Vampire Beach: High Stakes (3 page)

‘Actually—’

‘But you have to realize that the supernatural types have different definitions of geeky,’ Adam went on, glancing at Harberts to make sure he was still asleep. ‘In their world, it obviously means incredibly good looking, suave, and rich.’

‘Then how come Belle thinks
you’re
geeky?’ Jason teased.

‘Oh, you are cold. Cold!’ Adam said, shaking his
head.
He glanced down at Harberts. ‘I’m never getting my towel back, am I?’

‘I don’t think Harberts is moving anytime soon,’ Jason agreed.

‘In that case, let’s go say hi to the womenfolk.’ Adam started across the hot sand, and Jason followed. But saying hello wasn’t easy. Maggie, Erin, Belle, Brad and Van Dyke had Paige surrounded. Sienna was hanging back, letting the other girls have their time with her celebrity sister. But she definitely looked happy and relaxed. It was nice to see.

‘But what about the cuffs?’ Maggie was asking. ‘American
Vogue
said not to cuff jeans anymore.’

‘Maybe, but on the streets of Paris people were wearing cuffs,’ Paige told her. ‘And that’s what matters, at least to me. Who cares what
Vogue
says?’

Brad’s eyes glazed over. He grabbed Van Dyke’s arm and hauled him away. ‘I’m maxed out on the fashion talk. Come on, let’s play.’

‘But—’ Van Dyke grumbled.

‘So are you,’ Brad interrupted pleasantly, dragging him off toward the volleyball net.

Maggie turned back to Paige. ‘How about the shoes?’

‘Forget the stupid clothes, I want to hear about your love life,’ Erin put in. ‘French guys? Tell us.’

Paige hesitated, then shook her head. ‘I thought it was a little too obvious to date French men in France.’ She tossed back her hair and grinned. ‘If you really want to make them crazy, you have to date an American while you’re there. Or even a Brit. It just baffles them.’

‘I’m feeling unwelcome in this conversation,’ Adam murmured to Jason. ‘I don’t think boys are supposed to hear this stuff. Our delicate egos can’t handle it.’

‘Paige is just teasing,’ Zach said, coming over to join them. ‘She only says that kind of stuff to get a reaction. Turnball, Freeman, good to see you.’

‘What’s up, Zach?’ Jason replied, since Adam was staring in amazement. ‘Big spring break plans?’

‘Not yet. But I’m sure something will come up.’ He glanced at Paige, then headed after Brad and Van Dyke.

‘I’m sorry, but did Zach Lafrenière just greet us in a friendly manner?’ Adam asked, still staring after Zach.

‘He did,’ Jason confirmed.

‘Huh,’ Adam murmured. ‘That’s so unlike him.’

It was true. Zach tended to be standoffish in general. Not that he was ever rude or anything, but he didn’t usually go out of his way to be friendly.

‘I think Paige brings out the best in him,’ Jason commented. ‘He’s just happy she’s back. So is Sienna.’

‘Yeah, Paige is fun,’ Adam said. He nodded toward
the
girls, who were still grilling Paige on life in Paris. ‘They’re all happy she’s back. They adore her. It’s like watching Yoda with the younglings.’

‘I heard that!’ Belle called. She gave Adam a mock-stern look.

‘Oops.’ Adam turned bright red. ‘The movie refs, they just come pouring out of me without any warning.’

‘Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step,’ Jason told him. ‘Besides, everybody references
Star Wars
. I don’t think that should count.’

‘You should take that up with Belle at the next meeting of the Make Adam Cool Club.’ Adam sighed. ‘I guess I might as well play volleyball. Harberts is hogging my towel, anyway. You coming?’

‘Yeah,’ Jason said. He shot Sienna a smile, and she smiled back.

‘Hold up!’ Paige cried as he and Adam turned to go. ‘Are you getting a game on?’

Jason nodded.

‘Then I’ll come with you. I haven’t even said the words “beach volleyball” since I left for Paris. I want to play!’

She bounded down the steps and over to the net. ‘Boys versus girls!’ Paige yelled. She grabbed the ball and executed a perfect serve right into the middle of
the
boys’ side. Zach leapt underneath it, smacking it up just before it hit the sand. Jason swooped in and spiked it over the net … and Sienna spiked it right back. This time it hit the ground.

