The Other Fish in the Sea (Grab Your Pole, #2) Page 15

“It goes deeper than that. She put the pieces together and realized Camie took Tristan back after his indiscretion last month which makes her mad because you see, Bridget cheated on her boyfriend twice and he wouldn’t take her back after the second time. In her mind, hurting Camie would be getting something like revenge on him too,” Jillian outlined. She really does know everything.

  “How do you know that?” Jeff asked, almost sounding dumbfounded. I don’t know why this surprises him though. He knows what she’s capable of. Hell, she just stole a truck for God’s sake. Well, sort of, but I think it should count.

  Jill sighed and rolled her eyes like she was saying, “Oh fine.” “I overheard Parker and Curtis talking about it. She’s the reason they’ve steered clear of us this whole time…Curtis was her boyfriend. She lied about never being the iceberg too. He caught her being both that and the boat at the same time with some other guy.” I mean she knows everything!

  “I knew she was lying about that!” Tristan exclaimed in triumph.

  “Sounds like both of their techniques could use some work,” Jeff added with humor.

  “Well, proper positioning and attention to detail is key in regard to doing both at the same time,” Tristan said in a rather scholarly manner. I couldn’t help giggling even though I have no idea what the proper positioning is or what details should be paid attention to.

  “Pete, you should be taking notes,” Jeff said and then started chuckling at Pete when he mimed writing on his hand and then looked at Tristan expectantly for him to continue.

  “You guys have issues, but you know, after thinking about the questions she asked last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to provoke a fight between these two just so she can take a crack at Tristan,” Kate speculated, giggling at the guys too.

  “Yeah, let her try that one…” Pete remarked with a small chuckle.

  Jeff smirked and nodding he said, “No shit. If she starts a fight between ‘em it’ll totally fuckin’ backfire on her. It’d be like fuckin’ Clash of the Titans and then they’d have to be pried apart with a goddamned crowbar.”

  Tristan would probably thank her for it again.

  “No matter how much fun that would be, I’m not gonna use our twisted form of foreplay to teach a lesson to that fuckin’ bitch.” He’s actually laughing now and I can’t help laughing either. We really are a bit perverse at times. Thus why we recognized the need for a butterfly net last night.

  “Well, that’s up to you two, but riddle me this, Superman… What’s Camie gonna do when her kryptonite is brought into the tent? She almost yakked just hearing the word.” I’m not sure why Jilly’s been calling Tristan Superman today, but I kinda like it. Oh and yeah, I’m totally hearing “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down in my head now, although I like that song so I don’t mind.

  “Now that I know it’s coming, I’m sure I’ll be okay…” I really think I will be.

  “Uh-huh. Let’s see…” Jill said and out of nowhere, she blindsided me by throwing a package of licorice in my lap.

  “Oh shit…I think I’m gonna be sick,” I choked out, covering my mouth and feeling my gorge rise at the unexpected visual reminder of when the guy I’m honestly in love with made-out with skanky licorice girl that one night in October. Honestly, I think I threw up a little in my mouth.

  Kate grabbed a small bucket and stuck it in front of me but thankfully, I didn’t need it. I mean come on, how embarrassing would it be to actually upchuck in front of the guy you’re honestly in love with without knowing if he feels the same way? Not to mention I don’t think anyone needs to see what I’m sure would be a seriously grotesque vision of what I had for breakfast.

  “Where did you get that?” Pete asked Jillian in surprise. They’ve been together since seven this morning and she didn’t have it on our ride, so I’d say the surprise is justified this time.

  “I shoplifted it from the Beach Store,” she succinctly replied, like “Duh.”

  “Hey Pete, that makes you an accessory to the crime!” Jeff said and started laughing at Pete who was looking at Jillian in a way that could have said, “First my truck and now snack food…what am I gonna do with you?”

  Poor “Lonely (not gay) Pete,” my advice would be to forget her and run screaming instead.

  “Yeah, yeah…the point is, Camie’s not quite over that whole thing and Bridget knows it. So unless we do a pat-down at the door, she’ll sneak it in tonight and Camie’s gonna be in trouble.”

  “This fuckin’ bites. Regardless of how it happens, Bridget wins because there’ll be an uncomfortable scene at best, and a puke show at worst,” Jeff concluded, shaking his head at a loss.

