“Really?” Casey looked doubtful.
“To prevent skin cancer.”
“And I can attest to the fact that Taylor takes very good care of her skin.” DJ looked at Taylor’s gorgeous bronze skin and tried not to feel envy.
“As she should,” said Grandmother. “As you all should.”
Now Eliza whispered something to Casey and they both began to giggle. DJ wanted to tell them to “share it with the class,” but knew that sounded just as juvenile as they were being and decided not to.
Finally, the driver turned into a gated community where Grandmother slipped in a key card and, presto, they were in. “This is really beautiful,” said DJ as she admired the tall palm trees alongside a long pond with fountains. Everything was well illuminated with spotlights, and it really did look like paradise.
Before long they were unpacking their bags and going into a very elegant and spacious home.
“The general really is rich, isn’t he?” Rhiannon said to Grandmother as she turned on a light in the great room.
Grandmother just nodded and smiled. “This is a lovely home.”
“He’d be a pretty good catch,” Rhiannon said quietly.
DJ tried to listen to her grandmother’s response, but the other girls were making too much noise. Even so, she could tell by Grandmother’s expression that this very idea may have been occurring to her as well. Certainly, she could do worse. Still, DJ wondered where she would fit into that picture. Not that it mattered terribly since she’d be in college next year anyway. But it did feel good to think she’d always have Carter House to come home to. Not that she planned to think about that now.
“I put dibs on our room,” Taylor told DJ. “It opens right out to the pool.”
DJ hadn’t agreed to room with Taylor, but saw no reason to decline the invitation. “Cool,” she said as she walked in. “I can roll out of bed and into the pool to do laps.”
“Always our little athlete,” said Eliza in a demeaning way.
“I want to stay in shape for soccer.” DJ pointed to Casey now. “You might want to keep that in mind too. Don’t forget we have playoffs when we get home.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Casey made a face.
“What do you mean?”
Casey pressed her lips together then looked over at Eliza. “Maybe I’ll just quit it anyway.”
“Seriously?” DJ stared at Casey. “Why?”
“Why not?” asked Eliza. “Girls aren’t supposed to sweat like hogs.”
DJ just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”
“I guess I’ll get a room to myself,” said Rhiannon.
“You can share with us,” offered DJ. “That is, if you don’t mind sharing a bed.”
Rhiannon seemed to think about it. “You know, I think having a room to myself might be kind of nice for a change.”
Taylor chuckled. “I think someone needs a break from her roommate.”
Fortunately Eliza didn’t hear this comment. She and Casey were already in their room with the door closed.
DJ got an idea. “Hey, Rhiannon, as well as those two seem to be getting along, you and Casey could probably switch rooms when we get back. Then you could be with Kriti.”
“Wouldn’t that be a nice break.” Rhiannon smiled, then went into her room and closed the door.
Suddenly DJ began peeling off her clothes.
“Are you going to bed too?” asked Taylor in disappointment.
“No way.” DJ nodded toward the pool as she unfastened her bra. “I’m going for a moonlight swim.”
“I know,” said Taylor in her old devilish tone. “Let’s go skinny dipping.”
DJ giggled. “Seriously?”
“It would be fun. We’ll keep the lights off and we won’t tell the others.”
“What if the neighbors are looking?” DJ looked out to where the backs of some other houses faced the shared pool.
“All the lights are out,” Taylor said as she pulled off her shirt. “Remember the old folks turn in early.”
DJ giggled. “We’ll have to be really quiet.”
“Of course.”
They both wrapped themselves in towels and tiptoed out their bedroom door, quietly creeping up to the pool. DJ looked carefully around to make sure no one was looking. Then they both peeled off their towels, dropped them next to the pool, and slid in. DJ couldn’t help but giggle.
“Quiet,” Taylor shushed her.
“Oh, wow,” said DJ as she swam a silent stroke. “This water feels wonderful.”
