Nina stowed her shirt and shorts at her feet and readjusted her flip-flops.
The car pulled to a stop just as Jacie finished stripping down to her suit. When she turned to say something to Nina, her mind went absolutely blank and she forgot how to breathe.
Nina saw where Jacie was looking and cringed. "You don't like it?" Her face showed her disappointment. "I bought it yesterday. I've never owned a bikini but I thought…Well… I thought…" Last year she'd lettered in track as a sophomore and her body showed the time she spent putting herself through a year of stringent workouts.
"It looks great!" Audrey said, envious that her friend had a figure cute enough to pull off the hot pink number. She herself was wearing the least revealing one-piece suit in the history of mankind. She only lamented that none of those skinny-assed designers had taken the time to invent a long sleeved, turtleneck version yet.
"You think it's okay?" Nina's gaze shifted off of her chest and towards the front seat.
"Absolutely," Katy confirmed, throwing her t-shirt onto the dashboard and running her hands through her hair to feather her bangs. She could see Nina in the rear view mirror. "You're going to have to beat the boys away with a stick." She smirked. "By the way, I hear Jerry is available."
"Very funny," Nina answered curtly, the mention of Jerry's name reminding her that she was going to strangle him at school on Monday.
Gwen checked out Nina's suit with a critical eye. "Very pretty," she finally pronounced, giving Nina a brief, encouraging smile and vowing to never let her boyfriend within five miles of Nina in that suit. Then she exited the car. Daylight was burning.
Audrey and Katy stepped outside, their doors creaking loudly as they closed them. Katy then popped her arm inside the car to turn up the tunes.
"You're awfully quiet, Jace," Nina said once they were alone, worry coloring her words. "Is it Jerry you're upset about?"
Who?
Jacie's eyes shot to Nina's face and she suddenly realized that she was supposed to be able to speak under these impossible circumstances. "Err… No," she muttered dismissively. "I'm fine about Jerry."
"Is it what I'm wearing then?" Nina tugged at the fabric self-consciously. Her cheeks began to heat. "There isn't much to it. My dad's probably going to freak and–"
"It's sexy as hell," Jacie breathed, hearing the husky note in her voice. She blinked furiously. Had she said that out loud?
Nina's face suddenly brightened. "It is?"
Jacie hoped her friend couldn't hear her racing heart. She no longer trusted her voice so she just nodded like a demented bobble-head doll. Then, to her mortification, she did something she couldn't ever recall doing. She blushed. Badly.
"Whew!" Nina wiped mock sweat from her brow, secretly overjoyed that Jacie thought she looked good. The auburn-haired girl was the most attractive person she knew, and a good word from Jacie left a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Jacie wasn't sure whether Nina had noticed her red face or was simply too kind to point it out. She figured it was the latter and mentally thanked Nina's parents for their stellar childrearing efforts.
"Aren't you coming?" Nina tilted her head towards the river, scattering her fair hair around her shoulders. "I know how much you like to swim and the water's bound to be extra warm today." It was nearly 100 degrees outside.
"In a minute." Jacie wrapped her arms around her own middle, feeling her guts clench every time her eyes strayed below Nina's face. She glanced up, and then when she looked into Nina's eyes, it happened again anyway. "I don't feel so good."
Concerned, Nina scooted closer and laid her hand on Jacie's clammy forehead, which only served to intensify Jacie's stomachache. "What's wrong?"
You!
"Nothing." Jacie did her best to put on a weak smile. "It was probably that last cigarette that did me in."
"Promise you'll quit then?" Nina said seriously, giving Jacie her sternest look. Then she gentled her voice and watched curiously as Jacie's expression softened in return. "I can't stand the thought of you being sick all the time. Katy's lungs probably already look like a used oil filter and she's not even 18." Unconsciously, Nina began to stroke Jacie's forehead with her thumb.
"I promise." At that moment, she realized, she would have promised anything to get Nina, her thumb, and her teeny bikini out of the car. "Go on. I'll be there in a minute."
But Nina didn't move. "Maybe I should stay, I–"
"No!"
Nina's eyes widened.
Dammit.
