Tommy: I just got the revised script for this week. Would you like to get together tonight, have dinner, do a read-through?
Me: I would love that. I’ll have Cooper with me. And Aiden too, if that’s okay.
Tommy: Aiden is the God of All Hotties?
Me: You better not call him that.
Tommy: How about Goah for short?
Me: Not funny.
Tommy: I’m at Matt’s apartment. You remember the address?
Me: Yes. I’m having brunch with Damian. He’s staying there this week, I think.
Tommy: That’s right. Him, his girlfriend, and her parents. Hmm. Might not be the best place to rehearse.
Me: I have an idea. Have Allan drop you off at Grand Central Station. If you’re being followed by someone, they won’t be able to park quickly enough to follow you. Unless there are two of them.
Tommy: There’s just one guy.
Me: Get dropped off at the main entrance. Cooper will text you where to meet him. He’ll make sure it’s safe to bring you to my loft.
Tommy: You have a loft?
Me: Yeah. I bought one at the beginning of the school year so I’d have somewhere to go when we didn’t have school and on weekends and stuff. I needed a home base.
Tommy: You needed a home. We never even thought of that.
Me: It’s okay. The loft is sort of a secret. Garrett wanted it to be a safe place for me to go if I needed to run. Leave school. That sort of thing. I’m really excited for you to see it.
Tommy: I can’t wait.
Damian and Riley are already talking animatedly when we get to the table.
“Coach Steele,” Peyton says, “what are you doing here?”
“Um, he’s sorta my bodyguard.”
The look on Peyton’s face is priceless. I can tell she’s thinking exactly what I thought when I first met Cooper. He can guard my body anytime.
“So he really was teaching you how to fight,” Peyton states.
“Yeah, so I can protect myself.”
We take our seats, order brunch, and then Damian starts in. “Okay, so we switched the song for the video. This is a really fun, upbeat song called ‘Meet Me at the Beach.’”
“Let’s hear it,” I say. “Then we can brainstorm about the video.”
Damian sings quietly.
“Sun shining on your face.
Ice cream at our favorite place.
Blonde hair blowing in the breeze.
Baby, spend your summer days with me.
Laying in the sand,
Drinking, getting tan.
Kissing in these heat waves.
Got my Ray-Bans.
Laughing, holding hands.
Crashin’ on the beach for days.
I’m thinking ’bout . . .
Venice and Malibu
It’s only me and only you.
I love it; you’re all I really need.
Baby, meet me at the beach.
Cotton candy, Ferris wheel,
Crazy love is what I feel.
Blasting out our favorite tunes,
Late nights sneaking in your room.
Moonlight on the shore,
Always wanting more.
You light me up like a bonfire.
You make me hit the floor.
That’s what lips are for.
Summer nights, we’re getting higher.
I’m thinking ’bout . . .
Venice and Malibu
It’s only me and only you.
I love it; you’re all I really need.
Baby, meet me at the beach.
When it’s just us.
I feel the rush of every ocean wave.
And after a kiss,
I never imagined it as good as this.
I’m thinking ’bout . . .
Venice and Malibu
It’s only me and only you.
I love it; you’re all I really need.
Baby, meet me at the beach.”
“Oh my gosh, Damian!” I screech. “That’s adorable! I love it! Venice and Malibu. It’s only me and only you. It’s so cute!”
“I love it too,” Peyton agrees. “It makes me want summer to start now.”
“It kinda reminds me of an old Beach Boys song. Like an endless summer.”
“So, what did you have in mind for the video?” Riley asks Damian, getting back to business.
“Well, that’s just it. I’m not sure. It’s not like we can film on the beach here in New York in the winter.”
“We’ll have to make our own beach,” Riley says. “Wait, I know!”
“What?” Ariela asks. I can tell she’s loving watching Riley’s creative process. And that makes me happy. I want him with a girl who knows how gifted he is.
“When we were at the Hamptons this summer, my mom, Grandma, and aunts were watching these old surfer movies from the 60s.”
“Frankie and Annette?” I ask. “I love those. They were so bad they were good. The romance was sweet, but the special effects were horrible. It was so obvious they weren’t actually surfing.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. Let’s do it like that. Kitschy. Funny. Retro cool.”
“I love it,” Damian says. “We want it to be something different than your typical party on the beach, spring break crazy video.”