Daniel snorted like a bull and paced behind his sister and Sienna, as if trying to expend some steam. But he kept throwing these fierce glares at Upton, as if he were planning how, exactly, to rip him to shreds.
The girls weren’t kidding. Daniel needed some serious anger management.
“Okay. That’s better,” Dash said, lowering his arms now that there was some distance between the two combatants. “Let’s all just take a second to calm down.”
“I have no problem with that,” Noelle said, gazing across at Paige. They had, after all, started this. “As soon as Paige and Sienna swear that they’ll leave Reed alone, I, for one, will be perfectly calm.”
Kiran, Taylor, and Tiffany had walked up behind us as if they were our backup. I felt better having them there. Secure.
“I can’t believe you’re taking her side,” Paige spat as her brother continued to pace like a caged lion. “We’ve all been coming down here together since we were in BabyBjörns and everything’s always been fine. Now we’re all at one another’s throats, taking sides. See what happens when you bring in outsiders?”
Sienna and Amberly exchanged a look. They were outsiders too, after all, but now didn’t seem the appropriate time to point that out.
“Look, we either call a truce now and promise to let Upton and Reed do whatever it is they want to do, or that’s it. I’m done,” Noelle said. “We part ways for the rest of the trip. So which is it going to be?”
For a long moment, nobody moved. Even Daniel stopped walking around, his color beginning to return to normal. Paige exchanged a look with her brother, who glanced over at West. Then Paige stepped right up to Noelle, nose to nose, eye to eye.
“Take a mental picture of this moment, Noelle,” she said tersely. “Because you’ll live to regret it.”
Noelle simply stared back, not giving her the satisfaction of a reply. Then the Ryan twins, as if moved by some silent communication, turned and walked over to their Jet Skis together. Sienna and Gage followed, as did Graham, shooting an apologetic look over his shoulder. Sawyer sighed and went after his brother. Then, finally, West backed away as well.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Noelle asked.
West held up his hands. “Daniel’s my best friend. Sorry.”
Noelle glowered after him, clearly pissed at being thrown aside for a guy. I guess I was right—she and West
weren’t
that serious. I glanced over at Dash, who was trying very hard not to smile.
Amberly now stood alone in the sand, her skinny little legs sticking out from under her too-large life vest. She looked at Paige, and then squinted at Noelle, the sun in her eyes. Noelle’s expression was incredulous.
“Amberly, remember who invited you here,” Noelle said, her voice full of venomous condescension. “Remember whose dorm you’ll be living in when we get home.”
Amberly cracked a grin and rolled her eyes. “Well, of course I’m not going anywhere!” she said, joining our side.
I guessed she wasn’t as big of an airhead as I’d thought.
Gage, already on his Jet Ski in the water, called back over his shoulder. “Dash! Dude, you coming?”
Dash didn’t make eye contact with anyone. “I’m good here,” he replied.
“Pussy,” Gage shouted before taking off with the others.
Dash looked out toward the ocean, his lips twitching. Kiran and Taylor grinned at each other. Noelle had a slight blush on her cheeks as she stared after the defectors. A blush that could easily have been explained away by the sun, if I hadn’t known better. Looked like Noelle and Dash were one step closer to getting back together. Not that either one of them was about to acknowledge it.
“Son of a bitch,” Noelle said under her breath, like she couldn’t
believe they’d taken her dare. Then she turned around to face the rest of us—me, Upton, Kiran, Taylor, Tiff, Amberly, and Dash—and clapped her hands together. “Who wants to take the rest of Daniel’s precious Jet Skis and sell them down at the market?”
“Aye!” we all chorused, raising our hands.
“Are you okay?” I whispered to Upton as the group dispersed and headed toward the water.
“I’m fine. I can handle a left hook from Daniel Ryan any day,” he said.
“Why did you provoke him?” I asked. “I thought everyone knew he has a violent streak.”
“I know, but he was being a sodding prick. I had to say something,” Upton said. Then, seeing my confused look, he laughed. “I suppose it’s a guy thing.”
“Whatever. I knew you people were all nuts,” I said with a laugh.
Upton gave me a quick kiss and looped his arm around my shoulders. “Come on. You can ride with me. I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said, trying to squelch my fear as we approached his Jet Ski. “And just as an FYI, from here on out, I’m keeping my feet planted on solid ground.
