Shark Bait (The Grab Your Pole Series) (13 page)

Tristan and Jeff, along with some other kids I’m sort of familiar with now, were standing in a corner of the backyard when we finally reached them. Somehow, we lost Melissa along the way so I was grateful to have those other kids to shout at because Jeff essentially began feasting on poor Kate the moment we got close enough for her to become ensnared. He only relinquished her once when he went on a beer run for himself and Tristan. Which incidentally, took him a least a half-hour to return from.

The party was such an intense crush I felt like we were in a can of tinned sardines. Sorry. I know that’s a horrible cliché, but as I now fully appreciate the meaning behind it, I just couldn’t help myself. Honestly though, there are only two things I can say I enjoyed about this whole experience aside from some decent music; 1) Teresa was nowhere to be seen, and 2) Although he didn’t shout, holler, or scream a single word to me, Tristan stayed put the entire night. I’m guessing that’s because there was really nowhere for him to go.

With my first party experience being what it is, I’m hoping tomorrow night’s chosen soiree is more like a shindig, because I’m now definitely certain that Oz would classify tonight’s as being a hootenanny. Seriously, watch that above referenced movie. The only thing this party is lacking is a drunk china-man named Long Duck Dong falling out of a tree. And if you happen to have already seen it, try to keep “the geek and the underwear” scene in mind for the future…

7.

Nippley New Girl

Saturday evening Kate and I were standing in her cavernous bathroom in front of the mirror, primping and perfecting ourselves in preparation for round two of the weekend’s social circuit. By this time I’m admitting that impatience does not look good on me. I’ve become pretty saucy, but not in an attractive way. I totally need to cool it with my verbal lashings, too; otherwise I’ll probably end up alienating all the people I care about.

That was what I was thinking about when I said, “Hey Kate? I’m really sorry about my venomous tongue lately. I know I haven’t been a joy to be around the last couple days.”

“It’s okay, Camie. I get it. Believe me, I do. I’m a big fan of instant gratification too, but we’re making progress so just hang in there. You heard what your cousin and his friend said. Plus, Tristan’s strategy last night means we’re still moving in the right direction.” In the mirror her kind gaze met mine briefly before she returned to touching up her expertly applied eyeliner.

“What strategy? Basically being trapped behind me for the duration of that party was a strategy?”

“Camie, he wasn’t trapped. He
chose
to remain rigidly where he was because you were there,” Kate told me as if that should’ve been obvious.

I sighed and tried for more softness in my tone. “Okay, explain. Because from where I was standing, he looked pretty hedged in and since I’m obviously not bright enough to figure this stuff out on my own, you need to give me the play-by-play.”

Bending over to fluff her hair, Kate said, “Well, it looked to me like he was doing a couple of interesting things. He could’ve, and always has in the past, gone to get his own refill, but, he didn’t. Instead, he sent Jeff. And I say he sent him, because Jeff was pouting about having to leave. Jeff knew how long it’d take with all those people there, and he didn’t want another drink either. He was already pretty buzzed and he ended up pouring his beer out on the grass before he’d even taken a drink.

“I think Tristan was not only being vigilant about keeping you in his sight, but he was using you as cover...like a shield to protect him from other girls. It worked too. When Jeff left and I was able to come up for air for a while, I saw at least two girls make like they were gonna approach him and both times, he shifted directly behind you and closed the gap between the two of you. It gave the almost unmistakable impression that you guys were there together. When the girls saw that and read the message he was sending, they pretty much turned-tail and left.”

“How do you
do
that?” I asked, seriously awed once more.

She laughed and put her sandals on. “I don’t know. I guess it just comes easy because I’ve had more experience with this stuff and I’ve known both of them forever.”

“Huh. So,
please
tell me this party isn’t gonna be one with wall-to-wall human carpeting like last night...God, that was miserable,” I pleaded. Really, it wasn’t much fun and Tristan or no Tristan; I’ve yet to see the attraction to an event such as that.

“Yeah, I know…it really was. Some parties just end up like that, though. Especially the ones after a game because word spreads like wild fire and people from the opposing school inevitably show up, too. Tonight should be better...Mike is usually more selective in his guest list. There’ll still be tons of people there, but his house is massive and if it’s an indoor-outdoor thing, it won’t seem so packed,” Kate reassured me with a smile. “You look really pretty, Camie.”

