Chapter Six
Cora
Dedra let me get a few good shots in the night before, but once I got within 10 points of her score, that was it. She pulled out the stops and stomped me to the ground without much effort on her part. Where I should have been upset, I wasn't at all. Seeing her come alive was well worth the massive loss on my part.
Dinner was outstanding, but with Cindy in the kitchen, it was expected. Her dream of opening her own restaurant seemed like a high possibility in the next 10 years. She batted off our comments like she always did, and we settled down in front of a movie with our bottle of wine. I passed out before getting past the credits.
I woke the next morning from a dreamless night to the sound of someone pounding on my bedroom door.
"Come on, sleepyhead. We're making cinnamon rolls from scratch, and if you think you're missing out on this, you're wrong." Cindy poked her head into the room and gave me a big smile. Her red hair was a mess, leaving her looking beyond cute. Some guy was going to finally realize what a steal she was and treat her right. I could only pray he would show up before too many more of them used her and threw her away. How she had the strength to keep moving forward and give anyone a chance was beyond me.
"Alright. Give me five minutes to brush my teeth and wake up." I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, stretching and letting out a yawn. The boy from the day before still played along the edge of my mind. That he was blond and a total dick should have sent me scurrying away from even the thought of him, but it would seem my hormones had a mind of their own.
"Let's go." Emily opened the door and gave me a look. "Your only job today is to help Cindy understand that we're not having an alarm clock this summer. Do I look happy?"
Emily's black hair framed her face and accentuated the blue of her eyes, making her almost look like a Goth princess.
"You do look happy now that I'm really looking." I tilted my head to the side and smiled. "Alright. I'll figure out a nice way to tell her."
"You're up to bat first, but if she keeps this Betty Crocker shit up, I'm going to hurt her feelings."
Dedra moved up beside Emily at the door of my room. "It's been a long two weeks."
I laughed and got up, tugging at my tank top to pull it back in place. "Alright. I get it. She's just excited, and I'd take a homemade cinnamon roll over a cold bowl of cereal any day. Both of you would, too."
I pushed past them and yawned again before making a beeline to one of the two bathrooms in the house. After brushing my hair and teeth, I put on my bikini, a tank top and some shorts. I made my way to the kitchen to find Cindy humming something.
"Coffee's ready." She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Will you braid my hair after we eat breakfast? I want to go out on the boat today, and it gets in my face like crazy."
"Absolutely." I got a cup and poured the dark liquid into it before walking to the front door. "I'll be right back."
"Five minutes and we're making these cinnamon rolls!" She called after me in a perky tone.
"I wouldn't miss it." I closed the door behind me as I inhaled deeply. I didn't mind Cindy's excitement. It was almost refreshing, and getting up early wasn't too bad, either.
The soft sounds of birds chirping in the trees above me caused my heart to flutter in my chest. I didn't have to be anything or anyone but myself for the next six to eight weeks.
"Incredible." I leaned against the railing at the front of the house and watched the sun play across the lake. The house was nestled against the street that ran right in front of the large blue lake, and our boat bobbed up and down with the waves at the edge of our pier, tempting me to sneak away for a few hours.
The door behind me opened, and Emily walked out with a cup of coffee. "You owe Dedra a ‘thank you.’"
"Why is that?" I took a sip of my coffee.
"She told Cindy that you and I needed to get out of here for a while and that they could make breakfast together. We have 30 minutes." She wagged her eyebrows. "I think she feels bad for slamming you on the courts last night."
"She didn't slam me." I gave her a silly grin. "Alright, yeah, she did."
Emily chuckled and nodded toward the lake. "Let's go sit on the pier; you want to?"
"Hell yeah." I followed her toward the lake, making sure to keep my eyes on the ground to avoid broken glass. There was no need to end up with a staph infection in the hospital before the summer really started.
"You sleep alright?" Emily slowed a little, and I caught up to her.
"Yeah. I don't remember anything after us sitting down for the movie. Did you guys take me to my bed?" I took another drink of my coffee and turned as someone whistled just behind us.
A car full of guys slowed down, and the goofy-looking one half hanging out of the back window called out to us. "Party tonight at the big ass house as you drove in. Bring your own beer!"
"Got it. Thanks." I waved and turned back to Emily. "Sounds like everyone in the whole damn town got invited."
"You got up and went to bed yourself about halfway through the movie." She stood still as her gaze followed the guys down the road. "That guy looked familiar. I think he was in my calculus class."
"Oh yeah?" I turned to look back down the road, honestly not caring. "I'm not sure I'm going tonight."
