Everyone wants to believe they’re destined for greatness. I’m no exception. I grab my bag from the backseat and sling it over my shoulder. “Sorry for having dreams.”
“You don’t actually have a dream, Abbi. You’ve been building this theory that something enormous was going to happen when we turned eighteen, but you haven’t done anything to make it happen.”
Over the years I’ve had a lot of dreams: playing guitar, learning to snowboard, baking, decoupage. Every time I failed, I blamed my mother. She was an easy out.
I couldn’t be the next Iron Chef because mom wouldn’t let me use the sharp knives.
How can I learn guitar without lessons? Mom wouldn’t even spring for an online course, shattering my dreams of being the next Taylor Swift.
Don’t even get me started on snowboarding. Shaun White didn’t become an Olympic gold medalist with a rented board.
When I’m deep in the blame game, whining about how the universe is holding me back, Raine has always been there to call me out, to tell me I’m being an asshole.
“Life isn’t about one big moment, Abs. You can have little ones, happy ones, every day.” She puts an arm around me. “We’re having one now.”
“Can you just let me wallow a little longer?”
“You have from here to there.” She points to gravel and then to the paved path. “Once our feet hit that cement, your outlook on life changes forever… or at least until the end of summer.” She pulls a bottle of mouthwash from her bag.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Peppermint schnapps, straight from Mom’s personal stash. She won’t know her bottle is filled with water until Christmas.” She shoves it into her bag. “Now let’s go get laid.”
◆◆◆
Camp central consists of three main buildings and one large outdoor eating area we call the circus, because it’s covered by a giant white tent. The kitchen staff is busy setting up dinner which means orientation if almost over.
“You’re late,” one of the cooks yells.
“What else is new?” Raine shrugs.
The welcome assembly is held in the open theater behind the kitchen. Theater seating encircles the stage, where my uncle Rusty is introducing the new counselors. We try to blend into the line of counselors already introduced and fail.
“Look who has decided to join us.” Rusty gestures in our direction. “Our favorite duo!” He does a piss poor job of faking his enthusiasm. “Give a big Camp Tuluka welcome to Abbi and Raine!”
The kids cheer and do the camp clap.
Stomp, stomp, clap, clap, clap, double snap.
Raine does her best MTV movie awards walk to the stage. Pointing and smiling to her fans, Rusty plays along and holds the microphone like it’s an award.
“I want to thank my mom for teaching me the unimportance of punctuality. God, of course. Let’s not forget my team. This takes a village.” She motions to her appearance. The kids laugh. “And last, but certainly not least, none of this would be possible without my ride or die, Abbi. Where are you? Get up here, Abs!”
I wave from my safe place.
“She’s shy. Come on, kids. Give her some encouragement. Abbi. Abbi. Abbi.”
The kids scream my name and stomp their feet. The chanting grows so loud, the other counselors push me onto the stage just to make it stop. I send Rusty a mental SOS. He shakes his head and chants along with the kids. Jerk.
Raine pulls me next to her. “Everyone, this is Abbi.”
“Hi, Abbi!” the kids reply.
“She’s feeling sad today,” Raine says and pouts. “This is her last summer at camp.” They give a collective aw, a few boos. “Let’s make the next two weeks the most exciting, incredible, funnest time of her life!”
The camp is on their feet cheering and clapping. I exit stage left. In my haste to run away, I bump into a solid mass hidden in the shadows. My nose smashes against a shoulder, and I taste pennies.
“Ouch!” I grab my face and check my nose for blood.
“Are you okay?”
His shoes are the first thing I notice. Clean, white, out of place. He has a large creature inked around his calf. Tattoos run up his arms. His shorts are blue and green plaid, not khaki, like the other guys. His shirt is white with the name O’Neill written in black cross his chest.
“Why are you hiding back here?” I say accusingly.
“I wasn’t hiding.” He steps into the light. “I was waiting to be introduced.” He smells earthy, with a hint of scented deodorant.
“Your friend stole my thunder.” He smiles six inches above my head. He is definitely American.
