Next Summer (9 page)

“So we’ll reschedule,” Kelsi said immediately.

“We can’t,” Beth said in a low voice. “That’s the best weekend for Jamie. She e-mailed me today. You guys should go. I should be here for George…” She trailed off.

“It’s all going to be okay,” Kelsi assured her. “It’s just the distance that’s making you feel weird about George. You’re not used to spending so much time away from him.”

“True,” Beth admitted. She smiled slightly, then looked closely at her cousin.

“But you had a good time, right?” she asked. “With Adam?”

“I did,” Kelsi said. She suddenly didn’t want to tell Beth what she’d been thinking about Adam versus Tim. It seemed so important to Beth that she and Adam hit it off—maybe because things were so strange with George lately. No need to make her feel like her matchmaking wasn’t working out on top of everything else.

“He’s such a great guy,” Beth said, and sounded sad.

“Yeah,” Kelsi said. “He’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

When Ella’s phone beeped for the second time, she noticed that Kelsi looked up from the morning paper she’d spread out in front of her on the kitchen table. Ella froze with her hand on the coffeepot, convinced that Kelsi could somehow look into the pocket of her yellow terrycloth bathrobe and tell who was texting her. Or somehow hear, by the tone of the beep or something, that it was Peter. For the fifth time in four days.

“You are entirely too popular,” Kelsi said. She smiled so affectionately that Ella actually felt queasy. Kelsi made it worse by getting up and crossing over to Ella to ruffle her hair.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my hair?” Ella asked, hoping she sounded less tense than she felt.

Kelsi grimaced. “Okay, prima donna. I’m getting in the shower,” she announced. “Yesterday you used up all the hot water.”

“I’m sorry,” Ella said. She must have sounded more
contrite than she should have, because Kelsi shot a quizzical look her way.

“It’s okay, El,” she said. “I can handle cold water.”

With another get-a-grip-you-lunatic look, Kelsi padded out of the kitchen. Ella slumped against the counter and let out a big breath.

This was ridiculous. Every time she looked at her cell phone, there was another text message from Peter. He wanted to see her. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to get together JUST 2 TALK.

Ella didn’t know what to do.

On the one hand, it made her feel kind of gross that Peter was back in her life, even just in the form of text messages. On the other hand, Ella felt sort of excited that he’d remembered her after a whole year. He still had feelings for her, even though the last time he’d seen her, she’d thrown a Greek salad on him. Maybe she’d meant something to him after all.

It was starting to feel like last summer all over again. Shame and confusion, with that thrill underneath. It made Ella feel like she hadn’t reformed at all. That maybe she had just been hanging around, waiting for the next big drama to come along.

She turned back to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup. She breathed in the hazelnut aroma that always put her at
ease. No, this was not last summer. For all she knew, Peter could be covered in acne, and have gotten a beer belly. Ella cringed at the image of Ugly Peter and decided that she’d turn off her phone and focus on other things, like Jeremy, the lifeguard she had to attract, and Kelsi, the sister she could definitely not betray
again.

The next evening, Ella knew even without having to locate a mirror that she looked hot in her black halter top and denim miniskirt. She knew that she smelled like Dolce & Gabbana Blue, had minty-fresh breath (thanks to chewing three pieces of Dentyne Ice), and was attracting the attention of several houseboys scattered around the party in the backyard of a Cranberry Lane house.

The moment Beth told her about it, Ella had decided that a lifeguard party was the perfect place for Jeremy to wake up and smell the fabulousness that was Ella Anne Tuttle.

Ella could concede—grudgingly—that maybe there were some guys out there who just didn’t go for her. Fine. Not everyone had to love her. It was a big world.

But everybody at least
noticed
her.

Except, apparently, Jeremy.

He hadn’t looked her way even once, Ella fumed. Jeremy was standing over in the corner by the pool, completely absorbed in conversation with a bunch of guys.
Completely absorbed.
It took about five minutes for Ella to decide it was time for action.

She sauntered through the party, exchanging a few smiles
and a few more lingering looks, just to keep her spirits up. She headed for Jeremy, and opened her mouth to get his attention.

Which was exactly when Jeremy looked up.

Their eyes met, and Ella felt herself tremble, right down to her knees.

She was so surprised, she tripped and went facedown toward the grass.

Ella only managed to catch herself at the last moment by flinging out an arm and grabbing on to Beth, who happened to be walking by. One shoe buckled beneath her, the fantastic four-inch heel snapping in half. The other flew across the yard and missed impaling Jeremy in the forehead by about one-tenth of a millimeter.

Ella tugged herself upright, ignored the ache in her arm, and had the unpleasant feeling that she was actually blushing. Possibly for the first time in her whole life. Jeremy retrieved the heel and walked it over to Ella, his expression unreadable.

“Wow,” he said, and Ella couldn’t decide if it was more humiliating that he
wasn’t
laughing at her. “You really know how to make an entrance.”

Ella wasn’t one to accept defeat and personal humiliation, she told herself the next day as she gave herself a pedicure in the bedroom she shared with Kelsi. Especially when she had so little experience with either. So what if she’d been forced to walk home barefoot? So what if Kelsi nearly hurt herself laughing when Ella told her the story in all its gory detail?

