Page 44 of Places I've Never Been

“It was detention,” Adam said. “She made me write essays after school. It wasnotsome kind of hot-for-teacher session.”

“Sure it wasn’t.” LT nodded in mock agreement. “What was the subject of those essays? Kama Sutra positions?”

Adam scowled. “No.”

Cooper looked up from his guitar. “I thought you said she made you write about the Civil War.”

“It was poetry,” Brandon said. He pulled a beer out of the refrigerator and twisted open the top. His clothes were mostly dry, but his hair looked damp and there was sand all over his shorts. “Very girly stuff.”

Adam waved his hand. “Can we drop the trip down memory lane and get to work?”

Mattie giggled. “What were the poems about?”

Brandon opened his mouth to answer, then saw the look on Adam’s face, and took a swig of beer instead.

“There’s only one reason to write poetry.” Flynn caught the angry look Adam tossed in his direction and shoved a chip in his mouth.

“What’s that?” Mattie asked.

“To get the girl. Or guy. Whoever.” Flynn carried a large plate of chips and other snacks from the kitchen to the living room, dodged past Adam like he was avoiding a land mine, and plopped down on a small chair next to the drum set. His bare feet were coated in sand.

“Hey, Mattie,” LT said. “Think we’ll be done by seven? I promised Malika I’d go horseback riding.”

Cooper sat on one of the overstuffed couches tuning his guitar. “Who’s Malika?”

“One of the tour guides,” Brandon said. “She wants to show himherprivate beach.”

“Show a little class, bro. There’s a lady present,” Adam said in a stern, older brother tone. He gestured at Mattie. “We’re all set to go whenever you’re ready. Food’s on the counter, drinks in the fridge.”

Mattie crossed to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, noticing along the way that they’d set up the keyboards, drums, and amplifiers for the guitars. All that was missing was a stage. She looked at Adam. “What’s with all the gear? Are we having another Adam moment?”

Flynn pointed a drumstick at Adam. “You told her about Adam moments?”

“You threatened to dip us in acid if we told her,” Brandon said.

“Does that mean we can tell her about the time—” LT said.

Adam cut him off firmly. “No.”

Mattie got the distinct impression that there was a lot of subtext going on. There was something Adam didn’t want her to know. He was embarrassed. She wanted to push a little more out of curiosity, but his cheeks were so red they made his tan glow.

She took pity on him with a change of subject. “Have you shared the idea we came up with?”

Adam strolled to the center of the room. “Not yet. It’s all yours.”

He perched on the arm of a chair and gave her a grateful look that was so cute she wanted to giggle. She adored the way they constantly teased each other, because underneath it all she sensed a bedrock of love and affection.

They all settled into chairs or couches except for Flynn, who remained next to the drum set. Mattie picked a bright blue, overstuffed love seat and curled up on it, then pulled the idea spark notebook out of her bag and flipped it open.

“I thought we’d start by keeping the theme of the album going.”

“Which one?” Flynn asked.

“Life and death,” Brandon said.

“Love and loss,” Cooper said.

“I thought it was about corruption and chaos?” LT looked confused.

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