“Gee whiz, Kate, thanks. You look great too…I especially like your eyes. They look really fantastic tonight.”

“Only because I’m wearing makeup…I
swear
I was born without eyelashes.” She swept a big, fat blush brush over her cheeks, giving her fair skin a healthy looking glow. “You know, I wish I could get away with not wearing makeup all the time…it’s such a pain.”

“I wouldn’t know…my parents don’t think I need it.”

“Well, they’re right. Be grateful though, wearing this crap isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.” Kate then gave her overall appearance one more look in the mirror and finding it satisfactory, she snatched up her car keys and asked, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, I guess I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be…bring on the tinned fish!” I told her genially, trying to get my good sense of humor firmly back in place.

We got to Mike’s and although finding a place to park was tricky with all the cars parked bumper to bumper on the long, winding driveway and along the street, I blew out a sigh of relief and mentally thanked God once we entered the house. Kate was right; this gathering was much more on the shindig scale I’d been hoping for. She wasn’t kidding about Mike’s house being massive either. I mean I thought her place is big, but his is
enormous
. Get this; he actually has his own freaking tennis courts—yeah, plural—a putting green,
and
a hedgerow maze out in the north forty of the backyard. There were kids ranging all over the place, inside and out, but like Kate had said, the place is so big that you wouldn’t notice if half of California were in attendance. Except, of course, when you have to use the bathroom. I learned that at last night’s party and I guess it really doesn’t matter if there’re four available bathrooms or nine, the line will always be uncomfortably long.

Upon arriving, Kate and I went to the backyard to hang out with a tolerable sized group of our peers by a fire pit; one I’d no problem envisioning as the centerpiece of an authentic Hawaiian luau with a big pig being roast in the center. She and I were each sitting on one of the many, cushioned bamboo lounges, both of us listening to and participating in the animated talk going on around us, and we were both keeping an eye out for our men. They hadn’t shown up yet and although Kate promised me they would be here, she was starting to have doubts. She kept checking her phone for the time or to see if she had any texts or missed calls. I think the main thing she’s worried about right now is if Jeff’s okay, so I was about to suggest that she just call him herself when she removed her phone from her back pocket again and took the words right out of my mouth.

“You know, I’m worried. I’m just gonna call him and see what’s going on.”

I considered getting in line for one of the bathrooms, thinking of it more as a preemptive strike because I didn’t have to go yet. Instead, I chose to wait by my friend’s side as she listened to “Dear Jeff’s” phone ringing while she nervously bit her fingernails. She got his voicemail and left a message clearly stating that if he wasn’t dead or dying, he’d better call her back pronto or he could kiss his free meals goodbye again.

“I’m sure he’s okay, Kate.” I put as much confidence behind by tone as I could. Truth is, though, anything could’ve happened and she’s really starting to freak.

“I know. You’re right. Okay, come on…I want a drink. I need to calm down or I’ll make myself sick,” she said, suddenly standing up and grabbing my hand to haul me out of my seat.

We made our way into the kitchen and while she pounded down two shots of some various kind of liquor, I took in my surroundings. The kitchen was as large and impressive as you would expect it to be in a house this size, but it was a cozy kitchen nook table situated in a corner that captured my attention. Seated all around it; six guys were playing what looked to be a game involving a quarter. For some unknown reason—maybe it’s because the coin was so sparkly—I was completely enthralled and went to move closer to better observe what they were doing. However, just as I took maybe a step and a half away, Kate grabbed my arm and showed me that her phone was ringing. Because I didn’t know what to say when she was obviously distraught by seeing Tristan’s name on the caller ID instead of Jeff’s; I took the phone from her and answered it.

“Tristan, what’s wrong? Kate is totally frea—Oh! Jeff! Yeah, sh—”

Realizing it was Jeff on the other end, Kate yanked the phone from me and started lecturing her featherbrained boyfriend, who she’s undeniably head over heels in love with. So as Kate went off on Jeff about how he needs to learn how to use a phone charger and that he could’ve called two hours ago to tell her they’d gotten a flat tire on the way home from the beach, I tapped her shoulder, informing her I was going to go to the bathroom. I figure I might as well, since I have time before my personal special someone—who knows how to use a phone charger, but just prefers to be uncommunicative—apparently won’t be here for a while.

