Page 71 of The Boys Next Door
“I know, right?” The receptionist was giving her a meaningful look.
“Sorry?” Diana said, flustered.
“One word:yum.” She followed Diana’s gaze to the back of the gym, lingering on Ian’s long body. “I know I shouldn’t say that, since I work here, but…” She winked at Diana and tapped a few keys on her computer.“I think he has some openings. Not soon, but if you can wait a couple weeks, I’ll fit you in…”
Right. Diana shook her head. She was just another girl who drooled over Ian. She’d seen he was alive and well, and that’s all she needed to know. She didn’t need any receptionist to do her a favor by fitting her in.
“I don’t think I can wait that long. Uh, to start getting in shape,” she said quickly. What was she even doing here? This wasn’t her territory. Ian would laugh if she showed up in her shorts. She’d been an idiot to think anything could work in the light of day, outside her bedroom or the O’Brians’ backyard. Or a club, or a stranger’s apartment… “Thanks, though.”
“Sure. I would have warned you anyway — he’s soserious.When he worked here last summer, he was always fooling around. I haven’t seen him smile once this week. Trust me, we’ve all tried.” The receptionist shrugged. “His twin brother comes to work out in the evenings,” she added. “Really friendly. Can youbelievethere are two of them?”
“Yeah.” Diana cleared her throat. “As a matter of fact, I can.”
*
Friday, she went to the beach with her friends. All day. There were no O’Brians to be seen, or any of their friends or relations. Just endless sun and sky and sand and water. And she felt it all, because once Marissa spread out the blanket, Diana took a deep breath, sucked in all her courage, and whipped off her oversized t-shirt.
For about five seconds, she wanted to shut her eyes tight and sink into the sand, feeling the salt air, the burn of the sun of her skin, and all the eyes on her.
Last Saturday night hadn’t been a fluke. People hadn’t just stared because she’d been with the twins. It made her dizzy to look around the stretch of sand and see so many guys glance away when she met their gaze — or not notice that she noticed them, because they were busy gawking at the generous swells of her breasts spilling over her yellow bikini top, or the soft curve of her ass, encased snugly in her high-waisted bottoms, or her smooth legs that felt nude like they never had before.
A piercing whistle split the air — Marissa.
“Put your shirt back on, hot mama. That’s got to be illegal.”
And Diana felt one hand actually reaching for her shirt, while her other hand stopped it. Instead, she took a deep breath. The sun felt good, the breeze across the tops of her breasts felt good, she was laughing now with her friends, and if she was mostly naked, well, so was everybody else. An hour later, sand between her toes and everyone already reminiscing about high school, she was so relaxed that she flopped onto the blanket and closed her eyes.
A hand nudged her shoulder. Diana blinked sleepily, confused by the bright light coming through her eyelids.
“You should put sunscreen on, Diana,” said a low voice. A shadow fell across her face. “You’re already starting to burn.”
Squinting, she tried to make out which twin’s head loomed over hers. A pair of brown eyes came into focus. Not Ian. Not Brendan. Alex Noriega.
Oh Jesus. She was remembering now. Alex had caught her by surprise in Marissa’s backyard, what, a week and a half ago, the night before graduation? She’d gotten high for the first time, she’d fended off his kisses, she’d giggled her way home, and Ian had sneaked in her window and made her forget it all. Felt like five years ago.
“Uh, thanks,” she murmured, fumbling with one hand for the bottle of sunscreen she’d seen nearby while she reached for her glasses with the other.
“Want help?”
Help. That sounded good. She could use a lot of help right now. She was a little startled when a dollop of cream squirted onto her back, followed by Alex’s hands rubbing it in. But she was too relaxed to argue, or to be all that embarrassed when she noticed his eyes on her flushed curves, or to make excuses when he asked what she was up to that night .
Six hours later, restaurant noise filled the air. Diana eyed Alex’s lips as he sipped his Coke across the table. Her shoulders were red with the first sunburn she’d had since she was a kid, her dress was unbuttoned an extra button in front, and she felt loose, relaxed, and floppy from lying on the beach all day.
Determined to challenge herself, she ordered the messiest, drippiest burger on the menu. It was delicious, even though she was constantly wiping juice off her chin.
“So what do you usually do on the weekend?” Alex’s knee pressed hers under the table. “I’ve always wondered.”
“You have?” Startled, Diana swallowed a mouthful of burger.
“Sure.” He smiled at her. “You’re never at parties. Except the one before graduation. You looked so cute rolling around in the grass. More relaxed, you know?”
Diana blinked at him. Her sundress strap slipped down her shoulder, and she pulled it back up. This was really happening. After rushing headlong through every other possible first in the past three weeks, she was on her first date.
And it was time to stop thinking that she should be in the O’Brians’ treehouse instead, or that Ian should be the one sitting across the table from her right now, joking and talking for hours, when she’d told him in the bitchiest way possible that she needed to be alone.
“Um, thanks. I keep pretty busy on the weekends. You know how it goes.” Diana tried to sound nonchalant. She popped a french fry in her mouth. “Study. Go to record stores. Participate in orgies.”
Alex’s mouth twitched. “You’re kidding, right?”