His light brown hair was slicked back with sweat, and Ray Ban’s shielded his eyes. We both stared as he ran past us. His athletic shorts dipped in the back, exposing a thin white line of sun-virgin skin.
“What a tan,” I said.
“Those abs.” Luci kissed her fingers like an Italian chef lusting over food.
Laughter rolled out of me in a broken cough. I added to his fan club, “Those shoulders.”
She let out a giggle. “He’s young, but if Freddie wasn’t coming in this weekend, I’d seriously consider that boy.”
“Freddie?”
“My flavor of the month.”
I snickered. My phone alarm sounded, signaling it was time to head to the diner. I wiped the back of my mouth with my hand, swallowed down my drool, and shut off the annoying sound. “Wonder how long Mr. Ray Ban is here for.”
She bumped into my shoulder with hers. “Does it matter? He could be one of your Boys of Summer. You better snatch him before someone else does.”
I stood and dusted the sand off my clothes all the while memorizing the height and frame of Mr. Ray Ban as he jogged up the beach. “If I see him again…” I turn and wink at her and head off to work.
There’s a new woman waitressing at the diner today. Hayes said she was new to town. I tried my best to be nice to her, but once she’s here a few days, she’ll be like most of the others and look down her nose at me. Not much point in making friends.
When I got home, I planned to catch up on the sleep I missed last night thanks to my brothers, but Dad was there doing his laundry. He didn’t even live here.
I spent the day policing him. By the time I needed to leave for the Pizzeria, I was in a worse mood than usual. The only thing that could turn the day around was figuring out how to lure in Mr. Ray Ban.
“Jade,” Marty, my boss, called from the office, “Adam’s going home sick. Do you want to take his deliveries? You can use my car.”
I leaned to the side of the oven and gave him my best, “are you serious” look.
He held his hand up. “It’s either that or cover the cash register too.”
I sucked in a deep breath and thought about which would be less painful. Neither option sounded pleasant. I swiped the moisture from my forehead with the back of my hand. “Can’t Donna handle the register?”
“You mean if she’s not busing tables and washing dishes?”
I let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll take the register.” I hated delivering pizzas. Pretending to be nice to people I couldn’t stand just to get a tip? No thanks.
He gave me a thumbs-up, and I went back to stretching the dough for the next crust. Of course, as soon as he left for the first delivery, a steady stream of people came to pick up their take-out orders. It caused me to fall behind.
Donna picked up an order for a table. “Jade, can you get the register?”
“I’m behind.”
She shrugged and said, “Me too.”
I let out a growl, finished what I was doing, and headed to the front. A young couple with two little boys stood there waiting. The kids were running circles around the mom.
After I wiped my hands on my apron, I took the ticket from his fingers. I put on my happy face. “How was your pizza?”
The guy looked down at the boys. “Good. The best I’ve had in a while. Even my picky eaters liked it.”
“Great.” I punched the buttons for the order. “That’ll be $42.57.”
He gave me his credit card, and I swiped the hard plastic through the machine, punching in the amount to process. After the tickets printed and he signed a copy, a gorgeous guy came through the door, scanning the place.
I’m pretty sure the heavens opened and I heard angels singing. Or maybe it was my ears ringing. Either way, this boy was hot.
I stumbled over the words, “Have a good night,” without another glance. It wasn’t my fault I couldn’t peel my gaze away from Mr. Hottie’s electric blue eyes. My heart fluttered. So maybe I was able to check out his defined arms, chest, and shoulders through his tight T-shirt in the process. Dang, I couldn’t wait to see him on the beach.
Donna stepped between us, asking how many people to seat. He didn’t take his eyes off me, though.
There was something about him I couldn’t look away from. I knew I needed to check the pizzas in the oven and finish making the orders lined up on the ticket holder. But he seemed familiar somehow. Yeah, he’d been to Sterling Beach before. Not last year. Could’ve been the year before. So many came and went, I couldn’t keep track of everyone. Even the boys of summer I choose to spend time with.
