Day 2
Courtney’s knockingat my door by noon, wanting to go to the pool and lay out. Maybe it was the way she said it, but I had a feeling she wasn’t as interested in working on her tan as she was in catching a glimpse of eye candy. Still, knowing we had hours before we were required to meet up with the rest of the group with nothing else to do, I quickly changed into my favorite swimsuit, a red bikini with gold stars, and threw on a matching red tunic dress and beige sandals.
It’s not until Courtney shimmies out of her Daisy Dukes and tank top that I wish I had brought a more slimming black one-piece suit to wear.
Her body is perfect. She’s at least five foot five with thighs that don’t touch, a tiny waist, and breasts that are threatening to spill out of the tiny triangles of her bleach-white bikini top. Her bottoms don’t provide much more coverage, sitting low on her hips and barely covering her ass when she bends over to grab a towel.
I realize I’m ogling her. I can’t even help it, and I’m not into chicks, but she is beautiful in every way imaginable. Long blond locks that have a natural curl to them. Deep-brown eyes accentuated by her long, dark lashes.
And not a tan line in sight.
There has to be something wrong with her. It’s unnatural.
“So, what do you do when you’re not sunbathing at a mansion?” I ask as I lie back against my lounge chair, sliding my sunglasses in place so she doesn’t catch me staring at her.
“I sell clothes,” she replies excitedly.
“What do you mean?” I quickly retort, unsure if I heard her correctly.
“I mean I sell clothes. I work in the mall. I’ve been there since I was sixteen. I love it. I love shopping.” Her enthusiasm is cute.
“What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” There has to be more to this girl than working in a retail store and shopping. She can’t really be that dense, can she? Her standards for her future can’t be that low, can they?
“I don’t know. Maybe a personal shopper. I’m really good at putting outfits together. We reworked the floor displays before I left, and I dressed the mannequins. They looked awesome. They gave me a map and told me what to put together, but I may have slipped in a few of my own ideas. You know, changed things up a bit. To make it better. I can’t wait to hear what my boss thinks when I get back. She’s going to be so impressed with what I did. I bet I’ll get a raise or something.”
As Courtney settles into the lounger beside me, I close my eyes and take in everything I’ve just learned about her. The bubbly girl I’ve befriended, or rather who’s befriended me, who likes to shop and play dress-up and not much else. Whose dreams and aspirations are yet to be determined.
“What do you do?” she finally asks, our conversation having faded away.
What do I do? Nothing, I want to tell her. Because the job I thought I had when I graduated college was eliminated by my ex-fiancé after I caught him sleeping with another woman. In our bed. In the house we shared. Fifteen minutes after I left to go grocery shopping. If I hadn’t forgotten my phone, he would have gotten away with it.
“I graduated a few months ago, and I’m kind of still figuring that out,” I say, biting my tongue.
“What do you want to do?”
Become a hitman. I already have two people at the top of my list I’d kill for free to prove myself as worthy of the job. I just have to learn how to shoot a gun, hide a body, and lie without looking guilty.
“I don’t know anymore. I used to think I wanted to use my degree, but now I’m contemplating other options. I figure I’ll know when I know. Plus, I can’t exactly look for a job right now while I’m here, so it gives me time to evaluate life.”
There are plenty of thing I could do with my degree in hospitality management. Running a hotel was at the top of my list. It was my dream job because there were so many opportunities for advancement. Maybe that’s what I’ll still end up doing, in time. For now, I’m going to focus on relaxing, having a little fun, and trying not to be overwhelmed with what’s going on around me.
At least that’s what I told Naomi on the phone this morning.
Courtney and I are joined by the rest of the girls, except Kyra. I assume she’s hiding in her villa. After the meeting last night, she was the first to disappear. She was next to me one minute and gone the next. The rest of us hung out by the pool, sipping on whatever concoction Jace made us, talking until a little after midnight.
I have a pretty good feel for everyone so far. I don’t know their deepest, darkest secrets yet, but then again, they don’t know mine. We didn’t get into all that. It was more of a twenty-questions sort of conversation.
Where are you from?
Who’s your favorite band?
What are you doing here?
That one got a laugh out of almost everyone. Most of the guys answered about the same. Not a single one of them said they were looking for love and only one person avoided answering all together. Lennon.
It was all normal stuff you ask people when you’re first getting to know them in a group setting. As friends and nothing more. Even though I saw some of the looks Teegan was shooting a few of the guys, mainly Milo. I wouldn’t be surprised if she found lust with more than one person before the first episode airs.
The guys arrive shortly after the girls, moving the lounge chairs around so we’re all close together. Jace is once again behind the bar, mixing cocktails. He’s taken to sitting close to me, not that I mind. I was telling Naomi about him this morning, the little bit I could, and she seems to think he’s my type.