~DAY ONE OF CUBA~
~FAYE~
Our flight was delayed for a couple hours, so by the time we arrive in Cuba it's around midnight.
Although it's dark and I'm exhausted, the beauty of the country is obvious. The people on the shuttle bus from the airport to the resort would probably have kicked me off if I'd exclaimed That's so pretty! one more time.
The resort is huge. There are a bunch of small, three-story hotels scattered on the property instead of one superlarge one with fifty floors. There are also three pools, two beaches on either side of the resort, and among other things, a large common area/lobby with couches and bars where people can hang out.
The seven of us are staying on the top floor of the same building. The room Lori and I are sharing has a perfect view of the beach in the distance. The five guys are across the hall from us, with three rooms shared between them. When I asked Adam who's getting the third room to themselves, he told me it depended on who would have "company" that night and needed the most privacy.
I almost vomited all over him.
I know Alessio, Dylan, and Kellan but have never met Dean, even though he's the same age as Adam and has apparently hung out with them before; he took Eli's ticket when he couldn't come. He's Dylan's cousin, and I can sort of see the resemblance between him and Dylan. Dean's definitely sexy, I'll give Lori that, but I'd never have thought he was her type. She's always had a crush on my brother, and he looks nothing like Dean.
My brother is all light with blond hair and hazel eyes, lean and tall, and honestly, he's kind of mean. Dean, however, has got that dark hair going for him. He's tall and muscular, and superfriendly and approachable. I'd wonder how they were even friends, except that Kellan is Adam's exact opposite as well, and they're best friends.
Maybe friendly people are attracted to mean people to balance out? I don't know. But if Adam had a group of friends all moody and bitchy like him at the house all the time, I'd jump out the window, so I can't complain. This has all worked out for the best, since I don't like Eli anyway, and now I can scheme to get Lori to at least kiss Dean by the end of this week.
We go to bed once we're all checked in, so we don't get to explore, but I set an alarm for 6:30 a.m. At 6:31, I'm jumping on Lori's bed, yelling at her to wake up so we can leave the room.
She throws the remote control at me, but I'm persistent, and we get breakfast about half an hour later.
The resort is huge, and the warm morning sun kisses my face as we wander around. Everyone is friendly, both the workers and the other guests, waving hello to us as we pass by. Beautiful palm trees, which are starkly different to the full pine trees I'm used to back home in Toronto, are growing all over.
We don't see the guys for most of the day, either because they're avoiding us or they're still sleeping, but no way am I missing precious time in the sun.
Eventually, we plant our butts on beach chairs on beautiful white sand, with a perfect view of the crystal clear ocean, and that's where we stay for most of the day. I'm working on my tan, eyes closed and headphones in, and Lori's beside me reading a book and being boring.
Freezing cold water hits my body, jerking me out of my tranquil state. "Ahh!"
I rip out my headphones and glare at the source of my discomfort, which is, of course, Kellan. He has an empty water bottle in his hand and an annoying smile plastered on his face.
"What?" I ask flatly, wiping the water off my stomach.
He grows visibly delighted at my annoyed tone. If he wasn't so damn hot, I'd push him into the sand.
"They say you get a better tan in the water. I was helping you out." He moves my stuff from the chair beside me and makes himself comfortable.
His hair is messy and curled like he's been swimming in the salty ocean all day. He's shirtless, which I've seen countless times, but damn, it never gets old.
"You're such a pain in the ass, you know that?" I pick up my bag, which he dumped onto the sand, and move it somewhere else.
He closes his eyes and lies back in the chair, intertwining his fingers behind his head. "Not as much as you are. I wasted all morning running around for you."
I sit up and study him, keeping my eyes trained on his face instead of where they want to roam. "What are you talking about? I've been here since like eight a.m."
"There's a foam party in the red-wristbands-only pool tonight." He completely ignores my question.
"That's nice. If you haven't noticed, Lori and I have blue wristbands." I wave my arm in front of his face as proof, but his eyes remain closed.
"Because you don't turn eighteen until later this year. Unlike me and the guys, who are all nineteen."
I feel a headache coming on. "Did you come here to bother me and state the obvious?"
His eyes stay closed, and one hand remains behind his head as he reaches into the pocket of his swim shorts, pulling out two new red wristbands.
"Don't say I never do anything for you." He opens his eyes to gauge my reaction, an arrogant smile playing on his full lips.
My eyes light up as if he just pulled out a million dollars. I was bummed Lori and I wouldn't have easy access to the fun parties or the booze, but not anymore.
"Where did you get these?" I reach for them, but he holds them out of my grasp.
"Remember how I said I was running around all morning? I was trying to find someone to get me these."
