash in the shower.

My older sister told me I was lucky because I had long legs; so do horses. She claimed my green eyes were more unique than her brown. It was true only about ten percent of Americans had green eyes. Another way I stuck out, but not in a good way.

Allie's besties Hannah and Sydney were just as beautiful. My eyes kept drifting over to the group of guys next to them. They didn't bother to hide their lust as they watched the girls dance. The band wasn't famous, or if it were, I wouldn't know. The headliners went on later.

The guys had already started drinking. Who drank at noon? Probably college kids, but I wouldn't know. The guys looked preppy, ivy league. I imagined Logan and his Yale friends on Gilmore Girls. Maybe they were the Newport elite and drank champagne with brunch every weekend.

They could be some of the tourists who flocked to Newport to stroll along the cliff walk past the former summer cottages of Vanderbilts and other tycoons. They looked more likely to be into the sailing regatta held a few weeks before or bar hopping downtown on the wharf or Thames, including devouring lobster mac and cheese at the Brick Alley Pub.

Contrary to what others thought, Newport was not a wealthy town for the people who lived there year round. All the streets off Broadway leading into downtown were filled with regular houses. Multi-family homes were packed into downtown, a stark contrast to the huge mansion along Bellevue and Ocean Avenues.

My eyes wandered again to the guys on the lawn next to us. They didn't look like the folk music type, jazz maybe, with cocktails and tuxedos. Eavesdropping, I learned their names were Dex, Ace, and Duff.

As the afternoon wore on, the sun grew hotter. Touching my ponytail, it felt like a wad of steel wool. Ace and Dex danced with Allie and her friends. Too bad the numbers were off, because there were three of them, but Allie had a boyfriend.

She went to college in Massachusetts with Tucker, and he was the reason Allie dragged me to the festival. He had another lame excuse for not visiting, even after Allie sprung for his ticket. He lived less than an hour away; straight up Route 24 to Taunton. If I ever had a boyfriend, I would expect him to want to see me. Allie was head over heels, and if I had a dollar for every time I heard 'Tucker this, Tucker that' all summer, I'd be rich.

Bored, I took out my sketch pad. I could draw the view of the sailboats on Narragansett Bay. Instead, I sketched the guy not dancing. He reclined on his elbows, looking amused by his friends. Occasionally, he'd yell out a comment, like "get a room" or "you're shut off, Ace."

My pencil couldn't do his blond hair justice, and his sunglasses hid his eyes. When the girls fell on the blanket, hot and sweaty between artists, I shut my spiral-bound book.

Hannah suggested meeting the guys downtown later.

Allie looked at me. "We have to take Em home first."

"Can't your Dad pick her up downtown?" Sydney complained.

Allie mumbled. "I dunno. Maybe."

I was too busy watching the guys. Duff was metal to my magnet eyes. Their body language reminded me of the jerks in my high school when they talked trash.

Ace stood up with a fat grin and walked over to Hannah. He reached out his hand, pulled her up to her feet, and kissed her. Without a word, he smiled and went back to his friends. The other one, Dex, gave a thumbs up. Then he pointed to Sydney and to himself. Syd giggled like a four-year-old and stood. The two met right in front of me, so I had a front-row seat to their lip lock.

Hopefully, this odd version of seven minutes in heaven was over. Seriously, I was more mature than college kids, but I was sober.

On the blanket, Dex and Ace pushed on Duff's shoulder. Would Allie kiss him? She was in love with Tucker

Slowly, he stood. He was taller than I expected. I looked down, not wanting to watch. Preppy boat shoes attached to long muscular hairy tanned legs appeared in front of me. I froze as he squatted down. I lifted my head in shock. His face was in front of mine, still with his sunglasses on. Before I could react, his warm lips met mine. I didn't know what to do, but as his soft lips moved, mine moved with them. His tongue parted my lips and I could taste more than beer, a sweetness. My head spun. For a first kiss it was amazing, but it ended much too quickly and he walked away.

Stunned, Allie and her friends crowded around me laughing. Mortified, I was glad the music started again. Without anyone noticing, I went to stand in line at the portable toilets.

"Damn." I whispered.

Duff was a person ahead of me in line. He turned and smiled. Be invisible, be invisible. He stepped out of line to stand next to me.

Leaning in, he said, "Hey, I'm sorry. They made me do it."

I knew it was a dare, but the admission hurt. "No kidding. Like you would want to."

He pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head. His eyes were an amazing blue, like the color of the sky over Aspen.

Dad had taken us skiing over Christmas break to announce he wanted to propose to Tricia. Mom had only been gone three years, and he was replacing her. Allie took the news better, but she lived at college most of the year. I had to live with Tricia.

The line moved and Duff insisted I went ahead. When I came out, I took a deep breath after holding it the whole time I peed.

He was waiting. "They're nasty. Right?" I nodded. "Are you going downtown later?"

I laughed at the absurdity, while shaking my head. "No, I won't be old enough for five years."

He looked at me. "What the hell? I thought. I'm really sorry."

He walked away in big strides, as I took out my phone.

"Dad, can you come get me?"

"Sweetie, are you, okay? I'm tied up. I'll send Tricia."

Great, just great.