The Shore (18 page)

Curt bristled. The party was over. Why was she still hanging around with that guy? Great, with all the headaches he had with the band, he sure didn’t need this. He yanked open the restaurant door and went inside.

It was an effort for Avery to stand there with Anthony chatting and laughing when she was only doing it for Curt’s sake, still trying to get STF a slot at the Surfin’ Spot. So Avery almost couldn’t believe her eyes when Curt strolled into the private party room. “Curt! What are you doing here?”

“Walking you home,” he said, smiling as broadly as he could. But Avery had seen this act before and she knew it was completely forced. “Curt, this is Anthony,” she said.

Curt shook the restaurant manager’s hand, Avery noticed that he seemed to be making sure to squeeze extra tight.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Anthony said. “How’s the band?”

“Great,” Curt said.

“Avery was just talking to me about getting you guys into the Surfin’ Spot,” the restaurant manager said. “She said that a couple of your guys weren’t healthy for that outdoor concert and that I should stop by the Battle of the Bands and check you out again.”

Avery gave Curt an encouraging smile, but she knew her boyfriend well enough to realize what he was thinking: that it sounded good. Too good to be true.

“Come on,” Avery tugged at Curt’s elbow. “Let me grab my bag and we’ll go.”

She told Anthony she’d see him the next day, got her bag from the coat room, and headed outside and into the dark.

“What was that about?” Curt growled as soon as they were down the beach and out of earshot.

Avery sighed. His jealousy was so predictable. “Exactly what Anthony said. I was trying to get him interested in the band.”

“You sure that’s all you were trying to get him interested in?” Curt said.

“Oh, Curt, if you only knew,” Avery said.

“Knew what?” Curt asked.

Suddenly Avery realized how tired she was of being interrogated and constantly suspected of things she hadn’t done. “Forget it, okay?” she said. “It would be nice if you could appreciate me a little more instead of always being so jealous.”

“Right,” Curt snarled. “The guy’s tall, good-looking, the manager of a successful restaurant, and I have nothing to be jealous about.”

Avery didn’t reply. The image of Lucas appeared in her mind. Yes, perhaps Curt did have something to be jealous about. Only, he was wrong to think it was Anthony.

Thinking about Sabrina was driving Owen crazy. He had never met a girl like her before. One who blew him off after having slept with him. He’d also never met a girl he was so interested in being with. Maybe the two things were related. Or maybe it all went back to his father, whose drunken, cheating ways had
pretty much ruined Owen’s mother and their family.

The good news was that he’d apologized until he was red in the face about screwing up with Tim and Jamie. To the point where Sabrina seemed to accept the apology and was at least being civil to him. In fact, at that moment he was sitting with her and April on the deck drinking strawberry daiquiris. It was a totally pink girlie drink, but it actually tasted pretty good. The sun was beginning to set, and the thin strips of cloud in the sky were alive with hues of red and purple. It had been a hot day and it was finally starting to cool a little.

“So, April,” he said. “I’ve been to your video store, I’ve been to Curt’s concert, I’ve seen Lucas at the surf shop, and I’ve helped Sabrina with the babysitting—”

Sabrina flashed him an annoyed look, as if she may have forgiven him but wasn’t ready to start joking about it. Still, Owen pushed on.

“All that’s left is to go harass Avery and Polly at their restaurant,” Owen said, leveling his gaze at Sabrina. “Who wants to go with me tomorrow? For dinner. Say about sevenish?”

“I’ll go,” Sabrina said to his amazement and delight.

“Tomorrow? I think I can make that work,” April said, clearly not picking up on the whole apparently too-subtle date invitation. Owen sighed. Well, at least it would give him another chance with Sabrina.

Curt strode out on the deck carrying a beer. Suddenly Owen felt a bit embarrassed to be sipping a pink drink.

“Hey, Curt, we’re going to go surprise Avery and Polly at the restaurant tomorrow night. Want to come?” April asked.

“Can’t. We’ve got to rehearse for the Battle of the Bands,” Curt replied, then focused on Owen. “Dude, if any of your frat friends need a band for one of their parties, you’ll put in a good word for us, right?”

“Sure,” Owen replied, although any of his “frat friends” who’d heard Curt’s band would never go for it. “I’ll do what I can, buddy.”

