I let out a small snort that I covered with a cough. “Scuse me.”
“I’m trying to assure her,” Joey clarified, “that we are better as friends. It would be awesome if you guys were there,” he directed at me. I suddenly realized he didn’t know if I’d told Keri Ann about the favor he’d asked of me.
“So Jazz can pretend to be your girlfriend for the evening?” Keri Ann scowled, answering his unspoken question. “Can I just say? That is a pretty large favor, Joseph.”
“I know,” he said, staring at me hard.
I stared back.
“Whatever,” he said. “Come or don’t come.” He turned and walked toward his room, leaving the door wide open behind him.
“Grr,” my best friend growled after her brother’s exit.
I concurred. Perhaps not exactly with the same sentiment behind it. And now I felt like I was lying to my best friend.
“Well, I think I heard Nana say she was making chicken fried steak and potatoes tonight.” Keri Ann rubbed her annoyingly concave stomach.
“Like I need anymore comfort food padding my bones,” I grumbled.
She stepped in front of her dresser and grabbed a brush and began redoing her hair. “Your bones are absolutely perfect. Most girls would kill for your body and you know it.”
“Not you though.”
“Nah, I can do without the attention the guys give you. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.” She laughed.
It was true, over the last year or so, I’d shot up another two inches, which had been perplexing and annoying as far as my jeans went. But suddenly my breasts, which I’d thought of as a bit on the large and cumbersome side and had been a source of embarrassment, fit my frame. They were now a source of pride. And attention. Though some days, like Keri Ann, I didn’t know what to do with that attention either.
“What are you going to wear to the bonfire?” I asked. “I don’t think I’ll have time to go home and change.”
Keri Ann looked down at her own clothes. “I guess we can just go like we are. So, are you okay?”
“Yes, what makes you ask?”
I looked at her. A thousand and one things flew through my head like what would Joey expect me to do at the bonfire in front of Courtney? I mean, did he plan to kiss me again?
“I knew it,” Keri Ann exclaimed.
“Know what?” I huffed, squinting even though I thought I knew exactly what she knew.
“You have a crush on my brother.”
I let out a long, low groan. What would be the point in denying it?
“I’m sorry,” I whined and covered my face.
“Oh my God. Serious?”
“Are you mad?”
“Mad? No. Surprised. I guess. He’s annoyed you since we were in fifth grade.” She sounded confused, yet amused.
“I know.” My voice was still pitiful. I was talking with my hand slapped over my eyes because I couldn’t bear to look at her right then. “Is it weird? It’s weird, isn’t it? Oh God. I tried. I reaaaaally tried not to.”
“WHAT ON EARTH is wrong with you?” Joey asked as I winced, and cringed, and moaned, climbing out of his truck in the beach parking lot. The sun had set, the air was warm on my bare legs.
Keri Ann laughed. “A hard day’s work, that’s what.”
“How did you do it, Joseph?” I asked. “This beach patrol thing. Lisa is a bear.”
“Oh, she’s just hazing y’all. She’ll ease up by the next go round. I may have told her to work you all harder when I called her to see if there was room for you.”
I glared at his teasing eyes and punched him on the arm. “Ow!” I yelped as pain ricocheted up my already tired arms. “Shit.”
“Serves you right.” Joey chuckled. “You really shouldn’t hit people, Jessica.”
“Oh my God, you two.” Keri Ann rolled her eyes. “You’re making me feel nauseous with your flirting.”
Joey’s attention snapped to his sister, and a weird look crossed over his face. Had it just occurred to him that we were flirting? I guess it had to me too.
I arranged my fingers so when he looked back at me I was giving him the bird. When he saw it, he shook his head.
We headed to the boardwalk entrance where the Island Rec Center had set up a table to buy tickets to the bonfire. We each paid our couple of dollars, and then Joey bought three bowls for the all-you-can-eat Shrimp Boil.
“We just ate, Joey.” Keri Ann scrunched up her nose.
“It’s for a good cause. Plus Colt will eat whatever you don’t.”