“My friends,” I say, raising my brows at him. “Most of them also work at the club. They’ve probably waited on your table many times, Landon.”
Landon ignores the not-so-subtle accusation in my tone and glances out toward the pool, a small frown on his face. He seems to consider something before looking back at me. “Well, why don’t you just swim here?”
The question catches me off guard and hangs in the air between us. He’s been doing that a lot lately…surprising me.
“Here?” I ask uncertainly. “Like, here in the pool?”
He rolls his eyes. “No, in the bathtub. Yes, in the pool.”
“I…didn’t know I was allowed to.”
He gives me a funny look. “Why wouldn’t you be allowed? No one else is using it, especially since Eli’s been shacking up withLemon.” He shudders at the thought.
“I guess I didn’t want to overstep,” I say slowly, eyes scanning over his face as I try to read him. After our evening a few days ago, I’m starting to think I need some sort of machine to decode his behavior.
“Invite them,” he presses.
“Alright,” I say, still searching his face for signs of regret. “I’ll invite them.” His mouth twitches, and he glances at my phone, raising his eyebrows. “Oh, right now? Okay. Yeah. Sure.”
With Landon watching, I pull open our group text thread, typing out a message before I can overthink his offer.
Me:Change of plans. Want to hang out in Landon’s pool for the day?
The replies are instantaneous and affirmative.
“They’ll be over in an hour,” I tell him, setting my beach bag back down on the chair.
Landon nods, looking pleased. “Good. I’ll see you later, then.”
“Wait, you’re still going to work?” Now I’m really confused. I assumed that when he offered to invite my friends over, he would be staying here to, in typical Landon fashion,keep an eye on us. Trusting me here alone seems out of character for him.
“I have more prep to do for the shoot,” he tells me and grabs his keys off the counter.
“Oh, okay.”
“I’ll be back later.”
He’s gone before I have a chance to respond, but I don’t dwell on his strange behavior for too long. My friends arrive within the hour, and I give them a grand tour of the house, explaining that my sister took a lot of stuff when she moved out. They don’t seem to notice, awestruck by the high ceilings, massive windows, and state-of-the-art appliances. The screened-in patio area is what kills them—the hot tub, the view, the incredible infinity pool—and the boys waste no time diving into the deep end.
We spend the next few hours lounging and swimming, laughing and drinking. This group has a way of lifting my mood with their jokes and their candor, and I know I’ll never take them for granted. I’ve been waiting my whole life for friends like these.
Jake gives us the latest on this girl Hannah he’s been seeing—only three dates so far, but it seems promising—and Brit and Sienna question him on every detail about her, from the color of her nail polish to the car she drives to her hopes and dreams for the future.
“How many kids does she want?” asks Brit, who’s sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the shallow end. “Does she even want kids?”
“We’ve been on three dates, Brit,” Jake says. “Three.”
Brit shrugs. “So? That’s information I’d need by date two.”
“And you wonder why men are scared of you.”
“We’re just looking out for you, Jake,” says Sienna, who’s got her arms wrapped around Ollie’s neck. They’re adorable together, and I can’t understand why they won’t make it official already.
“We only want the best for you,” says Brit, in a rare show of her softer side.
Jake splashes her lightly across the pool. “Yeah, yeah.”
“So, what should I wear to the concert next week?” Sienna asks me, and I can barely contain my excitement when I remember we’re seeing Alex Masen up close and personal in a matter of days. In anticipation of the concert, I’ve been streaming all of Accident Prone’s albums on repeat during my runs. “I was thinking leather skirt, tube top, combat boots.”
