South beach by Aimee Friedman Page A
Authors: Aimee Friedman
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Juvenile Fiction, Travel, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12), Social Issues, Interpersonal relations, Man-Woman Relationships, Love & Romance, Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General, Friendship, Florida, Teenage girls, Dating & Sex, South, Adolescence, Teenagers, Dating (Social Customs), Social Issues - Adolescence, Social Issues - Friendship, Social Issues - Dating & Sex, Spring break, South Atlantic, South Beach (Miami Beach; Fla.)
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She gave him a long, meaningful look that said you and I are different.
Ken-doll nodded sympathetically "There's a lot of that here," he said. "But there are also some fantastic night spots." His face lit up. "I don't know what you were planning for tonight, but I'm going to a Cuban place in Little Havana called Esta Noche. It's a restaurant, but at eleven the bottom level turns into a very sophisticated dance club."
Alexa's heart raced as she took a gulp of her Bellini. He was asking her out for tonight? This had to set a record for world's fastest pick-up, and he was totally smooth about it. This was exactly the kind of guy she'd been looking for!
"That sounds incredible," Alexa said softly She
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remembered reading about Esta Noche in her guidebook -- it was supposedly Little Havana's best new spot for Latin dancing. Alexa had been to the real Havana once -- a couple years ago, with her dad, when he'd gone for architectural research. Their trip had been one of Alexa's most fascinating journeys yet, and had piqued her interest in Cuban culture. She imagined herself and Ken-doll, in a dark, chic club, salsa dancing.
"You should join us," Ken-doll said, waving toward someone poolside. "Luis and I will be getting there around ten."
Luis? Alexa thought, following Ken-doll's gaze to an extremely handsome, brown-skinned man who was toweling himself off near the pool. The man lifted his hand and smiled at Ken-doll.
"Careful, honey," Luis called over. "You look like you're getting a little pink."
"Am I?" Ken-doll asked in response, looking down at his fair chest.
Oh no, Alexa thought, comprehension dawning. Ken-doll wasn't hitting on her at all. He was gay. And, obviously, had a very hot boyfriend.
Alexa's face flamed. He'd just been making friendly conversation, and she'd practically thrown herself at him! How out of it could she be? Was she
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turning into Holly? Or maybe, a nagging voice sounded in her head, you re so self-centered that you always assume every guy is into you.
Just then, she saw Holly approach the pool, looking as wan and depressed as Alexa herself was feeling.
Holly padded over to where Alexa floated, and kneeled by the edge of the pool. She had called all the Mendietas in the phone book and gotten a bunch of busy signals, a few answering machines, someone who couldn't speak any English, and a grouchy man who said he knew no Diegos. Worse still, she had then called her parents, who kept asking specific questions about Grandma Ida. And then she'd had to call Grandma Ida, to make sure all their stories were straight. Holly felt depressed and drained. She noticed Alexa looked kind of limp, too.
"What's wrong?" Holly and Alexa asked each other at the same time. They smiled.
"You go first," Holly said.
"Well..."Alexa hedged. Ken-doll was still floating nearby. She couldn't exactly explain the whole humiliating incident to Holly now.
"Hi there," Ken-doll said to Holly with a little wave. Then he looked at Alexa. "Is this the friend who suffered through the trashy place with you?"
"Yup," Alexa replied, careful not to make eye contact.
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"Well, you girls should most definitely investigate Little Havana tonight," he said. He paddled the water with his hand and his float drifted off in the direction of Luis. "Nice chatting with you," Ken-doll called to Alexa.
"Nice chatting," Alexa repeated dazedly.
"Little Havana?" Holly asked Alexa. Her eyes lit up at the mention of the Cuban neighborhood. She kicked off her flip-flops and swung her legs over the pool's edge, dangling her feet in the water. "What's there?"
"This dance club called Esta Noche," Alexa replied, sipping her Bellini.
