Now that she’s obsessed with the Big Apple, I guess she’s too good for any traveling that’s not to New York City. My shoulders fall as Mandy quickly changes the subject, talking about her college classes and how much she loves the city. I guess I wanted her to be more interested in my internship. After months of feeling stuck and hopeless, I finally have something to get excited about. I just wish someone would be excited with me.
We talk for a little while longer, and then there’s a loud knocking sound coming from her end of the phone. Three girls pile into Mandy’s dorm room, and they’re so loud I have to hold the phone further away from my face.
“Oh my god, guys!” Mandy says, waving them away with her hands. “Yes, we can get pizza.” She turns her attention to me. “I gotta go. I miss you, Avery!”
“I miss you too,” I say, but the last part is cut off when she ends the call. I barely got a glimpse of those girls, but I don’t need to see them to know that they’ve clearly replaced the spot I used to have in Mandy’s life. Oh well, I guess it’s good that she’s happy.
Once we’re off the phone, I realize I completely forgot to tell her about the other awesome thing about Team Loco. When I was filling out my internship paperwork on the flight here, Marcus had sat next to me in first class and he told me all about Team Loco’s employment opportunities. There’s a possibility that I could get an official job with the team, as marketing or HR or something. Team Loco even pays for college classes once I’ve worked or interned here for a year, as long as I pass the college courses with a grade of a B or higher. How cool is that?
I roll my eyes and fall back on my bed, annoyed that I forgot to tell Mandy. But I doubt she would have cared anyway. It’s the first time we’ve gotten to talk in ages and she only wanted to talk about herself and her stupid amazing new life.
There’s a knock on my hotel door, or at least it sounds like it. But why would anyone be visiting me? I check the time on the digital clock on my nightstand. It’s just after eight-thirty. I walk over and peek out of the peephole in my door. Three girls are standing outside. I only recognize one of them—Keanna.
I open the door.
“Hey!” Keanna says, all smiles just like always. “The other girlfriends are here and I wanted to introduce you to them.”
“Oh, cool,” I say, flashing a smile to the two strangers. Keanna introduces me to Bree, who has long dark brown hair and a heart-shaped face. She’s Zach’s girlfriend. The other girl is Aiden’s girlfriend Jenn, who is curvy with lighter hair that’s cut into a cute bob style. She’s wearing bright red lipstick and is holding a pair of flip-flops.
“We came to rescue you from hotel room boredom,” Jenn says as she holds out the flip-flops to me.
I take them and realize that they’re all wearing the same flip-flops. They’re navy blue with the hotel’s logo printed on the sole. “Where are we going? I ask. I don’t really care, though. I’m excited to get out of here.
“Do you have a swimsuit?” Keanna asks.
I grin. “Yep.”
“Perfect,” she says as they let themselves into my hotel room. “Go change into it. We’re hitting up the indoor pool.”
Before I know it, I’m hanging out with three pretty girls who are all vastly cooler than I am. We’re floating on pool noodles in the hotel’s gorgeous indoor pool. There’s a rock waterfall, colorful LED lights, and palm trees filling the room so you can almost imagine that you’re outside in a tropical paradise. Swimming in a heated pool in the middle of December is something I didn’t know I needed. My feet are thanking me right now as I hold them over a water jet.
“I’m so glad you were able to come,” Keanna says to Jenn. “How’s the internship?”
I perk up at her question because it’s cool that another one of us is doing an internship.
“It’s hard and challenging, but amazing,” Jenn says. She’s the only one who has dunked her head in the water, so her hair is all shriveled up and dripping water while we float in the pool. “I’m glad I got some time off to come hang out.”
“Me too,” Bree and Keanna say at the same time.
“So do you guys travel with the team when you can?” I ask.
They nod. Keanna says, “I’m usually here the most since my life is also so focused on motocross. But I love when the girls can come with us, and I especially love having you. There’s too much boy on this team,” she says with a laugh.
“Team Girlfriend forever,” Bree says.
“Team Girlfriend plus an intern,” I say, laughing. “I’m technically still on the job, I think. Marcus has me doing random stuff for him at all hours.”
“You know…” Keanna says, her voice taking on a tone that makes my smile fade away. “There’s four of us girls and four of the guys and only two of ya’ll are still single…”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Bree says. Her mischievous grin is even worse than Keanna’s.
I roll my eyes. “I’m just an intern.”
“Are you single?” Bree asks.
I shrug. “I mean… yeah.”
“And are you into guys?” Jenn says.
