Read Online So Inn Love by Catherine Clark - Free Book Online Page A

good.
    “I was hoping I’d find you,” she said. She snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. “But I’m a little concerned. Are you awake yet?”
    “Sure—of course,” I said.
    “Well, you seem a little out of it.”
    “Just about to have my first cup of coffee. I’ll be lively in no time,” I promised. “Hyper, even.” I shuffled over to the giant coffee urn and poured myself a cup to go. I had a feeling my breakfast was about to be over.
    Miss Crossley nodded. “That’s more like it. You’re not staying up late, getting into trouble, are you?”
    Not yet , I thought. “Of course not,” I assured her.
    “Well. Good morning, everyone.” Miss Crossley surveyed the Hullery, nodding to different people.
    “Hey, Peach,” Hayden said.
    “Hayden. You know how I feel about that,” Miss Crossley said.
    “Sorry, Miss Crossley. I’ll knock it off, as requested.” Hayden came over beside me and refilled his coffee cup.
    “Now, Liza, I’ve reviewed our staffing for the day and I’ve figured out exactly where we need you,” Miss Crossley said.
    Why did I get a feeling of intense dread when she said that? Please don’t say housekeeping. Or laundry. Or something even yuckier. It didn’thelp that across the kitchen, Caroline was sitting there with a smug smile on her face, like she couldn’t wait to hear where I’d be stuck.
    “I hope you packed an ample supply of sunscreen.” Miss Crossley smiled at me. “We need you to pull some more beach duty. The tots group will be on the beach this morning, so we need extra hands for supervision. Be dressed and on the beach by nine.”
    “Okay, sounds great. Thanks!” I said, smiling at her—and at Caroline. If she thought I was suffering under this new arrangement, she was wrong.
    “Now,” Miss Crossley said. “Caroline, could you follow me back upstairs? I need to go over a few things with you regarding a very special guest.”
    “Oh, of course .” Caroline pushed back her chair.
    I happily sipped my coffee. Now I had even more of a reason to be glad Caroline had the front-desk job instead of me. I got to be outside all day, while she had to be watched by Miss Crossley, and deal with “very special”—translation, very demanding—guests.
    “The beach, huh? Interesting,” Hayden commented. He sipped from his coffee cup. “You’re new here, so do you know how to get to the beach?”
    I could have swatted him, except that he was smiling at me in that impossible-to-resist way. “I’m pretty sure I know. You just follow the boardwalk, right?” I asked, returning his smile.
    “Come on, Liza—let’s go,” Claire said, tugging at my arm. “I forgot my key and I need to get changed for sailing.”
    “Here.” I started to hand my key to her, but she pushed my hand away.
    “You have to get changed anyway,” she said.
    “Oh. Right. Okay. Well, see you in a while,” I said to Hayden.
    Claire and I walked up the steps and out the side entrance. “I didn’t really forget my key,” Claire confessed on our way back to the dorm. “But I had to ask—what’s going on with you guys?”
    “Who?”
    “ Who? Are you serious?” Claire cried. “You and Hayden, who else? You were oblivious tothe world for a few seconds there, when Miss Crossley came in.”
    “Oh, that? It’s nothing. I was just sleepy.”
    “I don’t think it’s nothing,” Claire said. “I think it’s something.”
    I laughed. “Have you ever seen that segment on David Letterman? ‘Is this something, or is this nothing?’”
    Claire didn’t laugh. She looked so serious, though, that it almost made me crack up again. “Remember what my sister said. Beware of hookups. It could ruin your whole summer. And Hayden doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy to just have one hookup per summer. That’s all I’m saying.”
    “Don’t worry. I’m not planning on getting involved with Hayden,” I said.
    Then again, who said you had to plan everything in life?
    And how well did