"I mean… go ahead," Jacie said more gently. "I'll be right out." She peeled Nina's hand from her forehead and laid it to rest in her friend's lap, trying not to touch any golden skin so close to her fingers. "I think I just need to rest."
And throw up.
It was clear that Jacie wanted her to go, but for the life of her, Nina didn't know why. Then something occurred to her. Maybe her staying would only keep Jacie from resting. "You're sure?"
Thank God.
"I'm sure. Don't forget these." She reached down and passed Nina a bottle of sun tan oil and a can of bug spray.
"Scream if you need anything, okay?" Reluctantly, Nina took the items and waited for Jacie's confirmation nod before heading toward the riverbank, where her friends were already spread out, sunning like a trio of lazy lizards on a hot rock.
Jacie couldn't help but notice the gentle sway of Nina's hips as she strolled away. And in that instant she couldn't stop herself from feeling the rush of raw emotion that she'd held at bay for so long. Jerry Brewster never had a snowball's chance in hell. Not only did she want Nina to hold her hand, she wanted more than anything to brush her mouth against Nina's and see if her lips were as soft and luscious as they looked. She dreamt of running her fingers along the curve of her breast and down the line of her thin waist. She craved melting into that beautiful, naked skin as Nina's body was pressed intimately against hers.
Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "God," she groaned, truly in pain as she lay down in the backseat and curled into the fetal position.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
Now what am I going to do?
"Hey, Jacie!" Audrey's voice drifted into the beat-up Impala. "Crank that tune, will ya? This is my favorite song."
Jacie leaned forward and snaked her hand between the front seats to turn the knob. It only took a second for her head and stomach to begin pounding in time with the raspy strains of "Bette Davis Eyes."
* * *
Present Day
Rural Missouri
Gwen Langtree sat in her Infiniti with the engine off, staring at the back wall of the Charlotte's Web garage. Her foot was nervously tapping the carpeted floor. She'd been in this exact position for nearly 20 minutes.
Three other cars were parked neatly next to hers; a compact rental that she assumed belonged to Audrey, a sedate Toyota Camry that she would have bet money was Nina's, and a ratty-looking, ancient Ghia, which could only be Katy's. Jacie, despite, her blue-collar job title, had earned over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars last year and Gwen couldn't see that she'd have a cheap rental, a rust bucket, or the best-selling, most boring car in America.
Which meant Jacie wasn't here yet. A surge of dread welled within her.
Calm down
, she reminded herself.
She's probably just late. The invitation just said the date. Not an exact time.
She could still be coming.
Gwen rubbed her hands together, trying to increase her circulation and ward off the sudden chill that had overtaken her. She longed for this weekend to be about nothing more than rekindling old friendships, not finding a blackmailer. But it wasn't and whatever happened she couldn't let herself forget that. She wanted to make amends, but more than that, she wanted her life back. If she had learned anything through painful years of trial and error, it was that lying to yourself yielded nothing but pain. She knew she deserved most of the Mayflower Club's rancor. But she didn't deserve this.
"I've got to keep my guard up every second," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Search for clues in every glance, every word. And not let anyone know what I'm doing. I can't tip my hand too early." She nodded a little to herself, resolving to simply gather the entire group in a room at the end of the weekend and ask them all flat out, if she couldn't figure things out sooner. It would be humiliating. Not to mention as ridiculous as an Agatha Christie novel. But her blackmailer was using something more important than her pride against her. "Then, once I find out who is doing this and convince them to stop," she wasn't sure exactly how she was going to do that, "I can make up for lost time with the rest of them." She paused.
At least I hope I can.
She let out a shaky breath and gathered her courage and decided to leave her bags for later. When she left the garage, she was surprised to see Nina, Katherine and Audrey exiting the B&B and taking seats around a small table on the porch. Their occasional laughter wafted over the yard, causing a stab of envy in her chest.
She nearly made it to the front stairs unnoticed when Katherine spotted her and the hum of conversation melted into a cold silence.
Gwen could feel her hands trembling and clasped them behind her back as she came to
stand before the other women. "Hi," she said quietly, surprised that her voice wavered on that single word. There was a moment of shock as she looked at these middle-aged women, all of whom looked great, but none of whom exactly matched the young college girls who'd taken up residence in her memory.
