I smiled. “Sorry. Long day. So long, in fact, that I’mthinking maybe—”
“Nope,” he said flatly.
Stopped in mid-sentence, I paused before trying to speak again. “It’s just, we were out on the water today, I’m really—”
“Nope.”
“Nope what?”
“Nope,” he said, “you’re not going to bail on me right in front of my face. This ride, and party, is my apology. You accepted it. Therefore, you have to come.”
I looked out at the car again. Hannah had the mirror visor down and was checking her lipstick, while Rachel laughed at something in the back seat. “I don’t know,” I said. “I’m not sure it’s my thing.”
“It’s yourside,” he said. “Come on.”
Sighing, I went, following him through the doors, which swung open automatically, and outside, where the valets were running around as cars came and went. When Rachel saw me, she squealed.
“Oh, good, you’re coming!” she yelled. “Let’s go!”
This enthusiasm was seconded by Hannah, who reached around for me once I was in the back seat and gave me a sloppy hug that smelled like beer. “Soglad you’re here,” she said, her voice hot in my ear. “This is the night it all happens. I’m sure of it!”
She sounded so excited. But if she meant her getting with Roo, I wasn’t.
Blake slid behind the wheel, starting the engine, then beeped at the valets as we pulled around the circle in front ofthe Club. Just as we pulled out on the main road, I caught a quick glimpse of a white screen set up on the beach beyond the pool. This is probably a bad idea, I thought. But then we were accelerating, the wind picking up through the windows, and it was done.
“This neighborhood is like a maze,” Blake complained as we crept down yet another street, looking for house numbers. “And all the houses are sotiny.”
Hearing this, I felt a flare of annoyance. They weren’t that small, actually. I guess it just depended what you were comparing them to.
“Roo says it’s a white house with a carport,” Hannah said, reading off her phone’s screen. “And that he’ll come out so we can see him if necessary.”
This was the fifth time she’d mentioned his name in the short trip over. And yes, I’d been counting.
“I swear, we’ve already been down this road,” Blake muttered as we turned onto another dark stretch. “Unless it’s at the very—”
“Roo!” Hannah yelled. Six. “There he is.”
It was indeed him, standing at the end of a cul-de-sac right by a wooden staircase, waving at us. He had on jeans and a white T-shirt that said NORTH LAKE TIGERS, and seeing him, I felt my stomach drop. He couldn’t really be into Hannah. Could he?
“Where should I park?” Blake yelled out his window.
“Anywhere up here’s fine,” he replied. “The driveway’s already packed.”
Blake pulled up next to a mailbox. He hadn’t even cut the engine before Hannah was out of the car, slamming her door behind her.
“Soready to blow off some steam,” she said to Roo, and I watched his face for signs he was equally enamored with her. Hewassmiling, but then he always smiled. “We brought beer.”
“Great,” he said as she gave him a hug. Don’t, don’t, I thought, surprising myself with how much I really did not want him to return this gesture, even as he gave her what seemed to be a quick, friendly squeeze in return. “I wish I could drink it. But I’m sure someone will be happy to.”
“Do you really have to work?” Hannah said, cocking her head to the side.
“Money won’t make itself,” he replied cheerfully as Blake got out of the car, followed by Rachel. I was dragging my feet, enjoying being hidden in the dark of the back seat, like as long as I stayed put, this whole scene wasn’t happening. Then Blake was popping the trunk, though, so Roo came over, lifting out the cases of beer there. Just as he was about to shut it again with a bang, he looked through the window and saw me. His eyes widened.
“Saylor?” he asked.
“Hi,” I said, opening my door and getting out. “How are—”
This was as far as I got, however, before it happened: Blake, who’d been just off to my side, came over and took my hand, easily sliding his palm against mine and intertwining our fingers. And for some stupid reason, I didn’t stop him. I just stood there, like on the boat earlier, watching it happen like I was helpless against it, too.
