“You can say it to me after I tell you my idea.” She gives me her impish smile, the contagious one that makes me smile in response, even though I’m slightly irritated.
“I’m listening.”
“Can you come early?”
“What do you mean, can I come early?”
“Can you get home early? Maybe a good week early so that we can go over everything and get our story straight and practice acting like a couple who’s desperately in love.” She makes a face like that grosses her out. Her long blonde hair falls past her shoulders and I watch as she twirls it in her fingers delicately. I can still remember when we were fifteen and she’d asked me to brush her hair a hundred times a night. At the time, the task had felt tedious, but now, I missed touching those silky locks.
I can’t help but laugh.
“Because I’m not that good of an improv actress, and I don’t think you’re that good of an actor period.”
“It’s going to be that hard for you to pretend you’re in love with me?” I pretend to be wounded.
“Luke, we have to pretend we’re in a relationship.” She practically gags. “We have to pretend that we kiss and we touch and … oh my, even thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach.” She shudders. “Can you imagine us kissing?”
My heart sinks slowly at her words. I’m slightly offended by what she’s saying, but I’m not going to tell her that.
“It makes you sick to your stomach to think about kissing me? Well, that’s good to know.”
“What? I’m just being honest. I’m sure you feel the same way.” She grins and leans back into the wall and brushes her hair back behind her ears. She’s got a dark blue headband on, and I notice she’s got her bikini top on under her blouse. “Can you imagine your lips on mine?”
“Ew.” I pretend to gag as well. “Not at all. I’m pretty sure you suck as a kisser.”
“I’m pretty sure you suck as a kisser too, Luke.”
“I’m pretty sure that Beatrice—who I kissed a couple of weeks ago—thinks I’m a pretty fine kisser.” I smack my lips together. “In fact, she moaned like I?—”
“Gross, Luke.” She blinks rapidly. “And who the hell is Beatrice?”
“No one important. So, who have you kissed recently that thought you were a pretty fine kisser?” I don’t know why I ask the question because I don’t really want to know who her Barbie-pink lips have been smooching.
“Well, I wouldn’t say anyone recently.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “So, maybe I’ll go to Cocktails & Chaos tonight, and I’ll practice with a hot tourist. That way, it can’t get back to Rex, but I can get my flirting skills on because, honestly, I’m not really good at flirting and pretending I’m in a relationship because it’s been so long.” She takes a deep breath. “So, maybe tonight will?—”
“Really, Mia?”
“What? It’s a good idea. I’m going to get all dressed up tonight, and then Juniper and I are going to flirt up a storm with two hot surfers, and I’m going to make out and?—”
“Ew. I do not want to hear this story. You’re going to go and pimp yourself out just to practice for when I get to town?”
“I’m hardly pimping myself out, Luke. That’s rude.” She shifts the phone closer to her face, and I can see her skin is glowing. It must be a hot day in Coconut Beach. “We also need to figure out the parameters of this contract.”
“Of what contract? What are you talking about, Mia?”
“I mean the contract between us—obviously not aFifty Shades of Greycontract or anything,” she says, giggling. “That would be disgusting. But we need to figure out exactly what we will and won’t do to sell this story.”
“I kinda wanna know what aFifty Shades of Greycontract would consist of, but you can tell me that in person.” I wink at her. “You tell me, Mia, what are some things that you will do to sell our love story?”
“I guess I’ll allow you to kiss me on the cheek.”
“I already kiss you on the cheek.”
“Yeah, but not in a passionate way.”
“There’s a passionate way to kiss on the cheek?”
“Maybe not.” She giggles. “Maybe I’ll allow a quick peck on the lips.”