With red wristbands, Lori and I will no longer be stuck in the PG-13 sections of the resort. We can get drinks and go to all the X-rated parties.
"You're the greatest!" I try to reach for the wristbands again, but he's not done being a pain in the ass, keeping them beyond my reach.
"I want a kiss for them," he whispers, but Lori, who's on my other side, hears anyway.
She sets her book down and takes off her hat. "I'm gonna go jump in the ocean. Thanks for the wristbands, Kellan."
Then it's just the two of us. Just me and Kellan and his stupid, flirty smile.
"She heard that, you know," I inform him.
"I know you wanted to keep everything between the two of us, but you really expect me to believe you didn't tell her?" he asks, gesturing at Lori's receding form. "You FaceTimed her the second after it happened, didn't you?"
I smile innocently at him. "At least I waited until you left to call her."
He grabs my wrist and secures the new red wristband on it, then rips off the blue one while I pretend that I don't feel sparks wherever his skin touches mine. He slips the extra band in my bag to give to Lori later, not bothering to close it again.
"Does my brother know?" I ask him, gesturing to my wrist.
Kellan nods. "He wouldn't admit it to you if you asked, but he told me it was a good idea, since you'd find a way into the red events anyway. At least you won't get yourself in trouble this way."
Damn straight a piece of paper isn't keeping me out of the cool parties. At least now Lori won't be nagging me the whole time because she doesn't want to get caught.
"Plus," Kellan adds, raking a hand through his hair, "he said this way he can watch out for you. Don't tell him I told you, though, because he'd deny it."
If I was drinking, I would've done a spit-take. My brother said that? Adam "I ignore my girlfriend tormenting my sister" Murray? The last time he "watched out" for me was a week ago when he stole my brownie midbite to "make sure it didn't have nuts."
I'm not allergic to nuts.
I snort. "Adam's a buzzkill. I'm not planning on sticking around him at the red events."
"Either way, you wouldn't be getting into those events without yours truly." He puckers his lips and gestures to them, a playful gleam in his eyes as he waits for his thank-you kiss.
No one tells me what to do. Especially not a pain-in-the-ass, stupidly good-looking boy.
I smile, but he misses the mischievous intent behind it. "Fine, I'll give you what you deserve."
Satisfied that he's getting his way, he closes his eyes and leans toward me.
I lean in and swiftly grab the water bottle in my open bag, and in one motion, whip off the lid and empty the cold liquid all over him.
His eyes pop open in shock, his mouth wide, disbelief written all over his beautiful face.
I bite my lip and try not to laugh. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
A challenge ignites in his dark eyes and a smirk molds his lips. "And this is your warning . . ."
I yelp as he stands up, but I'm faster. I run away from him in the general direction of the ocean, laughing and screaming as Kellan chases me, not even caring that I break a flip-flop. His carefree laugh is music to my ears as we splash into the infinite blue water.
—
Lori and I eat dinner together. I haven't seen Adam or any of his friends for most of the day, and I don't mind. I'll see them at the foam party, so I put on my cutest bikini and force Lori to do the same. I may not be tall, toned, and have legs for days like her, but I know for a fact that my curves look sensational in bikinis.
I'm wearing a hot-pink halter bikini set that's always a crowd-pleaser and has never failed to get all eyes on me, and Lori's in a light-blue string bikini that she totally rocks.
We hear the music and laughter before we even reach the resort's red-wristbands-only pool.
"Do you think Dean will be here?" Lori asks nervously as we flash our wristbands at a worker to get access to the pool.
"That's a dumb question," I answer as I take in the scene in front of us.
Even though it's pitch-black outside, the pool and surrounding area are bright with purple and blue and red lights. There's foam covering the pool, and half-drunk late teens and early twentysomethings with wrists covered in glowstick bracelets are splashing around, throwing foam at each other.
"You're right. Obviously he's here." Lori scans the sizable area, trying to spot Dean in the crowd.
I grab us a couple of glowstick bracelets and drag Lori over to the packed bar where I'm sure we'll bump into Kellan. He's probably over there, flashing his perfect smile at some unsuspecting girl while she falls for his stupid charm.
Not that I'm jealous or anything.
As I'm scoping out the yummy boys from all around the world, Lori gets my attention by frantically slapping me with the back of her hand.
"Ow! What?"
"That's Dean! Oh my goodness, he's so hot."
I follow her gaze and can confirm that he is so hot.
He's in the shallow end of the pool, the top half of his body visible, water dripping down the crevices of his sculpted chest and abs. It's been less than twenty-four hours but he already seems like he's got a nice solid tan.
Lori's staring at him with wide eyes. I'm guessing that even after all that time at the gym, she's never seen him shirtless.
