by Helen Cooper
“Just do it. Yeah, right. You know how hard that is. I don’t want to be rejected.”
“It’s obvious that he has the hot’s for you,” Sally said. “The way he looks at you and teases you, and didn’t you say he asked you to skinny-dip last night? Who does that? None of my guy friends have ever asked me to skinny-dip.”
“He’s Cody’s best friend. I bet he feels like he’s my brother.” I sighed.
“Trust me. Your brother and any guy who felt like he was your brother would not want to skinny-dip with you.” She laughed and I yelped as she put the cold cream on my back and started rubbing. “Unless he was that freaky guy from that book.”
“What book?”
“Flowers in the Attic,” she said. “I saw the movie on Lifetime and whoa.”
“Whoa what?”
“She hooked up with her brother. And not step-brother, either.”
“Eww, that’s gross.” I made a face into my towel as she rubbed the cream into my shoulders. “Do my lower back as well, please.”
“You want me to unhook your bikini?”
“Sure,” I said and then laughed as I felt her untie it. “This is the most action I’ll be getting all weekend.”
“Haha, that’s sad.” She groaned. “It’s just our luck that the same ditzy bitch is after both of our men.”
“I know,” I said, feeling sorry for myself. “Screw you, Barbie,” I shouted into the wind and then lowered my voice, just in case someone could hear me.
“So you really think Cody was into her?” Sally said softly and I could tell from her tone that she was hurt. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I wanted to be the positive friend. I wanted to tell her go for him. I wanted to tell her that any man would be happy to have her. I truly wanted to tell her that. I believed it as well. She was great, but I also knew Cody. And he was a player. And he liked big blondes with big boobs. And he didn’t care who knew. Or got hurt. And I knew that he would most probably spend a night with Sally if she really pushed it. But I also knew that it would only be a night. If he were really interested in her, I felt like he wouldn’t even be entertaining Barbie. He wouldn’t be giving her a naked massage on her bed.
“Do you think they’re going to have a threesome?” Sally asked, her tone low, and I froze.
“Who?” I said and nearly rolled over, but then remembered my bikini top was undone. “Who?” I said louder, my voice rising.
“Cody, TJ, and Barbie,” she said, her voice still low.
“What?” I almost shrieked and she sighed loudly.
“Don’t ‘what’ me. You can’t be that shocked. Let’s be real. Cody is a player. We both know that. I’m not blind and dumb. And TJ, well, I’m sure TJ is a player too and an undercover freak.”
“He’s not an undercover freak! Why would you say that?” My voice was indignant, but I knew exactly what she was going to say.
“Come on, Mila. Remember when we found that horse whip and those handcuffs in his backpack, when he was visiting you guys that summer?” she said quickly. Her tone sounded as freaked out and excited as it had that day when we’d been moseying around in Cody’s room and looking through both guys’ stuff.
“I guess,” I said, my legs tingling as I remembered seeing those fuzzy handcuffs.
“And those beads.” She giggled. “Remember you put them around your neck and you were trying to figure out how to clasp them because you thought they were a necklace?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” I shuddered.
“And they were anal beads,” Sally continued. “TJ is a freak in the bedroom. Who knows what other kinky shit he’s into. I’m sure he’d be into a threesome.” She laughed. “I mean, I don’t think Cody and TJ are going to get it on together, but they’d do whatever two men do to pleasure one girl at the same time.”
“One takes the front and one takes the back,” I said, like some sort of authority on the subject.
“Say what?” she said and I laughed.
“She sucks off one of them while the other one penetrates her,” I said matter-of-factly and then made a retching sound. “But I don’t even want to think about that. I do not think they would do that. Especially not with us here as well. I would kill Cody, and I would tell our parents and Nonno, and they would kill him right after I did.”
“He’d die two deaths, huh?” Sally laughed and then moved back to her lounger and lay down. “I sure hope you’re right. I’d hate to be punked on this trip.”