‘One-nothing!’ Paige called with a wicked grin. She and Sienna slapped each other a high five, and the game was on.

It wasn’t until the girls had slaughtered the guys 10–7 that everybody collapsed onto the sand to catch their breath. But even then, Paige seemed full of energy.

‘You know what’s the weirdest coincidence?’ she asked.

‘That you and I wear the same shoe size?’ Adam joked.

Paige peered at his feet. ‘You do have itty-bitty tootsies,’ she teased, ‘but I was talking about the fact that my parents are off on their cruise to Alaska this week. The very week that I get home. Isn’t that weird?’

‘I think what you’re trying to say is, “isn’t that cool?”’ Zach told her.

Paige giggled. ‘You got me.’

‘Are you thinking party?’ Maggie asked. ‘Please tell me you’re having a Paige Party!’

‘It’s up to Sienna.’ Paige slipped her arm around Sienna’s slim shoulders. ‘What do you say, SiSi? Should we disobey the no-parties-in-the-house rule?’

‘You have a no-parties rule?’ Jason asked, surprised. ‘I didn’t know that.’

‘It’s my fault. I had a Halloween party my senior year that got a little out of control,’ Paige admitted.

‘It made the news,’ Sienna said dryly.

‘That’s just because we invited those two reality show bimbos and they got into a fight for the cameras,’ Paige replied. ‘Mom and Dad will never know about this party, I promise. We won’t even invite anybody who doesn’t live in Malibu.’

Sienna hesitated.

‘I’m thinking theme party,’ Paige told her in a singsong voice.

‘Oh, come on, Sienna,’ Erin cried. ‘A theme party would be such a perfect way to start off spring break.’

‘What’s the theme?’ Sienna asked.

A big, slow smile spread over Paige’s full lips. ‘1960s cocktail party.’

Sienna’s eyes lit up, and Jason knew she was hooked. ‘You mean with little hotdogs on sticks and pink drinks served in cool glasses?’ she asked.

‘And miniskirts and bouffant hairdos and fake eyelashes,’ Paige added. ‘And lounge music!’

Suddenly everyone was talking at once, putting in ideas for the party. Jason watched Sienna talking
animatedly
with her sister. She was psyched about playing hostess, he could see.

But a tiny trickle of worry ran down his spine. The Devereux sisters having a party – that would be one of the biggest things to happen all year. And when big things happened in DeVere Heights, trouble usually followed.

‘
DO I LOOK OK?
’ Danielle asked as she and Jason walked toward the front door of Sienna’s house the next night.

‘Dani, you’ve asked me that three times now,’ Jason told his younger sister. ‘You look great. You know you look great. You spent two hours getting ready and making sure every single thing on your entire body looked completely perfect.’

‘Yeah, but did it work?’ she pressed. ‘Do I actually look perfect?’

Jason rolled his eyes. ‘Is there some guy here you’re trying to impress? Because you’re obsessing.’

‘No.’ Danielle bit her lip. ‘I haven’t really been in the mood for dating again since …’ Her voice trailed off, but Jason knew what she was talking about. She’d been in a serious relationship with a vampire, Ryan Patrick, but they’d broken up after Aunt Bianca had talked them into having Ryan transform Dani into a vampire. They hadn’t gone through with the transformation, thankfully, but it had been a close call. A blood test
had
shown that Danielle’s DNA was incompatible with the vampire genes. If she’d transformed, she would eventually have gone insane – just like Aunt Bianca. The stress of the whole situation had been too much for the couple to handle, and they’d decided to call it quits.

Still, Dani and Ryan had really been in love. The breakup had hit her hard. Jason nudged her with his shoulder. ‘You don’t have to date until you’re ready,’ he told her.

‘I know.’ She adjusted the strap of her vintage black cocktail dress. ‘But I have to look good. I need to impress Paige Devereux.’

‘Paige? Why?’

‘Jason, are you the most oblivious person in the world? Paige is, like, famous in DeVere Heights,’ Danielle said. ‘I’ve been hearing stories about her since the first day of school.’

‘Well, yeah, so have I,’ he admitted. ‘But so what?’

‘So what? So she’s important, that’s what,’ Dani said. ‘If she likes you, it means you’re cool. It’s as simple as that.’

