But Pork Pie didn’t find the Sisterhood intimidating in the least.
“Just leave her alone,” I said. “Take a snorkel lesson or something.”
He squared his shoulders and stepped closer to me. “I don’t remember asking your advice.”
“It’s free. You’re welcome.”
In the background, slightly out of focus, I could see the woman giving up on her cab and walking away.
I’d had her back—but now who would have mine?
Because the madder Pork Pie got, the more menacing he seemed.
It’s a crucial life skill for women, learning how to read men. You have to tune your radar to distinguish between harmless idiots and harmful ones. You need to be able to tell the difference.
The cruise dudes who’d mooned me? Harmless.
But Pork Pie?
With him, my danger radar went off.
And as soon as I felt it, without ever deciding to, my first instinct was to look around—for Cooper.
Who wasn’t there. Of course.
What was there instead was a cab pulling up. And now that he’d driven away the headphones girl, Pork Pie was next in line.
But did he really deserve to go next, after his poor behavior?
As the cab came to a stop, I slipped past them all, opened the back door, and slid in.
Saved by the cab.
I waved to the dudes through the window, extra glad to be escaping, as I mouthed a not-sorry “sorry,” and Pork Pie squinted at me like I was his new prey.
THE TAILOR WASeasy to find, and I dropped Ashley’s dress off, no problem. I texted the family group chat that Yolanda the seamstress said it would be “an easy fix” and she’d have it back in plenty of time—and Ashley texted back a GIF of a cartoon rabbit hugging another rabbit so hard that they both fell down.
So—crisisde-escalated.
Ashley was better.
And my dad, now embarking on his second chance with my mom, was better.
But I was pretty sure I… was worse.
Things with Cooper were worse, at least.
As I walked the streets of town, passing restaurants, and shops, and open markets with vendors selling everything from straw hats to beaded cover-ups to woven beach blankets, I had the feeling like I’d missed my chance to catch Cooper.
I sent a text but got no answer. I tried calling but got voicemail.
Even still, my eyes scanned endlessly for him while my brain churned through all its new input. Was it really possible for him to kiss me like that and then justleave? Had he finally given up on me? And could I even blame him?
It was so much to process.
Cooperhad been my first kiss.
Not only that, he’d been rescuing me—again, as always—from disaster.