“She does that a lot.”
“I’m Jay.”
I wave and shrug—I’m a shrugger. “I’m Abbi.”
“I know.” He gestures to the main room. “I heard.”
“My uncle lives to humiliate me.”
“Rusty Tallac is your uncle?” He looks over my head to the stage. His steel gray eyes search for Rusty. “Your mom is his sister?”
“Good guess.”
He looks down at me. “Lucky guess.”
The welcome assembly ends, and the kids disperse to the meetup areas.
“Shit, we gotta go.” I grab Jay’s arm and drag him across the stage to the stairs. “Do you have your cabin assignment?”
“Sophie-Ann gave me this.” He shows me a stretchy bracelet that holds the key to his cabin, one to the pantry, and a tag with his cabin name.
“You’re in Black Bear. Go find Rusty. He’ll tell you where to meet your campers.” We stand at one side of the stage as kids yell around us.
“Abbi!” Raine yells over the roar of the excited campers. When she sees Jay, her face lights up. Kids be damned. She saunters towards us and stops in front of him. “I’m Raine.” She holds out her hand. So much for pinky promises.
“This is Jay.” I introduce them and step aside. He is totally Raine’s type—large, muscular, male. “Raine, can you show him where to go?”
“Absolutely.” She loops her arm through his and mouths thank you.
He’s all yours.
Chapter Three
Mornings are my favorite time at camp. I sit on the end of the pier with a mug of coffee and watch the sun glisten off the still water. If I don’t get out of Meyers, this view will become stagnant. Like the water in this lake, a bitter reminder that my life is going nowhere.
Nobody ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. As if I have no say, no control. The phrase, “After you turn eighteen,” has been the theme of our lives. Raine might tease me about believing something significant would happen after our eighteenth birthday, but she’s heard the same rhetoric from her parents. Everything begins, or ends, at eighteen.
I should be preparing for my future, or at least my birthday party. Mom is probably planning a surprise party. She won’t even consult me on the type of cake I want. Why would she? I’m not even allowed choose my own deodorant. Every aspect of my life is managed by my mother. From school lessons and homework hours, to volunteer work and summer jobs. Kalysia runs everything. My life has been micromanaged to the minute. I’ve never made decisions on my own. Mom or Raine have always been there to co-sign my ideas or offer a better solution. It’s time I took control, made my own plans. For the next two weeks, I’m the boss of me.
The timer on my watch goes off. Fifteen minutes until official wakeup. My morning brood is over. I push off the dock. Its slick from the morning dew I love so much. My foot slips, and I fall back on my elbow. Coffee splashes in my face.
Yeah, Abbi. You’re so ready for adulthood.
Jay appears above me, smiling and laughing.
“At least you saved the mug.” He steps over me, his feet straddling my body, and offers his hand.
I hand him the mug instead. “I got it.” I sit up. He doesn’t move so my forehead is lined up with his junk. Other than an uncomfortable game of twister with Rory, this is the first time I’ve been up close and personal
with a guy’s genitals. It’s hard, no pun intended, not to stare at the outline of it through his board shorts. I finally understand the male obsession with cleavage. You know what’s under there, but then again you don’t know. The not knowing makes it mystical, interesting.
“Are you really that stubborn?” His questions reminds me there is a human standing above me.
I scoot backward on the wood dock and a splinter stabs my thigh. “I’m good.”
“You’re not going to let me help you?”
“I can manage fine on my own.” I stand and pretend my elbow isn’t throbbing. “We’re going to be late for wake-up.”
“You have a little—” He stretches the bottom of his light blue camp shirt and rubs it across my forehead. I catch a glimpse of his stomach. His perfect, tan, rippled stomach. “That’s better.”
His shirt falls back into place, stained with coffee and my forehead sweat. I wonder if Raine has seen his abs. She’s probably traced all his tattoos with her tongue. The girl moves fast.
“Thanks.” I don’t look at his face. I don’t look at any part of him. “I’ll take that.” I reach for the mug.
“It’s not a problem. I’m stopping by the kitchen anyway.”
