Page 62 of A Quick Stop in Paradise

“Hey, Brooklyn,” Ryan said, taking quick steps over to the two of us, giving Oscar an odd look. “Hi. You’re not out with the family?”

I spoke for him. “Stella’s here and Oscar wanted to make sure she didn’t drown.”

Ryan put her hands on her hips. “She knows how to swim.”

Oscar put his hands up. “Maybe I was more concerned about her drowning somebody else. Nice hair.”

Ryan absolutely lit up, flicking her hair back on one side, which was unbearably cute and I was alittleannoyed that I couldn’t just lean across the bar and kiss her. She’d gotten it cut last night as a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I’d been worried she’d regret it, but there was no faking the look of delight when the hairdresser spun her around to see herself in the mirror, and today’s pep in her step confirmed it. She’d gotten it cut just above her shoulders, a perky look that gave it some more volume, and between that and the cute little top tucked into loose pastel chino shorts, a playful bracelet, and a baseball cap, she looked like the subject of all the upbeat, windows-down summer songs on the radio. “Thanks,” she said. “Revenge haircuts are the best kind, aren’t they?”

“I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never had the pleasure.”

She ruffled his hair. “Maybe youshould, do something about this mop.” She turned back to me with a smile that could have lit up the world. “Hey,” she said. “Nobody’s causing trouble here?”

“Stella took Allison to the pool to talk about picking up girls, and I don’t know if Allison is going to remember to go back to work at the end of her break, so, yes, people are causing trouble.” I heard a clatter in the back along with Laura swearing, and I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder. “Also, Laura’s cleaning the floors, so, yeah, trouble.”

Ryan laughed, hanging her head. “Oh, god. On all fronts. Is there going to be anything left of the floors?”

“Maybe not, but if she burns this place down, I’ll be able to find a new job pretty easily. I’m hard to turn down.”

“Mm-hm. Indeed.” She leaned over the counter. “Let’s hit the gym again after your shift?”

Okay, damn, bowl me over, I was very into this girl. “Thinking of climbing again?”

“It feels like it’ll be fun. You know, while I’m trying different things.”

“Sure. I’ll invite Allison. She’ll say no.”

Ryan rolled her eyes. “She’ll say yes if you invite Stella first… I’m sure Stella would come just to glom onto what you and I are doing.”

“Hey, the more people climbing, the better.” I turned to Oscar. “You want to come rock climbing after my shift? I’ll be complimenting Ryan the whole time, so maybe you need to come along and enact some kind of brotherly duty to cut her down to size.”

Oscar didn’t get to respond, because there was a sloshing and flailing from the pool, and Stella flung herself up out of the water looking like she’d bowl over anyone standing in her way. “Ryan!” she shouted. “Oh my god, you cut your hair!”

Ryan flicked her hair back again. She’d basically been doing it nonstop since the haircut. “You’llback me up that revenge haircuts are the best kind.”

“I’m… too precious about my hair to do that, but I love it for you. You look so fresh!” Stella laughed. “Brooklyn’s a good influence on you. You even got a new outfit. You actually look nice.”

“Actually?” Ryan put her hands on her hips.

“Stella, you coming rock-climbing with us later?” I said. “Ryan and I are going, so we’re hoping you’ll go too so that Allison will come along with.”

Stella grinned. “Any chance Ariana Grande frequents the place?”

I suppressed a smile. “I bet there’ll be a girl Allison likes there…”

Ryan looked away, battling a queasy look and a smug smile at the same time. Stella shrugged, checking her fingernails.

“Yeah, I’ll go. Just don’t expect me to go climbing around or anything. I’ll be emotional support.”

“Allison will definitely feel emotionally supported,” I said. “She’s really trying to show off for you. You know—to show how much she can absolutely score a girl.”

Stella gave me a weird look. “I don’t doubt she can. She’s fun, sweet, funny.”

Ryan was out for blood, because she joined me and said, “She has some self-esteem issues… make sure you tell her all those things, too. You know, shower her in compliments.”

Stella laughed. “All right, well, I guess I’ll go along and make sure to compliment her climbing form.”

Once Stella was back at the pool again, after another round of gushing over Ryan’s new hair and her outfit, I gave Ryan a dry laugh and said, “We might make Allison like climbing yet.”

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