"Lor, stop drooling," I tease, and she looks away with a blush.
"Sorry. I can't help it." She sneaks another glance at him.
Her eyes move from Dean and land on the two girls he's talking to, both devastatingly pretty.
She sighs, her mood souring. "I could never compete with them, Faye."
My nostrils flare in frustration. Lori is so insecure that she never realizes exactly how gorgeous she is.
"Yes you can, Lor! Go flirt with him! He won't even notice those girls once you pay attention to him."
She frowns. "They look like Bollywood princesses."
"And you look like a pretty, pretty princess! I used two 'pretties' in there, Lor, and you know I don't go throwing those around all willy-nilly." I totally do and she knows it, but she still cracks a smile.
We shove our way through the bar, which to my relief, or maybe disappointment, is Kellan-free. The bartender notices Lori and abruptly abandons everyone else who is waiting to take her order immediately.
I elbow her as if to say, See! You're so hot you just got service before everyone else! but she shrugs it off, her mind already elsewhere.
I order two drinks and hand one to Lori, who will probably nurse it all night, and we sit on some foam-free pool chairs.
Lori stirs her drink with her straw. "I barely even know how to flirt, and it's even worse around Dean. I turn into a bumbling idiot around him."
"I can't deny that." She glares at me, and I laugh. "But it's not too late to change."
"I'm not like you, Faye. I can't turn a guy into mush with just a look."
Pride swells within me, but I push it down. This is not about reveling in my many skills; it's about helping Lori. I lean forward, ready to drop some knowledge on her ass. "It's not hard. I'll give you some easy, never-fail, beginner tips that basically always work with the right confidence."
She nods eagerly, giving me her full attention like she does in class.
"Okay, first and foremost, you need to laugh."
Lori laughs, loud and obviously fake.
"No, not now!" She stops. "I mean when he talks to you and says something funny or tells a stupid joke, you need to laugh. And not like that. Make it sound realistic, not like a dying robot on crack."
She nods. "Laugh like a nondying robot minus the crack. Got it."
I roll my eyes but know she gets the point. "Okay. Other than the laughing, obviously you need to smile. Body language is important, too, so lean in when he's talking, but not like, uncomfortably close. Bat your eyes at him or bite your lip to draw attention to them. Make excuses to touch him too. One of the easiest and very basic no-fail examples is exclaiming 'you're so funny!' then play-shoving his arm. And of course, be confident!"
Lori's eyes are wide, and I can tell she's trying to memorize anything I can give her. Flirting often comes easily and naturally to people, so I'm sure once she gets going she'll be fine.
She continues to stir her drink. "Laugh, smile, lean in, bite my lip, bat my eyes, touch him, tell him he's funny, be confident. Got it."
I stand up, signaling the end of our conversation. "That's it! Now go get 'em, tiger!"
Lori scrambles to stand with me, her wide blue eyes giving her a deer-in-the-headlights look. "What? Like, right now?"
"No time like the present," I reply cheerfully. "And look, he's getting out of the pool, go get him while he's alone!"
Both of us watch in fascination as Dean walks up the steps of the pool, looking like he's in a movie and there's a slow-motion camera panning down his perfect body.
I turn back to her and give her some tough love. "If you don't go talk to him right now, I swear I will leave a pack of condoms on his nightstand with a note signed by you, explaining in great detail how much you dream about his thick, hard, huge c—"
"Okay, okay!" She cuts me off with a scowl, setting her drink down. "Geez, Faye, you play dirty."
I beam at her, satisfied. "Not as dirty as he'll want to play with you once he reads the note I leave him."
"Oh my gosh!" She throws her hands up to stop me from talking and quickly turns away from me, hurrying off toward Dean.
Satisfied Lori's on her way to getting Dean naked, I head to the second bar at the other side of the enormous pool, giving me a chance to check out the boys I've got to work with.
As I'm walking, a guy in the pool catches my attention. Even covered in foam and with a girl basically attached to him, I know it's him. I'd know Kellan anywhere.
My heart is ten times heavier as I try to process all the different emotions battling within me from seeing him standing there in the pool. His hands are on the waist of a half-naked girl for support as he lifts her into one of the tubes floating in the pool. She laughs as she settles in, touching his shoulder in the way I just instructed Lori to do, then wraps her arms around him in a hug.
I know we're not exclusive or anything but seeing him with another girl is making me feel things a single girl shouldn't be feeling. I've never actually seen him with someone else before, and I don't like the way my stomach lurches and heart squeezes, or the way my throat feels tight.
I tear my eyes away and continue toward the bar with a new purpose. I need lots of vodka inside me. Like right now.
I spot a tall, handsome guy at the bar as I get closer, and eye him with interest.
And maybe him too.