"That was a freaking blast!" I turned around and smiled at Casey as we pulled the two-seater bike back up to the rental place. "I love it. We need to get one for New York."
The look on her pretty face had me cracking up. She didn't say a word, but didn't have to. We'd been friends so long that I was well aware of what the tight line of her mouth meant. She would never, ever be found on another two-seater bike with me. It was a shame.
"You need a man to do this with, and last I checked, that ain't me." She got off and almost fell due to the height of the seat and her short stature.
"Then I'll make sure to take one of my future boyfriends on a bike-riding date."
"Good luck with that." She glanced up at the sky. "You ready to head back to the hotel? I think I got a little burnt. I don't want to add insult to injury."
"Yeah, besides, I'm starving." My tummy rumbled as if to validate my words.
"Me too. There was a taco shop a block from the hotel. I read up on some of the restaurants before we left, and that one is supposed to be the best in the city." She shrugged and turned toward the beach as I returned the bike and rejoined her.
"I love tacos, and the best in the city sounds like my kind of place." I slid my arm into hers, locking us together at the elbow as we walked back to the hotel. "Did I get burnt? It feels like it."
She glanced toward me and nodded. "Yeah, but somehow it looks good on you. I swear, I have no idea how you don't have guys crawling all over you. You have to be one of the prettiest girls I know."
I brushed the comment off and changed the subject like I always did. Casey was as jealous of my looks as I was of hers. "Can you believe graduation is coming up in two months?"
"No. I'm actually not looking forward to it at all." She ran her fingers through her hair with her free hand. "You know I went to visit my mom and them over Christmas. They were... ugh."
"Yeah. You left me to fend against my family alone. It was less than pleasant." I awarded her a look that expressed my feelings perfectly.
"Was your dad there?" She nodded toward the small building beside the hotel across the street. "There's the taco shop."
"Cool." I looked both ways before jogging across the street and pulling her a little with me. "He was there, but I think it would have been better if he wasn't."
"What happened with them? They used to be so into each other. Did you ever find out what went wrong?" Casey stopped at the door and seemed to be scanning it. "Good. We can wear our bikinis."
I pulled away from her and lifted my bag from my shoulder. "I have our t-shirts. You don't think we need them?"
Three girls walked out of the door in front of us wearing bathing suits that made ours look like full-coverage jumpsuits.
"I'd say no." She opened the door and walked in with me at her heels. The smell of tortilla chips and roasted tomatoes filled my senses, and I growled softly. I loved food more than almost anything.
"Let's order, and I'll tell you about my folks. You owe me the rest of your conversation with your mother anyway." I moved up to the counter and let my eyes scan the menu that rested above the cashier’s head. "I'll take the Taco Madness Platter."
"Damn, Viv. That's five tacos. You just want to share it?" Casey moved up beside me as I worked to get my wallet from my bag.
"Sure, but I want a bite of each of them." I turned back to the cashier. "And two cokes please?"
We moved to the side and filled up our drinks as I caught Casey chuckling over something that had to be running through her head.
"What? You know I'm going to be a food critic eventually. I always look for the meal that lets me try as much as possible." I poked her side.
"I know. I'm just laughing at the fact that you eat like a linebacker and look like a runway model. It's disturbing on so many levels."
"Hush." I popped her outer thigh and moved to get our taco platter. "Even if I wasn't going to make food a part of my career, I would still eat like this. I'm a foodie. The gym and I have become close friends over the last few years, and you know how much I hate working out. It's somehow worth it."
She grabbed some napkins and walked with me to the only available booth in the place. Several guys turned to watch us, but I assumed they were looking at Casey. She was the curvy, cheerleader type that guys seemed to like. I was tall, thin, and a ginger. Funny how having red hair seemed to matter more than it should.
I dropped down onto my side of the booth and pulled out a small notepad before unwrapping the tacos one at a time. "Tell me about your visit with your mom while I test these tacos out."
Casey leaned back and nursed her coke, her eyes moving along our meal as she spoke. "She's not happy about my decision to leave the cheerleading team at NYU."
"You did that over a year ago." I glanced up.
"I know, but I just told her about it. You know how she is about wanting me to do everything she did, and be what she is, and marry a man like she did." Casey's face contorted as if she'd eaten a lemon.