I knew who he was. “Mr. Ray Ban,” I whispered to myself.
People trickled in behind him as Donna grabbed the menus and pushed two tables together for his group. His smile widened. The aroma of overdone pizza reached me, and I took a step back.
He took a step forward, our eyes still connected.
The food can wait one more minute. I should see how long he’s in town for.
We met at the counter.
He was tall. I didn’t mind short guys. Actually, I preferred them. There’s something to be said for being able to measure up, eye to eye, with a boy. The playing field was more even that way.
He dipped his head down. “You look so familiar. Do we know each other?”
I’d been smelling pizza for a couple of hours, but his clean mountain cologne filled my head. I didn’t do this…drool over guys. But I was so close to doing exactly that I had to stop breathing long enough to swallow.
“Have you been to Sterling Beach before?” I asked.
The hint of overdone pizza was morphing into burnt, but there was no way I could walk away from this. He could be mine this summer. The oven could wait a minute longer.
He leaned over, resting his forearms on the counter. “It’s been a few years.”
“Tyler,” a little girl’s voice sounded beside him. “What do you want to drink?”
The back door slammed shut. Marty was back.
I looked down at her and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She looked exactly like someone from my past. I turned back to the beautiful boy. They had the same eyes. The same face, only his had changed since I last saw him. It wasn’t the same round face of the boy who turned me into Jaded. He was more like a man, built like an athlete. Even his hair was darker than it used to be.
Was I flirting with my worst enemy?
My eyes strained against the muscles holding them in place. Even my lungs burned for oxygen, begging for me to breathe again.
I stiffened and choked out, “Griff?”
He leaned closer. Since his mouth was hanging open, I’d say he just realized who I was, too.
“Jaden?” He looked me up and down. “You look so… different.”
The hard shell I usually wore slid over me. My muscles tightened one by one, starting with my jaw.
He stumbled over the words, “How, how are you?”
I narrowed my eyes, smacked him right in the face, and spit out, “Fantastic.”
His sister gasped.
Griff’s eyebrows popped high on his forehead. His palm rubbed the pink flush in the shape of my hand. I knew he had to have felt that one because my hand was still stinging.
Before he could say a word, I spun on my heel and saw Marty pulling a burnt pizza out of the oven with a look he saved for the screw-up employees.
I cursed myself for spending so much time drooling that I forgot what I was doing. This was my job. And, I didn’t drool.
Especially over Griffan Stonebridge!
“Jade!” Marty scolded me. “What are you doing? You can’t strike my customers.”
“He deserved it,” I barked back.
“Are you trying to get me sued?”
Sued? “He doesn’t need your money. Trust me.”
“You think rich people won’t sue me for an employee attacking them while in my restaurant?” He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his shirtsleeve. “Outside. Now.�
�� He led the way with the burnt pizza.
When the door closed behind us, he tossed the food in the dumpster.
“March yourself in there and apologize.”
His words pushed me back a step. “What? No way.”
“If you don’t apologize to that young man, you can leave and never come back.”
I gritted my teeth and paced away from him. Apologize to Griffan Stonebridge? “He’s the one who should be apologizing to me!”
“Did he assault you when I wasn’t watching?”
I spun around and stared at him. “No. But—”
“Jade, you’re a great employee. And I let you get by with being crabby with the customers because you make great pizzas and you don’t get flustered when things get busy. But you crossed the line.”
I folded my arms and stared him down, hoping he’d give in.
He walked passed me and yanked the door open. “It’s your choice.”
I kicked a piece of broken concrete down the alley and let out a growl that could be heard clear on the south side. This could NOT be happening. Marty’s been the best guy to work for, so why wouldn’t he listen to me?
Ugh, I needed this job. The diner wouldn’t give me any more hours. I’d already asked.
