What I didn’t ask was ‘what happened to your back?’
“Give me a second,” she huffed and I couldn’t blame her.
Where was my brain? I wouldn’t open my mom’s door like that. But that’s because you never knew when my parents were doing the hippity dippity. I swear, even after eight years of marriage, they acted like newlyweds. I’d learned not to go throwing doors open very early on with those two.
“Okay!” she called cheerfully, like she was over it. “I’m decent.”
I pushed the door open more slowly this time. To make her laugh, I shut my eyes again, hand out like a blind man feeling his way.
She giggled, though it sounded forced. “I told you I’m decent, silly.”
I pried one eye open to find that she was indeed clothed. Well, in a black tankini top and daisy dukes. Her makeup was all bronzed and shimmery, her mascara purposely smeared under her eyes. It would look great in the pool. But Charlie looked great anywhere, even without makeup.
“Sorry,” I said again. “Is your back okay? It looks painful.”
She nodded but her eyes darted away, probably still feeling awkward from flashing me. Which was totally my fault. “I’m having an allergic reaction. You know Virginia. Pollen, hay, you name it. Super itchy.”
“Do you want me to see if Anna has some Benadryl?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be too sleepy to film.” She tugged the hem of her jean cutoffs lower down her thighs. Mom was right. She was nervous. Her shoulders locked up nearly at her ears, licking her lips frantically, and she wouldn’t keep eye contact for more than a second or two.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, hoping if she could admit it, it would help.
“What?” Her hands flailed. “No. I’m f-fine,” her voice cracked.
“It’s okay. I’m nervous too.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, overdoing it. “Why would you be nervous? You’re Cash Dupree. You probably dated hundreds of girls in college. Kissed double that. This pool scene is nothing.”
“Not really.” I scratched my eyebrow. “I mean, yeah, I dated a fair bit the first year or two but then I kind of gave it up. It was…exhausting…being Ford Dupree’s kid and all. I never knew who wanted to be my friend for real and who just wanted free tickets to Dad’s concert, free vacations, selfies to make a reel go viral.”
High School Charlie would’ve teased me and said something like, “Poor Cash. Your life must be so hard.” But World Traveler, Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks Charlie swallowed and said, “Like Millie?”
“Yeah. Like Millie.”
She looked down and fumbled with the button on her cut-offs. Her hands were shaking. Convulsing actually. A 9.8 on the Richter scale. Okay. Time to try something else.
“Hey.” I closed the distance between us and tugged her against me, wrapping my arms around her back.
“What’re you doing?” Her arms were stiff at her side. “You know I’m not a hugger.”
“Shhh,” I whispered into her hair. “Did you know it’s a proven fact that if you hug someone you care about for at least twenty seconds, it reduces cortisol and releases oxytocin?” I could already feel the hormone slipping through my veins, calming everything in me.
“Did you learn that in college?” she asked in a hush.
“No.” I tucked her under my chin. “My mom. And we both know she’s right about everything. So go ahead and relax and hug me back.”
“Okay.” She slid her arms around my waist. Her cheek pressed into my shoulder, her breath warm on my neck. She smelled like vanilla and I recognized it as the shampoo Mom kept in the guest suite.
We stood there, melded together, peace swirling around us. At least it was swirling around me. I hoped it was doing the same for her. I could’ve stayed there for an hour, it felt so good.
“Could you be honest?” she asked. “We’re good enough friends to give each other a breath check, right?”
I chuckled. “Sure. Lay it on me.”
“Okay. But you have to tell the truth.” She pushed up on her tiptoes and blew a quick burst of air straight up my nostrils.
I held her gaze. “I suddenly have a ridiculous craving for peppermint hot chocolate.”