“Yeah, so would I.” I sighed and closed my eyes again. The sun felt hot and delicious on my back and I pictured TJ’s face in my mind. His lips were so pink and they looked so soft. I wondered how they would feel against mine. I moaned as I felt a trickle of sweat rolling down my back and imagined it was TJ’s tongue licking between my shoulder blades.
“What?” Sally asked and I giggled.
“What what?”
“You made a noise,” she said. “You okay?”
“I was just thinking about TJ kissing me.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Where?”
“What do you mean where?” I giggled. “On my lips.”
“Which lips?”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” Sally said. “There is nothing like a guy going down on you.”
“I was imagining him licking my back, to be fair.” I sighed and stretched. “I suppose his tongue could go where it wanted to after that.”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “Just make sure you get a wax first.” Then she groaned. “I can’t believe I basically numbed my whole body for Cody and he’s not even going to be able to take advantage of that fact.”
“Completely hair free?” I asked, impressed.
“Completely.” She giggled. “Not even a landing strip.”
“I thought you liked landing strips?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if Cody likes that,” she said. “I always think it’s smarter to go bare first time around and then change it up as the guy makes requests.”
“I’m totally not bare.” I sighed. “And I’m not even landing-strip ready either.”
“Mila, you do not have a jungle going on, do you?”
“A small jungle?” I giggled. “I trimmed, so I’m not the Amazon rainforest or anything, but yeah, I’m a local park.”
“Mila.” She laughed. “Do you want me to wax you? I know Nair has a home kit we can use.”
“No, I do not want you to wax me.” I groaned.
“I can,” she said. “I mean, what if things get hot and heavy with TJ and then he gets lost?”
“Lost where?”
“In the jungle.” She giggled. “What if the leaves block his view and he can’t land the plane on the right spot?”
“He can land the plane on the right spot.” I shook my head. “And you’re disgusting, by the way.”
“I hope he can pilot his tongue to the right spot,” she said. “I know some guys who have gotten lost and they were in a desert.”
“Hahaha. They just sucked, then.”
“Who just sucked, then?” a deep voice said from next to us, and my eyes popped open as my body froze.
“TJ?” I said weakly, wanting to ask him just how much he’d heard. I would die if he’d heard it all. Oh, my God, what if he’d heard us talking about him going down on me?
“The one and only,” he said. His lips curved up and he looked at my back. “Need me to rub some more cream onto your back?”
“No,” I said and shook my head quickly. I did not need his bare hands on my naked back right now. I was likely to do or say something embarrassing.
“You sure?” He sat on the edge of my lounger and I felt his warm hands on my shoulders, rubbing something.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked, wanting to roll over and push him away, but not wanting to flash myself at him.
“Sally missed a spot,” he said as his fingers now started to squeeze my shoulders. “And now I’m giving you a small mas
sage. You feel tense.”
“I’m not tense,” I said tightly as his fingertips kneaded into my skin. I tried not to moan as I felt my body relaxing. His fingers felt so good on my skin and I could feel my muscles enjoying the pressure of his kneading.
“Sure, you’re not,” he said. “By the way, someone is here for you, Mila.”
“Huh?” I said, not really paying attention as my body loosened up. I wanted to tell him to stop massaging me, but it just felt too good.
“I said, someone is here for you,” he said and I felt his hands moving to my upper arms and squeezing. His fingers were so close to the sides of my breasts now and I hoped that he would move them down a little farther.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that your man is here.”
“My what?” My voice rose and I froze. What the hell was he talking about?
“I guess all your dreams are coming true because your man, Troy, is here.”
“Troy is here?” I froze. What the hell? I turned over to look at Sally, but she wasn’t looking at me.
“Yeah. So you should put your top on and come.” His hands abruptly left my shoulders and I felt his fingers on my bikini strap.
“What are you doing?” I said, feeling panicked.
“Tying up your strap, unless you want to walk back topless,” he said, his voice rougher. “I’m not sure how Troy would feel about that.”
