she needed to know what her brother was up to , and what he 'd done to keep us apart . especially when they took their shirts off in the afternoons . and when you get here , you can explain why you 're crying . `` not the best-paying jobs but they were happy . '' my neck was flaming , sending tendrils of promised ecstasy down my long muscles , making them tremble . he might not feel the same . my guy friend did n't wear gloves when he worked at the computer . 