Page 11 of Sparks Like Ours

“Do, too.” Autumn ran her hand through her springy red curls as ifto bring life back to them after a long day. “Understand something. If GiaMalone says I should eat these chips, I’m going to eat ’em.”

Gia laughed. “I had no idea I had that kind of power. Gia Malonealso thinks you should give her free coffee for the rest of time.”

“Strangely, that one didn’t work as well,” Autumn said seriously,and then moved right along. “This means you and Elle, your number one rival,will grace the screen together.”

Gia sighed. “Apparently.”

Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Competition be damned. She’s hot. Youguys will look great together. That marketing guy is no idiot.”

“She is not hot,” Gia said, and felt the lie burn her tongue.

“Okay, if you say so. Except she is.”

Gia let it go.

“So, when was the last time you got laid anyway?” Autumn asked.

Gia stared at her, water bottle stalled midway to her lips. “Whatkind of segue is that?”

“On reflection, it feels like an effective one,” Autumn said. “Wewere talking about a hot girl and now we’re talking about what one does withhot girls. So, dish. Laid. When? Go.”

“I don’t know.” Gia shrugged. “There was a girl a few months backat a tournament in Hawaii. A local. Just a one-night thing.”

“A groupie? You’re doing it with groupies now? That’s a thing?”

“No,” Gia said, figuring out how to explain. “It’s not a thing atall. It was a drunken, celebratory mistake after a big win, but you asked, andI don’t lie.”

Autumn grinned. “I got laid this morning.”

Gia sat back against the couch with a laugh. “Aha. This was just afront for you to gloat. Isabel would call this sex-gloating.”

“And sex-gloat I shall. It was glorious, G.” Autumn’s eyes lit upand she shook her head as if the mere mention transported her back in time.“There were stars and rainbows. Glitter fell from the heavens.”

Gia shook her head in appreciation. “Maybe Kate deserves a medalfor more than just firefighting.”

“Good God, that woman does things to me. And with the pregnancyhormones hitting, let’s just say it’s happening a lot more often. Speaking ofwhich, I’m feeling a little tired. Might head inside.”

“I see straight through you, Carpenter.”

Autumn grinned. “Yet I feel no shame.”

Gia watched as her friend made the short trek to the apartment sheshared with Kate on the bottom floor. The same apartment that had led to theirmeeting the year prior. There was a cosmic justice in that, Gia decided. It wasalso nice to have Autumn living so close by.

“Hey, is that the contract?”

Gia glanced at the gates to see Isabel enter the courtyard, handin hand with Taylor.

“Yep, they want to get started right away.”

“For the corn chips, right?” Taylor asked. “They’re not bad. Igave them a try.”

“I’ll take not bad. What are you two up to?”

“Just here to grab some clothes. I’ll be at Taylor’s for the nextfew days, since it’s closer to work and we’ll be pulling some long hours. FatTony is coming, too.”

“Cool.” Isabel’s cat, Fat Tony, had slowly become the hatefullittle mascot of Seven Shores. They took turns feeding and tending to him onweekends when Isabel spent her days and nights at Taylor’s. When it was Gia’sturn, she’d stay an hour or two and play hide-and-seek with the moody cat,allowing him to leap out from under the couch and attack her feet. She feignedsurprise for his benefit, but let’s be honest, he was fooling no one. As far asIsabel and Taylor went, Gia wondered why the two of them didn’t just bite thebullet and move in together already. They seemed adamant about not rushing butwere so insanely in love, she didn’t really get the point. To each their own,her mom always said.

“Do you know she has her own calendar?” Taylor asked. “The othersurfer, Elle Britton.”

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