Hot by Laura L Smith

explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. (Genesis 2:23-24, NLT )
    The worship band walks back on stage and starts strumming their guitars.
    “And now a word from our sponsors, to give you all a break.” Ed smiles and sits down.
    The lead singer’s powerful voice cuts through the room, “Blind man stood by the road, and he cried. . . .” Noah leans back, and our shoulders touch. I smell his minty soapiness and can almost inhale the warmth from his shoulder.
    “Steamy stuff, Linds,” he whispers in my ear as the band begins to sing.
    “Very.” I tilt my head into his and feel his rough hair tickle the side of my face.
    After the intermission, consisting of the song, popcorn and soda, and a get-to-know-your-neighbor game, Ed calls us back to our seats.
    “On a chilly night like tonight, I think I’ll go home and build a fire in my fireplace. There are few things more comforting and cozy to me than watching those beautiful flames dance and listening to the musical crackle of a fire while it brings warmth to my home.”
    I picture Noah and I snuggled up in a quilt by our fireplace. It isn’t hard with his body aligned with mine.
    “Now the thing about fire is, as amazing as it is in my fireplace, it’s one of the most dangerous things known to man if it sneaks out of the fireplace. It burns precious belongings, destroys homes, and even kills.”
    Ed pulls a match from his pocket and lights it. Pchheeeuu! The match ignites. The scent of sulfur seeps into the air. Ed allows it to burn until it almost singes his fingertips. He blows it out. Smoke curls toward the ceiling, and the room is silent.
    “Sex is like that. In the hearth of marriage, God has created something beautiful and intimate that can warm your soul and nurture your relationship with your spouse. But, sex outside of marriage is like a fire outside of the fireplace. It can burn you and destroy you. It could be treacherous.” 1
    Despite Noah’s warm presence beside me and all this talk about heat, a shiver streams down my scalp like cool water in the shampoo sink at the hair salon, then spreads over my entire back and down my arms to my fingertips.
    “You okay?” Noah asks. His lips flutter on my ear.
    “Yeah, just a chill, that’s all.” I keep my eyes glued to Pastor Ed. It’s hard to think about Noah’s soft lips when Pastor Ed is warning against the dangers of sex.
    Noah slides his arm around my shoulders in a comforting, concerned way. I lean into his safety. He pulls me closer.
    “I’ll keep you warm.”
    I miss most of Ed’s closing prayer between snuggling next to Noah and trying to process tonight’s lesson.
    Outside in the parking lot, Emma elbows me. “So which washotter tonight: Ed’s message or you and Noah?”
    “Stop!” I slap her arm, completely embarrassed. I tilt my head to make sure no one’s listening. Almost everyone’s gone. There’s just a small group of four or five kids hanging out by the doors, laughing. My brain buzzes like birds and bees.
    I whisper to Emma, “I just — I guess I never really thought about it from God’s side before. I mean, I know I’m not supposed to have sex before I get married, but I never really thought about why.”
    “Do you buy into everything Ed said?” she asks.
    “Yeah, I think so. I mean there’s stuff like AIDS and pregnancy, which are plenty scary, but the idea of that fire gave me the shivers. I don’t want to get burned.”
    “What if other things in life have already burned you?” Emma asks. Her breath looks like the smoke from Kristine’s cigarettes as it hits the brisk night air.
    I know her parents argue a lot, and it’s driving her crazy. I know she gets annoyed when she has to babysit all her little brothers and sisters. She usually won’t talk about it, though, but she said ‘burned,’ and that’s a strong word. “Is it that bad, Em?” I squeeze her hand.
    “Nah.” She scrunches her