The Fallen Girls 💍

Chapter Seventeen: Sailing

"What do you mean he wasn't there?" Gloria said. She inspected a newly painted nail as she laid across the deck of Warren's yacht, next to Izzy and Rita.

"It was all a ploy to try to get Wes and Izzy together," Rita said, pushing her hair away from her face. She turned over on her back and Izzy thought she spied a small lump under her one piece suit.

"Well?" said Gloria, blinking her green eyes at Izzy. "Did it work?"

Warren managed to get the morning off of the set and offered to take the girls sailing. At the time, Izzy jumped at the offer. Anything to take her mind off the night before.

The warm, salty air and lapping sea-green waves were working fabulously until Gloria brought up the dismal subject.

"Let's not discuss it," she mumbled under her breath.

She turned on her side, pulling at her bathing suit self consciously. Warren brought his two comrades, Billy and Orson, along. They were all in the stern downing beers and roaring about the good old days of Hollywood. More than once she'd heard a wayward comment and caught them staring at her and the other girls with lustful eyes.

On the contrary, Gloria seemed to be eating it up. Unlike Rita and Izzy's conservative swimsuits, Gloria's was edging on risqué. It definitely would have had Izzy's mother reciting the rosary. Her full bosom nearly spilled out and the roundness of her derrière was barely covered as she lay on her stomach.

Gloria was ecstatic about the opportunity to meet Warren and his friends who were also producers, although not as big as Warren. Both Billy and Orson were practically drooling over her, ever since she set foot on the boat.

"I think I know where Dottie is," Izzy said in a low voice, so the men wouldn't hear.

Rita leaned forward. "Where?"

Izzy glanced over her shoulder at the men. They seemed to be lost in conversation and not paying attention. "I think she's living with Judd and Betsy."

Rita cocked an eyebrow. "Judd and who?"

"Judd, Wes and the Flames old producer, and his wife Betsy. Wes told me that Judd was going to retire because they'd adopted a teenager girl. Who else could it be? Mara told me that a friend of hers on the island would take her. Judd and Betsy have a cabin on the island. It's got to be her."

"So you did cozy up to Wes," Gloria said with a sly smile. "That sort of discussion doesn't just happen with small talk."

"I wouldn't go that far," said Izzy. "We had a conversation. But, mainly because we were forced into it."

She deliberately left the rest out. She already felt extremely guilty about the kiss. Never in her life had she imagined she'd be the type of girl to kiss someone else's boyfriend—let alone someone's fiancé. Although she'd pretended she hadn't wanted it, her entire body had reacted otherwise.

She'd been replaying it over and over in her head since the night before, trying to figure Wes out. Was he just the type of guy to take advantage of an opportunity, or did he truly feel something for her? Whatever the case, it shouldn't matter. He was engaged—and she'd already given Patsy enough to hate her for.

"That's amazing Izzy—but we could never see her," said Rita, giving her a serious look. "Out of all of us, Dottie's secret is the biggest. We have to protect it."

Izzy sighed. "I know. I'd just love to see her again. Even if she didn't see us. We never really got a chance to say goodbye."

"If we had to go back to that island to do it, I never would," said Gloria. "I'll never set foot anywhere near that place again."