If not…well, forget it.”
“Yeah, I guess I know people like that.”
“So then the question is, what does Hayden need from you?”
“Other than my hot body and sparkling wit?” I joked. “Hm, let’s think.”
“I think he has to make out with all the new girls,” Claire said.
“What?” I laughed for a second, but then stopped. It seemed kind of horribly possible. “Has he made a move on you?” I asked Claire.
“No, he’s obviously starting with the easy conquests, like you, then working up to the more difficult ones, like me—”
“You are so about to go over for the first time,” I threatened, laughing.
“You don’t even know how to sail—”
“No, but I do know you need this!” I was about to take out the centerboard when my phone rang. I pulled my phone out of my shorts pocket, thinking that I probably shouldn’t have brought my phone out on the sailboat. If we tipped over, good-bye phone.
“If that’s Miss Crossley, tell her you’re horribly busy,” Claire said. “Tell her you’re drowning.”
“No, it’s not her—she always uses the pager. I don’t know who it is,” I said, flipping open my phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lize. Where are you?”
“Josh? No. Hayden?” I said. “That you?” It’s always weird when someone calls you forthe first time and you don’t recognize their phone voice.
Claire looked up from the rudder she’d been adjusting.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Hayden said.
“How did you get this number?” I asked.
“What, is it off-limits? I got it from the employee list. Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could meet up and go for a bike ride later,” Hayden said.
“A bike ride. On the handlebars again?” I smiled at the memory of Hayden and I tottering along the oceanside road, hurrying back to the Inn.
“Well, yeah, that’d be fun. But I don’t know if we could go more than a mile without crashing,” Hayden said.
“True,” I agreed. “Good point.”
“No, I have a bike for you, from the shed.”
“So a bike ride.” I glanced over at Claire and mouthed, What should I do?
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. I knew what she was thinking: Go slowly. Be careful. Don’t do something stupid.
“Well, I’m kind of busy. Right now.Actually,” I said, “Claire and I are sailing. More like she’s sailing, and I’m learning.”
“I was talking about later this afternoon,” he said. “Maybe after dinner—that’d be cool, right? We’d have more time, we could take off for a while.”
“Oh. Well, I think I’m going to be busy then, too,” I said.
“Really.”
“Yeah. You won’t believe what Miss Crossley has me doing.” Think fast, Liza. Think of some outlandish errand you’re going to be on.
“What?”
“It’s for that writer. I have to, uh, do a bunch of errands for him. He wants to experience the authentic coastal…experience, so I’m actually driving him around the area, showing him the local hot spots. I guess he wants to experience the ultimate local seafood takeout or something.”
“So where are you taking him?” Hayden asked.
“Uh, I’m not sure yet. But we’re leaving around six. Maybe tomorrow—oops—sorry, the boat is tipping—whoa! Gotta go!” I hungup the phone after knocking it against the deck a few times, for maximum effect.
Claire was smiling at me when I looked at her. “Wow. That was some good improv. Your story kind of sucked, but I doubt he’ll figure it out. Unless he checks the parking lot for your car…”
“So you and I will go for takeout,” I said. “Big deal.”
“Hey, great idea! No more scullery meals for us.”
It felt kind of good, actually. If Hayden could blow me off, like he did earlier, then I could return the favor.
Maybe it only meant I was playing games with him, that I was playing hard to get.
But shouldn’t I be hard to get?
Shouldn’t everybody?
Chapter Nine
B e careful what you wish for. It just might come true.
Those words kept
“Yeah, I guess I know people like that.”
“So then the question is, what does Hayden need from you?”
“Other than my hot body and sparkling wit?” I joked. “Hm, let’s think.”
“I think he has to make out with all the new girls,” Claire said.
“What?” I laughed for a second, but then stopped. It seemed kind of horribly possible. “Has he made a move on you?” I asked Claire.
“No, he’s obviously starting with the easy conquests, like you, then working up to the more difficult ones, like me—”
“You are so about to go over for the first time,” I threatened, laughing.
“You don’t even know how to sail—”
“No, but I do know you need this!” I was about to take out the centerboard when my phone rang. I pulled my phone out of my shorts pocket, thinking that I probably shouldn’t have brought my phone out on the sailboat. If we tipped over, good-bye phone.
“If that’s Miss Crossley, tell her you’re horribly busy,” Claire said. “Tell her you’re drowning.”
“No, it’s not her—she always uses the pager. I don’t know who it is,” I said, flipping open my phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lize. Where are you?”
“Josh? No. Hayden?” I said. “That you?” It’s always weird when someone calls you forthe first time and you don’t recognize their phone voice.
Claire looked up from the rudder she’d been adjusting.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Hayden said.
“How did you get this number?” I asked.
“What, is it off-limits? I got it from the employee list. Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could meet up and go for a bike ride later,” Hayden said.
“A bike ride. On the handlebars again?” I smiled at the memory of Hayden and I tottering along the oceanside road, hurrying back to the Inn.
“Well, yeah, that’d be fun. But I don’t know if we could go more than a mile without crashing,” Hayden said.
“True,” I agreed. “Good point.”
“No, I have a bike for you, from the shed.”
“So a bike ride.” I glanced over at Claire and mouthed, What should I do?
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. I knew what she was thinking: Go slowly. Be careful. Don’t do something stupid.
“Well, I’m kind of busy. Right now.Actually,” I said, “Claire and I are sailing. More like she’s sailing, and I’m learning.”
“I was talking about later this afternoon,” he said. “Maybe after dinner—that’d be cool, right? We’d have more time, we could take off for a while.”
“Oh. Well, I think I’m going to be busy then, too,” I said.
“Really.”
“Yeah. You won’t believe what Miss Crossley has me doing.” Think fast, Liza. Think of some outlandish errand you’re going to be on.
“What?”
“It’s for that writer. I have to, uh, do a bunch of errands for him. He wants to experience the authentic coastal…experience, so I’m actually driving him around the area, showing him the local hot spots. I guess he wants to experience the ultimate local seafood takeout or something.”
“So where are you taking him?” Hayden asked.
“Uh, I’m not sure yet. But we’re leaving around six. Maybe tomorrow—oops—sorry, the boat is tipping—whoa! Gotta go!” I hungup the phone after knocking it against the deck a few times, for maximum effect.
Claire was smiling at me when I looked at her. “Wow. That was some good improv. Your story kind of sucked, but I doubt he’ll figure it out. Unless he checks the parking lot for your car…”
“So you and I will go for takeout,” I said. “Big deal.”
“Hey, great idea! No more scullery meals for us.”
It felt kind of good, actually. If Hayden could blow me off, like he did earlier, then I could return the favor.
Maybe it only meant I was playing games with him, that I was playing hard to get.
But shouldn’t I be hard to get?
Shouldn’t everybody?
Chapter Nine
B e careful what you wish for. It just might come true.
Those words kept
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