straight out of some CW beach
show.
“Thanks, Lexie,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in
for a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt the muscles in his back
below her palms. “This is the greatest birthday,” Jake said.
I hope you still think so after tonight, Lexie thought.
Chapter 11
“Have I mentioned that I don’t get this?” Jake said as they parked their
bikes at the bottom of Bree’s long driveway. “Tell me again why you’re borrowing
a book from Bree?”
Lexie shrugged. “It seemed easier than saying no to her.” Well, that part
was true. Luckily, Jake had insisted on coming with her; he didn’t want to leave
her alone with Bree, which she appreciated.
“I guess,” Jake said. “Man, her house is huge.”
They locked their bikes to the fence beside the driveway. The path up to Bree’s
front door was made of neat zigzagging bricks and wound around several flower
beds before reaching the tall marble columns and gigantic gilt-encrusted
doorway.
“Isn’t this a little weird?” Jake whispered to Lexie as they followed the path. “Like
they’re forcing their guests to take the scenic route and admire the flowers? What
if you just want to get to the door already?”
“Maybe it’s a test to make sure that you really want to get there,” Lexie
joked.
“I’m guessing they don’t have many visitors then,” Jake said with a smile.
Lexie rang the doorbell. There was a long pause, and then the curtain
because the door was whisked aside and a nervous female face – red-haired, bid-
nosed – peeked out before getting yanked back.
Another pause. The door opened.
The redhead was standing there bobbing and bowing, looked terrified. She
was wearing a shapeless maid’s uniform and an apron that she kept twisting in
her hands.
“Oh, get out of the way, Greta,” Bree snapped, popping out from behind
the door. “How hard is it to let a guest in? I mean, seriously. Hello , Jake !”
“Hey,” he said, taking Lexie’s hand.
Lexie felt instantly awkward, as she was sure Bree had intended. Lexie was
still wearing her bathing suit from earlier that day, with a white T-shirt and red
shorts over it. Bree, on the other hand, was wearing a sleeveless, formfitting
white sheath dress that had side slits all the way up her legs and an oval cutout
from her neck nearly halfway down her chest. Her shoes were very high white
espadrilles. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a movie. Lexie glanced down
at her sneakers, embarrassed.
“Come on back to the pool,” Bree said. She pushed her sleek blond hair
back and waved her hand, leading the way through the cavernous house.
“I guess her obsessions are genetic,” Jake whispered to Lexie. The whole
house was white – white leather couches, white marble staircases, white silk
lampshades, white bearskin rugs. The only art on the walls were large black-and-
white photographs of Bree, her older sister, and her parents, all in perfect frozen
poses with perfect frozen smiles. Lexie got the impression that if she touched
anything, she’d either break it or leave dirty fingerprints all over it.
Bree flung open the double doors to the patio, whirled around, and cried,
“Surprise!”
“ Surprise !” yelled the crowd of people gathered outside. There were about
thirty people scatted around the pool. Lexie recognized most of them from
school, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever spoken to half of them. She wondered if
Jake had. Jake’s mouth dropped open.
“Happy Birthday, Jakey,” Bree cooed. She wrapped her hands around his
arm and tugged him away from Lexie. “Come on, say hello to everyone. They’re
here to celebrate you! Lexie can have you back later.”
Jake gave Lexie a baffled look and she spread her hands helplessly. “It was
Bree’s idea,” she said.
“Of course it was,” Bree said. “I just love throwing parties. And Lexie didn’t have any idea what to do,
show.
“Thanks, Lexie,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in
for a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt the muscles in his back
below her palms. “This is the greatest birthday,” Jake said.
I hope you still think so after tonight, Lexie thought.
Chapter 11
“Have I mentioned that I don’t get this?” Jake said as they parked their
bikes at the bottom of Bree’s long driveway. “Tell me again why you’re borrowing
a book from Bree?”
Lexie shrugged. “It seemed easier than saying no to her.” Well, that part
was true. Luckily, Jake had insisted on coming with her; he didn’t want to leave
her alone with Bree, which she appreciated.
“I guess,” Jake said. “Man, her house is huge.”
They locked their bikes to the fence beside the driveway. The path up to Bree’s
front door was made of neat zigzagging bricks and wound around several flower
beds before reaching the tall marble columns and gigantic gilt-encrusted
doorway.
“Isn’t this a little weird?” Jake whispered to Lexie as they followed the path. “Like
they’re forcing their guests to take the scenic route and admire the flowers? What
if you just want to get to the door already?”
“Maybe it’s a test to make sure that you really want to get there,” Lexie
joked.
“I’m guessing they don’t have many visitors then,” Jake said with a smile.
Lexie rang the doorbell. There was a long pause, and then the curtain
because the door was whisked aside and a nervous female face – red-haired, bid-
nosed – peeked out before getting yanked back.
Another pause. The door opened.
The redhead was standing there bobbing and bowing, looked terrified. She
was wearing a shapeless maid’s uniform and an apron that she kept twisting in
her hands.
“Oh, get out of the way, Greta,” Bree snapped, popping out from behind
the door. “How hard is it to let a guest in? I mean, seriously. Hello , Jake !”
“Hey,” he said, taking Lexie’s hand.
Lexie felt instantly awkward, as she was sure Bree had intended. Lexie was
still wearing her bathing suit from earlier that day, with a white T-shirt and red
shorts over it. Bree, on the other hand, was wearing a sleeveless, formfitting
white sheath dress that had side slits all the way up her legs and an oval cutout
from her neck nearly halfway down her chest. Her shoes were very high white
espadrilles. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a movie. Lexie glanced down
at her sneakers, embarrassed.
“Come on back to the pool,” Bree said. She pushed her sleek blond hair
back and waved her hand, leading the way through the cavernous house.
“I guess her obsessions are genetic,” Jake whispered to Lexie. The whole
house was white – white leather couches, white marble staircases, white silk
lampshades, white bearskin rugs. The only art on the walls were large black-and-
white photographs of Bree, her older sister, and her parents, all in perfect frozen
poses with perfect frozen smiles. Lexie got the impression that if she touched
anything, she’d either break it or leave dirty fingerprints all over it.
Bree flung open the double doors to the patio, whirled around, and cried,
“Surprise!”
“ Surprise !” yelled the crowd of people gathered outside. There were about
thirty people scatted around the pool. Lexie recognized most of them from
school, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever spoken to half of them. She wondered if
Jake had. Jake’s mouth dropped open.
“Happy Birthday, Jakey,” Bree cooed. She wrapped her hands around his
arm and tugged him away from Lexie. “Come on, say hello to everyone. They’re
here to celebrate you! Lexie can have you back later.”
Jake gave Lexie a baffled look and she spread her hands helplessly. “It was
Bree’s idea,” she said.
“Of course it was,” Bree said. “I just love throwing parties. And Lexie didn’t have any idea what to do,
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