“Uh yeah, thanks,” I said, my mind racing. What had Sally done and why hadn’t she told me? I was going to kill her. I felt his fingers deftly tying my strap together quickly and I felt peeved that he was able to do it so easily, like he’d had a lot of practice before. He jumped off of the lounger and I rolled over and sat up.
“You ready?” he asked, his eyes intent as they looked at me.
“Yeah.” I nodded and then looked down. My boobs were almost popping out because he’d tied the top too tightly. My hands flew to the material and I tried to adjust it so that I didn’t have an accidental flashing incident.
“No need to adjust it on my account.” He winked at me and I blushed.
“I’m not,” I said and stood up. “You wanna come inside with me now?” I looked down at Sally, who was looking up at me with wide eyes.
“I’ll lay out for a bit more, if that’s okay.”
“You don’t want to come and say hello to Troy?” I said, my eyes boring into hers.
“Eh, I’ll come later.” She shrugged and I wanted to shake her.
“Okay, then,” I said stiffly and turned to TJ. “Let’s go, then.”
“Okay, see you in a bit, Sally,” TJ said and we walked back to the cabin in silence. My mind was racing as we walked back. Was TJ calling my bluff? Was there anyone really there? I was about to turn to him and tell him he got me good when I saw a man running towards me with a bouquet of flowers. And not just any flowers—it looked like a bouquet of red roses.
“Mila, my darling, there you are,” he said as he grabbed me into his arms and spun me around. My heart was thudding as the strange man held me to him. “I missed you, my darling.” He set me down on my feet and, before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me on the lips and rubbing my back. I stood there in shock, with TJ staring at me with narrowed eyes, and all I could do was wonder if I’d gone to sleep and woken up in some sort of alternate universe.
Ch
apter Nine
Mila
July 18th, 2010
Dear Diary,
There’s this saying that if you pray for something hard enough, you will get it. Or, as Nonno says, everything you wish for can come true, so only wish for something you know you want. I think it’s a saying from his village, somewhere in the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Nonno said he will take me and Nonna once I graduate from college. I asked him if Cody will come as well, not because I want Cody to come, but because I want him to bring TJ. Nonno just laughed. Then I went to my bedroom to say a prayer that TJ would get to come. I think it would be romantic if we fell in love in the same country that my grandparents fell in love. It would mean that we were fated to be together and that our relationship would be as perfect as my grandparents’. Sally thinks that’s a big wish and prayer, but I figure it can’t hurt to try. I’m also praying to stop world hunger and for peace among men, so I’m not being desperately selfish. I’ll say another prayer tonight. I’d love to tell my grandchildren the story of how TJ and I fell in love in Positano. I can picture it in my mind already.
Mila
XOXO
“Lunch is ready.” Cody walked into the yard and stared at me with Troy for a few seconds and continued without blinking. “Will you go and get Sally, please, Mila?”
“No, why don’t you go?” I said with a frown. Wasn’t Cody going to even ask me who the guy with his arms around me was?
“Fine,” he said gruffly, then he looked at me and frowned. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Mila’s boyfriend, Troy,” TJ said, responding for me. “He arrived in his Mercedes first thing this morning.”
“Yeah, it’s a cool car,” Troy said and grinned at him. “Much cooler than my Nissan.”
“I guess that’s why you traded it in, huh?” TJ asked with his eyebrow raised.
“Traded it…?” Troy paused and then grinned. “Yeah, yeah, that’s why.” He looked at me and took my hand. “Wanna go catch up in the bedroom for a few seconds?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” TJ said with a small frown. “So, you like sports cars, Troy?”
“Yeah. I used to drag race in high school. My buddy Pete souped up an old Honda CR-V and we used to take it to the track every Friday.”
“I like car racing as well.” TJ nodded. “I like to take out my dad’s Ferrari and race it.”
“Wow, a Ferrari.” Troy’s jaw dropped. “That’s dope.”