“It’s like swimming in satin,” whispered Taylor.
DJ dove under and swam half the length of the pool then quietly came up. The lights were dim, but she thought she could see ripples in the water where Taylor was on the other end. DJ went under again, silently swimming below the surface to the other end of the pool, and suddenly the lights went on!
DJ’s heart was pounding as she clung to the side of the pool with only the top of her head above the water and frantically hoping that whatever had triggered the lights—if human—was not looking her way. She could hear footsteps and suddenly wondered if it might be Eliza and Casey, thinking they were very funny. But when she cautiously turned her head, she realized it was a man. And he had on a uniform and was carrying a night club.
“Nice night for a swim, pretty lady,” he said to DJ.
“Can you turn those lights off?” she begged him. “Please.”
“Did you forget your bathing suit?” he asked with a chuckle.
“As a matter of fact, I did.” She was trying to see across the pool to where Taylor was—or had been—but the lights were so bright she felt blinded.
“I think you should get out,” he told her.
“Not until you turn out those lights,” she snapped back.
“Now don’t make me get rough with you, pretty lady,” he said in a creepy way. “But we have rules around here. For one thing, this is a members-only pool. For another thing, there’s no swimming after ten at night. And besides that you’re required to wear a swimsuit. I could have the police here in minutes.”
“You don’t need to call the police,” DJ pleaded. “I’m a guest of General Harding.”
“I’ll just bet you are.” The man laughed in an evil way, and DJ tried to see if Taylor was anywhere in sight.
“And I didn’t know about the ten o’clock rule.”
“But you figured this was a nudist colony, right?” He walked closer to her and actually extended his hand like he planned to help her out of the pool. “Come on, pretty lady, you cooperate and I won’t call the cops.”
“Stop right there,” Taylor called from across the pool. Somehow, she had slipped out of the water and gotten her towel around her. She was now marching toward them with DJ’s towel in hand.
“Oh, I see…there are two of you. Two pretty ladies.”
“That’s right.” Taylor walked up and looked him right in the eyes, which wasn’t difficult because she was as tall as he was. “And we are both guests of General Harding and my friend’s grandmother, and our guardian is in the house right now. So if you want to press charges, I suggest you go over there and inform her first.”
“Well, I might just do that.”
“Fine,” snapped Taylor. “In the meantime, I suggest you turn your back or we will have charges pressed against you. For your information we are both minors and we just arrived and haven’t had a chance to learn about your rules. But we are guests here, not to mention good friends of the general’s. If he hears how you’ve treated us, I’m sure you’ll be looking for a new job in the morning.”
Her words must have put the fear of something into him because he did turn around. And while he did, Taylor reached down and, using the towel as a shield, helped DJ out of the pool. DJ quickly wrapped her towel like a full-body sarong and they both marched past the guard.
“We’re very sorry about breaking the rules,” DJ called over her shoulder. “It won’t happen again.”
“And we’ll be sure to let the general know you were doing your job,” Taylor turned as she said this, “along with all the details.”
DJ thought she saw the color draining from the man’s face as he skulked away and within a minute the lights were turned off. “What a loser,” said DJ angrily. “I hate to think of what he might’ve done if I’d been alone.”
“Welcome to Palm Beach,” said Taylor.
“Hopefully all the security guards aren’t dirty old men,” said DJ as they went into their room and locked the door and closed the drapes.
“I do intend to tell someone about that guy,” Taylor said as she dropped her towel. “I’ll bet he has a previous record as a sex offender.”
“And even if the homeowners here are old, they deserve a decent security guard,” added DJ.
“Don’t kid yourself,” said Taylor. “Guys like that might not care if a person was old or not.”
DJ made a face. “Gross! That is just sick.”
“Seems your grandmother was right,” Taylor called from the bathroom.
“Huh?”
“Thank God for the buddy system.”
DJ nodded as she sank down into a chair. “Thank God!” And she felt almost as thankful for Taylor just then—for her quick thinking and fast action. And later she would tell her.
