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I turned back around to Marina, who arched a knowing eyebrow.
“We’re talking about this later.”
Marina had moved her stuff into my already-crowded hotel room when I was at the RiverCenter, getting ready for the pageant. I’d left most of my stuff in my backstage dressing room since I’d have all-day interviews and meet and greets tomorrow. But tonight, I was free.
Marina collapsed back on the king-size bed we’d be sharing. “So, are you going to finally put your tongue down his throat?”
I snorted. “Marina!”
“What? You have been into Ash Talmadge your entire life. And I saw that look he gave you.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “It wasn’t the first time.”
She shrieked. “Excuse me? Why was I not informed?”
“You didn’t come to my debutante ball.”
Marina wrinkled her nose. “Those are so old-fashioned.”
“You were homecoming queen!”
“Yeah, but, like, I gave my crown away to my friend Carol because they’d refused to let the lesbian couple be on the court, and I thought that was bullshit. She would have won if they hadn’t been such bigots.”
“That was the right thing to do,” I admitted. “But still … you let yourself be on the court. It’s not that different.”
She shrugged, conceding the point. “Fine. But back to the important thing: you’ve been keeping secrets. Tell, tell!”
“Well, I told you how he walked me at the ball because Brad dumped me.”
“Yes.”
“So … there was a moment where he looked at my lips and then back up at me. And we were dancing, and there was this”—I sighed dramatically—“moment.”
“Girl, you have it so bad. Can you just kiss him already?”
“When exactly would I do that? I’m going to Charleston with you when I leave here.”
“Oh my God … let’s go out tonight!”
I blinked. “Where?”
“I don’t know. The boys will know.”
“The boys?”
Marina rolled her eyes. “Derek and Ash, obviously. What other boys? They’ll know where to go out and get drunk.”
“I cannot get drunk. I have interviews in the morning.”
“Then, we’d better get started.” Marina grabbed my hand and hauled me out of the room. She tiptoed past the rooms for my parents. She knocked on the door to the boys’ room.
Derek answered, and my heart sank. Oh no.
“Hey, let’s go out,” Marina said mischievously.
“You’re eighteen,” he reminded her.
“And? As if I’ve never had a beer before. As if you never had a beer at eighteen,” Marina countered. “I remember that one summer where Dare and I had to carry you back inside while Tye laughed his ass off.”
Daron and Tye were Marina’s brothers. Daron was two years older, and Tye was the same age as us, but he’d been adopted, so they weren’t twins.
Derek held his hand up. “Don’t remind me. I had a hangover for days.”
“What’s going on?” Ash asked, appearing at the door.
“They want to go out.”
“Then, let’s go out.”
Derek shot him a look. “They’re eighteen.”
“I’m twenty,” Ash reminded him. “And anyway, what were you doing at eighteen, dipshit?”
“That’s what I said!” Marina said.
“I’m not drinking,” I said quickly because I knew Derek’s real objection was for me and not Marina. He loved her too, but he was way overly protective of me. “I have interviews in the morning.”
“Yes, you are!” Marina countered.
“Rina, shut up,” I hissed.
“Come on, Derek,” Ash said with a grin. “You wanted to meet up with that other girl anyway.”
“What girl?” I asked at the same time Derek shrugged and said, “Fine.”
Marina whooped, and I clapped a hand over her mouth. She giggled as we all looked down the hall. Only Derek was legally old enough to drink. The last thing we wanted was to alert the parentals.
Derek sighed heavily, pocketed his keys, and we all headed downstairs. Marina stood on her tiptoes and slung an arm over his shoulders, leaving me to stand beside Ash.
I glanced his way, and he smiled when he noticed me noticing him.
I flushed again. “Is this a bad idea?”
“Who cares? We’re only young once,” he said, holding the door open for me.
We followed Derek down the street. I prayed as I flashed a fake ID to the bouncer. I’d only ever used it at crappy places in Savannah. I’d never tested it elsewhere. Just what I needed was to get arrested the night after I won my title. I’d make the newspapers in the worst way. But the guy just smirked at my tits and then waved us all through.
“That was easier than I’d thought,” Ash said.
Marina gestured to my V-cut pink dress. “That helps.”
Ash’s eyes dipped down and then quickly back up.
Derek just shoved Marina. “Keep moving.”
Marina laughed, grabbed my hand, and tugged me toward the bar. She ordered Sex on the Beach for the both of us and immediately started flirting with a guy at the bar. Derek was speaking to another one of the pageant girls with skin the color of onyx, tightly coiled hair, and cheekbones so sharp that they could cut. I didn’t remember her name, just that she was from the Atlanta area.
