I groan. “I was hoping that nickname wouldn’t stick.”
“You’re just in time to try my concoction!”
“What is all this?” I ask, setting my purse on the counter.
“I raided Landon’s liquor cabinet. I’m making my world-famous Mai Tais.” He pours the colorful mixture into a tall glass with ice and tops it with a miniature umbrella. He’s about to pass me the drink when he hesitates. “Wait, you’re twenty-one, aren’t you?”
I blink at him. “No.”
His eyes narrow as he thinks it over, and then he shrugs, shoving the drink into my hand anyway. “Eh, what the hell. Drink up, Pepper Spray. It’s a party.”
As if on cue, high-pitched screams and laughter drift inside from the pool.
“Where’s Landon? Does he know you turned his house into a frat party?” I ask, taking a sip of the drink. My eyes widen because it’s delicious. And strong. “Shit. I think I’m already drunk.”
“That’s the point. Now get that cute little ass into a swimsuit and come join us.”
I sigh, giving the cocktail a wary look as I set it on the counter. One more of these, and there’s no doubt I’ll be completely blotto. “I’m not really in the mood.”
Eli cocks an eyebrow. “Is this about my brother?” I don’t respond, but my silence says it all. “Don’t worry about him. He was a dick, and he knows it. He owes you a big fat apology.”
I give a bitter laugh. “Yeah, I’m not holding my breath for that one.”
I know that Landon’s going to come home, see this mess, and scream at me for it. If I were smart, I’d head up to my room, shut the door, and call it a night. Better yet, I’d go stay at Brit and Sienna’s.
Eli must read my mind, though, because he says, “Don’t worry about Landon. If Mr. Perfect throws one of his patented hissy fits, I’ll assure him you had nothing to do with it.”
“Alright,” I say slowly, eyeing the glistening water of the pool I’ve only ever admired. “I’ll be down in ten.”
“Atta girl.”
And that’s how I find myself sitting on the edge of Dr. Dumbbutt’s pool in my six-hundred-likes bikini with a Mai Tai in my hand. Music’s blaring through the outdoor sound system, Eli’s friends are engaged in an extremely competitive game of pool volleyball, and I’ve got a picture-perfect view of the sun setting over the canal, one I’m going to be sure to miss once I leave this place. Maybe it’s the drink talking, but at times like this, I’m certain I’m in paradise.
Out of nowhere, a guy drops down beside me, making me jump.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle,” he says with a smirk. “You looked lonely.”
He’s the quintessential beach boy, but so are all of Eli’s friends. The girls have heavy tans and hair bleached blonde from the sun, and the guys are all tattoos and muscles. They’re clear partiers, none of them seeming to have any qualms about being in a stranger’s pool.
He stretches his hand toward me. “Josh.”
I shake it, smiling at him. “Violet.”
“Haven’t seen you around here. You just move or something?”
“Something like that,” I say. “I live here, actually.”
“Oh, are you Eli’s brother’s girl?”
“No,” I say, a little too defensive. “Definitely not that. I’m her sister.”
Josh nods and takes a sip of his beer. “Nice. So, your boyfriend’s not here then?”
I almost laugh at the leading question. “Nope. Don’t have one.”
I take another sip of my drink as Josh’s eyes light up, and he scoots a bit closer to me. I’m flattered by his interest, and he’s not unattractive, but he’s not really my type. Even so, I don’t move away, especially since he seems harmless enough. But before I have a chance to speak to him further, the music cuts. The party goes silent, save for the jostling pool water and the bubbling hot tub.
“Eli!” Landon’s booming voice carries over the pool, across the canal, and probably halfway to Georgia. I wince a little because this isn’t going to be pretty. “Get the hell over here!”