That night, Kiran invited me, Noelle, Taylor, Tiffany, and Amberly to her house for a mysterious get-together. Her home was at the end of a winding road, surrounded by a dense forest of palm and evergreen trees. We pulled into the parking area out front, and Noelle parked between Kiran’s and Tiffany’s cars. The home was one floor, long and square, and appeared to be made up mostly of windows. Lights glowed inside the house, and I could see Kiran walking around what appeared to be a fashion show runway, lighting candles on low tables with a lighter wand. She was wearing a red jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, like something out of a
Charlie’s Angels
movie, and she held a glass of wine in her free hand.
“A runway?” Noelle said, narrowing her eyes as she killed the engine. “What is she up to?”
I felt a thrill go up my spine. If even Noelle didn’t know what was going on, it had to be good.
“I don’t know,” Amberly said from the backseat. “But I bet it’s good.”
Noelle rolled her eyes. I had a feeling she was starting to regret both letting Amberly into Billings and inviting her down to St. Barths. The more time we spent around her, the more she seemed like a yapping, eager-to-please puggle. We got out of the car, and Noelle was about to ring the bell when we saw Tiffany and Taylor through the window, scurrying toward us.
Tiffany was all smiles and excitement as she swung the door wide. “You guys, I just talked to my father, and he wants all of us to come to the shoot on Sunday!”
“Omigod! No way!” Amberly squealed.
Noelle winced, as if the pitch hurt her eardrums. “Really? That’s a first,” she said, laying her clutch purse on a tall glass table near the door and removing her tiny white shrug.
“Tassos is notoriously private about his magazine shoots,” Taylor explained to me.
“This is, like, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a genius at work!” Amberly said, spreading her fingers wide.
“What made him change his mind?” I asked, shedding my denim jacket.
“I begged until he said he’d do it as a Christmas present for me,” Tiffany said, tilting her head. “How cool am I?”
“Pretty damn cool,” Noelle said, inspiring a pleased smile from Tiffany. She looped her arm through Tiffany’s and started toward the living room, where Kiran was waiting. “It’s too bad Poppy’s not
here,” Taylor lamented. “She would have loved this.”
“Still hasn’t shown up, huh?” Tiffany asked as we stepped down onto the plush tan carpet in the living room. Everything in the living room was beige—beige walls, overstuffed beige arm chairs, and a painted, tea-colored china cabinet that displayed antique porcelain plates. The only color came from the aqua and blue throw pillows on the couch and the island-themed paintings on the wall. All the furniture had been pushed aside to make room for the enormous runway.
“Poppy does have a flair for drama,” Noelle said, hugging Kiran hello.
A foreboding lump formed in my throat, but I did my best to ignore it. If none of her friends were worried, why should I be worried? I resolved not to think about Poppy for the rest of the night. Hopefully, she would be back in her posh hotel suite by tomorrow morning.
Half an hour later, after some cheese, crackers, wine, and small talk—mostly revolving around the fabulous shoot we’d all be witnessing and what a bitch Paige was—we settled into huge suede cushions on the floor around the runway. I sat between Noelle and Taylor and across from Tiffany and Amberly, who seemed to be avoiding talking to me as much as I was avoiding talking to her. Kiran walked out from behind a curtain that had been set up at the foot of the runway and smiled down at us.
“Ladies, you are about to be
so
glad you know me,” she began, clasping her hands together. “Inspired by Reed’s serious lack of
couture for Casino Night, I have called in a few favors to the houses over in Paris and Milan, and . . . well . . . let’s just say we’re all going to have fresh gowns to wear to the party.”
Tiffany and Taylor looked at each other, impressed, and Amberly let out a little squeal. I still didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I kept my mouth shut, since I seemed to be in the minority.
“Oooh, Paige, Poppy, and Sienna are gonna be so jealous!” Noelle sang, taking a sip of her red wine.
“An added bonus,” Kiran agreed, closing her eyes and nodding. “And now, I give you my first ever private runway show, courtesy of Chanel, Dior, Versace, and Dolce and Gabbana.”
