Sunday night, Carly barged into Bri’s room.
“So,” she plopped onto Bri’s bed. “What do you say we head back down to Venice Beach tomorrow? Cole said he’d be there, and I’ve only got a few more days before I go back home. I gotta get this thing going.”
Five more days. Bri only had to survive five more days. She had serious doubts she’d make it.
“Um, I guess we could go.” Bri felt she should try to break it to her cousin that Cole wasn’t really interested. She should try to spare her some embarrassment. It was the right thing to do. “Carly, are you sure he really even likes you? It just didn’t seem like he was that interested.”
“That’s because you are clueless when it comes to boys. I mean, how could you possibly know anything? You’ve never had a boyfriend, for crying out loud!”
Bri had in fact had a boyfriend before, but that wasn’t something she wanted Carly knowing about, so she didn’t say anything.
“You see, Bri, it’s all a game. Boys pretend they aren’t interested to get you to want them more. It’s how they’re programmed or something. Guys never come right out and tell you they like you. You have to like, force it out of them. Girls, on the other hand, have to let a guy know they like him. If they don’t, he’ll just move onto the next girl who shows interest. It’s like, totally unfair, but you have to play the game to win.”
Bri gaped at her cousin. That was the most absurd thing Bri had ever heard. Girls were supposed to throw themselves at guys to get them, while guys didn’t have to put in any effort? It was insane! Who actually thought like that? Well, obviously the misguided girl in front of her. Bri felt a little sorry for Carly right then. What a crazy, bass-akward take on dating.
“Whatever, Carly,” she said, unconvinced.
“Just wait, you’ll see tomorrow. I’m going to play Cole so hard he won’t know what hit him. Give me half an hour with that boy and it’ll be make out central. Good thing, too. I’m a little hard up over here, if you know what I mean!”
“Carly, ew! Way too much information!”
“What? Just because you’ve never even kissed a guy and have no idea what I’m going through...”
Again, not true, but Bri wasn’t going to push the point.
“Okay, new subject,” Bri interrupted before Carly could get into the details of her make-believe sex life. “So what time do you want to go tomorrow?”
“We leave by 10:00 at the latest. I need all the make out time I can get!” Carly bounced happily off the bed and headed out to the hide-a-bed in the den.
Finally alone, Bri changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been thinking about Cole, too. His face seemed to sneak into her mind more often than she’d ever admit. She found she was a little excited to see him again tomorrow, which surprised her. She hadn’t gotten all tingly over a boy in a long time, and she barely knew this guy. It was ridiculous to feel this way about someone she’d just met. She managed to brush off her excitement as really looking forward to seeing Carly humiliate herself again tomorrow.
But deep down, Bri knew it was more than that, as Cole’s eyes and lips dominated her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
“Okay, here’s the plan,” Carly stopped Bri. They were just north of where Cole was sitting, but he hadn’t noticed them yet. It was about noon on Monday, the 10 am departure time having been greatly delayed by Carly’s inability to choose an outfit, and the Venice Beach boardwalk was fairly quiet. “After we get over there,” she eyed Cole, “and say hi, I want you to take off. Go shopping, or go find us a spot on the beach, I don’t really care. I just want you gone.”
“Wow, Car, I’m really feeling the love here. You know, I’m not your chauffeur. You don’t get to order me around.”
“Ugh,” she sighed impatiently. “Don’t be so dramatic Bri! I just need some time alone with Cole to work my mojo. I’ve only got a few more days before I go home. My window for some hot, California-boy lovin’ is closing fast. I have to work quickly.”
“And you think that’s what’s going to happen?” Bri looked at Carly skeptically. “You’ll just walk over there, bat your eyelashes, and bam! You two will be tongue tied, just like that?”
“Just watch and learn,” Carly replied smugly. “Give me fifteen minutes, and he won’t be able to keep his mouth off me!”
Bri grimaced at yet another visual she didn’t need.
Carly adjusted her red bikini top, yes the infamous red bikini was back, trying to coax as much cleavage out of it as she could. It wasn’t much. She smoothed her new red sarong and tossed back her hair.