"What? Yes, you are. You're going." She lopped her arm into mine and walked with me down to the grassy bank of the lake. "I'm going, and that means you're going."
"Why do we have to go?" I took another sip of my coffee and walked out onto the pier, loving the way the sun warmed my skin.
"Because, Cora, it is summer break and we're in the middle of party central. Let's go meet all of these people, and if they suck, then we'll rent a bunch of movies and survive Cindy's cooking lessons instead." She smirked and sat down on the edge of the pier, letting her legs dangle off the edge.
"Are there alligators in this water?" I handed her my coffee before sitting down beside her.
"Doubtful, and even if there were, they wouldn't be over here. They're scared of humans." She moved over as I sat down beside her and let my feet skim over the warm water beneath us.
I took a deep breath. "You guys be nice to Cindy. She's a good person. Cooking is just her thing."
"I get it, but it's not mine." She handed me my coffee before leaning back and closing her eyes. "I'll behave, though. I love her; you know that."
"Yeah." I lost my train of thought as my eyes moved over the various boats across the lake. The one directly in front of us caught my attention. The guy from the day before was wrestling with some chick on his boat. His friends were laughing, and the girl was having far too much fun. "Ugh."
"What?" Emily glanced up.
"That guy that was leaning against my car yesterday is out there." I pointed to him and tried to keep the false disdain on my face. His body was covered in an oily substance, and the way it made his skin shine left my stomach tightening.
"That's the guy?" Emily leaned forward as her mouth dropped open. "Wow. Next time he's leaning against your car, don't dirty your hands with him. Just call me. I'll take care of him."
"Brother." I leaned back, letting my eyes move across him as he tossed the girl into the water. His laughter was loud and fun. A smile lifted my lips as his friends moved up to knock him into the water next. He swam to the girl and they laughed, dragging each other under the dark blue surface.
"Is he taken?" She looked back at me.
"No clue, nor do I really care." I shrugged, caring more than I wanted to. I had the ability to locate the douchiest guy in the whole place and attract him to my side no matter where we were. It was a gift. A magical power. Now, if I could just figure out how to not fall for them once they came close.
"I care. Damn, he would be fun for a one-night stand." She moved back and tugged her shirt off, shocking me.
Her blue and white bikini top looked great on her. She drove me nuts hiding her body behind her clothes when she had every right to show it off.
"You look good." I leaned back and pulled my legs up, resting my feet on the edge of the dock.
"No, you look good. I just look okay." She laid down beside me and pulled her sunglasses off the top of her head and put them on. "We need to get back over there. I bet the cinnamon rolls are almost done."
"Naw, they'll call for us." I lifted my arms into the air and stretched. "I love it out here. It's so peaceful."
I jerked up as someone yelled from beneath the pier. "A little help?"
"What?" I moved up to my knees and glanced down to see Brody bobbing in the water beneath me. "You again?"
He laughed. "Yeah, princess. Help me up?"
"Just walk out of the water over there." I nodded toward the shore beside us.
"There are too many sharp rocks." He lifted his eyebrow and turned his attention onto Emily. "Hi, pretty girl. Any way you'd be willing to help me up? Your friend here isn't being very neighborly."
"No, she's not, is she?" Emily gave me a look and stood up, offering Brody her hand.
"Really?" I got up and gave him my other one.
He got up with our help, forcing us to step back several steps as he shook the water off of him like a dog. I glanced down at myself and gave him a scathing look.
"Where is the girl you were with?" I couldn't help but ask. "Did you eat her?"
"Yeah, all night long until she couldn't walk." He turned and looked out toward the lake, lifting his middle finger in the air toward the group of guys laughing loudly on what I assumed was his boat. "Thanks, girls."
He moved past us without another word, leaving me standing there in shock. I glanced over at Emily. "Did he just say that?"
Her eyes were wide as she watched him walk off. "Yeah, and for the first time in a really long time, I'm jealous. I want to be that girl."
I turned and searched the surface of the lake, not finding her. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I don't see her anywhere."
"Let's go. Stop worrying. Everyone out here is having a good time. We're going to that party tonight and will soon be joining them." Emily tugged at the back of my bathing suit, and I turned, walking back toward the house.
Brody was a little ways away from us, walking down the center of the street like he owned it. I couldn't help but admire how sexy his back was, littered with muscles and dripping with lake water. His blond hair almost looked dark brown, and for a moment, I thought maybe I was overreacting, but no: he was a cocky bastard for sure.
Did you eat her? All night long. Good grief.