Meanwhile, Sabrina shot him the slightest smirk, as if to say, “Who are you kidding?”

“Thanks, man,” Curt said, starting to leave. “Nice outfit, Sabrina,” he called over his shoulder.

“Thanks.”

Owen was puzzled. He’d never heard Curt compliment anyone’s clothes before. Now he looked over at Sabrina again. Her bikini top looked new and expensive. It was black and tiny, accentuating her chest. She was wearing designer, low-rider jeans that were also tight in all the right places. Very sexy and also very expensive looking. “Wow, that is a nice outfit,” he said.

“Thanks for noticing,” she said with an amused look as if she, too, knew he hardly ever noticed things like that.

April also seemed to have just noticed the outfit. “How can you afford that on a nanny’s salary?” she asked.

“My parents bought it for me,” Sabrina said.

“I thought they were in Europe for the summer,” April said.

Sabrina shrugged noncommittally. “You never heard of the Internet?” She stood up. “Anyone want to take a walk?”

“Uh, sure,” Owen said.

“Want to come?” Sabrina asked April.

“Can’t,” April said. “Got stuff to do.”

“So, listen,” Owen said, “maybe I’ll ask Lucas if he wants to come to The Seashell tomorrow night, okay? That way it’ll be two guys and two girls.”

“Okay with me,” Sabrina said.

“Me too,” said April as she headed off. “Have fun.”

The next thing Owen knew, he and Sabrina were walking toward the boardwalk. He couldn’t quite believe it had happened so fast. Now he was walking beside this incredibly hot babe. Almost every guy, and girl, who approached them couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“So, uh, what do you want to do?” he asked.

“Ferris wheel.”

“Excuse me?” he asked, surprised.

“The Ferris wheel,” Sabrina said. “I want to go on it. How about you?”

“Sure!” He was ready to do just about anything she wanted.

“I haven’t been on it yet and it’s on my summer To-Do list,” she said.

Owen was tempted to ask if he was on her summer “To-Do list.” Or, more appropriately, her “To-Do Again list,” but he managed to suppress the comment. Together they strolled down
the boardwalk, looking at the lights and different rides and attractions.

Fifteen minutes later they were sitting on a seat on the Ferris wheel as the attendant locked them in. Owen thought briefly about putting his arm around Sabrina, but decided not to push his luck. The Ferris wheel creaked. Their seat started to sway and then rose gracefully into the air. They sailed up into the sky until the ocean, pier, and beach all seemed at their feet. Below them was the crazy swirl of red, blue, and green that beckoned strollers to explore, spend, laugh, and play.

“It’s beautiful,” Sabrina whispered beside him.

He looked over and thought he saw only sincerity in her eyes. He hadn’t seen her in such an unguarded moment since the night they’d spent together, and it made him want to know her better and be with her all the time.

Slowly the chair began its descent. Lights and people came back into sharp focus, and the sounds of music and laughter rushed at them. They reached the bottom and then began to climb upward once more. At the top they came to a gentle stop.

“Thank you,” she said, lacing her fingers through his.

Owen wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for, and he decided not to ask. He sat still, afraid to move, or even to breathe in case he might break the spell. Above them the moon hung high in the night sky, casting a reflection down onto the water. Only the smells of the ocean reached them as they sat suspended above the chaos of people and music and junk food. He let his
breath out when the seat began to move again. At the bottom, the attendant let them out. As they exited the ride, Sabrina kept her hand in his.

They walked along the boardwalk, but despite the noise and colors, Owen seemed to only be aware of the beautiful girl beside him. It was late when the boardwalk began to close down. Where once there had been brilliant signs and lights on the roller-coaster tracks, there were now only shadows and darkness. Nearby, the carousel came to a final stop, and its cheerful timeless music ended. In the gathering dark the moon seemed to become only brighter and the stars filled the sky.

They walked back to the house in silence. Owen thought of stopping and kissing her, but he dared not push it. If this was some kind of test, he was determined to pass it. But when they got inside the house, he could feel a sudden change. They were no longer walking in a fairyland of lights and sensations, but back in reality.

She turned to look at him. “Thank you for a nice evening, Owen.” She offered him her hand.