11
“Just so you know,” DJ told the others the next morning. “The night security guard is a total perv.”
“What?” demanded Grandmother as she poured her coffee.
“A pervert,” DJ explained. “A degenerate.”
“What are you talking about?”
The kitchen was quiet now and the others were listening too.
“DJ and I went for a little moonlight swim,” Taylor explained as she poured some orange juice. “But we didn’t know the pool was supposed to be closed, and suddenly the lights go on and this slimy little security guard is trying to pull DJ out of the pool and actually coming on to her like if she cooperated he wasn’t going to call the police.”
“He thought I was alone,” DJ explained. And then she told about how Taylor came to her rescue.
“But the guy’s a real lowlife,” said Taylor. “And I think we should tell someone.”
“We most certainly will,” declared Grandmother. “I will call the general and ask him to see that this pervert person is relieved of his duties.” She shook her finger at DJ now. “But no more after-hours swims, understand?”
“Trust me, I have no intention of doing that again.”
“Still, that doesn’t give anyone the right to take advantage.” Grandmother had her phone out now. “I’m sure the general will be very concerned.” She smiled now. “And I want to thank him for having his housekeeper stock the fridge for us.”
“It figures the perv would go after DJ,” teased Eliza after Grandmother left the room to converse with the general. “She’s got that kind of appeal.”
“What a horrid thing to say,” Rhiannon shot back at her.
“I’m just kidding.” Eliza made a face. “Can’t anyone take a joke?”
Casey laughed. “I think it’s funny.”
“You would,” said DJ with a scowl.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Casey glared at DJ.
“Just that you used to think for yourself.”
Casey rolled her eyes. “That shows how much you know.” Then she walked away. But as she walked, DJ realized that she was, once again, dressed like Eliza. Probably wearing Eliza’s clothes. When Eliza packed Casey’s bags, she likely threw out all of Casey’s oddball garments, replacing them with expensive designer clothes that Eliza wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen with. Poor Casey.
“Why is everything such a competition with some people?” Rhiannon was putting a layer of cream cheese on her bagel. Only Taylor and DJ were with her in the kitchen now.
Taylor laughed. “Not that you’re mentioning names.”
“It just gets so tiring. I mean, it’s so junior high, don’t you think?”
Now Taylor looked slightly hurt. “You mean me, don’t you?”
Rhiannon blinked in surprise. “No.”
“I know I’m competitive,” Taylor admitted. “It’s probably one of my worst faults.”
“Honestly, I didn’t mean you.” Rhiannon looked directly at Taylor.
“Me then?” asked DJ, suddenly feeling slightly guilty.
“No. I didn’t mean you either.”
“But I’m pretty competitive too.”
“Only when it comes to sports.” Taylor laughed. “The rest of the time you’re a pushover.”
“I’m a pushover?” DJ felt offended.
“I meant that in the best possible way. You’re easy to get along with,” Taylor persisted. “Why else would I want you for my roommate? I’m the one who’s difficult. And I’m too competitive too.” She looked at Rhiannon again. “You did mean me, didn’t you?”
“You guys had to know that I meant Eliza.” Rhiannon jabbed her cream cheese spreader in the air like a sword. “It’s like she just never quits. She never gives up. Even this whole thing with Casey is feeling like a great big ridiculous competition. It’s like Eliza lost Kriti so she wanted to carve me into her new best friend, and I played along for a while—just to be nice. But then I drew the line and refused. And so she went after Casey. And now she keeps throwing poor Casey in my face—like so there! Or so it seems.” Rhiannon sighed and took a bite of her bagel.
“You’re probably right,” agreed DJ.
“And Casey is a big girl,” Taylor pointed out. “She’ll probably get tired of Eliza’s game before long. And she’ll possibly learn a good lesson from all this.”
“In the meantime, she’s eating it up,” said DJ.
