Lust - 1 (6 page)

“God, it’s not a dance, Adam. It’s a party. A secret, il icit, just-for-seniors party?” She smiled winningly. “And I know you
all
want to help out, get on the inside track, be adored by the masses—”

“Not to mention, get first dibs on the best beer and the comfiest mattresses,” Kane pointed out. “Sign me up.” Harper smacked him and was about to launch back into her spiel when the diner door opened, and in walked Kaia. On anyone else, her Little Black Dress would have looked ridiculously out of place amidst the neon and trucker chic, but Kaia seemed oblivious of context, striding forward with purpose and grace as if, to her, the waitresses appeared clad in Hugo Boss, not polyester. She looked completely at ease, though Harper could tel , just from the little things—the single finger she’d used to push open the door as if afraid of the germs, the delicate steps she took as if expecting at any moment to splash her kitten heel into a puddle of mustard—that she was not.

“Are you kidding me?” Harper muttered to herself. “Maybe she won’t see—”

“Kaia, over here!” Beth chirped, waving the new girl over. “I invited her to come along,” she explained to the table. “I thought it would be nice—you know, she doesn’t know anyone, and—what?” she asked, irritated, as the boys laughed, while Miranda and Harper just rol ed their eyes. “What is it?”

“It was a nice thing to do,” Adam assured her, laying a hand on hers. “I’m sure she appreciated it.”

“I know
I
do,” Kane added, quickly shutting up as Kaia approached.

“Am I too late?” Kaia asked as she arrived at the table, eyeing the empty ice-cream dishes.

“No, we haven’t even ordered yet,” Kane reassured her, shifting over to make room for her (now Harper too was smushed against the window—and if there was going to be a male body pressed up against her like this, Kane’s was real y
not
the one she would have chosen). “Don’t worry, Harper just likes to eat dessert first.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Kaia asked, and while her tone was light and pleasant, Harper could feel the girls icy eyes boring through her.

“So, about this party …” Miranda began, trying to defuse the tension.

Harper kicked her furiously under the table, but it was too late.

“Party?” Kaia asked. “Sounds like I’m just in time.”

“We’re al going to help Harper organize this party thing in a couple of weeks,” Adam explained.

What was with the “we”? Harper wondered. He hadn’t sounded so enthused a moment ago. Before
she
walked in.

“Not al of us,” Beth added, her eyes darting away. “Sorry, Harper, I wish I could help, but I’m way too busy already”

“What are you talking about?” Adam asked. He whirled to face her, his mouth crinkling into a frown.

“You know, I have a bunch of after-school meetings, and this new job, and my brothers to take care of, and—”

“Can’t you just make the time? We never get to do anything like this
together
,” he complained, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He took her hand in his, but she quickly pul ed it away.

“No, I can’t just
make
time—it’s not that easy. And anyway—” Beth suddenly realized that the whole table was eagerly watching their back-and-forth. “Can we just talk about this later?” she requested in a more measured tone.

“Fine. Whatever,” Adam said sulkily. “I guess Kaia can take your spot.”

“I’m sure Kaia’s way too busy for that sort of thing,” Harper quickly interrupted. “Places to go, people to do, you know how it is.”

“Harper!” Adam turned toward her, shocked.

“What? She’s a big-city girl—why would she want to waste her time on smal -town shit like this?”

“Uh, she is sitting right here, you know,” Kaia pointed out. “Though apparently you’d prefer it if I weren’t. Excuse me.” And, perfectly composed, she stood up and glided toward the door.

“What the hel are you doing?” Adam hissed. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Whatever, she said it herself this morning,” Harper told him. She raised her voice so that more of the restaurant—specifical y, those who were putting on a big show of leaving in a petty snit—could hear her. “Al she cares about are drugs and sex.”

“Which should give the two of you a lot in common,” Adam retorted, and pushed himself away from the table, fol owing Kaia out of the restaurant.

Harper sucked in her breath sharply, and the rest of them stared at her in stunned silence. It was a pretty rare sight to see perpetual y good-natured Adam turn ugly—and an even rarer one to see Harper as the target of his attack. Harper squirmed under their gazes and chewed nervously on the inside of her cheek. Picking a fight with Adam wasn’t part of tonight’s plans—but then again, having Kaia tag along with the whole party planning thing wasn’t either. There had been a brief, blessed moment, just after Beth had refused to play, when Harper imagined what it might be like, working side by side with Adam—long hours, private strategy sessions, laughter, flirting, and then one day, maybe, she would make her move. Or—even better—he would make his. One moment. And then Kaia had ruined everything.

