He looked kind of like Derek Jeter but younger and with an accent. But he was nothing compared to Chiedo.”
Brett rubbed her hands together. Even though Tinsley hadn’t exactly
said
she’d had sex with them, Brett could only assume. She couldn’t help wondering what was with her, taking so long to lose her virginity, when Tinsley could do it with two unbearably hot older guys over the course of one summer. If she couldn’t do it with Eric, who
could
she do it with?
“Easy and I never did it. Is that weird?” Callie asked abruptly.
“No,” Brett said, at the same time Tinsley said, “Yes.” This struck them all as hilarious.
“What about you, B.? If you’re not with Jeremiah, who are you working on?” Tinsley arched one of her dark eyebrows.
Brett felt her pale face coloring, and she cleared her throat. “You know, I’m sort of taking time off from boys for a while. It gets to be too distracting.”
“What, are you into girls now?” Tinsley leaned across the table, her eyes flashing with intensity. “Or
men?
”
Brett looked her in the eye. “We’ll have to see, I guess.” She had no doubt that if Tinsley found out about her and Eric, she’d find some cute way to drop the bomb in front of the boys, or the entire dining room, or Dean Marymount. Tinsley was famous for subtly causing the equivalent of a gossip tsunami. “Anyway, I thought Café Society rules said no boyfriends.”
“Boyfriends are different from men,” Tinsley said with a yawn, arching her back and stretching like a cat. “Men are encouraged.”
“Why don’t we go get some pizza?” Callie interrupted. “I’m starved.” Something about Callie, whose recent skinniness pointed to a larger problem, saying she was starving immediately placated the two other girls and set them into motion.
“Of course,” Tinsley said, finishing her glass of champagne and setting it delicately on the slightly sticky table. “Let’s go.”
“Colonial?” Brett said. “Or Ritoli’s?” She could definitely use something to soak up the liquor in her stomach, and both pizza places were right in town.
“Ritoli’s has more
ambiance,
” Tinsley suggested, clearly referring to the Italian boys who worked there. It was a family-run business that had been in downtown Rhinecliff forever and was a favorite with the female population of Waverly. There were at least three young men working at all times, all dark and muscled and adorable.
“Stupid question,” Brett said, and the three girls giggled and shuffled out of the hotel, leaving a generous tip for the bartender at their table.
Brett didn’t realize how starved she was until they walked into Ritoli’s and the warm rush of doughy air surrounded them.
“Mmmm,” Tinsley said, rubbing her stomach. Then she elbowed Brett in the side at the sight of the handsome boy making his way toward them with menus.
“What do you guys want on it?” Tinsley asked.
“How about him?” Callie whispered a little too loudly.
Smooth,
Brett thought.
“You want to look at the menus or you know what you want?” the boy asked, giving them all a knowing grin. He looked about seventeen, with dark eyes and smooth olive skin and the longest lashes Brett had ever seen. He even made her forget about Eric Dalton for a few seconds.
“Three Diet Cokes,” Tinsley said, giving him her million-watt smile. “But we haven’t decided what else yet.”
“No problem. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
It was warm inside, and Brett fanned her face with the menu and remembered how last year, after the first big lacrosse game, she and Jeremiah had met Easy and Callie and Tinsley and Heath here for pizza. They had to order another one because the guys devoured the first so quickly. She and Eric would never be able to hang out with her friends like that, she thought a little sadly.
But they had something different—it didn’t have to be about eating pizza while the boys tried to flick a pepperoni into each
Maggie Brendan
Barbara O'Connor
Jan Washburn
Terri Blackstock
Norah Simone
Barry Kemp
G.P. Taylor
Alan Cumyn
Linda Barnes
Lisa Jackson