start for the
University of Miami; the party had been thrown in his honor. The
other guy next to him was Heath McBride. Heath was older. Kennedy
thought him to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, a white guy she
knew little about, with freckles that covered his face and a
never-ending supply of marijuana. Kennedy avoided him, mostly.
Heath always arrived at the gatherings she went to, delivering
party favors.
“ Oh, you’re talking about
Liam. He’s Heath’s cousin from Chicago. Heard he’s staying with him
now.”
“ He’s a drug dealer,”
Kennedy said, disappointed.
Sierra laughed. “I don’t think so. Maybe. He
is kind of hot.”
Liam cut his eyes their way. Kennedy
immediately dropped her stare. “He’s looking over here, isn’t he?”
she whispered.
“ Aww. Kennedy, you got a
crush already? Girl, you a mess.”
“ Stop teasing me. Is he
looking over here?”
Sierra sucked her tongue. It was pierced
with a small, shiny silver ball that usually made all the boys stop
in their tracks. “No, he isn’t looking over here, silly.”
Kennedy sighed. “Good.”
“ He’s walking over
here.”
“ Huh? What?”
“ W’sup, ladies?” Liam
stepped between them.
Kennedy wanted to die. She looked up into
the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She never approached boys, and
despite Sierra’s worldly influence, remained so inexperienced she
didn’t even know what her type was, if she had one. But one look
into Liam’s sparkling eyes and she knew he could definitely be the
one for her.
“ Hey,” said
Sierra.
Kennedy watched as she gave Liam a warm
smile along with her patented back-arching, rack-lifting move.
“ You girls from around
here?”
“ Nah.
Connecticut.”
Liam frowned. “Really. Rich kids.”
“ Not everyone in
Connecticut is rich.” Sierra rolled her eyes.
“ True, but I can tell by
the diamonds in your ears and the way you’re dressed, you from that
scene.”
Kennedy wanted to join the conversation. She
opened her mouth but no words came out. Then, to her horror, Sierra
made her move, the one where she heaved her C cups right up in a
guy’s face and talked with her tongue, exaggeratedly slow, so she
could show off her piercing. Sierra Schoenstein was Jewish with
olive skin, flowing dark brown hair and the body of a runway model.
Both their dads were investment bankers at the same firm. They’d
grown up together. Even though Sierra was two years her senior, she
was by far Kennedy’s best friend.
“ So what you drinking?”
Sierra eased up against Liam so the side of her breasts rubbed
against his bicep.
Liam sipped from his red plastic cup, his
eyes trained on the silver ball in Sierra’s mouth. Kennedy couldn’t
be more crushed. It had been rare to find a guy she liked, and even
more rare she’d given thought to how to make him hers. Now she
stood in her friend’s shadow once again.
Besides, he’s probably not even into black
girls. She’d met a few boys who weren’t and it didn’t bother her.
She didn’t like ignorance or tolerate prejudice in her life. Her
father taught her to see people for who they were, and weren’t.
Not able to stomach the show, she tried to
step around. Liam’s hand shot out and drew her back. Kennedy
blinked up at him, surprised. Later, she’d remember the heat in his
touch.
“ You still haven’t told me
your name.”
“ Um, Kennedy.”
“ Cool, but you’re too
pretty to be a Kennedy. I think I’m going to call you
Kay.”
If she were fair-skinned, she’d have turned
scarlet red. Instead, she grinned stupidly up at him, unable to
look away. He sipped from his cup and then winked at her.
“ You girls have fun,” he
said, then sauntered off.
“ Oh my GOD!” Kennedy
exhaled. She’d been reduced to a fit of giggles. Sierra chuckled
and shook her head.
“ I think he liked
you, Kay ,” she
teased.
“ He is so cute. Look at his
butt.”
They both tried to, but he disappeared into
the pack of gyrating bodies dancing to
University of Miami; the party had been thrown in his honor. The
other guy next to him was Heath McBride. Heath was older. Kennedy
thought him to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, a white guy she
knew little about, with freckles that covered his face and a
never-ending supply of marijuana. Kennedy avoided him, mostly.
Heath always arrived at the gatherings she went to, delivering
party favors.
“ Oh, you’re talking about
Liam. He’s Heath’s cousin from Chicago. Heard he’s staying with him
now.”
“ He’s a drug dealer,”
Kennedy said, disappointed.
Sierra laughed. “I don’t think so. Maybe. He
is kind of hot.”
Liam cut his eyes their way. Kennedy
immediately dropped her stare. “He’s looking over here, isn’t he?”
she whispered.
“ Aww. Kennedy, you got a
crush already? Girl, you a mess.”
“ Stop teasing me. Is he
looking over here?”
Sierra sucked her tongue. It was pierced
with a small, shiny silver ball that usually made all the boys stop
in their tracks. “No, he isn’t looking over here, silly.”
Kennedy sighed. “Good.”
“ He’s walking over
here.”
“ Huh? What?”
“ W’sup, ladies?” Liam
stepped between them.
Kennedy wanted to die. She looked up into
the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She never approached boys, and
despite Sierra’s worldly influence, remained so inexperienced she
didn’t even know what her type was, if she had one. But one look
into Liam’s sparkling eyes and she knew he could definitely be the
one for her.
“ Hey,” said
Sierra.
Kennedy watched as she gave Liam a warm
smile along with her patented back-arching, rack-lifting move.
“ You girls from around
here?”
“ Nah.
Connecticut.”
Liam frowned. “Really. Rich kids.”
“ Not everyone in
Connecticut is rich.” Sierra rolled her eyes.
“ True, but I can tell by
the diamonds in your ears and the way you’re dressed, you from that
scene.”
Kennedy wanted to join the conversation. She
opened her mouth but no words came out. Then, to her horror, Sierra
made her move, the one where she heaved her C cups right up in a
guy’s face and talked with her tongue, exaggeratedly slow, so she
could show off her piercing. Sierra Schoenstein was Jewish with
olive skin, flowing dark brown hair and the body of a runway model.
Both their dads were investment bankers at the same firm. They’d
grown up together. Even though Sierra was two years her senior, she
was by far Kennedy’s best friend.
“ So what you drinking?”
Sierra eased up against Liam so the side of her breasts rubbed
against his bicep.
Liam sipped from his red plastic cup, his
eyes trained on the silver ball in Sierra’s mouth. Kennedy couldn’t
be more crushed. It had been rare to find a guy she liked, and even
more rare she’d given thought to how to make him hers. Now she
stood in her friend’s shadow once again.
Besides, he’s probably not even into black
girls. She’d met a few boys who weren’t and it didn’t bother her.
She didn’t like ignorance or tolerate prejudice in her life. Her
father taught her to see people for who they were, and weren’t.
Not able to stomach the show, she tried to
step around. Liam’s hand shot out and drew her back. Kennedy
blinked up at him, surprised. Later, she’d remember the heat in his
touch.
“ You still haven’t told me
your name.”
“ Um, Kennedy.”
“ Cool, but you’re too
pretty to be a Kennedy. I think I’m going to call you
Kay.”
If she were fair-skinned, she’d have turned
scarlet red. Instead, she grinned stupidly up at him, unable to
look away. He sipped from his cup and then winked at her.
“ You girls have fun,” he
said, then sauntered off.
“ Oh my GOD!” Kennedy
exhaled. She’d been reduced to a fit of giggles. Sierra chuckled
and shook her head.
“ I think he liked
you, Kay ,” she
teased.
“ He is so cute. Look at his
butt.”
They both tried to, but he disappeared into
the pack of gyrating bodies dancing to
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