Aw, crap.
This is
so
what I’d hoped to avoid having to endure tonight. I get in line for the bathroom and what do I hear? It’s a sound so horrific it makes my stomach clench and I have to cover my mouth to keep from retching on bile…Teresa using foul words to excrete her toxic designs on Tristan. I’m really coming to hate her. She’s standing next to Lisa and with just one other girl between us; I can hear everything coming out of her mouth. I’m seriously considering sticking my fingers in my ears and singing la-la-la-la to myself so I don’t have to be subjected to her torture, because honestly, my temper’s been particularly short lately and I’m afraid I might unleash verbal hell—or worse—on her. At least automotive difficulties are keeping Tristan incommunicado for the time being and maybe once he gets here, he’ll find a safe place to hide.

Or, not…

I waited my turn, kept my mouth shut like a good girl, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I had to go. Perfect timing, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I can’t say much for my timing on exiting the house after using the facilities. I’d just taken barely more than four steps out one of the sliding glass backdoors when, carrying a large pitcher of some kind of red punch and not paying attention to where he was going, a guy clipped the shoulder of a girl who was to my left so that the contents of the pitcher went flying to
completely
drench me. Adding salt to my margarita wound—okay, it isn’t a pitcher of margaritas, but it’s definitely boozy—is that this whole thing happened right in front of none other than the Trollop Triplets
and
Tristan. I could tell Tristan really wanted to be cracking up and was desperately trying to keep a straight face, but Teresa wasn’t nearly as kind. The disparagingly-vapid-malicious-pestilent-bitch immediately pointed at me, first cackling and then, howling in savage laughter.

“
OH MY GOD!!
Hey everyone,
look
!! That’s the funniest fucking thing I’ve ever seen! Sucks to be you!”

“I don’t know if
I’d
say that.”

If I weren’t already so thoroughly stunned, Tristan’s disarmingly purred words suddenly coming from
right
beside me would’ve made me jump out of my skin. My bones may have remained secure, but the look on Tristan’s face
is
giving my nerves quite the work out. Plus, my palms are tingling so intensely; I wouldn’t be surprised to look and see myself hooked up to electrodes. That being said, I felt his next turn of phrase in my toes…

“While I agree this might not be your best look, I bet you taste pretty good.” His eyes locked on mine and, mesmerized, I watched them shift and change into a darker blue than I’d ever known eyes could be. Then—
holy crapolie
—you’re
SO
not gonna believe what he did—he slowly ran his finger down my dripping nose, put said finger in his mouth, and sucked the punch stuff right off of it! “Yep…pretty tasty indeed.”

OH MY GOD!!

That’s all I got. I’m flabbergasted. I mean how am I supposed to react to this?

No really, I’m asking; I wanna know.

I couldn’t breathe and my heart had decided it was done pumping so I was just standing there, looking like an asinine court jester who’s dripping in alcoholic Hawaiian punch with my mouth slightly ajar, when that @$*& sashayed up way too far into Tristan’s personal space. She put a hand on his chest in an attempt to take his focus off me and put it onto her, where she, for some unfathomable reason, thought it belonged. He tried to ignore her and was still looking at me; however, the bimbo was determined to make him notice her.

“Tristan! I’m
so
relieved you’re finally here! I was starting to think you were gonna leave me
empty handed
all night, if you know what I mean…” She leaned further into him, oozing vulgarity while her hand intimately moved south, making me want to gag. Actually, I think I threw up a little in my mouth. “You know, you never called me, you naughty, naughty boy.”

Yeah. She actually used the word “naughty.” Twice. She should be banned from the use of language altogether.

Being that she was practically undulating against him, he was finally forced to look at her. I noticed his eyes lighten back to normal but they were flat, devoid of almost all life. And how she could possibly miss the sheer disdain he regarded with, I’ve not a clue, but I heard his scorn loud and clear.