Nina blinked. Had she not known who she was looking at… well, she still wasn't quite sure she knew.
"Gwen?" Katherine breathed. "Wow." Gwen had always been attractive in an ordinary sort of way. She'd used her striking hair color and creamy complexion to its best purpose and even as a teenager how she looked had been of utmost importance. Some things, Katy acknowledged privately, never change.
A look of uncertainty swept across Gwen's face. She'd wondered countless times what her old friends would think when they saw her and now that the moment was here, it was surprisingly underwhelming. Unwilling to stand the silence for another second, she blurted, "You'd be surprised at what a nose job, a boob lift, caps for my teeth, and a touch of Botox can do."
"No kidding," Audrey breathed, not sure why Gwen had changed her nose or needed a boob job, but forced to admit the overall look, the hair, the designer duds, was one of sophistication and style. Even her voice was different, the severe twang now replaced by a gentler but still distinctive tone.
Nina cleared her throat, not particularly interested in Gwen's Botox treatment. "Hello, Gwen."
"Yeah," Audrey shifted uncomfortably. "Hi. You really look…"
I am grownup. I am.
"You look really nice."
Gwen managed a smile as the wheels in her mind cranked furiously. "Thanks."
Katy's greeting appeared to be the most genuine. But was that a ruse? She's got the least motive, but she's practically broke and in debt up to her eyeballs.
"Thank you. Did everyone get settled in this morning?"
Audrey looks so serious, like she's studying me under a microscope. And Nina seems a little sad.
"They're doing a few repairs, but they shouldn't get in our way."
I wonder if Nina's diamond stud earrings are real?
They're nearly a carat each.
She leaned against the porch railing and tried to pretend her next question was a nonchalant one. "I… uh don't suppose anyone knows whether Jacie is going to make it?"
"Bored with us already, Gwen?" Nina said, not meaning for it to come out as harshly as it did.
Gwen blinked. "No! I uh…."
"I know whether Jacie is coming," Audrey said, rising to her feet.
Nina suddenly became very interested in the conversation. "You do?"
"Unless that's somebody else driving up in that pickup truck." She pointed to the truck that was just turning onto the driveway.
Nina's heart leapt at the same time her stomach dropped. She thought she might throw up.
Gwen's reaction was nothing but relief. "Thank God," she whispered to herself.
Jacie stopped the truck when she saw the small pack of women quickly making their way over the sloping lawn, wet leaves and blades of grass sticking to their shoes. But as she climbed out of the tall truck, feeling the tingle of anticipation laced with worry, she only had eyes for one of them.
"Holy Christ," Audrey murmured as they approached the driveway. "She cut her hair. She's friggin' gorgeous. Even better than before."
Katherine sighed, but was smiling. "That stinkin' bitch."
Audrey chuckled low in her throat as she stepped over a log. "If I ever jump the fence, I wanna land on her. Well," she scrunched up her face. Jacie was like a sibling. "Maybe not exactly her. But her hot-as-hell twin."
Katherine hooted and high-fived her cousin, delighted by her unexpected statement.
Nina snorted softly.
Gwen tried not to look as shocked as she was. Had men somehow gone completely out of style without her knowing it?
"Jacie!" Katherine crowed, running the last few steps to stand in front of her friend.
The auburn-haired woman dragged her gaze away from Nina, who couldn't seem to meet her eyes directly, and smiled. "Katy!" It was clear that they were both excited, but they didn't embrace, instead they awkwardly patted each other on the arm and grinned like idiots.
"Hiya, Jacie," Audrey said, looking up into dark eyes that glittered with enough affection to make her feel warm all over. "I wasn't sure you were going to make it."
"Hi, Audrey." A flash of white teeth. "I wasn't going to come," she admitted, "but then I got to thinking that I might never have this chance again." She shrugged, not wanting to discuss the hours of soul searching it had taken just to get her this far. "So here I am."
Next, it was Gwen's turn to step up to the plate. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, knowing full well it was time to face the music. "Hello, Jacie. Thank you for coming."