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“Hey, Jason,” I say, “next time you want to go through someone’s laundry, I’ve got a pair of panties that are your color.”
Jason winks at me. “Take them off on our date and I’ll consider it.”
I wrinkle my nose at him. “There is no date.”
“We’ll see.”
Jason exits, climbing on board the Healing Touch. I sigh and turn back to Donovan. “Are you okay—?”
But Donovan is already halfway up the dock, his back to me.
13
Jason
It’s 2:00 p.m. on a Tuesday and I’m already buzzed.
I lounge across the picnic table on the lawn, my legs hanging off the edge. The sun warms me, and I close my eyes.
Around me, I hear sounds of chatter—Amy and Brett, gossiping about the last episode of Flavor of Love. The boombox beats and clears out any chaos inside my skull.
I’m lazy. Warm. A lion, king of the jungle, sunning himself on Pride fucking Rock.
“Hey, King.”
I squint my eyes open to see Nick coming down the gravel pathway from the shitty laundry room. The locals use it for—well, laundry, I guess. Everyone else uses it as a place to get high.
“Sup?”
“Check this out.”
I peel myself up and hop off the table. I follow Nick into the laundry room, and he nods to the corkboard.
They’ve got notices pinned here—reminders of when and where to pay slip fees, someone’s desperate attempt at a potluck. And something else: a note in girly handwriting that says, For the laundry thief…I think these are yours?
And pinned to the note, a pair of red, lacy women’s panties.
I chuckle. Well played, Kenzi.
“You know what this is?” Nick asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s a dare.” Then I unpin the panties from the corkboard.
14
Kenzi
It’s beach day for the Strattons. And Four.
We leave the boat and walk to the parking lot bogged down with beach chairs, umbrellas, and thermal bags.
Four and Pearl walk ahead side by side. Pearl, as a rule, only ever carries her purse. She has her arm linked together with Four’s as they walk, and she laughs at his bad dad jokes.
Meanwhile, I hoof it with a beach chair strapped to my back and another heavy bag on my shoulder. The family camel.
“Hey, Kenzi!”
At the sound of my name, I stop and turn around (with no over-the-shoulder visibility, the chair on the back requires me to make a full turn). Jason and his crew are at the marina’s swimming pool. When I see Jason, however, my jaw drops.
