Stuck With The Four Hotties

Exhale, Marnye, exhale.

“If there’s something you need to tell me,” Dad starts, his cheeks reddening slightly, “even if it’s about sex or anything like that, I’m here. There’s nothing you could do that would change my love for you, Marnye. If you come to me with questions, I promise I won’t be mad.”

My serious expression morphs into a grin, and I lean forward to throw my arms around his neck in a very Miranda-esque sort of hug. When I sit back, Dad’s smiling, too.

“Okay. If I have any questions, I’ll ask Google first, but keep you in mind for a close second.” Dad laughs, but the sound is half mirth and half relief. Good. “And yes to the party. Actually, I’m excited for it.”

I don’t say it aloud, but … it’s been years since I’ve had a birthday with anyone but me and Dad.

Last year, Zack tried, but I wasn’t ready. This year, I’m open to change.

And I’m not afraid.

I don’t tell anyone that Dad’s already spilled the beans about my party. Instead, when he starts acting squirrelly after our pancake breakfast at the Railroad Station, I just smile and smother my laughter with my hand.

When we pull up to the Lower Banks Bowling Alley-the only cool place to bowl in the whole Cruz Bay Metro area-there are cars parked outside that are worth more than the entire business. Heh. If I hadn’t already known this was coming, I’d know now.

My heart skips a few beats as Dad rushes around to open my door, treating me like a princess. I feel a little like one, in the black party dress I picked out. It’s a high-low dress (shorter in the front than it is in the back) with a sleeveless, beaded bodice, and a little collar that buttons in the back. The best part? I paid forty bucks for it online, and I feel fabulous in it. I don’t need designer dresses or shoes to feel pretty. It might sound cheesy, but I really do believe that energy is inside of all of us.

Biting my lower lip, I pause just outside the door, next to the sign that says

Closed for a Private Party, and then I push my way in. “Surprise!”

The cheer goes up from the small group gathered in the entryway, next to the old claw machine, and the frosted glass windows that partition off the dining area. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in that cheer, even though Creed’s yawning and clapping at the same time, and Tristan’s as subdued as he always is. The others-Miranda, Lizzie, Andrew, Zack, Windsor, and Zayd

-make up for it.

“You’re seventeen today!” Miranda shouts, dancing over to me and giving me a squeeze that’s so enthusiastic that my feet come up off the floor. She

smells like that Victoria’s Secret body splash that everyone’s so obsessed with. Love Spell, right? I wonder if she has a new girlfriend?

“I’m seventeen,” I repeat, laughing as I push her off and Lizzie steps in for a much softer, but no less tight, hug. Each girl’s hug matches their personality. The thought makes me smile.

“Happy birthday,” Lizzie says, pulling back and catching sight of my dad. Her breath hitches, and her amber eyes get big. “Mr. Reed.” The words come out in a whisper, and it takes me a minute to figure out what’s going on. She’s worried that he knows her part in the bet. He doesn’t. And honestly, at this point, there’s no reason to tell him.

“Lizzie, this is Charlie,” I introduce them as simply as I can, giving her a look that I hope conveys that. They shake hands as I move over to Andrew next. He’s actually wearing a white shirt with a rainbow flag on the front of it. I raise my eyebrows and he grins, reaching up to muss at his chestnut hair. “I’m not quite as brave as you,” he says, to which I raise my own eyebrow. I’ve never thought of myself as brave. I’m learning self-confidence and self-care, but bravery? I’m not sure I’m there yet. “It’s just, my parents

are still in Italy, so …” Andrew trails off, and we hug anyway.

Those are the easy people to greet.

The rest of the group is … complicated.

Well, maybe to me. Windsor hasn’t gotten the memo. He sweeps me off my feet, and I squeal in surprise as he spins me around and sets me back down, curling his fingers through mine and lifting them up, so that we’re palm to palm. My heart is pounding, my pulse racing, as he leans in and kisses both of my cheeks.

My dad is staring at us with a very reserved and confused sort of expression. After I explained to him who Windsor was, he didn’t believe me. He literally bet me twenty bucks that I was full of it. Then he looked the prince up on his phone, shuffle-walked to my bedroom door, and put a small wad of ones and fives on my dresser.

“My daughter goes to sFhool with royalty,” he’d mumbled, and then, “no wonder you didn’t want to leave that sFhool.”

“We’ve all flown in for your birthday, and,” Windsor lifts up a single finger, “since there’s not a proper five star hotel in all of Cruz Bay, we’re staying at the Bayside Bed and Breakfast.” As a grin spreads across my face, Windsor chuckles. “Thought you’d get a kick out of that.”

“You guys know the Bayside Bed and Breakfast is haunted, right?” I ask. “And besides that, their continental breakfast consists of oranges in a bowl, and cold cereal. There’s no valet, no turndown service, and they definitely have not perfected the art of ass kissing.”

“So we discovered yesterday,” Tristan says, gray eyes sliding to one side. His arms are crossed tight over his chest, and even though I’m no psychologist, there’s something about his stance that says guarded, closed- off, unavailable. I wonder if he’s doing it on purpose? “The ceiling in my bathroom drips, and there’s no room service.”

“Grenadine Heights might be an exclusive neighborhood, but overall, Cruz Bay is laid back, and very West Coast casual. Sorry, guys.” I grin as Windsor releases me, and I turn to see Zack, watching us with a brand-new red and black varsity jacket on his shoulders.

“They let you back on the team?” I ask, and he nods, grimacing slightly. “Honestly, it’s kind of bullshit that they forgave me so easily,” he starts,

but then I’m sliding my arms around his trim waist, and he’s enveloping me in a hug that makes me sweat buckets. I feel all swoon-y and weird around

him in a way I never have before.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.