Kiran stepped down off the runway and over to an iPod docking station, where she touched a button and filled the room with a driving techno beat. Instantly, a model roughly the height of Tony Parker came striding out from behind the curtain wearing a gorgeous black lace gown with a straight neckline and tight bodice. The back flared out into a short train that swished as she strode down the runway. I felt like I’d just stepped into some kind of Hollywood dream. Kiran had flown in gowns for us. And models to model them. And if this dress was any indication, I had totally underestimated Casino Night’s level of fancy.
So this was what Kiran’s wink had meant at the Ryans’ house.
Next up was a stunning rose-colored dress, strapless with a full skirt that had a huge cut up one side. The model was showing serious leg, even as the tulle underneath kept the skirt swishing wide.
Along the slit on either side were huge silk flowers, the same color as the dress, flowing all the way down to the hem and along the edging.
“Mine!” Amberly squealed, raising her hand.
“You’re going to have to fight me for it,” Taylor called out.
“If Taylor wants it, it’s hers,” Kiran said.
“Why? That’s not fair. I called it first!” Amberly cried.
Kiran leaned forward and arched her eyebrows. “Because it’s my party and what I say, goes,” she said firmly.
I snorted a laugh. Amberly’s jaw dropped, and she sat back with a pout. Such a baby.
The next gown was bright yellow with thick straps that were attached at the center of a bandeau neckline and tied behind the neck. It was very different, like nothing I’d seen at any of the parties I’d been to.
I whistled quietly. “Wow. I really like that. Do you think—”
“No,” Noelle said, laying her hand on my arm.
“What? I was just—”
“Do you want your skin to look like cat vomit? No,” she said again, shaking her head sagely as the model turned around and sashayed back toward the curtain. “Just no.”
An embarrassed blush crept up my neck. One of these days, I was going to have to figure out my colors. It always seemed like everyone knew what would look best on me
except
me. “Okay. If you say so.”
The next model was sporting a sapphire blue one-shouldered
dress with a layered chiffon skirt. It was so light and airy and elegant that it took my breath away.
“Now
that
is you,” Noelle said, watching the model discerningly as she passed us by. “And I have the perfect necklace to go with it, which I will, in all my benevolence, lend to you if you want it.”
My heart skipped a beat when the model struck a pose at the end of the runway. If I could look half that hot, Upton wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off of me all night. Across the way, I saw Amberly eyeing the dress with interest.
“Mine!” I shouted, raising both hands. “That’s the one I want.”
Amberly groaned. “But I—”
“Sorry. She’s got dibs,” Noelle said.
“No fair!” Amberly wailed.
“You’re just going to have to be faster next time,” Tiffany said, trying to keep a straight face.
“But when I
was
fast, you guys overruled me anyway. I don’t—”
At that moment, the curtain was flung open and out stepped a big, puffy light-pink princess dress that I wouldn’t have been caught dead in even when I was four and obsessed with
Sleeping Beauty
.
“Mine!” Amberly shouted crazily. “Mine, mine, mine!”
The rest of us laughed as she sat back down, looking quite satisfied with herself. I was fairly certain that no one else wanted the dress.
“This was an amazing idea,” Noelle said to me, taking a sip of her wine. “Kiran has totally outdone herself.”
“Seriously. I really
am
glad I know her now,” I joked.
Noelle smiled in a satisfied way. “It gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘friends with benefits.’”
“Yes, it does,” I said, grinning at the thought of the many benefits I was sure to reap when Upton saw me in my new couture gown.
I awoke the next morning to the sound of my sweetly singing bird, the waves crashing in the background, a stiff breeze rustling the reedy leaves on the palm trees outside my window . . . and thoughts of Croton. It was Saturday morning—the last Saturday before Christmas—so right about then my father probably was making pancakes and bacon, shouting at my brother to come down and eat, while my mother was wrapping last-minute gifts on the dusty ping-pong table in the basement. I laughed and pulled my lavender-scented pillow over my face. They would die if they could see where I was.
I made a mental note to call them later.
Shoving the sheets aside, I grabbed my bag of birdseed and placed some on the windowsill next to the bird.
“I picked up a breakfast feast for you.”
The bird hopped over to the seed and inspected it for a moment. Then he looked at me, let out a few chirps, and gobbled it up. I rolled
over on my bed and looked at the blue gown I had selected from the fashion show the night before. This morning, we were all bringing our dresses into town for a fitting with the seamstress whom
Vogue
had sent down for the Tassos shoot. The dress would be altered to fit me perfectly.