She was still laughing, actually, as Ella filed her nails.
Sunlight was streaming in through the windows and it was much too pretty outside to be moody. No matter how much she wanted to be.

“And that was it?” Kelsi was toweling off her hair. “You just tripped and left?”

“Like I was going to stick around after dorking out like that,” Ella scoffed. She wiggled her newly painted toes. “Anyway, all I wanted him to do was notice me.”

Kelsi pushed her dark hair back from her face. “Mission accomplished,” she said with a smirk.

“All attention is good attention,” Ella said breezily, trying to convince herself.

Kelsi grinned at her. “Can the famous Ella power be fading? Is that possible?”

“Please.” Ella sniffed. “As if.”

But as Kelsi left the room, Ella wondered if her sister might be right.

For about twelve seconds.

A few days later, Ella felt enough time had elapsed for Jeremy to have forgotten her little spectacle. She invited herself along to lunch in town with Beth, Adam, and the usual lifeguards, hoping that she could try another attempt at seducing him.

The group was eating at Sammy’s, the deli-style lunch place a few doors down from Ahoy. Wasting no time, Ella ordered herself a ham and cheese and sat herself exactly where she wanted to be: next to Jeremy.

Ella thought he looked adorable in a light blue ribbed T-shirt, board shorts, and flip-flops. Now if only he didn’t act like he wasn’t sure what planet she came from, she’d consider that a big improvement.

“I haven’t been to Sammy’s in a long time,” Ella spoke softly, almost as if she was telling him a secret. It made him lean a little bit closer, so he could hear her over the din of lunchtime traffic.

“The food here is great,” he replied very solemnly. Ella searched his gaze and thought she saw a sparkle of friendliness in there, which perked her up considerably. There was hope after all.

“I can’t wait to dig in,” she said with a wink, and took a big bite of her sandwich.

“So, Ella,” he said, dragging out those three syllables as if he was stalling until he thought of something clever to say. “You left that party before it got good.”

“Did you miss me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Jeremy managed to give her a shy smile. “I figured I’d see you again,” he said.

“You can see me anytime and anyplace you want to,” Ella said in that low voice that usually worked wonders on any breathing male.

Jeremy’s smile widened, but he didn’t get the eager expression that patented line usually prompted. He didn’t even try to grab her thigh, which she’d placed strategically right next to his.

“What’s your favorite movie?” Jeremy asked abruptly, startling her.

Ella shrugged. “That’s a trick question, isn’t it? I always think someone’s trying to pigeonhole me with a line like that.” She flashed him another flirty look. “Like you expect me to say
Legally Blonde
or something cheesy.” She took another bite of her sandwich.

Of course,
Legally Blonde
was her favorite movie. But that was beside the point.

“Good answer,” Jeremy said with a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t expecting that.” Then, suddenly, he glanced down at her cleavage, blushed, and looked away.

Ella was finally getting somewhere. She scooted a little bit closer, praying that this was the breakthrough moment.

But then Jeremy looked at his watch instead of at her.

“I have to get back to the beach,” he said with a hint of disappointment.

He didn’t ask to see her later. He just picked up his plastic tray, got to his feet, and walked away.

Jeremy had Ella way more confused than she wanted to admit. He kept giving her these itty-bitty signals that he was kind of, sort of into her, and each time she tried to capitalize on that, he shuffled away like a scared crab. He
had
scoped out her chest, hadn’t he? Ella must have been wearing the most baffled expression when Beth sat down next to her.

Ella snapped herself out of her own thoughts. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe you should look in that compact you’re always carrying around,” Beth said with a mischievous grin.

Ella scrambled to find the mirror in her clutch and immediately opened it up and looked at her face. Everything seemed fine. No food in her teeth.

“Lower,” Beth said.

Ella bowed her head. She didn’t need a mirror to check out the huge blob of mustard that had fallen down her cleavage and splattered across the top of her left boob.

This was something that Ella had never expected—she’d suddenly transformed into a complete klutz.

That night, Ella slumped on the couch in front of the TV and tried to find something to watch on cable. Kelsi was out on
another
date, which was beyond depressing.

Her cell phone chirped, and Ella sighed even as she reached for it.

COME ON I WANT 2 C U AT LEAST 1NCE, Peter wrote. IM SORRY FOR LAST SUMMER U NO THAT, RIGHT?

It made her feel almost dizzy, because it didn’t make any sense. And because she had no idea what to think about anything anymore.

Maybe she was looking at everything the wrong way. She could still remember what it had felt like to be with Peter. He had made her feel so feverish and delirious. His mouth pressing against hers. His hands skimming over her skin. His fingers digging into her hips. His body on top of hers. She lost her breath for a moment, remembering.

Peter had been the first guy Ella had ever pined for, and she’d hated how that made her feel. But now that
he
was doing the pining, Ella found herself very turned on. God, it would be amazing to kiss him again. And touch him…

She picked up her phone.

And she put it down again.

First, she would take a shower. Then, Ella would dress herself up in the best outfit she had, and
then,
since it was barely eleven, she would decide what to do. Maybe she would try to talk her way past the bouncers at the Lighthouse. Maybe she’d check out the scene at Ahoy. Maybe she would crash Kelsi’s date.

Maybe she would call Peter and see where that led, after all this time.

Maybe.