“Yeah. I drove a Spyder a couple of months ago.” He grinned.
“That’s cool,” Troy said. “I think I’m going to get a Honda CBR and get into some street-bike racing.”
“Yeah, I do that too,” TJ said. “Though my bike’s in the shop. I had a little accident a couple of months ago.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said sharply. “You were in a motorcycle accident?”
“Yeah, no biggie.” TJ shrugged. “Just fractured my wrist.”
“You fractured your wrist?” I frowned and looked at his arm. “How did that happen?”
“A truck pulled into my lane and he didn’t check his blind spot,” TJ said nonchalantly. “It happens. It’s the risk you take every time you drive.”
“Yeah, but you don’t almost die in a car every day, like you do on a bike.”
“Bikes are safe,” TJ said, his lips thinning.
“No, they aren’t,” I said stiffly, my heart thudding as my face heated up. I couldn’t believe that TJ had been in an accident and I didn’t even know. No one had told me—not him, and not even Cody. Did I matter that little? But why would they tell you, Mila? a voice inside of me whispered. What possible reason would you have to know about what’s going on in TJ’s life? It’s not like you’re his wife or girlfriend. And, sadly, that was true. I was barely his friend.
“Mila, darling, did you miss me?” Troy asked me, looking at me adoringly. I wanted to ask him what the fuck was going on, but I figured he was some really good actor that Sally had hired to help me make TJ jealous. I kinda wished I’d made up the fake boyfriend for her now. She could have hired someone to try and make Cody jealous. In fact, I was going to tell her that very fact as soon as I got her in a private room. How could she do this to me and not tell me? Ugh! I was so annoyed.
“Of course, my dear,” I said to Troy, looking into his sky-blue eyes and trying to smile. I could see both Cody and TJ looking at me and I knew they were trying to figure out what was going on.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day and night, hoping that I could see you and kiss you all over,” Troy said, and I could see Cody’s eyes narrowing as he looke
d over at me. Oh boy, Troy was really laying it on strong and I knew that it was way too strong when I saw Cody at our side.
“So tell me again—who are you, exactly?” he said, looking at Troy properly for the first time.
“I’m Troy, Mila’s boyfriend,” Troy said confidently, his perfect white teeth looking up at Cody as if he expected that answer to be the solution to any problems that might come up. “Who are you?” Troy’s smile faltered as he realized that Cody was now glaring at him.
“I’m Mila’s big brother,” he said and squared his shoulders. “Her very protective, older, big brother.”
“Oh, hi,” Troy said, looking at me for help. I nearly started laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Troy, who I’d never seen until ten minutes ago, was looking for me to help him with my brother.
“How long have you been dating Mila?”
“Um, it feels like I’ve known her all my life,” Troy said with a beguiling smile that turned to despair as Cody didn’t smile back. “It’s been a while,” he said weakly and he reached for my hand. I sidestepped to the side of him and stuffed my hand in my pocket. I looked over at TJ and I could see that he was watching everything with an eagle eye and a small smirk on his lips. Jackass!
“Hey hey.” Barbie sauntered outside. “What are you two up to?” Barbie looked at Cody and then TJ, and gave what I’m sure she considered was a sweet, sexy smile. “I thought we were going to eat?” She touched Cody on the shoulder and batted her eyelashes. “I was waiting.”
“Yeah, we are,” Cody said, his eyes lightening as he looked at her. My heart started pounding as I wondered what was going on, but then Barbie walked over to TJ and slapped him on the ass.
“And you, big boy, you need to eat,” she said and licked her lips, like some sort of hungry cat that had just seen a bowl of milk and hadn’t had anything to drink in days.
“We’re coming,” TJ said and I couldn’t tell if he sounded apathetic or angry. I’m sure he couldn’t be happy at the fact that Barbie was now flirting with Cody as well. Unless they shared her. Ugh, I felt sick even thinking about that. Was Sally right? Did Cody and TJ really share women? That was just gross!