  “When she gets back to camp I could always tie her to the fuckin’ chassis of Pete’s truck and go off-roading,” Tristan suggested with a sadistic gleam in his eyes.

  “Ooh, I like where your head’s at, but those aren’t the only options you know…I stole the licorice for a reason,” Jilly then turned her attention away from Tristan and back to me to say, “Camie, I love you, you’re my sister and everything, but you need to get a thicker skin and get over this. Now.”

  She’s right. I just don’t know how.

  “Exactly how is she supposed to do that, though? It’s not like she can just say I’m over it and have that be true, you know?” Thank you, Kate, for taking the words out of my mouth.

  I squirmed a little when this time, it was my soul that Jillian peered into. That’s a really uncomfortable sensation by the way. “You’ve forgiven Superman completely, and it’s not distrust of him or even the licorice itself. It’s the images. The memory licorice elicits that makes you sick…so, replace the memory.”

  Jeez…how in the hell did she get all that from one look? My sister scares even me sometimes.

  “I can do that. I’ll need some time, though. Can you guys run interference?” Tristan asked, hauling me to my feet and grabbing the licorice I’d been avoiding looking at like it was freaking Medusa.

  “You got it,” Jeff and Pete agreed in unison. I stifled a giggle when Jeff saluted Tristan like he was a General or something.

  “Are you gonna tell me what your idea is?” I asked with some nervousness as he pulled me along behind him out of the tent and into the bus. I trust him but I really don’t wanna gag or puke in any way in front of him again.

  He quickly locked all the doors, closed all the windows and curtains, turned his iPod on and then, with suddenly such dark blue eyes I almost gasped, he reached for me and said, “Replacing the memory with something twisted.”

  Have I ever mentioned what fantabulous ideas he comes up with? If not, then just know that this one has got to rank in the top five! By the end of three hours (we had ourselves a good ol’ time), I love licorice again! Yippee! Tristan’s idea entailed “distracting” me from negative thoughts while I tried to eat the damned stuff and then for every piece I got down, he rewarded me with those “OMG Bellybutton Kisses” that yes, he totally picked up on how much I love. Actually, we were both really irritated when we ran out of licorice…

  Now, my dad always wraps up the final day of our camping trips with Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam,” so we’ll hear that tomorrow around noon when we all have to be back at camp to pack up, which means that at ten o’clock Saturday night, “Enter Sandman” was heard for the last time. It’s been our habit to sit by the fire until around eleven or so, however by the time James Hetfield’s voice combined with Lars Ulrich’s drums to make one wicked sounding “BOO,” we’d all congregated in the tent and had already chosen Truth, Dare, or Drink as our game for the night. It was Bridget’s suggestion and we decided to go along with it, knowing that I’m immune to kryptonite now and even if she tries to instigate a fight between Tristan and me, it wouldn’t do her any good.

  So, if you’ve ever played truth or dare before you know how inherently nerve wracking it can be, right? You’re either asked to admit something you would rather be kept secret or asked to do something you would really rather
not do. Well, most of the time anyway. However, this particular game was actually quite a hoot, especially because we had an out by drinking if we didn’t want to say or do what’s asked of us.

  “Truth,” Jeff chose when MaryAnn presented him with the options. I know! I’m just as surprised…I would’ve thought he’d totally go for the dare out of the gate, but to each his own I guess.

  “What is one thing you don’t like about your best friend?”

  “Well, I would drink because I can’t say there’s anything about Trist I especially dislike, but Pete really should be apprised of this…he’s a control freak in and out of the sack,” Jeff answered with a wink to Pete.

  “I am not a control freak,” Tristan argued.

  I’m gonna have to side with Jeff on this one, though. Tristan really is kind of a control freak.

  “Oh yes you are. It even bugs the shit outta you to be on the bottom! But it’s not just sex…you’ll fuckin’ resort to guerilla warfare if a girl or anyone for that matter doesn’t give you the respect of keeping their goddamned mouth shut about what you do with them…” Ahh, now that’s interesting. And by the way, Tristan is amused. He’s chuckling quietly at everything Jeff is saying, which I gather is the truth. “Camie, did you ever ask Trist why it actually took him having to give his permission for people to start talking about you guys (No, no I didn’t.) and why everything being said after he did was pretty much the truth? Seriously, anyone else and the rumors would’ve made the fuckin’ nightly news! I’m tellin’ ya…guerilla fuckin’ warfare! It’s brutal.”

