Read Online Drop Dead Gorgeous by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page B

skimpy bikini. She’d just told her that she was beautiful. “Every kid’s mother tells her that, Mom,” Lori had protested. “No, honey, for real, you’re beautiful. Inside and out.” She should have felt great. Her folks had their hang-ups, but they were mostly all talk; they really weren’t too bad, and they did love her. They might have warned her against the Blacks, but they were always decent to Sean when he was over with the gang. She had one summer left, then she was off to college herself. Her brother, Andrew, one year her senior, just back from college for the summer, had quit acting like a complete jerk this year. Rather than constantly threatening to tell on one another now, they kept each other’s secrets.
    Arriving at the rock pit, Susan, Jan, and Lori laid out their towels, popped open cans of soda, turned on the radio, and stretched out.
    After a while Jan yawned and stretched. “I’m burning up. I’m going to hop in the water. Anyone coming?”
    “I’ll go,” Susie said. “Lori?”
    “Umm … not yet. I’m just beginning to feel the sun,” Lori said. That wasn’t true. She was hoping that Sean would show up, see her stretched out in her new bikini, decide that she was beautiful—inside and out—and profess his undying love and devotion.
    “Okay, bake then. The guys should be along soon, huh?” Sue said. She was dating Lori’s brother, Andrew. Ugh. There was no accounting for taste. But then again, Andrew was better than Ricky Garcia—who was still a creep in Lori’s eyes—and Jan and he had been a hot item now for two years.
    “Yeah, sure, the guys will be along soon,” Lori said.
    When the other two girls left her, more people began to arrive. Andrew showed up with their cousin, Josh, who was a senior as well, and Jeff Olin, Mandy’s brother, Andrew’s age. Her brother was a traitor, hanging around with Jeff, she determined. But, of course, she couldn’t tell him so. She had to smile through her teeth, or else she’d give herself away. Her brother knew her too well.
    Josh tickled her and called her kid. She was glad there was no one there to see. Josh could just act so damned superior—unless he was being nice to her because one of his college buddies had a crush on her.
    Mandy arrived—without Sean. She came with a girlfriend, Ellie LeBlanc. They were both nearly naked, Ellie in a dark-patterned suit that complimented her light complexion and dark hair, and Mandy in an animal print that complimented everything about her. The two of them flirted with Andrew and Josh, then Ricky Garcia arrived, still hanging around with Ted Neeson, as he had been since junior high. Then Brad showed up with Michael Black. Brad came down on Susie’s towel next to Lori, running his hand over Lori’s bare midriff and kissing her lips. She tried hard not to make a face, or push his hand away. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked her, pale blue eyes flashing angrily.
    Just call it off with the jerk, she told herself. But she felt guilty right away. Lots of the kids were sleeping together; she just didn’t want to sleep with him. He was the most popular guy in his class, he was smart, he was good-looking— she just didn’t want to. But if she could keep up the facade of being a steady thing together with just a few kisses and a little petting … “It’s just hot,” she lied.
    But staring at her, he shook his head angrily. “It’s more than that. And you know what, Miss Orange Blossom? If you don’t want to do it, there are other girls who will.”
    She stared at him, hoping that the others, still standing and talking, were unaware of the exchange.
    “Look, I’m just not ready,” she lied.
    “I’m a grown-up guy,” he told her. “With needs. It’s not like we’ve just started dating. God knows, I love you. Everyone is convinced we’ll get married.”
    “But not yet. What if—”
    “First of all, we’ll use protection. And if you get pregnant, we’ll just get