Free Tasteless by India Lee

but a good enough friend that we let him stick around.”
    Suddenly, a giant splash exploded between Rye and Gemma.  Water dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision.  Before she could even recover, another giant splash hit her in the ankles.
    “You fucking shit!” she could hear Zoe yell.  Rye sat up, wiping the water from her eyes to see the remnants of orange latex sitting at their feet – a balloon.  Zoe sprang to her feet, her tea-length dress soaked up to the waist.  Gemma was already running at the boys full speed, swinging the cushion she was sitting with in front of her.  Gavin had somehow become in possession of a laundry basket full of colorful water balloons.
    “Heads up!” Rye could hear Sam yell.  Before she knew it, another balloon had broken in front of her, splashing up what felt like a gallon of ice-cold water.  She shrieked, putting her arms out in front of her in hopes of blocking any more attacks.  Instead, she felt the weight of someone placing something in her hand.
    “This one’s filled with beer.”  Rye opened her eyes to see Damian securing the balloon in her grasp.  “Use it wisely.”  With that, he ran behind the lounge chair to take cover with Gavin, draping the checkered picnic blanket over them and the basket of balloons.
    “I don’t even know who I’m against!” Rye yelled to the two under the makeshift fort.  She hugged the cool beer balloon to her chest, giggling at the sight.  It had been awhile since she’d seen a fort like that made.
    “Behind you!” Gavin yelled.  Rye turned to see Sam running at her, a small water balloon wound up behind him.  She held her breath in anticipating, thrusting out the beer balloon and squeezing her eyes shut.  She could feel the balloon bursting in front of her as he came into contact with it.
    “No!” Damian yelled.  “That’s my shirt!” Rye laughed, unable to see anything beyond the wet hair matted to her face.  She could feel Sam’s arms engulf her as she tried to run away, hugging her to his beer-stained shirt.
    “My dress!” she squealed as he picked her up off her feet.
    “Thanks for drying me off,” he said before setting her back down and charging Damian and Gavin’s fort.
    “Wait, no!” Gavin said, tossing smaller balloons out like grenades.  Desperate, he didn’t bother for a proper windup, causing the balloons to bounce on the grass in front of him.
    “Hold on,” Damian protested.  “I thought we were on the same team.”
    “It’s every man for himself,” Sam declared before dropping a large water balloon at the entrance of their fort.  Rye couldn’t see around Sam’s large frame, but she could hear the monstrous splash and the boys laughing as they mock-surrendered.
    The girls came up from behind her, equally drenched, their beautiful gowns now soaked and grass-stained.  But instead of being angry, as Rye could find understandable in their wrecked couture, they stood there laughing at their significant others, cowering in the fort as Sam mercilessly threw one balloon after another.
    “It’s too bad you’re not interested in him,” Zoe said, draping an arm over Rye’s shoulders.  “We’d make an adorable group of couples.”

Chapter 4
     
    SANDRINE TO OPEN ITS DOOR THIS FALL
    Taste Buddies New York
    June 22 nd
     
    The much-anticipated nouvelle cuisine restaurant, Sandrine, will be welcoming guests to its chic Flatiron dining room this September.  Its premiere month has reportedly been booked solid but foodies can make the journey up to Hudson River Valley to try their summer pop-up at the riverside restaurant, Ripe Acre. Ripe Acre will be serving a sample of Sandrine’s menu in their greenhouse, where sources say they’ll be accepting walk-ins.
     
    When asked about former founder and executive chef, Sam Laurent, majority investor Gail Geddes declined to comment.  Their publicist, however, released the following statement:
     
    “We were lucky to have a talent like Sam on