“Hang on, bro,” says Eli, unaffected. “Let me just finish this game!”
“Now, Eli.”
“Fine. Fine. Always so crabby.” Eli swims to the edge of the pool and hoists himself out of the water in one quick move. “You know what you need? One of my world-famous Mai Tais.”
Landon ignores him, his eyes scanning over the patio and eventually settling on me. I half expect him to go ballistic in front of Eli’s friends, but instead, his gaze flicks over me dismissively before he turns on his heel and stalks back inside. A dripping Eli follows behind him, not even bothering to towel off before stepping back into the house.
I crane my neck to watch them arguing through the window, but I’m the only one who seems to care. Someone turns up the music, the game of pool volleyball resumes, and everyone carries on as though the owner of the house didn’t just kill their vibe.
Surfer Dude Josh starts talking again, and I pretend to listen, all while eyeing the Blair brothers through the window. I’m desperate to know what’s being said.
It’s not long until the door opens, and an unaffected Eli jogs out toward the pool. Predicting his next move, I scramble back from the edge to protect my drink as he cannonballs into the water, splashing everyone and everything within a fifteen-foot radius. Landon watches from the doorway with a frown, looking laughably out of place in his work clothes, and then his eyes land on me again. I look away, back at Josh, who also scrambled back from the edge. Before I know it, Landon’s beside us.
“She’s underage,” Landon snaps, towering over my dude bro companion.
My mouth drops open. “I am not!”
He blinks at me. “You’re not?”
“I’m twenty,” I say.
He snorts, then looks back at the guy. “She’s underage. Get lost, buddy.”
Josh doesn’t have to be told twice. He mutters a patheticsee yabefore traipsing off to find a different bikini-clad girl to talk to, and I glare at my sister’s overcontrolling boyfriend.
“Don’t go telling people to get lost,” I say, unable to hide my annoyance. “He was nice.”
“That idiot was not nice. He was staring at your chest the whole time.”
I glance down at my swimsuit and shrug. “So? That’s what I do, right? Walk around here half-naked to get attention? At least, according to you.”
“Peps, want in on this game?” calls Eli from across the pool, tossing the volleyball between his hands. I look at Landon, who’s glaring at his brother, and then back at Eli, who winks at me.
“You know what,” I say. “Sure. Why the hell not?”
I shove my empty cup at Landon’s chest before running and jumping into the pool. My splash isn’t as big as Eli’s, but when I come above the surface and glance back at Landon, there’s no doubt he’s damper than he was before. I grin and wade over to his brother.
“Thanks for the save,” I tell him.
He smiles and tosses me the ball. “I’m a man of my word. Now, let’s see what you’ve got.”
* * *
We win two games and end up in the hot tub.
By now, the party’s died down a bit, and most people are drinking and smoking at the pool’s edge. Much to my surprise, Landon hasn’t retired yet. Instead, he sits on the corner of the hot tub, sipping his second Mai Tai, pant legs rolled up and feet dangling in the bubbling water. It’s an odd sight, and I have a feeling this is the closest I’ll get to ever seeing him in a swimsuit…not that I was hoping for that or anything.
Are you sure about that?
A sudden image of him adjusting the smoke alarm, shirtless with his muscles flexing, flashes through my head, and I shove, shove, shove it out.
Eli, who’s on Mai Tai numberI’ve lost count, is regaling us with the tale of his recent, tragic relationship—if you can call one date and a drunken hookup with a girl who stole his wallet a “relationship,” that is.
“That girl was crazy from the start,” I say, after Eli finishes his story. “I’m no expert on relationships or anything, but you just listed like a billion red flags.”
“What flags? Please. Educate me with the female perspective.”
I tick them off on my fingers one by one. “She was late, she ordered three martinis, she didn’t offer to split the bill, and she stole your wallet, Eli!” Across from me, Landon snorts, and my eyes swing over to him. “Something funny?”
