fact. One thing she knew: You had to make time for the other person or you could forget about it.
But Kelsi’s long-distance relationship wasn’t really what was occupying her thoughts tonight.
She was determined that tonight she’d figure out what was really going on between Taryn and Peter.
Ella lounged around in the living room in her old Juicy sweats, yawning and reading Allure , looking like she planned to spend the night in. She waited until Taryn got the inevitable call on her cell phone. When Taryn started whispering and giggling, and then took the call to the bedroom, Ellamoved herself to the sunporch and changed into something more appropriate for going out—in this case, a denim miniskirt, layered tank tops, and ropes of long beads.
It wasn’t that hard to slip out of the cottage and wait in the shadows by the side of the dirt road. By this point in the summer, Ella knew the whole stretch of that road like the contents of her closet. She could walk it with her eyes closed, which was a good thing, as it was usually far too dark to see anything, anyway.
Soon enough, Ella’s eyes adjusted enough so that when Taryn walked past, she could see her—or enough of her, anyway. Ella would know that saucy little walk anywhere, it annoyed her so much. It was easy enough to follow Taryn, keeping to the shadows and trailing her all the way into town. Ella was grateful her cork-soled wedges were silent on the pebbles.
Once in the village, there were other people around and Ella was able to draw closer to her prey. Taryn was dressed for a party. Her jeans were supertight and low, and her black tube top bared most of her abdomen and all of her shoulders. It was the sort of outfit that should have looked cheap and, Ella noted sourly, didn’t look anything but hot on Taryn.
It just made Ella all the more determined to bring her down.
Taryn walked with confidence up to the Lighthouse, the new-ish bar in town that Ella had so far been completely unable to do more than peer into.
Ella waited for the gigantic bouncers to do their job, and deny entry to underage Taryn, but she just flashed an ID and sauntered right in.
Ella gritted her teeth. Ugh . It had never occurred to her to get a fake ID. She’d always relied on her charm and the kindness of well-positioned boys.
Ella knew the bouncers were a lost cause, having tried to talk her way past them last summer, so she looked around for other possibilities. It didn’t take long. Around the back of the bar, a guy who looked like a bartender stood next to the propped-open back door, smoking a cigarette. It helped that he was cute, but it didn’t actually matter.
Ella smiled, and made her move.
“Hey there,” she singsonged, swaying her hips as she walked over to him. “What’s going on?”
“Smoke break,” the guy said, and then looked surprised, like he hadn’t meant to say something so obvious.
Ella smiled wider.
“What do you want?” he asked in a gruffer tone, clearly trying to be all tough.
“I want to go inside,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “I want you to let me in.”
He smiled back, as if against his will.
“Now why would I do that?” he asked.
“Because you like me,” Ella suggested, encouraging him to agree with the jut of one hip.
“And what’s in it for me?” he asked after a long moment. But Ella knew she already had him. It was right there in the smile he was trying to hide.
She let her hips roll as she sauntered to the open door, and pulled it open. She stepped close to him, but not too close, and looked up at him through her lashes.
“If you’re nice,” she told him in a low voice, “I’ll let you buy me a drink.”
And then, before he could react, she stepped inside.
Ella was feeling pretty good about herself as she navigated the forbidden zone of the Lighthouse. She figured she probably wouldn’t be back any time soon, so she took a small detour from her Taryn surveillance to check the place out. It
But Kelsi’s long-distance relationship wasn’t really what was occupying her thoughts tonight.
She was determined that tonight she’d figure out what was really going on between Taryn and Peter.
Ella lounged around in the living room in her old Juicy sweats, yawning and reading Allure , looking like she planned to spend the night in. She waited until Taryn got the inevitable call on her cell phone. When Taryn started whispering and giggling, and then took the call to the bedroom, Ellamoved herself to the sunporch and changed into something more appropriate for going out—in this case, a denim miniskirt, layered tank tops, and ropes of long beads.
It wasn’t that hard to slip out of the cottage and wait in the shadows by the side of the dirt road. By this point in the summer, Ella knew the whole stretch of that road like the contents of her closet. She could walk it with her eyes closed, which was a good thing, as it was usually far too dark to see anything, anyway.
Soon enough, Ella’s eyes adjusted enough so that when Taryn walked past, she could see her—or enough of her, anyway. Ella would know that saucy little walk anywhere, it annoyed her so much. It was easy enough to follow Taryn, keeping to the shadows and trailing her all the way into town. Ella was grateful her cork-soled wedges were silent on the pebbles.
Once in the village, there were other people around and Ella was able to draw closer to her prey. Taryn was dressed for a party. Her jeans were supertight and low, and her black tube top bared most of her abdomen and all of her shoulders. It was the sort of outfit that should have looked cheap and, Ella noted sourly, didn’t look anything but hot on Taryn.
It just made Ella all the more determined to bring her down.
Taryn walked with confidence up to the Lighthouse, the new-ish bar in town that Ella had so far been completely unable to do more than peer into.
Ella waited for the gigantic bouncers to do their job, and deny entry to underage Taryn, but she just flashed an ID and sauntered right in.
Ella gritted her teeth. Ugh . It had never occurred to her to get a fake ID. She’d always relied on her charm and the kindness of well-positioned boys.
Ella knew the bouncers were a lost cause, having tried to talk her way past them last summer, so she looked around for other possibilities. It didn’t take long. Around the back of the bar, a guy who looked like a bartender stood next to the propped-open back door, smoking a cigarette. It helped that he was cute, but it didn’t actually matter.
Ella smiled, and made her move.
“Hey there,” she singsonged, swaying her hips as she walked over to him. “What’s going on?”
“Smoke break,” the guy said, and then looked surprised, like he hadn’t meant to say something so obvious.
Ella smiled wider.
“What do you want?” he asked in a gruffer tone, clearly trying to be all tough.
“I want to go inside,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “I want you to let me in.”
He smiled back, as if against his will.
“Now why would I do that?” he asked.
“Because you like me,” Ella suggested, encouraging him to agree with the jut of one hip.
“And what’s in it for me?” he asked after a long moment. But Ella knew she already had him. It was right there in the smile he was trying to hide.
She let her hips roll as she sauntered to the open door, and pulled it open. She stepped close to him, but not too close, and looked up at him through her lashes.
“If you’re nice,” she told him in a low voice, “I’ll let you buy me a drink.”
And then, before he could react, she stepped inside.
Ella was feeling pretty good about herself as she navigated the forbidden zone of the Lighthouse. She figured she probably wouldn’t be back any time soon, so she took a small detour from her Taryn surveillance to check the place out. It
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