Island Girls (and Boys) (7 page)

�W
hat else do we need?� Chelsea asked.

The next day, right after work�a day marked with a lot of activity in the store and at the snack bar�we�d driven over to the mainland to do some serious grocery shopping.

I looked at our list. �Chocolate chips.�

After Dylan had won the second game, I�d started to suspect he was a pool hustler or something. The third game went to me and hope had returned that he�d have to find me a sand dollar. But he�d won the fourth game without me even having the opportunity to chalk up my cue stick. Although there had been no reason to play the fifth game, we had anyway. I�d won�but I suspected it was a pity win, him letting me regain some of my pride.

I hadn�t seen him since he�d driven me back to the beach house. Amy reported that he and Zach had stopped by the snack bar for hot dogs around noon. She�d told them to show up at seven for dinner�which didn�t give us a lot of time. Especially since I had to bake cookies.

�I am so not in the mood to fix something fancy,� Chelsea said as we headed to the baking aisle.

�Fancy is not in a guy�s vocabulary,� Amy said. �All they want is an abundance of food.�

�So what are we going to cook?� Chelsea asked.

�I lost a bet with Dylan, so I have to bake some chocolate chip cookies.�

�You bet with him?� Amy asked.

�Yeah.� I explained about our little pool tournament.

�Too bad he didn�t ask for something a little sweeter,� Chelsea said when I was finished.

�Like what?�

�
Duh?
A kiss?�

I didn�t want to admit that when all was said and done, I�d been disappointed that we hadn�t been playing for exactly that.

�Whatever. The point is, I have to bake cookies.�

�And if we�re heating up the oven for cookies, then we might as well fix something else in the oven. How about meatloaf?� Amy suggested.

�Yuck!� Chelsea said.

�I can make a lot of it cheaply�and guys eat a lot. Maybe you�ve noticed that about Noah, Chels.�

�Okay,� she said with a roll of her eyes. �I�ll make a fruit bowl. I saw it in a magazine. You use a hollowed-out watermelon as the bowl.�

�Didn�t think you wanted to get fancy,� I said.

�We need something to offset the boring meatloaf.�

�We�ll have mashed potatoes, too,� Amy said. �Because we can make a lot of those pretty cheap.�

�What else?� I asked as I picked up a package of chocolate chips.

�Get the other brand,� Amy said. �We have a twenty-five-cent coupon for it.� She pulled the coupon out of our coupon file and waved it.

I dropped the other brand of chips into the cart.

�Do we have to use coupons?� Chelsea asked. �It makes me feel so cheap.�

�They triple the amount on the coupons here. We�d be stupid not to use them,� Amy said.

�Even millionaires use coupons,� I added, entering the cost of the chips minus the coupon into my calculator, so I could make sure that we didn�t spend more than we could afford. �I read about it in a book that explained why they have so much money.�

�Oh, I�m sure Bill Gates clips coupons out of the Sunday paper,� Chelsea said, clearly impatient. �Get real! It�s so much effort for so little return.�

�Guess we could ask Noah to pay for his share of the food.�

�I was wondering when you were going to start harping on that again.�

�I�m not harping; it�s just a fact. I wouldn�t have even brought it up if you hadn�t been complaining.�

�I�m not complaining. I�m just tired and want to go home. It takes
soooo
long to shop, using
coupons and a calculator. Let�s just split up the list, get what we need, and be done with it.�

�We can�t, Chels. We only have a small amount of money, and it�s not going to go far. I don�t want to have to start taking stuff out of the bags at the cash register.�

�You know, without this bitch session, we would have been three aisles closer to being finished,� Amy said, totally out of character. Aching feet could do that to you.

�Fine,� Chelsea said. �I won�t say another word.�

Yeah, right.

 

When we got home, Noah actually got off the couch and helped us haul in the groceries. Once we�d put everything away, we all retreated for a quick make-over session. I changed into a pair of shorts, a V-necked T, and flip-flops. I took the rubber band out of my hair and brushed it quickly, leaving the pale blond strands to rest against my shoulders. A rapid-fire reapplication of makeup, a quick misting with Gardenia Lily scent, and I was ready to go. It was amazing how my energy level got a boost just from
getting out of my uniform.

Amy had beaten me back to the kitchen. She was wearing a T-shirt that had an �I,� a red heart, and a picture of a German shepherd. Not that she�d ever had a German shepherd. She just liked dogs. She�d braided her dark brown hair, weaving a ribbon through it.

With her hands, she was mixing the ingredients for the ground meat in an industrial-size bowl. Better her than me. I got out the mixer and started on the cookies.

�Where�s Chelsea and Noah?� I asked.

�Take a wild guess.�

I didn�t know why I�d bothered to ask.

�You know, I hate to say it, but I never noticed how much Chelsea complains,� Amy said.

�We�re just living differently than she�s used to,� I said.

