offer; you’re very kind.” She swigged the rest of her drink as Graham and I came to the dregs of ours.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you two tomorrow, then.” Graham stood. “You’re a wonderful host, Adriana.” He gave us a wink and left.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower before we go into town,” I said.
“That’s fine.” Adriana waved me away. “It’ll probably take them that long to get the car back here.”
I grabbed my towel and toiletries bag out of my room, then headed for the bathroom. There were more girls wandering the halls now, some nervous and obviously new, others in pairs gossiping about their summers.
As I waited for the water in the shower to heat up, I checked on the reddish mark on my hip again. There was now another half moon line facing to the left. Except for the small gaps between them, the three crescents formed a perfect circle. A disturbing sensation crawled up my back like hundreds of tiny spider legs. What was causing these marks? They didn’t hurt, so it was unlikely that they were from an insect bite. I’d certainly never had anything like this crop up on my body in L.A.—maybe it had something to do with my being in Shadow Hills.
After I got out of the shower, I checked my jeans before putting them back on, but I couldn’t find anything that could be irritating the skin on my hip.
When I walked back into Adriana’s room, she was goingthrough her clothes—pulling stuff out of her closet, shaking her head, and shoving them back in. “What color are your eyes?” she inquired over her shoulder.
“Green.” I sat down on her bed. I was curious to see her clothing collection for myself, but I didn’t want to seem nosy.
“Blond hair, green eyes.” Adriana tapped a French-manicured fingernail against her dainty mouth. “Now what size are you?” She seemed to be asking herself more than me. “You’re petite—probably about five five …”
“Five six,” I cut in. That inch pulled me out of the short category.
Adriana continued talking to herself as if she hadn’t heard me. I was beginning to feel very much like an oversize Barbie doll. “And you’re slender, but not skeletal. A four, maybe?” She turned to me.
“Are you wanting an actual answer?” I asked, in mock-surprise.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “You
are
going to be the one wearing it.”
“I was starting to wonder,” I deadpanned. “I’m anywhere from a two to a six, depending.”
“Try this.” Adriana held up the chosen item—a soft jersey dress in a vivid golden color.
“Are you sure that won’t make my hair look brassy?” I really didn’t do yellow.
“Of course not.” Adriana waved this worry away. “I know what I’m doing.”
The dress had kimono sleeves and was body hugging from the waist down to my knees.
“You don’t look quite as good in it as I do. But you’re still hot.” Adriana spun me around to look in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of her door.
She was right about the mustard shade. It subtly brought out the pale golden tones in my ashy-blonde hair. However, my fair complexion needed some blush.
“So.” Adriana looked down at my old Vans lying on her floor. “What are we going to do about shoes? Because those look tiny.”
“Not tiny,” I defended my undersize feet. “I wear a seven.”
“Yeah, well, I wear a nine, and you are not wearing my dress with
those shoes.”
She looked at them distastefully.
“Oh, I’ve got an idea!” I ignored her disparaging inflection. “Moccasins.”
“I think you’re a little late on that idea, honey. The Indians thought of moccasins a few hundred years ago.”
“No. I mean I have some. And did you just say
Indians?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We can’t all be from California,” Adriana said by way of an answer. “I mean, let’s consider the name of the Washington football team my dad played on.”
“Point taken.” I nodded and headed next door to my room.
I grabbed the black
“Well, I guess I’ll see you two tomorrow, then.” Graham stood. “You’re a wonderful host, Adriana.” He gave us a wink and left.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower before we go into town,” I said.
“That’s fine.” Adriana waved me away. “It’ll probably take them that long to get the car back here.”
I grabbed my towel and toiletries bag out of my room, then headed for the bathroom. There were more girls wandering the halls now, some nervous and obviously new, others in pairs gossiping about their summers.
As I waited for the water in the shower to heat up, I checked on the reddish mark on my hip again. There was now another half moon line facing to the left. Except for the small gaps between them, the three crescents formed a perfect circle. A disturbing sensation crawled up my back like hundreds of tiny spider legs. What was causing these marks? They didn’t hurt, so it was unlikely that they were from an insect bite. I’d certainly never had anything like this crop up on my body in L.A.—maybe it had something to do with my being in Shadow Hills.
After I got out of the shower, I checked my jeans before putting them back on, but I couldn’t find anything that could be irritating the skin on my hip.
When I walked back into Adriana’s room, she was goingthrough her clothes—pulling stuff out of her closet, shaking her head, and shoving them back in. “What color are your eyes?” she inquired over her shoulder.
“Green.” I sat down on her bed. I was curious to see her clothing collection for myself, but I didn’t want to seem nosy.
“Blond hair, green eyes.” Adriana tapped a French-manicured fingernail against her dainty mouth. “Now what size are you?” She seemed to be asking herself more than me. “You’re petite—probably about five five …”
“Five six,” I cut in. That inch pulled me out of the short category.
Adriana continued talking to herself as if she hadn’t heard me. I was beginning to feel very much like an oversize Barbie doll. “And you’re slender, but not skeletal. A four, maybe?” She turned to me.
“Are you wanting an actual answer?” I asked, in mock-surprise.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “You
are
going to be the one wearing it.”
“I was starting to wonder,” I deadpanned. “I’m anywhere from a two to a six, depending.”
“Try this.” Adriana held up the chosen item—a soft jersey dress in a vivid golden color.
“Are you sure that won’t make my hair look brassy?” I really didn’t do yellow.
“Of course not.” Adriana waved this worry away. “I know what I’m doing.”
The dress had kimono sleeves and was body hugging from the waist down to my knees.
“You don’t look quite as good in it as I do. But you’re still hot.” Adriana spun me around to look in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of her door.
She was right about the mustard shade. It subtly brought out the pale golden tones in my ashy-blonde hair. However, my fair complexion needed some blush.
“So.” Adriana looked down at my old Vans lying on her floor. “What are we going to do about shoes? Because those look tiny.”
“Not tiny,” I defended my undersize feet. “I wear a seven.”
“Yeah, well, I wear a nine, and you are not wearing my dress with
those shoes.”
She looked at them distastefully.
“Oh, I’ve got an idea!” I ignored her disparaging inflection. “Moccasins.”
“I think you’re a little late on that idea, honey. The Indians thought of moccasins a few hundred years ago.”
“No. I mean I have some. And did you just say
Indians?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We can’t all be from California,” Adriana said by way of an answer. “I mean, let’s consider the name of the Washington football team my dad played on.”
“Point taken.” I nodded and headed next door to my room.
I grabbed the black
Similar Books