“For what?”
“Pots and pans.”
“Why do you need pots and pans?”
“To wake up my campers. Those little jerks kept me up until two-thirty this morning. It’s payback.” He spins the mug on his finger.
“The first night is always the worst. Their excitement level is at ten. By the end of the week, they’ll be worn out. That’s when we have our counselor bonfires.”
“I didn’t see that on the schedule.” He dips down to make eye contact with me, or maybe he’s trying to check out my tits. Both options make my cheeks burn.
“Because it’s unofficial. I’m surprised Raine didn’t mention it.” I mention my best friend as often as I can.
“It didn’t come up in our conversation.”
“She’s not much of a conversationalist.” I’m not trying to throw shade. Raine is the first to admit her mouth wasn’t made for speaking.
He leans toward my ear as if he needs to whisper his next statement. “Will there be contraband at this bonfire?”
“It wouldn’t be unofficial if there wasn’t.”
“Should I bring something?”
I don’t know why I’m fighting the urge to look at him. It’s lame and childish. I cock my head to the side a catch him mid smolder. Jay has the smile of a man who destroys friendships. Eyes that have seen things I’ve only read in romance novels. A mouth that’s probably swapped spit with Raine. ABORT MISSION.
“Do you have any contraband?” I say words to make staring at his handsome face less weird. I rarely use the term handsome to describe a guy. Hot. Sexy. Holy hell. That’s as far as my vocabulary goes when it comes to boys. Jay isn’t a boy, though. He’s a man. A very hot, very sexy, very handsome man. Who already hooked up with my best friend.
“I confiscated a couple of candy bars and a stash of energy drinks from my campers. Will that grant me access to this naughty counselor rendezvous?”
“Who said it was naughty?” My palms are sweaty. I’m flirting. I don’t flirt with Raine’s conquests. I don’t flirt in general.
“A guy can dream,” Jay responds with a flirty smile.
He’s flirting with me after hooking up with my friend.
That is a jerk move. Although he doesn’t have a jerk vibe. He has a lazy way about him. That California laid-back, sexy as hell, beach bum thing. His gray eyes are like the ocean—dangerous and unpredictable. I could stare at his eyes all day. If he wasn’t a jerk.
“Come on, we’re going to be late.” He places a hand behind me, but doesn’t touch my back. It hovers, causing a tingle up my spine. I think of Mom. She definitely wouldn’t approve of Jay, which makes me tingle even more.
Raine and the other counselors are already gathered for morning circle. I move to my place beside Raine.
“Hey.” I pretend it’s totally normal to arrive at morning circle with Jay. She gives me that what-the-hell look.
“Morning, Raine,” Jay greets her. “You look well rested.”
She sets her alarm two hours early to do her hair and makeup. She’s that girl. “Thank you, Jay.” She moves around me to stand beside him. “You look like you’ve had an eventful morning.” She touches the wet spot on his shirt. Any excuse to put her hands on him.
“Just enjoying the morning view.” He looks at me.
I look at Sophie-Ann.
He’s definitely flirting. I’m definitely getting a jerk vibe.
“Good morning, counselors.” Sophie-Ann enthusiastically greets us. We mumble in reply. “There really isn’t much to say. You’re all vets here. Can I get a volunteer to show Jay to the ropes course?”
Raine’s hand shoots up. Sophie-Ann glowers at her. “Landon, will you make sure Jay gets settled in?”
Everyone laughs except Raine. Her idea of showing Jay the ropes will be the ones she uses to tie him to her bed. The fact that she’s in full beast-mode for his attention tells me nothing has happened between them yet.
“Here are your assigned activities for the day.” She hands us each a sheet of paper. “Absolutely no switching.” She gives Raine a stern look. “We need to know where every child is at every moment. When you deviate from your assignment, kids get lost.”
“Got it.” Raine snatches the paper from her.
“Make sure you complete bed check before breakfast is over. Especially the younger campers. Make sure all beds are urine-free.”
