“Hey Jodie and Bella,” Austin Oakley says. He passes us going into the police station.
“Hey, Austin,” I murmur. He’s the new guy on the force but seems like a great guy. His mom runs the diner out by Rosewood Ranch.
“Dang, I’d like to tap that and see if he’s as big as his nickname indicates,” Bella murmurs.
“What’s his nickname?” I ask, kind of clueless. I’m not sure what it says about me that Bella has barely worked here and knows Austin’s nickname and I have no idea.
“Oak Tree, and if that doesn’t say broad, thick and long, I don’t know what does,” Bella croons. I don’t bother hiding the fact that I’m rolling my eyes.
“Cool your jets, Bella. Austin is a one-woman guy, and the word is, he’s totally into Selina Blackmore.”
“Well damn, that’s a bummer,” she mutters.
“If you say so,” I return with a shrug.
“Hey, are you okay? You’ve been quiet today. Are you hung over? Dude, did you have a late night with Linc? He was so hung over, I’ve never seen him like that,” Bella says.
We’re on our lunch break outside. I encouraged her to go get lunch in town, but she wouldn’t listen. She grabbed a pack of chips and a pop from the vending machine instead. Then, without an invitation, proceeded to sit down and ruin my quiet time with my tuna sandwich and apple.
“I really prefer never to hear about Lincoln Locke ever again,” I mutter, taking a drink of my water.
“Yikes. Did you break up? I guess that would explain why he got so drunk. I mean, Linc drinks from time to time, but I’ve never seen him drunk before.”
“We didn’t break up. We were never together. I’m sure you spend more time with Lincoln than I do.”
“Really? Girls at the beach are saying you got Linc all knotted up in you,” Bella says, sounding really surprised.
“Knotted up?” I ask, coughing because I nearly choked on my water.
“Yeah, you know, like dogs do when they fu—”
I hold up my hand, stopping her from talking.
“Yeah, I know. I just don’t get why you would even think that about me and Lincoln Locke.”
“Oh, cause he hasn’t been sleeping with any of us.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The rest of us surf bunnies. We gave ourselves that name, by the way. We like living life on the beach and warming a hot beach body every night is fun, too.”
“I…uh…can I ask how many beach bunnies there are?”
“There’s four of us, really, including me. My friend Katie, though, she’s about to be taken out of rotation.”
“Why’s that?”
“She got knocked up by her brother-in-law. He’s not a surfer. She was just pissed at her sister.”
“I…She sounds charming,” I mutter, wrapping the rest of my tuna sandwich up—suddenly not hungry.
“She’s a bitch. Anyways, Linc hasn’t been letting any of us share his bed, and since all of us would pick him over any of the other surfers in town, and that includes the semi-professional ones—that’s big news.”
“I…there’s semi-professional surfers in Cherry Falls?”
“Of course. Do you live under a rock?”
“I guess so,” I murmur. “Anyway, I don’t know why you or the other bunnies think Lincoln Locke and I have a relationship, but I can assure you that we definitely and unequivocally do not,” I announce. “In fact, I wouldn’t have Lincoln Locke if he was served up with a side of rocky road ice cream,” I add for good measure.
“Hey, Jodie!”
I look up to see Poppy O’Henry standing by the picnic table we’re sitting at. It’s right by the entrance of the police station, so it’s not that it’s surprising to see Poppy or anything. It’s just that she’s holding a gigantic vase of flowers that tower so high that I can barely see her face amidst the pink, melon, lavender, and white blooms.
“Hey, Poppy. Out making deliveries?”
“Yep, and these are for you.”
“Oh my gosh! They’re so pretty!” Bella cries.
God, she’s so annoying.
“For me?” I ask, staring at them like I’m afraid a snake might jump out of them. It’s not that I’m afraid of flowers, it’s just that the only guy likely to send me flowers is Deke Littleton and even that’s a long shot now. If they are from him, it’s quite possible he somehow laced them with poison.
“Yep! Aren’t they gorgeous?”
“Yeah.. Uh… let me get you a tip—”
“No need! I was just out checking on a friend and volunteered to drop the flowers off here. See ya later, Jodie. Bye, Bella C.”
“Bye,” Bella chirps up. “A bunch of people in town call me Bella C., since there’s a Bela that owns the bakery in town. Of course, she spells her name with one l, not two like me. I’m not sure why they’d ever get us confused anyway. It’s not like we’re a lot alike.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, only half listening to her rattling on.
“Aren’t you going to see who the flowers are from?” she asks.
“Uh… I don’t think I want to know right now,” I answer.
“O-M-Gee! You have to look. Here I’ll do it for you!” she cries as she eagerly snatches the card from the holder. I don’t even get the chance to stop her.
“No! I can look later—”
“They’re from Linc!!!” she cries, interrupting me. My eyes dilate and if it were possible, my head would spin around.
“Linc?” I gasp, breath see-sawing in my chest so shallowly my heart feels as if it’s about to explode.
“He says he’s sorry and would like you to come over for dinner at his place tonight! Isn’t that romantic? I don’t think Linc has ever invited anyone to his place for dinner before! This is so awesome! Don’t you think it’s awesome?”
I don’t answer her. I can’t.
“I told you!” she says, and I force myself to look at her, all but snatching the card out of her hand.
“Told me what?” I ask, still feeling breathless.
“He’s knotted up in you.”
Shit, shit, shit….
10
Linc
I down a virgin Bloody Mary, Tylenol, and flop back down on my couch. My head is better after a day off work and life—but it’s still a dull roar. I don’t get drunk. I like being in control way too much, but I drank way past the point of no return yesterday. Today, I’m having all the regrets, but oh well…
I wasn’t joking when I talked to Zeke. I fucked up and I don’t know how to make it better. I’ve hurt Jodie and did it without realizing it—at least the first time. If I had known she was a virgin, I would have been gentler with her—I definitely would have handled the morning after differently. And instead of trying to make up for it all, I accuse her of announcing everything to the town on purpose—which I knew she hadn’t done. It’s like when I’m around her, my brain short circuits.