Page 51 of A Quick Stop in Paradise

“Try not to get too jealous,” I said lightly, but I did take a half-step away from Ryan. Not to hide this from Allison—Ryan had told me, red-faced and awkward earlier, that she’d let it slip a little bit to Allison—but because Stella was probably around, and even if Stella surprised Ryan by being chill around lesbians, I doubted Ryan was keen on coming out by being seen making out with the girl her ex had tried to cheat with. “New jacket?”

Allison hunched her shoulders, shooting Ryan a look. “Your sister ispersistent.”

Ryan raised her eyebrows. “What, she bought you a jacket?”

“Literally yes—” She turned back to me. “I don’t know if she told you, but she sicced her sister on me, telling her to help me figure out how to score a date. And Stella told me I need to figure out how to dress better, which, like, fucking rude, but also true.”

Ryan clasped a hand over her mouth, covering a horrified laugh. “She took you clothes shopping?”

Allison hunched her shoulders. “What the hell does she do, anyway? I said I’m a broke college student and can’t go shopping at the fancy boutique she recommended and she just up and paid for it without even looking at the price.”

“Uh… she’s actually still in her senior year of college, so…”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Allison shook her head, looking at Brooklyn. “You didn’t tell me your girlfriend was rich.”

I laughed. “It’s working out for you. Jacket looks nice on you. And you’re wearing it, so you clearly like it.”

“Psh. She told me I had to show up making an effort if I wanted a shot with any girls. She’s a little scary.” Still, Allisonwasclearly feeling herself in it, had an extra little pep in her step. Hadn’t thought her confidence issues could be hacked through so easily just by some clothes, but I guess there was a psychological effect to dressing up.

“Well,” I said, “then let’s get inside so the girls can get started throwing themselves on you.”

Allison snorted, striking a pose like a model on a runway. “Oh, yeah. Better be ready to bat them away.”

We didn’t trip over any women throwing themselves at Allison’s feet on our way inside, for some reason. The host, a college-aged white guy probably doing a working vacation here just like Allison was,didabsolutely sneak some glances at Ryan’s miniskirt, and I couldn’t blame him, but I did kind of want to hit him upside the head and tell himIwas the only one who could stare like that. I managed to keep it on the inside, though, while we all got seated, and it was only a second later that Ryan’s sister Stella showed up too, a woman a little shorter than Ryan was, with long, romantic blonde waves and dark eyes just like Ryan’s that scoped me out from behind thin-rimmed glasses as she sat down next to Ryan.

“You’re Brooklyn, huh?” she said.

“Charmed. And you must be the one forcing Allison to dress decently.”

She tilted her head, looking at me. “You don’t look like I pictured.”

I raised my eyebrows high. “Sorry if I’m not to your taste.”

She laughed. “It’s kind of weird that you and Ryan are friends.”

Ryan elbowed her. “Stella, be decent.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Stella said, sitting up taller. “And I’m glad Allison did actually use the new clothes! See, you can look good.”

Allison put her hands up. “Hey? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Stella smiled wider. “That you look good.”

“That’s a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever heard one.”

I nudged Allison in the booth seat next to me. “She’s right, though, you know. I hadn’t realized you could look nice.”

“Okay, everyone’s mean today, I see how it is,” Allison said with a huff. Stella laughed, turning her gaze back to me.

“You two have been friends a long time?”

“We worked together here summer last year, and she’s here for this summer… I was nice to her last summer, but unfortunately for her, now she’s a tenured friend.”

Allison rolled her eyes with a dry smile. “It’s true. It goes both ways though. I was sweet last year. Now I get to tell her she’s annoying.”

“You weren’tthatsweet,” I said lightly. Stella laughed, shaking her head.

“She talked a lot about you while we were hanging out. Are you also on task trying to get her a date?”

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