Adam soon led Kaia back into the restaurant, his hand held lightly on her back as he guided her down the aisle and back to the table. As Kaia whispered something in his ear and Adam burst into quiet laughter, Harper was hit with a bizarre flash of déjà vu. Hadn’t this scene just happened, with a different starlet playing the role of female ingenue? She wondered if Beth, too, had picked up on the instant replay—then again, Miss Manners real y had no one to blame but herself, since she was the one who’d invited the wolf to come have dinner with the lambs.

Not that Harper had any intention of playing the lamb in this little romantic grudge match.

Adam and Kaia sat down again, and Harper—after a stern look from Adam—grudgingly apologized. They ate in relative peace, but when the burgers, fries, and Miranda’s salad were gone, no one was in the mood for a second round of desserts.

As they rose to leave, Adam pul ed Harper aside, and they walked slowly, out of earshot of the rest of the group.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For what I said earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Harper told him, not quite meeting his eyes.

“No, I was total y out of line—it’s just, I’m just a little edgy these days.” They had reached the door, and Adam held it open and swept her through with exaggerated chivalry. She paused in the doorway and looked up at him, his face only inches away. If she stood on her toes, she’d be close enough to … wel , it was close. She could smel his cologne, a cool, fresh scent that smel ed like rain. Like Adam.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it.” Harper swal owed her pain and her anger and forced a smile, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I swear—al is forgiven.” She glared at Kaia’s back, a few steps ahead.

Forgiven—but not forgotten.

Kaia took one last disgusted look at the Nifty Fifties Diner before fol owing the “gang” into the parking lot.This town was pathetic. It was like being trapped in the Vegas stage version of a
Dawson’s Creek
episode—disgustingly earnest teenagers with boring middle-America issues, prancing around on a set lifted from a Travel Channel rundown of America’s Tackiest Tourist Traps. At least there was some good scenery to look at along the way. Exhibit A: Adam Morgan.

“You need a ride, Kaia?” he asked, taking Beth’s hand as they headed toward his car, a maroon Chevrolet with a dented fender and a discolored side panel that seemed lifted from a different car.

Kaia, who had parked her father’s Mustang around the corner, figured that she could find a way to retrieve it in the morning. Her father was, big shock, out of town—but there were plenty of other cars and people to use. If the maid didn’t have time to run her into town in the Beamer, then the gardener could do it in the Audi. Not a problem.

“Actual y, I was just about to ask,” Kaia answered, smiling at Adam. “I got a ride here from my dad, but he’s out for the night—are you sure it’s not too much trouble? I live pretty far out.”

Beth laughed and jabbed her boyfriend in the arm good-naturedly. “Are you kidding? Adam loves to drive, don’t you? I think he secretly wishes I lived out in the middle of nowhere so that he’d have more chances to take his prized possession for a real ride.”

Kaia grinned naughtily at the thought of taking Adam for “a real ride,” but she kept her mouth shut—it was just too easy. Besides, she’d already committed herself to playing the wounded good girl role. Her little chat with Adam earlier had convinced her that he was just burning for a chance to play knight in shining armor to some fragile princess. And Kaia was happy to accommodate him—which meant the knee-jerk sex kitten comments would just have to go unspoken.

“Great,” she said, trying her best not to wrinkle her nose at the sight of Adam’s Chevy It looked even more wretched close up, like a junk heap molded into the shape of a car, held together with duct tape. Prized possession? It didn’t speak very wel for his taste—of course, from what she’d seen so far, neither did Beth. But she was wil ing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She looked over her shoulder at Kane, who was climbing into a vintage silver Camaro. And he was just as hot as Adam, though he lacked the adorable Southern accent. But the guy was obviously a total player—and thus not nearly as much fun to play with. No, she decided, climbing into the backseat and slamming the door shut behind her, Adam it is. At least for now.

Beth and Adam chattered together in the front while Kaia sat in silence, watching the dark streets fly by.

“You want to come back to my place?” Adam asked his girlfriend. “My mom’s probably out for the night ….”

