“Can you stand still for two seconds?” Dev says. “You’remaking me jumpy and I don’t even care about this party.”
I roll my eyes. I can’t help it if my nerves are out of control—I’ve been waiting all week for Will’s party. This is the first one I’ve gone to since Andy’s and I’m desperate for it to go well. Luckily, Will’s arrival saves me from arguing. Like last time, he pulls into the circular driveway so quickly that gravel shoots out from under the tires like tiny bullets.
I cover my face, hoping that nothing gets on my outfit. It took me an hour to decide between something fancy—am I trying too hard?—and casual—do I come across like I don’t care?—before finally settling on a skirt and cropped sweater. But one glance at Will tells me there was no point trying to fit in with him.
He’s perfection incarnate. No one at Waterford could pull off the combo of a tight navy shirt and a blue linen blazer without looking like they were headed to church or homecoming, but Will makes it look totally normal. I sneak a glance at Dev and Huan,whose biggest fashion achievements are putting on clean T-shirts. No one’s going to need to guess who the Americans are.
“Elle, you look wonderful. I’m so glad you could come.”
I shove my hands in the pockets of my skirt to hide my shaking. Elle.Right, he calls me Elle.
“And good to see you blokes as well. You both look like you could use some fun.” He motions them to the back seats, clearly saving the passenger seat for me.
We pile in and Will takes off down the driveway so fast I’m sure a grounds keeper will jump out of the bushes and race after the car.
“Where’s your other friend? From the flea market?”
“Sage is in London,” Dev replies.
“She goes there every Friday to work on a research project,” Huan adds.
“Bloody hell, you all do take this seriously.”
“Well, this isn’t a vacation for us,” Dev says. “We’re here to work.”
The comment reminds me of Sage. They really would be cute together.
“All of you?” Will quirks his eyebrow at me.
“Not all of us. I want to experience the culture too.”
“Good! And I’d be more than happy to help you enjoy it.” He reaches over and gives my hand a light squeeze. “You can worry about working when you’re back in America.”
“It’s a plan.”
Joy fills me at the idea that this might be the beginning of even more time with Will. I know everyone else is here for academics, butI’m perfectly okay with a subpar GPA if it means more Will time.
“So you aren’t in school?” Dev asks him.
Will’s eyes narrow slightly. “I’m working as an estate agent for my father right now.”
“I love British real estate,” I blurt.
I know nothing about real estate.
Will turns onto another road lined with trees. It’s only when an enormous house appears in the distance that I realize this isn’t a road. It’s Will’sdriveway. I’m even more intimidated when I see both the number and types of cars parked in front of the house. It’s like pulling into a luxury car dealership.
Huan’s eyes widen as we make our way inside, but Dev frowns as if the house has personally offended him. I love it, though, even if my mom’s duplex could fit in the front hall. It’s bright, airy, and perfectly coordinated in creams, blues, and greens. Will’s parents clearly dropped a ton of money on an interior designer.
“Wow, this looks like a magazine spread.”
“I’ll have to tell Father. He’s dying to getArchitectural Digestin here. Thinks it’ll be good for business.” Will tosses out the words like it’s no big deal.
We walk through a wood-paneled hallway and into an expansive kitchen. A girl and guy lean against the far counter, their heads inches apart, oblivious to us. Bottles of alcohol cover a massive island—so many that they blur in my vision. Will chuckles at my expression.
“It’s hard to get anyone out here from London unless I can promise loads of alcohol.”
I nod and smile, but I’m sweating. The extent of my drinkingexperience has been a few sips of vomit-inducing light beer during a small party at Crystal’s house. And before Waterford Valley, parties I went to consisted of some sleepovers with microwave popcorn and embarrassing games of Truth or Dare. What if Will’s expecting me to get...pissedlike everyone else? I suddenly regret not correcting him when he assumed I was in college. It seemed harmless enough at the time, but now I’m not so sure.
