invented hot irons and hair product.
“Where is everyone? I skipped coffee.”
“Good morning, sunshine,” Rose quipped.
Lina raised her eyebrows. And smiled. Briefly. She didn’t want to give Rose any ideas. Respect and friendship were two very different things.
“They’re running late. Didn’t you see the texts?”
Lina flushed. “Oh … um, yeah. My battery totally died yesterday. I have to go to the store today to get a new one,” she finished lamely. She had mentally ticked off a list of excuses about her phone in bed last night, and this one had sounded a lot better in her head. Oh well. She’d find Mariand figure everything out right after the meeting. The other girls would never have to know.
“So, how’d I do?” Lina gestured to the array of photographs spread across the old table, private-investigator style. “You know I got an A plus in photography last year.”
“We did well. Really well,” Rose said, smiling. “Took me all night, and I nearly broke my dad’s laser printer.” Lina never realized how pretty Rose could be. Her dimpled cheeks practically glowed. With the right clothes and makeup, she might even pass for a Club member. “I mean, look at this level of detail.”
Lina bent down beside Rose, tucking her legs beneath her, their heads almost touching. She couldn’t believe how realistic the pictures looked. The angle made James appear fully naked. Rose had photoshopped her bathing suit from her body, had changed her dark hair to red and strategically arranged the strands so they covered her face. Lina wasn’t sure how much more incriminating you could get. With the Club pool in the background, James might as well have been giving his Grandpa the finger. Photoshopped or not, Lina couldn’t imagine how much Rose was risking by lying next to James with her bare back to the camera. If that didn’t demonstrate her loyalty to the girls, she wasn’t sure what would. “You look hot, Rose. You need to save these. They could come in handy if you ever need something more than a headshot.”
Rose laughed so hard she snorted. Lina lost it, too. Laughter echoed off the walls, tears gathered in her eyes. Lina couldn’t remember the last time her stomach muscles had ached from anything besides an ab workout.
“Something funny?”
Madge stood in the doorway. Lina wiped her eyes, and Rose stiffened like they’d been caught making out.
“Nothing, we were just admiring my wicked photo skills,” Lina said, bending to pick up a picture and hand it to Madge. She smiled proudly. Sloane entered behind Madge with a tray of coffees, barely looking at her. She was still pissed about the other day, not that Lina could blame her. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to fix it. She also knew Sloane well enough to know that she would now feel threatened by Rose. “You look pretty, Sloane. You haven’t worn your hair down in a while.” Sloane’s long black hair hung down her back like a curtain, all gloss despite the humidity.
“Thanks,” Sloane said, shifting the tray to her other hand. Lina could tell that she wanted a reason to stop fighting. “Coffee?” She might as well have said, “Truce?”
Warmth flooded through Lina’s body. Coffee and her best friend. It was a good morning. She almost said as much, but then she remembered. Willa. Willa was dead. There was no such thing as a good morning anymore.
Madge sunk into the couch, examining every inch of the photograph. “This is pretty good.” Weak enthusiasm, but they were talking about Madge here. She’d sooner slit your throat than gush. “Rose, you can sneak this into the presentation, right?”
“I think so. My mom is clueless with PowerPoint so one of the college kids always puts it together for her. I’ll volunteer this year. She’s always bugging me to help her out.”
Madge nodded her head, pleased. “Lina?” She raised her eyebrows. “What about Trip?”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Sloane set her coffee down
“Where is everyone? I skipped coffee.”
“Good morning, sunshine,” Rose quipped.
Lina raised her eyebrows. And smiled. Briefly. She didn’t want to give Rose any ideas. Respect and friendship were two very different things.
“They’re running late. Didn’t you see the texts?”
Lina flushed. “Oh … um, yeah. My battery totally died yesterday. I have to go to the store today to get a new one,” she finished lamely. She had mentally ticked off a list of excuses about her phone in bed last night, and this one had sounded a lot better in her head. Oh well. She’d find Mariand figure everything out right after the meeting. The other girls would never have to know.
“So, how’d I do?” Lina gestured to the array of photographs spread across the old table, private-investigator style. “You know I got an A plus in photography last year.”
“We did well. Really well,” Rose said, smiling. “Took me all night, and I nearly broke my dad’s laser printer.” Lina never realized how pretty Rose could be. Her dimpled cheeks practically glowed. With the right clothes and makeup, she might even pass for a Club member. “I mean, look at this level of detail.”
Lina bent down beside Rose, tucking her legs beneath her, their heads almost touching. She couldn’t believe how realistic the pictures looked. The angle made James appear fully naked. Rose had photoshopped her bathing suit from her body, had changed her dark hair to red and strategically arranged the strands so they covered her face. Lina wasn’t sure how much more incriminating you could get. With the Club pool in the background, James might as well have been giving his Grandpa the finger. Photoshopped or not, Lina couldn’t imagine how much Rose was risking by lying next to James with her bare back to the camera. If that didn’t demonstrate her loyalty to the girls, she wasn’t sure what would. “You look hot, Rose. You need to save these. They could come in handy if you ever need something more than a headshot.”
Rose laughed so hard she snorted. Lina lost it, too. Laughter echoed off the walls, tears gathered in her eyes. Lina couldn’t remember the last time her stomach muscles had ached from anything besides an ab workout.
“Something funny?”
Madge stood in the doorway. Lina wiped her eyes, and Rose stiffened like they’d been caught making out.
“Nothing, we were just admiring my wicked photo skills,” Lina said, bending to pick up a picture and hand it to Madge. She smiled proudly. Sloane entered behind Madge with a tray of coffees, barely looking at her. She was still pissed about the other day, not that Lina could blame her. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to fix it. She also knew Sloane well enough to know that she would now feel threatened by Rose. “You look pretty, Sloane. You haven’t worn your hair down in a while.” Sloane’s long black hair hung down her back like a curtain, all gloss despite the humidity.
“Thanks,” Sloane said, shifting the tray to her other hand. Lina could tell that she wanted a reason to stop fighting. “Coffee?” She might as well have said, “Truce?”
Warmth flooded through Lina’s body. Coffee and her best friend. It was a good morning. She almost said as much, but then she remembered. Willa. Willa was dead. There was no such thing as a good morning anymore.
Madge sunk into the couch, examining every inch of the photograph. “This is pretty good.” Weak enthusiasm, but they were talking about Madge here. She’d sooner slit your throat than gush. “Rose, you can sneak this into the presentation, right?”
“I think so. My mom is clueless with PowerPoint so one of the college kids always puts it together for her. I’ll volunteer this year. She’s always bugging me to help her out.”
Madge nodded her head, pleased. “Lina?” She raised her eyebrows. “What about Trip?”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Sloane set her coffee down
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