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“Lainie?! Holy shit, girl! Look at you!” My unapologetic full scan of her body lingers longer than she is accustomed to, and Lainie starts fidgeting with her hair. “Wow, do you need a side gig? Tit for Tat is always hiring new babies.” True fact, but I am totally teasing her, of course.
Her hazel eyes widen impossibly large, perfect pink lips pop open, and she shakes her head. “Oh, no. No, thank you.” Lainie leans forward and uses the back of her hand to barricade her mouth. “This is far enough out of my comfort zone as it is.”
“Yeah, we are definitely still working on that,” the girl next to her chimes in with a wink. Now, her I recognize. Isla is a regular Surf Shack model and has even popped into Tit for Tat during amateur night on occasion.
Now that I think of it, I did see Lainie on the billboards this past summer. But with the fake tan, highlighted hair, and so much skin showing, the connection was lost on me. “Well, you look stunning, hun. Seriously.”
“Thanks. Are you shopping for a swimsuit?” Lainie gives me a small smile, but it falters a little when a presence pops up at my side.
With that reaction, I know right away it must be one of the guys; Lainie is always skittish around them. Not that I blame her. I kinda wish I was, too. Alas, that is far from the case. So very far.
Chaz plops down several pieces of swimwear and other random clothing items onto the table in front of me. “I picked out a few things for you to try on.” He separates the bunch and places a dark brown swimsuit on top. “This bikini is my favorite, though.”
In other words, I am likely getting that one but not before at least pretending to choose it myself. I align the hanger loops and scoop up the stack.
“The dressing area is just over there behind those sheets.” Lainie points. “Nothing fancy, but Isla and I are in charge of making sure no one goes back there when someone is using it, so you should be safe.”
“Works for me. The privacy or lack thereof is no bother. I get undressed in front of people every day.”
“Oh. Right. Because you are a str—” A repressed cough catches in her throat as she attempts to cut herself off. “Yeah. Right. Let us know if you need help. You know, with the ties or exchanging any of the pieces for a different size.”
A hand slides to my lower back on the opposite side of my body from where Chaz stands. “I can help her,” Bae states. Guiding me past Lainie and toward the changing area, he throws a grin and coppery wink at her just like he did the other day when she was delivering pizza to us. Her adorable, bumbling reaction is pretty much the same, too.
As soon as everyone is out of sight and Bae pushes the sheet aside, letting me enter in front of him, a surge of anxious adrenaline bubbles up inside me upon realizing that Bae is giving me exactly what I asked for — a chance alone with him.
Keep friends close but enemies closer, right?
I need to get him talking.
Like a detective would do.