  Ah. I think I got it. Jeff is giving a warning to everyone sitting here on Tristan’s behalf that what happens in the desert stays in the desert and they better keep it that way. Very well played, Jeff.

  “I just really like my privacy, that’s all.”

  “Nothing wrong with that, Superman,” Jillian said and they toasted each other.

  “Oh and Pete…he’s right. I really don’t care to be on the bottom,” Tristan said with a laugh and then because he has his head in my lap, he pulled me down to whisper, “Baby, you can ignore that…it’s a vicious lie.” Then he kissed me.

  “Truth.” Jeff had asked Derek.

  “Why do you call Camie Shark Bait?” Oh here we go…

  “Samantha,” Derek answered concisely, with a single, yet more than explanatory word, causing Tristan to groan and roll his eyes.

  “I don’t get it.” Of course you don’t, Jeremy, you twit.

  “Tristan bagged one of our cheerleaders making him a shark. Camie cast a line to catch him using herself as bait. Shark. Bait.”

  “That makes you a shark too, dude…” Pete said, indicating MaryAnn with his chin.

  “I was thinking of him as a barracuda when he got her phone number at that football game he took me to, especially since he’d just labeled Tristan a shark,” I said and giggled at Derek’s resigned eye-roll and head-nod of acceptance at that analogy.

  “Oh fuck…the text at Pete’s party the next week…you were in on it! I knew she used you, but I didn’t know you knew what she was doing! How long?” Tristan asked with disappointment in himself for not having put it together sooner.

  “From jump. I’d say sorry, dude, but I’m really not,” Derek answered and then winked at me. “Okay, let’s see…Melissa, truth or dare?”

  “I think choosing dare was how MaryAnn and I ended up naked on the beach, so truth.” She started laughing when MaryAnn had a contemplative expression on her face like she couldn’t remember how they got there either.

  “Is the picture in color or is it a totally retro black and white?” Derek asked with a grin and dodged a lighthearted flick of MaryAnn’s fingers that was meant for his ear.

  “Please say it was in back and white. There’s just somethin’ really fuckin’ hot about black and white, you guys know what I mean?” Jeff threw out with Kate shrugging and shaking her head like she was saying, “What’re ya gonna do?”

  “Oh totally,” Tristan answered, firmly nodding his agreement.

  “Oh my God… Yes, it’s black and white, it was taken on a beach just before sunset, she was on her knees in the sand with her naked backside to the camera but she was sort of turned and looking over her shoulder, are you guys happy now?”

  The responses came in the form of many male moans of approval and whimpering desire to see it. Even Pete let out an appreciative “Ooooh.” It was freaking hysterical.

  “Julia, truth or dare?”

  “I’m gonna try dare…please be nice,” she said with a nervous laugh.

  “Pick a guy for him to do your makeup while blindfolded,” Melissa directed.

  While Melissa was getting her toiletry bag and makeup to complete the dare, Julia chose Dylan and in my opinion, that was the safe choice. I think she knows the rest of the guys don’t care for her much.

  “Pete?”

  “I know I’m gonna regret this… Dare.”

  “Kiss any available girl whose boyfriend won’t rip your head off and pee on your burning ashes for doing it,” Julia said with a good-natured grin.

  “Still think I’m gay, huh?” He asked her with a chuckle.

  “I can dream, can’t I?” Tristan asked, waxing lyrical and batting his eyelashes.

  Just about everyone caught their breath though when Pete, who was then chuckling at Tristan, casually turned his head and gave the only “available” girl sitting next to him a kind of lingering, yet rather platonic kiss on the lips. It was Jillian. And she did not appear thrilled. Surprised maybe, but happy she was not. Huh. Again, like me, Pete likes to play with fire. She’s gonna roast him with marshmallows one of these days, though. Regret indeed.

  “That wasn’t a real kiss!” Dylan hollered and then shut up real quick when Jeremy elbowed him in the side. I’m guessing Jeremy would rather Pete didn’t get a re-do on that one.