Holly let out a big breath, newly hopeful. Diego was Cuban American, and she had a vague memory of him offering to teach her Latin dancing. Of course, at thirteen, she'd been too timid, and had declined. But now, Holly was feeling bolder. Was there a chance that Diego might be at Esta Noche tonight? After her
Ken-doll nodded sympathetically "There's a lot of that here," he said. "But there are also some fantastic night spots." His face lit up. "I don't know what you were planning for tonight, but I'm going to a Cuban place in Little Havana called Esta Noche. It's a restaurant, but at eleven the bottom level turns into a very sophisticated dance club."
Alexa's heart raced as she took a gulp of her Bellini. He was asking her out for tonight? This had to set a record for world's fastest pick-up, and he was totally smooth about it. This was exactly the kind of guy she'd been looking for!
"That sounds incredible," Alexa said softly She
117
remembered reading about Esta Noche in her guidebook -- it was supposedly Little Havana's best new spot for Latin dancing. Alexa had been to the real Havana once -- a couple years ago, with her dad, when he'd gone for architectural research. Their trip had been one of Alexa's most fascinating journeys yet, and had piqued her interest in Cuban culture. She imagined herself and Ken-doll, in a dark, chic club, salsa dancing.
"You should join us," Ken-doll said, waving toward someone poolside. "Luis and I will be getting there around ten."
Luis? Alexa thought, following Ken-doll's gaze to an extremely handsome, brown-skinned man who was toweling himself off near the pool. The man lifted his hand and smiled at Ken-doll.
"Careful, honey," Luis called over. "You look like you're getting a little pink."
"Am I?" Ken-doll asked in response, looking down at his fair chest.
Oh no, Alexa thought, comprehension dawning. Ken-doll wasn't hitting on her at all. He was gay. And, obviously, had a very hot boyfriend.
Alexa's face flamed. He'd just been making friendly conversation, and she'd practically thrown herself at him! How out of it could she be? Was she
118
turning into Holly? Or maybe, a nagging voice sounded in her head, you re so self-centered that you always assume every guy is into you.
Just then, she saw Holly approach the pool, looking as wan and depressed as Alexa herself was feeling.
Holly padded over to where Alexa floated, and kneeled by the edge of the pool. She had called all the Mendietas in the phone book and gotten a bunch of busy signals, a few answering machines, someone who couldn't speak any English, and a grouchy man who said he knew no Diegos. Worse still, she had then called her parents, who kept asking specific questions about Grandma Ida. And then she'd had to call Grandma Ida, to make sure all their stories were straight. Holly felt depressed and drained. She noticed Alexa looked kind of limp, too.
"What's wrong?" Holly and Alexa asked each other at the same time. They smiled.
"You go first," Holly said.
"Well..."Alexa hedged. Ken-doll was still floating nearby. She couldn't exactly explain the whole humiliating incident to Holly now.
"Hi there," Ken-doll said to Holly with a little wave. Then he looked at Alexa. "Is this the friend who suffered through the trashy place with you?"
"Yup," Alexa replied, careful not to make eye contact.
119
"Well, you girls should most definitely investigate Little Havana tonight," he said. He paddled the water with his hand and his float drifted off in the direction of Luis. "Nice chatting with you," Ken-doll called to Alexa.
"Nice chatting," Alexa repeated dazedly.
"Little Havana?" Holly asked Alexa. Her eyes lit up at the mention of the Cuban neighborhood. She kicked off her flip-flops and swung her legs over the pool's edge, dangling her feet in the water. "What's there?"
"This dance club called Esta Noche," Alexa replied, sipping her Bellini.
Holly let out a big breath, newly hopeful. Diego was Cuban American, and she had a vague memory of him offering to teach her Latin dancing. Of course, at thirteen, she'd been too timid, and had declined. But now, Holly was feeling bolder. Was there a chance that Diego might be at Esta Noche tonight? After her
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