Keane’s smile widens and his dimples pop out of his face. “Z said, ‘My ‘W-D-Y’ tattoo doesn’t say ‘WENDY,’ baby doll. It says ‘WELCOME TO SEATTLE. MY NAME IS ZANDER SHAW. HAVE A GREAT...DAY!’”
I burst into hysterical laughter along with everyone else.
Finally, when the group’s laughter has died down enough for conversation to resume, Keane flashes me his irresistible dimples, pats me on the head like a puppy and says, “Z and I met in math class in eighth grade. I said, ‘Yo, smart guy, will you help me with this shit?’ And we’ve been best friends ever since.”
37
Ryan
Fuck my life.
I’m standing here talking to Josh, Kat, Jonas, Sarah, Henn and Henn’s girlfriend, Hannah (whom Kat keeps calling “Hannah Banana Montana Milliken”), and, much to my horror, Henn’s in the midst of telling everyone about the email I sent him earlier today. And as he does, maybe I’m paranoid, but it truly seems like Kat’s face keeps lighting up with recognition, specifically when Henn says “Charlotte McDougal” and “redhead” and “Delta.”
“So did you call Charlotte?” Henn asks me.
“Yeah, I left a voicemail for her, but she hasn’t called me back yet,” I reply, lying through my teeth. (What choice do I have?)
“Keep us posted,” Henn says. “Hopefully, Charlotte McDougal will finally lead you to your Argentinian whale, Captain Ahab.”
“Hey, will you all excuse me for a second?” Kat says. “I see Tessa over there talking to Dax and I want to make sure we’re all set for tomorrow night’s big concert.” Without waiting for anyone’s reply, Kat beelines across the party, straight to Dax and Tessa—a move that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.What the fuck is my diabolical sister up to?
“So you’re still totally into the flight attendant,” Josh says, his eyes narrowed.
I look at Josh and my stomach clenches at the hard-ass way he’s looking at me. Obviously, he’s not thrilled to think I’m still obsessed with Samantha while simultaneously sniffing around his honorary little sister.
“I’m not still into the flight attendant,” I reply lamely. “I just want to find her so I can clear my name with her, that’s all. She thinks I’m some sort of player-douche, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
“What the fuck!” Henn blurts, drawing my attention away from Josh’s hard stare. “You want to find Samantha to ‘clear your name,’ and not because she’s your Cinderella? Jesus, that’s hardly a reason to hack into nine airlines.”
Fuck.
Henn looks at Jonas. “Back me up on this, Big Guy: Ryan said he had a big-time ‘soul connection’ with the flight attendant. It was never about clearing his name.”
“Yup,” Jonas says. “That’s what he said. His soul was screaming at him to find her.”
Aw, Jesus. Now Jonas is looking at me like I’m a complete asshole.
“No. Yeah. Ididsay that,” I choke out.Fuck! “And I meant every word. It was all true. It’s just that it’s been so long at this point, I’ve had to start managing my expectations, you know, to protect my sanity. So, I’ve decided if this Charlotte McDougal doesn’t call me back within the next forty-eight hours, then I’m just gonna have to force myself to move on and not think about Samantha anymore—just because it’s not sane to do otherwise.”
Now Jonas is looking at me like I’m not just an asshole, I’m a traitorous motherfucker, too. “Well, kudos to you if moving on is that simple for you, man,” Jonas says. “Whether it’s the sane thing to do or not, I certainly wouldn’t have been able to turn the page on my search for Sarah the way you’re saying, not if I’d invested the kind of time and effort you have and was as close as you are now.” Jonas glances at his brother and they share a loaded look, and then Jonas returns his attention to me and smiles. “But, hey, I guess I’m just a much crazier fuck than you.”
38
Tessa
“Zand I met in math class in eighth grade,” Keane says. “I said, ‘Yo, smart guy, will you help me with this shit?’ And we’ve been best friends ever since.”
I giggle. “Oh my gosh, Keane. Did you come up with that ri-dick-ulous story on the fly, or is that your go-to answer whenever someone asks how you and Zander met?”
“On the fly,” Keane says. “Bullshitting is kinda my superpower.”
Zander chuckles. “If bullshitting could pay the bills, Peenie and I would be living in the penthouse suite.”
“Bullshittingcanpay the bills these days,” I say. “It’s called reality TV. Actually, in all seriousness, I bet if a casting agent—”
I feel an arm slide around my shoulders and I stop talking—and when I turn my head, I see Kat’s gorgeous, smiling face a few inches from mine.
“Hey, Miss Rodriguez,” Kat coos. “Are you having fun, as promised?”