Taylor shrugged. “I’m sure we’ve all been there and done that in one form or another.”
They joined the others in the living room now. Grandmother had finished informing the general about the creepy security guard and Eliza was begging to borrow the general’s car.
“Where do you want to go?” Grandmother asked.
“Shopping,” Eliza announced like it was a good thing.
“Why?” demanded DJ. “Didn’t you shop your brains out before we got here?”
“Yes, but that was before I shared my wardrobe with someone in need.” Eliza gave DJ a placating look. “Now I realize I’ll be running short. And Casey needs a few things too, don’t you, Case?”
Casey just looked down at her feet, which were wearing Eliza’s sandals.
“And we want to get our shopping done before the boys arrive.”
“Which will be when?” inquired Grandmother.
“Around six.”
“Perhaps we should invite them for dinner,” suggested Grandmother.
“Oh, could we?” Eliza asked with enthusiasm. “I’d be happy to pay for the food.”
Grandmother smiled. “I think that would be lovely. I noticed a basket in the kitchen that’s just full of brochures from local restaurants and caterers. Why don’t you see what you can put together, Eliza?”
“Just make sure there’s no booze this time,” DJ said loudly.
“That’s right!” Grandmother shook her fist in the air. “No alcohol!”
“Now who wants to go surfing with me today?” DJ called out. “I found a surf shop in the yellow pages and it’s within walking distance.” She looked hopefully at Taylor.
“I used to surf,” Taylor told her. “Back when I was young and crazy and didn’t care if I ended up looking like a drowned rat with bad hair and broken nails.”
DJ moaned. “There’s more to life than looking good.”
Taylor nodded. “I know, but life’s more fun when you do.”
DJ looked at Casey. “There was a time when you’d have gone with me…but I’m guessing that’s not today.”
Casey smiled and shrugged. “Sorry, DJ, I already have plans.”
“Rhiannon?” DJ made a begging gesture with her hands.<
br />
“You know I’m scared of water, DJ. I’m a horrible swimmer.”
“Right.” She looked at Grandmother then shook her head. “You guys are all a bunch of old ladies!” Then she went to her room, hoping that someone would feel sorry for her. Unfortunately it didn’t work.
“I’m sorry, DJ,” said Taylor when she finally came to check on her. “I’m just not into surfing.”
“I got that.”
“But…” Taylor grinned. “If we found a game of beach volleyball, I might be willing to get a little sweaty.”
“All right!”
“As long as I get some down time too. I was really looking forward to just vegging on the beach.”
“Absolutely.”
“Should we see if Rhiannon wants to come?”
And so the three of them set off for the beach. Thankfully, Rhiannon and Taylor both remembered their sunscreen and they made sure that DJ had plenty. And before long, they did find a volleyball game. Taylor, true to her word, played good and hard. Rhiannon made an attempt, but she just wasn’t the athletic type, and before long everyone was glad to see her move to the sidelines.
“This reminds me of when we first met,” Taylor told DJ during a break. “Remember being at the beach last summer?”
DJ laughed. “I remember the bag mix up.”
Taylor snickered. “And you thought the condoms were candy.”
DJ groaned. “Please, don’t remind me. That could still go on record as one of my most embarrassing moments.”
“You seem to get more than your fair share.”
“And now I can add last night to the list.”
Rhiannon came over to join them. “Are you guys hungry yet?”
They decided to tell their volleyball friends good-bye and go off in search of food. “I’m thinking rock shrimp,” Taylor told them. “I’ve heard they’re really good around here.”
“I was thinking something cheap like a hotdog,” admitted Rhiannon.
“What if it’s my treat?” offered Taylor.
“Bring it!” said Rhiannon happily.
Before long, Taylor had discovered an outdoor café that boasted the best rock shrimp in Palm Beach.
“I don’t know if this is the best or not,” DJ declared as she finished her lunch. “But it’s the best I’ve ever had.”
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