Page 23 of Faking it For Summer

“I have no idea what Rex thinks,” I say softly. “And I am not doing it because of him, per se. I’m doing it because of the note he left on the wedding invitation.It’s a pity you don’t have a date. Excuse you, Rex? I have a date. Your brother. Your very eligible brother. Your much better-looking brother.”

“You think that Luke is better-looking than Rex?” Juniper asks, and my heart thuds.

“What are you talking about?” I blink rapidly.

“You just said that Luke is much better-looking than Rex.”

“No, I didn’t. I mean, Rex is gorgeous, and Luke is just Luke.”

“Girl, you just said that,” Gigi says, grinning at me.

“I heard you say that,” Josie adds.

“Me three,” Louisa says with a wry smile.

“Slip of the tongue. I really like that eye shadow that you’re wearing, Louisa. It really stands out.”

“Thank you. I want Preston to see why it’s a good idea to fake date me.”

“Are youinto him, into him?”

“No. Of course not,” she says a little too loudly. “How’s your brother, by the way, Gigi?”

“Oh, Davis is not my brother. Do not call him that,” she says, blushing. “He’s my Coworker, and I can’t stand him. He’s more like my enemy.”

“Oh, sorry,” Louisa apologizes and glances over at Wendy. “And what about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

“No one,” she says with a little too much energy. “No one at all.”

“And I know you’re not seeing anyone, Juniper. Are you down to find a hot guy with me tonight and make out?” I ask my friend.

“Sure,” she says. “Do you know if Rafe is going out tonight, by the way?”

“I have no clue. Why?”

“Well, you don’t want to be making out with some strange guy when you told him that you and Luke are in love,” she says as she slips on some heels.

“I guess I forgot that he goes out sometimes. He’s such a bore.”

“He’s not a bore,” Juniper says.

“Why are you sticking up for my brother so much?”

“I’m not. I’m just saying that he’s not an absolutely awful guy.”

“Girl, if you saw him the other day when I was on the phone with Luke at my grandparents’ house, you would know he is as awful as I say he is—and maybe even more.” I apply a sultry red lipstick, stand up, and twirl around.

I’m wearing a short white skirt that emphasizes my golden tan and a silver top that clings to my breasts and exposes my taut belly.

“How do I look?” I say, spinning around, my long blond hair bouncing against my back.

“Stunning,” Juniper says, her brown eyes warm. “You’re gorgeous. You know that, right? If you really wanted a date—a real date—for the wedding, you could have one.”

“I guess. It’s not like any guys are really banging down my door. It’s hard, living here.”

We don’t have many new guys who move to the island. The tourists come and go, and while there are locals, it’s such a small community that it’s hard to date.

“I get it, girl.” She lets out a long, deep sigh.