Owen stared at her hand. He’d hoped for more, and felt disappointed. Maybe it had been a test. Or maybe she just wanted someone to go on the Ferris wheel with. He took it and nodded, then let go. Sabrina marched up the stairs and closed herself in her room, leaving him, once again, alone.

Eight

April spent the morning visiting her grandmother while her mother was at work. She loved her granny, but it frightened her when she saw how sick and frail she looked. She always remembered her grandmother as having round, pink cheeks but now they were hollow and pale. Like a ghost, April thought, back in her little room. Like me.

She had been running away from life for years. She hadn’t wanted to be noticed or touched by anything or anyone. Maybe it was time to stop running. She didn’t want to be eighty and look back on her life and realize that all she had done was run. She needed to start living.

April had heard The Seashell restaurant where Avery and Polly worked was nice. After going through her closet for half an hour she finally decided that nothing she had could be classified as “nice.” She bit her lip and made a decision. A moment later she left her room and knocked on Sabrina’s door. Sabrina opened her door, wrapped in a fluffy pink towel, fresh from a shower. Must be nice to have a private bathroom, April thought with a stab of jealousy.

Sabrina looked surprised to see her, but opened the door wide to let her in. Sabrina’s room was huge, with a king-size bed and its own sitting room. April tried to block out thoughts of the closet-size room she was living in. She knew she had told Curt that the size of the room didn’t matter as long as she had her privacy, but the tiny, dark, windowless room had started to depress her.

“What’s up?” Sabrina asked.

“I was wondering if I could borrow a dress,” April said, hating herself for asking but feeling like she had no choice.

Sabrina gave her a coy look. “Sure. Can you fit into a size two?”

April nodded, hoping the dress wouldn’t be too small on her. Sabrina studied her for a moment before crossing to her closet.

“Black or red?” Sabrina asked at last. April took a deep breath. She always wore black, so tonight the answer just had to be, “Red.”

Sabrina turned with a smile, holding what appeared to be a designer dress. It was a red halter with a short, full skirt. April took it from her hesitantly. I don’t know if I’m ready to live this much, she thought. “Thanks,” she told Sabrina.

Back in her room, she tried the dress on. It fit surprisingly well. A sudden knock on the door startled her. “Who is it?”

“Sabrina. What size shoe do you wear?”

“Eight why?” April called.

“Open up.”

She opened the door, and Sabrina handed her a pair of strappy red heels. “You’re going to need some shoes.”

“Thanks,” April said, taking them.

“You look great, by the way.” Sabrina glanced into the room, and her brow wrinkled. “Hey, is this really a room? Or a closet?”

Lucas hadn’t anticipated wearing a jacket on his vacation, but now he was glad his mother had snuck one into his suitcase. Owen said they were to dress well for dinner. Armani should be dressy enough, Lucas thought. Underneath the jacket he wore a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck. No way am I wearing a tie.

He inspected himself in the mirror and had to admit that even his parents would be pleased with the results.

“You ready?” Owen called, knocking on his door.

Lucas glanced at himself again in the mirror. It had been eons since he’d seen this much forehead. The dreads were gone, sacrificed earlier in the day on impulse. He still wasn’t sure why. It just seemed like the time had finally come. He turned and opened the door.

Owen blinked, then grinned. “Sorry, I was looking for a guy with dreadlocks named Lucas.”

“Very funny.” Lucas grinned.

“Dude, you clean up well,” Owen said.

“So do they,” Lucas said, pointing toward the stairs. Snow White and Rose Red, he thought as he and Owen watched April and Sabrina descend the stairs. April was stunning in a red dress that showed off her long legs. Sabrina wore a white, filmy dress that hugged her curves in a way that had to be making Owen crazy.

He noted with satisfaction that the girls were also staring unabashedly at them. Owen was wearing black flat-front slacks with a blue pin-striped shirt, but it was Lucas they were clearly puzzled by. Then, at the very same moment, it seemed, they both realized who it was.

“Oh, no!” April gasped.

“Oh, yes!” Sabrina cheered.

Everyone laughed. Lucas and Owen joined the girls at the bottom of the stairs. Lucas extended his arm to April. “Shall we dine?” he asked.

April took his arm and Lucas noticed that Sabrina took Owen’s. The walk down the boardwalk to The Seashell was pleasant, but amusing. Dressed the way they were they were attracting a lot of attention.