We reach the front door of our room, which took us longer than necessary because of all the back and forth about this bonfire. “We have to go,” she says the moment I swipe my card and open the door.
“Do we? You met a stranger at a bar. You know the golden rule!” I tell her.
I turn on the room light. “Treat others as you want to be treated.”
I shake my head. “The other one! Don’t talk to strangers.”
“Come on, Streamline,” she says, using my nickname. “We’re on spring break. The guy looked like a perfectly respectable guy,” she says. “And he’s gorgeous,” she adds.
I roll my eyes. “So are most serial killers.” I mentally high-five myself for thinking of that one.
“Exactly. So you have to come with me. Why don’t you want to be my wing woman, at least to stop me from being alone with a delicious stranger who could be a serial killer?” I don’t know serial killer odds but the guy is probably just a regular college student here with his friends.
“I’m tired,” I tell her, placing the towel over one of the chairs next to a desk.
She shrugs. “Fine. Stay. But I’ll go by myself and hopefully not get killed,” she finishes, and I groan because this is typical Mercedes guilting me into doing something I don’t want to do.
And yet I keep giving in.
I gave in this morning, so tonight should be all about what I want, which right now is to take a shower, go under the covers, and fall asleep.
But will I do that? No. Because I’m a decent person who won’t be able to sleep thinking I left my friend out there on her own. I don’t want to be responsible if something happens to her. We came here together. No woman left behind. That’s the rule.
“I hate you,” I tell her and she smiles, knowing she’s won.
She runs over to me and kisses me on the cheek. “I love you too! I’ll shower first and you can pick out your party clothes!” She exclaims.
“I didn’t bring party clothes,” I reply. I mean, we were supposed to hang out at the beach all week. Why would I need party clothes for a bonfire on the beach anyway?
“That’s why I packed you some extra things!” She says deviously. I thought some other things in my suitcase looked out of place while I was searching for my bathing suit but I didn’t pay much mind to it. I guess Mercedes thought of everything.
I shake my head. “I’ve given in too many times today. I’m not wearing party clothes. The best you’ll get out of me is jean shorts and a sweater!” I tell her in my most ‘I mean business’ voice.
“Fine!” she says, finally giving in to one of my requests then disappears into the bathroom again.
3 Ari Cole
The moment Mercedes and I get to the general vicinity of the beach party, she sees the guy who invited her here.
“That’s him!” she tells me as he waves to her and then calls her over.
She looks at him then at me. Biting her lip, she asks, “Do you want to come meet him?”
“Why don’t you go say hi? I’ll grab a drink and give you guys some time to chat,” I tell her as I look around and see a table set up with refreshments and lights.
She smiles at me. “I’ll be right back,” she tells me.
“Sure you will,” I respond low enough that she doesn’t hear. I watch as she takes the sandy path over to a tall, muscular guy who welcomes her in with a hug when she reaches him.
I walk over to the table set up with drinks and decide I deserve one.
“So you’re on spring break?” Someone says, startling me as I reach my hand to grab a beer from the cooler.
I turn around and find an incredibly attractive guy looking back at me. “Yep,” I tell him as I take in his baby blue eyes.
He’s tall, like really tall. Broad shoulders and baby blue eyes look back at me. “I’m Evan,” he says, extending his hand to me.
I dry my now wet hand on my shorts before I take his. “Ari.”
He smiles at me, holding on to my hand for a moment too long. “Nice to meet you, Ari.”
“You too,” I tell him and pull away.
“You don’t go to school with us,” he says and it’s not a question. It’s a statement.
“What makes you say that?” I ask. I mean, I don’t go around making conversations with strangers but, given that Mercedes is now making out with the guy who invited her to this bonfire, I’ve got time to kill.
“I would’ve noticed you,” he replies and I laugh at the cheap line.
I take a sip of my drink then start. “I’m not sure how many students are at your school, but I’m sure you don’t know all of them.”
He smiles and his teeth are literally perfect. Odd thing to focus on, I know. But they’re so straight and white they’re blinding. “You’re right. But I do know everyone on this trip,” he adds.
Of course he does. In that case, he definitely knows that I don’t go to his school. “Well, then you’re definitely right. I don’t go to your school. My friend,” I say then point at Mercedes, “and I are here on Spring Break from Virginia,” I tell him, volunteering entirely too much information.
“Oh, she found Tyler,” he says, looking at her and the guy next to her.
His tone worries me. “That doesn’t sound good,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “Bit of a player but all in all not a terrible guy.”
“You lost me at player,” I tell him. Being a player should make him a terrible guy. “Players are Mercedes’ type,” I add. She really knows how to pick them.
“And what’s your type?” He asks, shocking me with his forwardness.
I take a bigger gulp from my drink as I think about how
