I cracked up, fully breaded now from head to toe, as Trip stood over me laughing. “You are the worst actress ever. Like I was really going to-”
His words were cut off as I grabbed his ankle and tugged, sending him ass-over-teakettle next to me. He looked stunned for a second, before he bared his teeth in a snarl, and I knew I was in deep shit. I got on my feet and made a run for it, Trip following right behind. I only got a few yards from him before he caught up, hip-checking me down to the ground once more. I tried to grab his ankle again, but he jumped back, then flopped down on his side next to me anyway.
“You just don’t give up, do you, Warren?”
“Never, Rymer.”
We were both cracking up, the beautiful sunrise barely registering on my radar. Nothing on God’s green Earth was more beautiful than making Trip Wilmington laugh like that. How could any stupid sunrise possibly compare? After we’d caught our breath, dusted ourselves off and salvaged the last remnants of the brilliant dawn before us, I realized Trip and me were going to be just fine.
All I had to do was keep my trap shut from then on.
*
By the time we got back to the house, everyone else had gotten out of bed and was busy packing up to go. We had to check out by eleven and not only were we tasked with gathering all our personal belongings, but the place was an absolute mess to boot.
Lisa and I were cleaning out the fridge when Rymer staggered in, some random trollop at his side. He walked her to the back door, told her he’d call and kissed her goodbye. I shot Lisa a “whatsgoingon” look, but she was too busy trying to contain the giggle that threatened to escape her throat. I must have missed quite a show the night before.
Rymer closed the door and gave an exaggerated stretch. “Ahh. Good morning, ladies!”
Lisa raised her eyebrows at him. “Um, good morning, Rymer.”
He saw the look on her face and asked, “What? You’re the only one allowed to get laid around here?”
Lisa gave a huff. “Date rape isn’t ‘getting laid’. In fact, it’s a crime.”
We started laughing while Rymer floundered for a comeback. We were both surprised when he came up with, “Hey, fuck you, DeSanto.”
“Whoa! Hey, hang on there, pal,” she started back. “I was only busting your chops. Since when do you get so pissy about it?”
“You’ve been riding me all weekend, Lisa. Enough is enough already, okay?”
He stormed out of the room, leaving Lisa and me completely wordless and flummoxed.
“What was that?” I asked.
Lisa bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. You think I actually hurt his feelings?”
“I didn’t know he had any.”
That made us both laugh, but I knew she had a case of the guilts going on. “I have been kind of rough on him lately. Maybe I’d better go talk to him.” She got up humbly to leave, but not before offering, “Jeez. Next time Rymer picks up some random skank from the boardwalk, remind me not to comment on it.”
I just shook my head.
I don’t know what Lisa said to Rymer during their conversation, but by the time we were loading up our cars, those two must have found a way to make nice. He actually helped us carry our bags out to my Mustang and loaded everything into the trunk for us. Wow. Maybe Rymer needed to get laid more often. Having sex seemed to turn him into an almost normal person.
Huh. Wonder what it could do for me.
As if Trip could read my thoughts, he emerged from the house at that very moment. He dropped his bag behind Cooper’s car and came over to say goodbye. Everyone was coming and going through the house, but that didn’t stop him from putting his hands at my waist and kissing me right there in the driveway. I tried not to think about the looks we were surely receiving from our friends and kissed him back, my arms looped over his shoulders right there out in the open, in front of God and everyone. I couldn’t believe it! It was the first time Trip and I had ever freely let on that something was going on between us, and the public display floored me almost more than the things we did in private. Trip Wilmington was actually kissing me, without shame, in front of everyone.
Oh, the summer was going to be spectacular.
Chapter 32
CLOSE MY EYES