Chelsey and Brianne grumble. They’re stuck with the eight and ten-year-olds this session.
“Jay is replacing Ozzy as our resident lifeguard. He’ll be on lake duty from three to five. Check badges for swim status before you release campers to free-time. Jay will need to test them before they can have lake access.”
I have an older group. All of my kids passed their swim test years ago. There’s no need for me to go to the lake during free-time. Good. The last thing I need is drama between me and Raine. The last time it happened was three years ago, when the Greek flirted with me after hooking up with Raine. I never, ever, would’ve let him touch me, but just the idea of him wanting me peeved Raine. I swore on every holy book I could find that we didn’t do anything. To this day, she still doesn’t fully believe me. What does it matter anyway? It isn’t like she was in love with the guy. She doesn’t even follow him on Instagram.
“Any questions?” Sophie-Ann surveys us. “Okay then, remember to hydrate. There are vitamins in the pantry. No slacking on nutrition because you’re at camp.” She points at the few in the circle who grumble. “Above all, have a fabulous day!”
As we disperse to wake our campers, Jay walks toward the kitchen with my mug, and Raine follows him inside.
“Abbi.” Sophie-Ann catches up to me. “Your mom said you were feeling a bit melancholy.”
My mom needs to keep her big mouth shut. “You know how it is at the end of summer.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, or if you want to talk, my door is always open.” Sophie-Ann has a psychology degree. In the off-season she runs a successful practice in Sacramento. Camp is a summer job for her too.
“I’m fine. Really. I’m fabulous! This is going to be the best two weeks of my life.”
“That’s the spirit.”
It’s all about perception. If I want this to be the best summer ever, then it will be.
The morning wake-up song begins and I burst through the door ready to start the day with a positive attitude.
“Rise and shine, campers!”
To my surprise the girls are out of their bunks and huddled together on the opposite side of the cabin. They squeal when the water hits my head and splashes the floor around me.
“Best. Summer. Ever,” the girls chant.
Assholes.
Chapter Four
As punishment
for the prank, I volunteer my cabin for breakfast cleanup. They grumble and complain as they wipe down tables and pick up trash.
“You missed a spot,” I yell to Sarah, the ringleader.
This is Sarah’s fifth year at camp. Next year she’ll be a junior counselor. She’s always been a handful. I can’t prove it, but I’m positive she was the one who stole all the left shoes in camp two years ago. We still haven’t found them.
“My parents pay good money for me to be here. I doubt they would approve of forced labor.” Sarah shoves an empty milk carton into her trash bag.
“Let’s call and ask them,” I threaten. “I’d love to hear what they have to say about the prank you pulled this morning.”
“It wasn’t just me.” She glares at her accomplices.
When it comes to pranks, Sarah’s ingenuity is second to none. The problem is she doesn’t own it. If you’re going to be the prank queen, wear that honor with pride. Don’t whimper and point fingers when you’re caught.
“As soon as we’re done here, we can go to the lake.”
“Yes!” the girls cheer.
We join Raine and her cabin on the beach. She has kayaking. All the makeup she applied this morning has melted off her face in the brutal late-summer heat. Most of the camp would kill for a water activity, but not Raine. I have no clue how we became best friends. You have to wonder if we’d even like each other if we hadn't been born in the same town.
“Jay said he ran into you this morning on the dock.”
I spread my towel out and sit beside her. “Yeah.” One word answers annoy her, so I keep it going.
“Did he ask you to meet him there?”
“No.”
“Did he say anything about me?”
“Nope.”
Being blasé about Jay peaks her curiosity. She thinks I’m hiding something. I let her think it, because it makes me feel powerful and bitchy. “It’s so hot today, my ass is sweating. Let’s go for a swim.”
“No. I feel fat today.”
I can see Jay’s feet dangling from the bottom of the lifeguard chair. My girls mill around below him vying for his attention. If I jump in the lake without Raine, she’ll throw a hissy-fit, which makes me want to do it even more. This boss of me thing is really empowering.
The Lunam Legacy (The Lunam Series Book 3) Page 2
