Page 30 of The Other Side of Paradise
There was a lot more to it than that, and she wasn’t doing the best job of hiding that, but I could tell she needed her space. I nodded. “Well, let me know if you need me to help you get your room key back at any point.”
She paused, and she put her hands on her hips. “Is that a reference to last night, or is that your ploy to get into my bedroom?”
Fuck me. I’d managed to go a good few minutes without blushing violently in front of her. I looked away. “Oh, well, uh, you know… um… it’s a reference to last night, but maybe I’m just hoping you have a thing for a savior.”
“Psh. Obviously I do.” She paused. “I appreciate the second-long stall in the middle again.”
“I know, I know—”
“Go get changed so we can pay,” she laughed, and even though I was dying under the attention, I laughed too on the way into the changing room, sliding the curtain shut behind me.
I needed to not spend one more second around this woman. But I wasn’t too keen on that.
Chapter 11
Stella
The café was cute, a little cabana-style place down the street opposite the resort from the high street shops I’d taken Allison to, with the terrace bustling on a sunny day that was just on the right side of hot with a good breeze, but after walking around all day, I was glad we were eating inside. Cute little cozy dark-wood booth seats lined up around tables underneath the thick round windows and frosted lamps, and the smell of cinnamon and pastry was rich with coffee in the air as my shoes made hollow-wood sounds underfoot as I walked, getting to the table where Allison looked absolutely killer in her houndstooth blazer, paired with the black slacks we’d picked up too and a loose tank I didn’t recognize but that looked nice with the outfit, sitting across from where Ryan looked way less high-strung than I’d expected her to after this morning’s encounter.
And Allison hadn’t been kidding about Brooklyn not being the busty blonde bartender girl I’d pictured—she was tall and slim and had arms of steel, a chic dark bob cut and gray eyes, dressed in combat boots and jeans with a tank, like she was too cool to take your shit. I beamed at everybody with the obligatoryhey, hi, nice to see youas I sat down, but I kept my gaze onBrooklyn, studying that playful smile she wore like armor, and when she said, “Hey,” I nodded back with a,
“Hi,” and then, “You’re Brooklyn, huh?”
“Charmed. And you must be the one forcing Allison to dress decently.”
So Allison had been gushing about our shopping trip, huh? I was sure she’d had only good things to say. I felt kind of warm and fuzzy knowing she was talking about it to her friends, even if I was sure she was shit-talking me as much as she had shit-talked Brooklyn to me. I gave Brooklyn a studying look, tilting my head. “You don’t look like I pictured,” I said, and she arched an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her features.
“Sorry if I’m not to your taste,” she said, laughter bubbling just under her voice, and I couldn’t square the circle—sleek and polished and too-good-for-you Ryan hanging out with this girl.
“It’s kind of weird that you and Ryan are friends,” I laughed, and Ryan elbowed me.
“Stella, be decent.”
Ugh, and there was zero-fun Ryan. Well, I wouldn’t recognize her otherwise. I sat up taller. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, and I turned to Allison, giving her an approving once-over. “And I’m glad Allison did actually use the new clothes! See, you can look good.”
Allison laugh-snorted in surprise, her hands up. “Hey? What’s that supposed to mean?”
I tried to fight a smile. I think I lost. “That you look good.”
She huffed, scrunching up her nose in that cute little pout she did. “That’s a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever heard one.”
Brooklyn instantly rocketed to my good list, because she took my side, nudging Allison in the side. “She’s right, though, you know,” she said. “I hadn’t realized you could look nice.”
I snorted, grinning at Brooklyn, and Allison rolled her eyes, a dry smile playing on her features. “Okay, everyone’s mean today, I see how it is,” Allison said.
“You two have been friends a long time?” I said, looking between the two of them, and Brooklyn spoke in a casual, easy tone—she had this rich, deep voice, an almost masculine tone to it, and it was kinda cool.
“We worked together here summer last year, and she’s here for this summer…” She shrugged. “I was nice to her last summer, but unfortunately for her, now she’s a tenured friend.”
Allison laughed dryly. “It’s true. It goes both ways though. I was sweet last year. Now I get to tell her she’s annoying.”
Brooklyn said, with calculated ease like she was waiting for her moment to say it, “You weren’tthatsweet.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “She talked a lot about you while we were hanging out,” I said. “Are you also on task trying to get her a date?”
Allison groaned, a hand on her forehead. “Ugh, Stella, not you too. We’re not going to sit here and talk about my love life!”
Oh, now she was shy about it, huh? Well… she’d been shy about it. I guess she’d opened up a little bit in all of our flirting games and I’d forgotten how awkward she’d been about it at first. I pouted at her. “Then what are we here for?” I said, before I turned to my sister, elbowing her side. “I guess we could try convincing Ryan to try bouncing back with somebody.” When Ryan looked away from me, that stare on her face like she wanted to be difficult and ignore me, I pushed. “There were a bunch of cute guys playing volleyball together at the beach yesterday. Maybe you can ask to join them. Show off your volleyball chops.” I mimed hitting a ball. She ignored me. Typical.
