"I'll do the barbecue," Jacqui offered. "You guys have a grill on the boat, yes?"
"I'll ask Ryan, but I think I saw one," Mara said.
"How is Ryan?" Eliza asked, exhaling a smoke ring and keeping her voice light. She fiddled with the Claddagh ring Jeremy had given her for her birthday. It was an Irish wedding ring, and Eliza wore it with the heart facing inward to show that her heart was already spoken for.
"The boy surfs twenty-four seven. It's like there's salt water in his brain," Mara joked.
"So I've already been asked to join this eating club at Princeton," Eliza said.
94
"Are you going to do it? I heard they're so snobby," Mara chided.
"You have to--it's the only way to eat," Eliza replied. "Nobody eats in the cafeteria. Please!" Eliza didn't think it was being snobby, merely being practical. The eating clubs had better chefs, organic food; one even offered a vegan/macrobiotic diet. She didn't plan on gaining the freshman fifteen. She told them how she'd mapped out the next four years with the help of an insider's guide to the easiest classes and professors who were the most generous with grades. Cruise through the requirements the first two years, take a junior year abroad in Paris, then graduate. Nothing too taxing, since she was certain to take over her dad's company one day. It was what everyone expected her to do, especially her parents.
"Wow, you have it all worked out," Jacqui said admiringly. She felt a little sadness at that, since, for once in her life, she'd made plans as well, except hers hadn't quite panned out.
"I do like to plan, yes," Eliza said modestly. "How 'bout you, Mar? Any word?"
"Not yet." Mara frowned. "It's agonizing. They shouldn't be able to do this to a person! It's not fair."
"I know, that sucks, but Columbia could be awesome. It's in the city."
Mara nodded. "But Ryan won't be there," she said in a tiny, tiny voice. She ground her cigarette out in the plastic ashtray and watched as a group of kids folded up their volleyball net on the beach.
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Eliza shrugged. "New Hampshire's not far."
"I suppose." Mara sighed.
"How 'bout you, Jac, what happened with NYU?" Eliza asked.
"Yeah, tell us. At least if I end up at Columbia, I'll know you'll be in the city," Mara prodded.
Jacqui put down her glass and cleared her throat. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she formed the words. "Yeah ..."
"Yeah?" Mara echoed, interrupting.
"You got in?" Eliza squealed.
"Congratulations!" the two of them cheered.
Mara and Eliza gave Jacqui sloppy kisses and bear hugs. They knew how much she'd wanted NYU and how hard she'd worked for it.
Jacqui kept smiling. The smile remained frozen on her face long after the subject had switched to what time they would meet up at Sydney Minx's store-opening party the next evening. It was all a misunderstanding--but she hadn't bothered to clear it up. Well, what was the harm? She just didn't want to make it real just yet. Right then, she just wanted another drink with her friends.
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temptation wears a bright blue bikini
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS FLEW IN A TRIANGULAR FORMATION over the sky as Mara drove back to the harbor. Eliza dropped her off with a friendly wave. The three of them had spent the better part of the evening at Sunset Beach and, after waiting an hour for Eliza to sober up, had driven back to the mainland singing along to Gwen Stefani's album with the windows rolled all the way down so that the ocean breeze could blow through their hair.
"Be good!" Eliza called.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jacqui teased from the shotgun seat.
"That leaves . . . everything!" Mara replied, laughing and waving back.