Page 66 of Hot Summer

She knew that the other girls were watching them, but Cas couldn’t pay attention to them when she couldn’t even sort out her own feelings. Or, more accurately, what to do now that she’d acted on them.

Ada had come here with the express purpose of finding a relationship. Sure, she was going to get the same social media boost as everyone else, her small business would likely flourish, and she was a shoo-in for hundreds of collaboration requests. But those things hadn’t been her goal. She’d come on Hot Summer because she thought it was a chance to meet someone she wanted to have an actual relationship with.

Cas’s whole summer, on the other hand, was an ulterior motive. She wanted a promotion, her own office and subordinates, an escape from the endless cycle of clubs and pubs and “fun.” The last thing on her mind had been finding someone to settle down with....

She felt itchy just thinking about it.

She was checking herself out in the mirror once more when Ada walked over.

“You look great.”

Cas had decided on a neon pink sequin two-piece dress. The cropped top had one long sleeve—the left, thankfully, so she could show off her tattoos—and the skirt was a simple high-waisted bodycon that ended about mid-thigh. The sequins scratched a little, but she loved the way they caught the light.

Cas found Ada’s gaze in the mirror. She’d stuck black-light stickers down her right arm, stars and hearts and rainbows that looked plain now but would be electric once they were outside. Her dress was startlingly blue, the color so bright it was almost hard to look at, and flared out at the bottom in a way that seemed almost innocent—as long as you ignored the skintight fit and the low cut.

“Thanks. You do, too.”

Ada smoothed her hands down over her dress, and Cas watched the way the hemline fluttered as her hands passed over the fabric.

“You ready to head down?”

Cas nodded. “I feel like I want one of those stickers, though.” She pointed at the ones on Ada’s arm, and Ada brightened.

“Oh my god, yes, wait.” She darted back over to the dressing table and grabbed a sticker sheet. “Stand still.”

Ada selected two stickers—a small heart and a rainbow—and stepped close, until she was barely a breath away.

“Turn this way.” Ada touched her fingertips to the bottom of Cas’s chin, turning her face ever so slightly to the left. It was the barest touch, but it made her breath catch. Especially when Ada’s eyes found hers.

“I’m going to put the heart right next to your eye, so try not to move.”

With gentle fingers, Ada placed the heart at the corner of Cas’s eye, right at the edge of her makeup, the perfect accent to the glitter across her lid. She placed the rainbow on Cas’s cheek, taking an extra second to smooth it down.

“Your skin is so soft,” Ada said. Her words were almost a whisper, but they thundered in Cas’s ear.

“Moisturizer,” Cas choked.

Because Ada was asking about her fucking skin care routine.

Ada’s eyes sparked with amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now...” She took a step back and admired her handiwork, though she seemed less concerned about her sticker placement and more about the fact that she’d effectively reduced Cas to a puddle. “Are you ready to go down?”

“Oh, wait, Ades.” Sienna was frowning, trying to reach the zipper at the back of her dress over in her corner of the dressing room. “Can you help me first?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Ada flicked her gaze back to Cas. “I’ll see you down there. Save a drink for me.”

Cas was about two steps down the corridor before someone reached out from the bathroom door and pulled her inside.

“What the— Femi!”

“I need to talk to you,” Femi said. He dragged her into the toilet cubicle and shut the door behind them. “I told them I had an emergency, so we have probably, like, thirty seconds before they start yelling at us.” Cas raised her eyebrows.

“You couldn’t have talked to me outside?”

“I wanted to talk to you without cameras.”

“We’re still miked.” Cas pointed at the microphone hanging around his neck, but Femi shrugged.

“I doubt they’ll use it, it’s just audio. Now stop wasting time, tell me what happened in your challenge.”

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