�You�d think she�d embrace it, though. Does she really think if she was living at home that she and Noah would be all over each other as much as they are now?�

�I�m not sure Chelsea thinks beyond the moment. You know, today my horoscope warned
me that someone in my life was going to be overly sensitive and that I needed to be more considerate.�

�But Chelsea�s been sensitive since we got here.�

�Maybe the stars just noticed.�

I turned on the mixer. Its loud whining ended our conversation. By the time I had the dough ready to go on the cookie sheet, Chelsea had joined us and the volume was up on the TV. I didn�t have to look in the living room to know that Noah was stretched out on the couch.

I�d peeled way too many potatoes and taken the first batch of cookies out of the oven when I heard the arrival of motorcycles. �I�ll let them in.�

I headed down the stairs and opened the door. Dylan and Zach were already standing there, Dylan�s hand raised as though he was about to knock. I couldn�t believe how glad I was to see him. He looked really good in jeans and a loose-fit Hawaiian type of shirt�a red that complemented his dark features. Zach was wearing a T-shirt that said
I SEE DUMB PEOPLE
.

�Hi,� I said unnecessarily. �Come on in.�

They stepped inside, and I closed the door.

�Something smells terrific,� Dylan said.

I smiled. �I just took the first batch of cookies out of the oven. I�ll even let you have one and take a chance on ruining your appetite for dinner.�

He actually ate half a dozen cookies, but his appetite definitely didn�t get ruined.

Believe it or not, the house didn�t have a large dining table. Just the island and the small booth in the kitchen�which six of us couldn�t squeeze into. When we had family gatherings, my granddad usually grilled outside and people ate on the lawn.

So we set the food on the counters. Everyone filled their plates, and we sat around the living room, eating. I was on the floor, my back against the bookcase, wondering if I should suggest a game of Monopoly when we were finished eating. Or would that be totally geeky? Totally geeky.

But I didn�t want Dylan leaving as soon as he was finished eating. What could I suggest that wouldn�t take the last of my savings?

�We should go to a movie tonight,� Noah suddenly announced.

No way! It was after eight, long past the time when we could get in at a discounted price. I looked at Amy, not even bothering with Chelsea, because I knew she wouldn�t explain that we couldn�t afford it. Amy was sitting cross-legged by the Ping-Pong table. She just lowered her gaze to her plate, though, once again leaving me to be the bad guy�the one who ruined everyone�s fun.

�How about tomorrow, Noah? When we can go to a matinee and the tickets are half price?�

�There is no matinee. You wouldn�t be able to see the screen during the day anyway.�

�What are you talking about?�

�Yesterday when I went to the mainland for my beer run, I discovered a drive-in movie theater. It�s not that far from the bridge. You just pay a buck to park the vehicle. No matter how many people are inside it. Pretty cool, huh?�

�I didn�t know drive-ins still existed,� Dylan said.

�This one looks like a good strong wind will
blow it down, but hey, can�t beat the price. Figure we throw some blankets in the bed of my truck, park it backwards, and we�re all set.�

�Noah, you�re a genius,� Chelsea said.

Her comment surprised me. I couldn�t see Chelsea getting excited about watching a movie without the comfort of air-conditioning and a cushioned seat. Maybe she was just impressed that he�d come up with a suggestion that didn�t involve his stomach or their lips.

�Hey, I�ll even pay the buck,� Noah said.

How could I not say yes to a deal like that?

I
�d never been to a drive-in before. The designated parking areas were marked with speakers. Noah backed between two of them. The speakers could actually be hung inside the windows of a car, but since we didn�t have windows in the bed of the truck, Noah set them on the sides so we could hear the movie.

Watching a movie at a drive-in is one of those things that sounds better in theory. Even with all the blankets piled beneath us, it was difficult to get comfortable. Until the guys decided the best arrangement would be if they pressed their backs against the cab of the truck, and Amy, Chelsea, and I pressed our backs against them.

It felt great to be snuggled up against Dylan,
which as far as I was concerned was the best part of the drive-in experience.

I�d been surprised by the long line of vehicles coming in when we got there. Although judging by the cars with their windows fogged up, I didn�t think most of these people were really here to watch the movie.

I wasn�t too interested either. It wasn�t exactly a blockbuster. There was a psycho on the loose and the people in the house were trying to decide who should go for help. Bad idea.

�Haven�t they seen
Scream
?� I asked. �Don�t they know there are rules, and you aren�t supposed to go out at night or be alone or��

�Shh!� Noah and Chelsea said at once.

Were they seriously watching this thing?

�Excuse
me
,� I whispered.

Dylan chuckled quietly. He was resting his chin on my shoulder.

�We should have brought the cookies,� he said in a low voice.

�I�ll let you take the leftovers back to your tent.�

A girl in the movie was creeping through the
house, carrying a bat, calling for her boyfriend�who was probably already dead.