  “Dude! I can’t believe what you just did! Not only did you stomp on Trist’s heart, but you’re gonna fuckin’ wake up dead!” Jeff cried out in laughing astonishment.

  “Yeah well, I’m lazy and with the choices before me, what did you expect? Besides, payback’s a bitch,” Pete said and gave Jill a narrow-eyed look and a rather small, smug smile that said, “So there, teach you to steal stuff, you menace to society.”

  She glared at him for a moment and I could swear I thought I saw her spine stiffen and her teeth grind together, but she didn’t say or do anything else. I’m guessing she either doesn’t have marshmallows on hand at the moment or that maybe she’d like graham crackers to go with them when she rakes him over the coals.

  “That really hurt, man,” Tristan said somberly.

  “Yeah I know, but I promise it didn’t mean a thing...you’re still my guy. Okay, my turn…Jeremy, truth or dare?”

  “Umm, dare.” He sounds really nervous.

  “Pick anyone to chew some gum and then chew it yourself for at least five minutes.”

  “Ew… ABC gum?”

  “Yep. You can always opt out, though, if that’s too much for you.” Ooh, Pete just called him out. Really, that’s not such a bad dare, though, you know?

  “Come on, dude, it could’ve been worse. Pete just endured the kiss of death…this is just a little saliva and slimy gum,” Jeff said, egging Jeremy on. I think he would’ve preferred the kiss of death, though.

  “I’ll have to drink, I don’t have any gum,” Jeremy said with mild relief and went to take a drink.

  “Wait! Hold on! I always have gum!” Tristan said enthusiastically and dug into his pocket, retrieving a pack of non-cinnamon, non-grape flavored gum.

  “You would,” Bridget said, failing in her attempt to be funny as it came out being more snide than humorous.

  “Being that he’s a sans gum kinda guy, it’s not for him…well it is, but he just won’t be the one chewing it.” I couldn’t help it. She’s a bitch.

  Jeff started cracking up, then he leaned over and gave me a high-five.

  “I feel so blessed. I h
ave the best girlfriend and boyfriend a guy could ever wish for,” Tristan said with a dramatic sigh.

  So Jeremy chose the girl sitting right next to him, being Melissa, to chew the gum and although he popped it in his mouth somewhat reluctantly, I noticed he never spit it out after the time frame was up.

  “Truth or dare, Tristan?”

  It was bound to happen but I’m almost holding my breath because I really don’t know what would be worse; Tristan taking a dare or telling the truth.

  “I’m pretty comfy here, so truth.”

  “What is the craziest thing you’ve ever said to a girl in bed?”

  UGH…

  10.

  Things Heat Up In Hell’s Kitchen

  Yeah. That’s just freaking great. Thanks a lot, you nitwit.

  I’m mentally pleading and begging, “Tristan, please, please drink” because I really don’t wanna hear what he’s said—crazy or not—to anyone in bed. I even thought about shouting “BUTTERFLY!” but trusting him to keep me in mind, I refrained.

  “Huh. That’s too boring…gimme another one.” What?

  “Nu-uh, I wanna hear the answer to that too,” Brandon told him. And actually, I do too now.

  “Okay, but you’re all gonna be really fuckin’ disappointed.”

  “No way, you’re just trying to get out of it,” Jeremy said, confident that his question would no doubt have an extraordinary answer.

  “If I wanted out, I’d drink, you tool. The most certifiable thing I’ve ever said to a girl in bed was last night and it was the word ‘no’,” he told us and then gave me his lopsided grin and winked at me. Okay, I can totally see where he’d say that was crazy. And by the way, whew!

  “Aw shit, that is boring! Truly fuckin’ crazy and a mite unbelievable, but boring all the same…dude, give him another one.”

  “Okay, umm… What’s the strangest way you’ve ever gotten a girl?” Uh-oh. Jeremy needs to learn to be specific.

  “Clarify gotten.” See?

  “I dunno. Gotten. Like gotten a girl to go out with you I guess.” Apparently Jeremy’s mind hasn’t joined Tristan’s and mine in the gutter quite yet. I think he might be trying to work on his game, though. Oh, and again I say, whew!