‘Wow, I didn’t realize she was so all-powerful,’ Jason joked as he opened the door. Immediately, Frank Sinatra’s voice hit his ears. The music filled the entire house.

Dani sucked in a breath. ‘Look at this place,’ she said reverently.

‘It
is
pretty spectacular,’ Jason agreed. Usually, Sienna’s house was very spare, all beiges and whites on top of one another. But tonight the whole thing was drenched with color. Huge panels of gold lamé hung from the high ceilings all the way to the floor, one on each wall. Every single surface in the room had a tall vase on it, each one a different jewel-tone color. And each vase had an arrangement of gigantic calla lilies exploding from the top. Even the lighting was colorful: glowing patches of pink light pooled on the marble floors and bathed partygoers in a rosy glow.

‘Temptation?’ Paige purred, stepping up to them.

Jason took in her teased hair, her heavily-lined eyes, and her clingy gold cocktail dress. ‘Huh?’ he said.

Paige beckoned lazily, and a waiter rushed over with a tray of drinks in martini glasses. The liquid inside was dark red.

Blood red
, Jason thought.

‘Temptation,’ Paige repeated, her voice husky. ‘It’s our signature cocktail.’

This is feeling like a bad vampire movie
, Jason thought. And then Paige laughed.

‘It’s the theme,’ she reminded him. ‘Silly Sixties
cocktail
party, remember? They always had a signature drink.’ She turned to Dani. ‘Who’s this?’

‘I’m, um, Danielle …’ Dani practically whispered. Her gray eyes were wide. She looked as if she were meeting Nicole Kidman instead of Paige Devereux.

‘My sister, Dani,’ Jason explained. ‘Dani, this is Paige.’

‘Sorry, I should’ve figured out who you were,’ Paige said, smiling warmly at Dani. ‘Sienna told me Jason’s sister was gorgeous. I was just expecting a little blondie like Jason, but your hair is such an incredible red!’

‘Thank you,’ Dani gasped, putting her hand to her hair. ‘I actually teased it for this party. I’ve never tried that before.’

‘It totally worked,’ Paige assured her.

Danielle smiled happily.

‘Jason, you take a Temptation,’ Paige ordered him. ‘I think Dani needs a Sweet Tooth.’

‘What’s that?’ Dani asked.

‘I’ll show you.’ Paige grabbed Danielle’s hand and pulled her off toward the flower-decked bar in the living room. Jason took a red drink from the tray, feeling grateful. His sister had been so nervous on the way here, but Paige had managed to put her at ease in about ten seconds.

The music switched from Sinatra to some kind of
Dean
Martin and Sammy Davis Jr sing-along as Jason moved further into the house.

‘Crab cake?’ asked a waitress in a sparkly minidress.

‘Sure.’ Jason took one and put it in his mouth.

‘Check it out!’ Danielle cried, rushing back over to him. ‘Is this the best thing ever, or what?’ She held up a lowball glass with some kind of clear drink in it – and an upside-down cherry lollipop. ‘The lollipop is the stirrer! Isn’t that too cute?’ Dani’s gaze shifted to something over Jason’s shoulder. ‘Ooh, there’s Kristy and Billy. Later.’ She took off, leaving Jason in her wake.

He laughed. She’d certainly got over her nerves. But as he watched her head over to her friends, he noticed someone else watching, too: Ryan Patrick, Dani’s vampire ex-boyfriend. The guy’s eyes were glued to Jason’s sister.

‘Poor Ryan. He’s still a little lovesick,’ a throaty voice murmured in Jason’s ear.

Startled, he turned to see Sienna standing next to him. Her black hair was done up in some kind of complicated twist, and long gold earrings dangled almost to her shoulders – which were bare, because the little hot-pink cocktail dress she was wearing was strapless. Jason swallowed hard: sometimes he couldn’t even believe how beautiful she was. He slipped
his
arm around her waist and drew her close for a kiss.

‘Is this the new boyfriend?’ somebody asked.

Jason drew back from Sienna, and realized that three people he’d never seen before were staring at him.

‘Yup,’ said Sienna.

‘Cute, huh?’ Paige put in, rejoining them. ‘Jason, meet Tiffany, Jon, and Suze, some of my old DeVere High friends.’