There was a long pause, and Beth looked over her shoulder and glanced at Kaia. “I’ve got a lot of work to do,” she said eventual y. “And, you know, curfew.”

“I just thought that—”

“Why don’t you drop me off first,” Beth cut him off. “I’m on the way.”

Trouble in paradise?
Kaia wondered. Interesting.

Adam just grunted and turned off onto a side street. He pul ed up in front of a squat ranch house, sandwiched between a row of identical y impersonal boxes. A tricycle lay on its side in the middle of the smal front lawn, which looked as if it hadn’t seen a lawn mower in years. The cramped patch of overgrown weeds was the perfect companion to the house itself, with its peeling paint job and rusted aluminum siding. Home sweet home.

Adam turned off the car and unfastened his seat belt, but Beth stopped him with a quick kiss.

“You don’t have to walk me in,” she whispered. “I’l just see you tomorrow.” She kissed him again, this time long and hard, and then got out of the car and raced up the front walkway, a narrow path of loose gravel and chipped cement. She paused in the doorway, fumbling in her purse for the key, then, final y, pul ed open the door and slipped into the house, the slim beam of light cut off as she closed the door behind her.

Adam was stil for a moment, watching her figure disappear into the darkness. Then he twisted around in his seat and grinned at Kaia.

“Why don’t you come sit up here?” he suggested, patting the seat next to him.

Perfect. Kaia hopped out of the car and switched into the front seat. As she fastened her seat belt, she lightly brushed his hand, which rested on the gearshift—he tensed, almost imperceptibly, and she knew he’d felt the same electric charge of excitement that she had at the touch.

She ignored it, however, and began playing with the radio stations, searching in vain for something that was neither country-and-western nor fire-and-brimstone.

“Not much to listen to out here, is there?” Kaia complained, as Adam started the car and pul ed back out onto the road. She flicked the stereo off in disgust. “Not much to do, either.”

“No,” he admitted. “But it’s a good town. Good people, you know?”

Could this guy be any more of an al -American cliché? She didn’t know they
made
them like this in real life.

“Anyway,” he continued awkwardly, “I’m sorry again about before, in the diner—Harper’s just, wel …”

“An acquired taste?” Kaia suggested, faking a smile.

“I guess you could say that,” Adam admitted. “See, the thing you’ve got to understand about Harper is …” His voice faded off, and he squinted his eyes in concentration, trying to find the right words.

“Her bark is worse than her bite?” Kaia offered.

Adam laughed rueful y and shook his head. “No, I’d watch out for her bite, too.”

Good to know,
Kaia thought. “Then what?” she persisted. “I mean, you seem like such a nice, genuine guy, and I guess I’m just surprised that you’re … that not al of your friends are … I’m just a little surprised.” Kaia guessed there was no particularly polite way to say,
So, your friend is an überbitch
. Hopeful y she’d made her point without doing major damage to her mission.

“Look, I know Harper can be kind of—”

“Harsh?”

“Kind of a bitch, basical y,” Adam acknowledged. Kaia suppressed her laughter—good to know he wasn’t total y blind. “It’s not something I love about her,” Adam continued with a sigh. “But the thing about Harper is, wel , things come pretty easy for her. She gets bored—and you can see why.”

“Bored? In this town?
No
,” Kaia drawled sarcastical y. How could you be bored when the bowling al ey was open 24/7?

“No, it’s not just that,” Adam clarified. “It’s not just that it’s a smal town. It’s Harper—she just—doesn’t belong here, somehow. She’s better than this place.” He shook his head rueful y. “And the problem is, she knows it.”

“It sounds like you—” But Kaia cut herself off almost as soon as she began. No reason to put ideas in his head. If he was too dense to figure it out for himself, she certainly wasn’t going to help him along.

“I what?” he asked, confused.

“Nothing.” Kaia paused, watching the dark shadows of parked cars, deserted buildings, flat, arid land speed by. The emptiness was endless. “Have a lot of respect for her, that’s al ,” she finished feebly.

“Wel , I’ve known her a long time,” he explained, pul ing onto the empty highway. “She was the first friend I made when I moved here. I trust her—and whatever else she’s done, she’s never betrayed that. She’s the same with Miranda. When Harper decides you’re worthy of her time, she’s actual y the best friend you could have. Loyal as a pit bul .”