Senior summer was supposed to be the best ever. And now I had to apologize to Griffan, freaking-hot, I mean, too-rich-to-be-there-for-Jade, Stonebridge?
Not hot. Definitely not tall, dark, and handsome.
You can do this, Jade. He’s probably only here for the week and then he’ll be back to jet-setting.
I pulled my phone out and checked my makeup. If I had to face him again, I was going to look as unaffected as possible.
With a slow inhale and exhale, ignoring the stench of the dumpster and who knows what else that lingered in the alleyway, I tried to channel any inner Zen that existed inside me. And then I slung the door open, marched through the kitchen, and right up to Griffan’s table. It totally sucked.
Griffan leaned away.
It made whatever delicious cologne he was wearing surround me. Ugh, he was not delicious.
I cleared my throat and forced the words out, “Griffan, I’m sorry that I slapped you while we were on the Pizzeria’s property.”
His eyebrows arched before a chuckle rolled out of him. “Is that supposed to be an apology?”
I heard someone gasp, and then his mother asked, “Tylar Jaden Seymour? Is that really you?”
“Yes. I need to get back to work.” I spun on my heel and marched back to the kitchen.
For the rest of the evening, everything about me wanted to catch a glimpse of him again, but I held out… until his mom called to me from the register.
“Jaden, could I have your mom’s number? It’s been years since I’ve talked to her.”
I wiped my hands on my apron and met her. “I, uh…” I looked over at Griff. Dang, I wasn’t hallucinating. From what I could remember, his dad was handsome for an old guy. His mom was definitely pretty. Could money buy you gorgeousness?
Stop it! He doesn’t look that beautiful.
I shook him out of my head and said, “Sure.” Wait. What was I doing? It wouldn’t matter. Mom didn’t have time for friends.
It’d be fine. They’ll talk on the phone for ten minutes and that’ll be the end of it. I wrote down her number on the back of a scrap receipt and handed it over.
She reached her hand across the counter and cupped my cheek. “I just wanted to say how beautiful you are. I hope to see you soon.” She let go and walked out the door Griff was holding open.
“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anyone I’m here.” Griff’s eyes pleaded. “Please.” His mouth formed a sad smile before he tossed me a wave and walked out.
4
Jaden
After the last pizza was out of the oven, I threw the dirty dishes in the sink and grabbed a rag to clean up the stations.
“Jade?”
I tossed the rag on the counter and started scraping the flour into the trash.
“Jade!” Marty yelled.
I clenched my jaw even tighter and locked my gaze on to him. “What?”
“Whatever your problem is, I don’t need you taking it out on my equipment. Take your glare and get out of here.”
I ripped my apron off, flung it on the counter, and headed for the back door. He wanted me gone? I’d be more than happy to get out of there.
When I pushed the door open, I heard him shout, “Leave your attitude at the door tomorrow or don’t bother coming in.”
I let the door bang closed and punched at the air, releasing a roar. Why couldn’t I get Griff out of my head? If I went home, I knew I’d only take it out on Mom or rip my brothers' heads off. They don’t need that. I pounded the pavement toward the beach and the lights of the boardwalk.
Laughter and music filled the air as I crossed the road to beachside. The Ferris wheel rotated, and a group of teens were traveling my direction. I couldn’t risk passing by them and Griff being in their midst. I stuck to the sidewalk and headed to Luci’s place.
Her street was quiet except for the faint music from the beach I avoided. The lights in her house were still on, so I climbed the steps to the front stoop and knocked on her door.
She opened it and gave me her laid back greeting, “Hey.” She motioned for me to come in. “I’m out back.”
I shut the door and followed her through the small home to the backyard. It butted up against the beach at the short picket fence. The smell of burning wood blew in my face with the ocean breeze.
I scrolled the yard. “Looks like you’ve got everything set up already.” Even the chairs were positioned around the burning fire-pit.
“Yep. All set.” She took her usual seat overlooking the ocean. Chuckling, she said, “Girl, your pizza perfume is making me hungry.”
