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net. When she was a few feet away, she looked back. “Want to play?”
    â€œWhat, volleyball?”
    She laughed. “Yeah. We’re one short right now.”
    I looked down at my clothes. “I’m wearing jeans . . .”
    â€œIt’s fine,” Olivia said. “We’re just passing the time.”
    I had to fight the irrational impulse to confess that, other than in an occasional gym class, I’d never played volleyball a day in my life. I scolded myself inwardly. I was acting like a novice. I didn’t know these people. They were nothing to me. Nothing but a bunch of spoiled rich kids whose lives wouldn’t change a single bit because of our con. Besides, I hadn’t spotted Rachel in the group of girls at the net, which made it a perfect opportunity to get to know Olivia. Harper was there, too, staring at us from across the sand.
    â€œOkay,” I said. “But I should warn you that I’m not exactly an expert.”
    â€œIt’s cool.” Olivia started toward the net. “You’re from San Francisco, right?”
    I nodded, trying to keep up with her long-legged stride.
    â€œNo wonder you don’t play,” she said as we approached the group. “Too cold up there.”
    Olivia made the introductions. I recognized some of the girls from school, and they were all warm and friendly, happy to have a sixth person to even out the teams. Harper welcomed me with a nervous smile and we joined forces with Olivia on one side of the net, tossing the ball back and forth amid laughter and good-natured trash talk. The girls gave me pointers as the game progressed, laughing off my mistakes as I tried to keep up with their experienced serves and spikes. I was just getting into a groove when someonespoke from the sidelines.
    â€œI guess you started without me.”
    The ball fell to the ground as everyone turned toward Rachel, who was wearing white short-shorts and a black bathing-suit top, her hair shimmering like a new penny in what was left of the sunlight.
    â€œWe didn’t know when you were coming,” Olivia explained. She tipped her head at me. “And we picked up a sixth, so we figured we might as well play while we waited.”
    â€œCome on, Rach,” Harper said, sounding a little desperate. “You can be on our team.”
    Rachel looked accusingly at me. “The teams will be uneven.”
    Olivia let out an exasperated sigh. “So? We’re just having fun. Besides, it’ll be dark in, like, ten minutes.”
    â€œI can move to the other side so you can be on Harper and Olivia’s team,” I offered. It wasn’t about Rachel. I was past caring what she thought of me. But it would make me look agreeable to the other girls, which would make Rachel look irrational and petulant in contrast.
    â€œForget it,” Rachel said, tossing her hair. “I’ll go.” She ducked under the net, crossing to the other side.
    I had to fight a triumphant smirk. Plan B was fully operational.
    And going pretty well, thank you very much.

Fourteen
    By the time we finished playing, my legs burned with fatigue and my arms felt weighted with lead. Now I knew why Rachel looked so great in shorts and a bikini top.
    After the game, she took off without a backward glance while Olivia introduced me to everyone on the beach. I wasn’t much of a drinker—I had to operate at full mental capacity when I was working—but I took a beer with the other girls and sipped it for show. I grabbed one of the beach chairs and was tipping the cold bottle to my mouth when Olivia plopped down next to me. Harper pulled a chair up on the other side and before I knew it, we were deep in conversation, moving between movies, fashion, guys, and finally, San Francisco. I was relieved I’d done some homework on the Bay Area before getting to Los Angeles and even more relieved that none of the girls had been there for more than a