�Why are people in scary movies always so stupid?� I asked quietly. �You know the creepy guy is going to jump out��

He did. But even though I knew it was going to happen, I screamed and jumped anyway. So did Amy and Chelsea. A total reflex. The guys laughed like it was the funniest thing. I felt like a idiot. Dylan wrapped his arms around my middle and pulled me closer against him. Perhaps the true reason Hollywood made scary movies. So guys could have an excuse for holding a girl close.

�I�ll protect you,� he said, and I could hear him fighting to rein in his laughter.

�I�m not scared,� I shot back.

�My bad. I mistook your silence for a scream.�

I twisted around and lightly slapped his shoulder. �Jerk.�

I didn�t mean it, of course. I was actually having fun. Even if the movie did give me chills. Or maybe it was Dylan being so close, because the chills were kind of pleasant.

�Your hair is tickling my nose,� he said. �Can I move it?�

�Oh, sure.�

He didn�t move it aside with the carelessness I would have. He looped it behind my ear first, his finger trailing down my face around my ear. Then he roped it around to the other side.

Now I had incredibly pleasant chills, because his warm breath was skimming along my neck.

�You smell really good,� he murmured.

�Gardenia Lily,� I said.

�No, chocolate chip.�

It was hard to laugh without making a sound, but I managed, my shoulders quaking. This guy had a one-track mind. I�d eaten some cookies before we left the house. So maybe that was why I smelled like them. Or maybe my hair had absorbed the aroma while they were baking. Or maybe he was just flirting, and I didn�t really smell like anything.

He, on the other hand, smelled really spicy, so I knew he�d showered again before he came over. I wondered how long his arrangement with Mr. P would last. Had Dylan given him
a definite number of days�or was he still taking it day by day? How long was he going to stay? When would he leave?

Because I was really starting to like him. And that really
was
scary.

T
he movie was over a little after midnight, and we went straight back to the house. Some of us had to work the next day, after all. Zach decided to call it a night, got on his motorcycle, and headed to the campground. Dylan came inside to get the remaining cookies. Amy went to her room. Noah and Chelsea were on the couch, doing their thing.

My grandma never threw anything away. A big drawer in the kitchen was filled with empty plastic butter tubs. I pulled one out and put the cookies in it. I snapped the lid into place and held it out to Dylan. I thought he�d snatch it up and leave.

Instead he asked, �How do you get to that crow�s nest up there?�

�There�s stairs.�

�I bet it�s an awesome view.�

�It is. You can see the whole island.�

He waited, his eyes on mine�until I finally realized that he was waiting for an invitation. �Would you like to see it?�

�Yeah.�

�Come on.�

I set the tub on the counter and led him up the stairs to the next floor. �Amy and I sleep in the bedrooms up here,� I said when we reached the landing, not certain why I felt this uncontrollable need to serve as a tour guide. I took him to the end of the hallway and opened a door that revealed the stairs that led to the crow�s nest.

They were steep and narrow. I went first. At the top, I unlatched the trapdoor and pushed it up. Then I climbed out. Dylan followed and closed the door behind him.

We moved to the edge of the crow�s nest. All the way around, the wall was about waist high. From there to the roof, it was open. The breeze blew around us.

�I love it up here,� I confessed. �Sometimes
I come up here when I can�t sleep.�

�This is great,� he said.

The moonlight glinted off the water of the bay. A foghorn sounded. A sheet of lightning illuminated the sky.

�A storm�s coming in,� I said unnecessarily.

�I can smell the rain in the air,� he said.

�I guess if you didn�t have the arrangement with Mr. P, you�d be showering in the rain soon.�

�Might do it anyway. Want to join me?�

My mouth dropped open. I didn�t know what to say.

�Just think about it,� he said finally.

No problem there. Couldn�t
stop
thinking about it, actually.

We were quiet, simply listening to the water lapping at the shore, the occasional rumble of thunder, growing nearer.

�It�s cool that you have a guy living with you,� he said after a while.

Here I was hoping his thoughts had turned to me�and he wanted to talk about Noah. I couldn�t seem to escape the guy.

�Noah isn�t living with me. He�s living with
Chelsea. Totally, exclusively.�

�But it�s good that he�s around. He can take care of things for you.�

�Right. About the only thing he takes care of is changing the channels and buying the beer.�

�You don�t like having him around?�

�It�s just that he wasn�t expected. Chelsea invited him to move in without asking us.�

�You don�t like the unexpected.�

�Not particularly.�

�So if I want to kiss you then I should tell you first?�

Okay. This was so not where I thought we were going with this conversation, but I could live with it. I could definitely live with it.

�Not necessarily. I mean, some things, even though they�re unexpected, you still anticipate them.�

I felt like I was talking in circles. Nervous, anxious, excited. �I guess what I mean is that you wouldn�t have to announce it, if you wanted to kiss me. You could just kiss me, and I wouldn�t be upset that it came without an announcement, because��

�Jennifer?�

�Yeah?�

�I�m going to kiss you.�

Simple. Quietly spoken. And then his lips were on mine.

And his kiss wasn�t at all like his smile. It wasn�t crooked or one-sided. It was quite simply�perfect.