One of the downfalls to working at a pizza place, or any restaurant, was the stench of food that penetrated clothes and hair. It might even have oozed out of my pores. “Sorry.”
She laughed. “How was work?”
I shrugged and plopped down in the seat next to her. The flames licking the logs grabbed my attention. It didn’t take but a second for my thoughts to go back to Griffan showing up. And I hated that. First of all, I didn’t want to think about him. Second of all, how could I have even considered picking him as my first boy of summer? Third of all, I hated that guy. And fourthly, he really was not attractive. At all. Griffan Stonebridge was an expert at leaving and breaking my heart in the process.
“What’s got your panties in a wad?”
I glanced at her and then back to the fire. “Nothing.”
“Yeah? Is that why your nostrils flare every time you take a breath?” She paused to look at me. “Did you know your eyes are burning hotter than the fire?”
She was right. Even my muscles were coiled, ready for a fight. “It’s kind of a long story.”
She eyed me, taking a long drink from a tall plastic tumbler with an MIT emblem on it. MIT was close to Harvard where she went, and she loved the nerdy Brainiac types. Luci may have been into the arts, but she certainly knew plenty about math and science. “I think I have enough time for a long story.”
Who else could I talk to? No one. “I almost got fired for assaulting a customer.”
Liquid spewed out of her mouth and into the fire. The mixture of coughing and laughing and the sizzle of the fire being doused filled the darkness in her back yard.
I crossed my arms, sighing. “It’s not that funny.”
She smacked my arm, still laughing. “I can see the headlines now. ‘Jaded Firecracker Fired.’”
I shot her a look, but it didn’t deter her laughter. It didn’t help that she was making me laugh too. That was one of the things I liked about her. It was good to hang with someone who could make me laugh at life.
“Sorry. It’s just…” She sliced her hand through the air and masked her expression. “Okay. Done laughing. Did you deck her or what?”
I shook my head. “It wasn’t a she. Remember Mr. Ray Ban?”
She sprang upright. “No. What did he do?” She sat back down with her eyes glued to my face.
“Come to find out, he’s an old frenemy that moved away a long time ago.” I scooted to the edge of the chair and leaned over, resting my forearms on my knees. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him. Obviously, he changed. I didn’t even recognize him.”
“What did he do?”
“Nothing. Stared at me, rubbing his face. But when I went back to apologize—”
“Wait.” Luci sat back in her chair. “You apologized?”
I raised my hand to her. “It was either that or get fired.”
“You at least got his number, right?”
My stomach clenched, placing a soured expression on my face. “Why would I want to do that?”
“Jade, he’s freaking hot. That’s why. He’s the best-looking guy I’ve seen around here for at least two summers. Can’t you just kiss and make up?”
I shook my head. “No way. You know that nasty little nickname I have?”
The fire popped, sending a burning cinder flying through the air. She raised her eyebrows. “Yeah.”
“He’s the reason I am Jaded.” I pressed my back against the chair, pulling my knees to my chest.
I banged my head against the back of the wooden Adirondack chair a few times. He had the personality of a shark in a frenzy. Which ruined any gorgeous muscled physic he possessed while jogging on the beach.
“You could get revenge by going out with him and then dumping him before he leaves.”
I turned to see her wiggling her eyebrows up and down. The light from the fire made her cornsilk hair glow.
“Something to think about.” She chuckled and waved her hand in the air. “Go on. Tell me the story.”
I went on to tell her everything that had happened. “And get this, he said, ‘I’m trying to, uh, lay low while I’m here. Please, don’t tell anyone you saw me.’”
She rolled her eyes.
Who was I going to tell? Luci? The only thing she cared about was how hilarious my life was.
The rich boy didn’t want anyone to know he was in town. Who cared if he was here or not? I wanted to forget I ever saw his shirtless—Him!
Flirting With The Enemy Page 2