Free Love to Hate Her by Kristina Lorie Page B

she knew it and took full advantage of the fact.
 Always.  She winked at a truck driver, just to make his day, and
then laughed and took off.  
    She couldn’t
wait to see Sammy.  They had grown up together, but hadn’t seen each other
since Nicole moved up to Philly three years ago.  God, going back to Florida was like a dream
come true!  Life was one big party when she lived there.  The first
thing she wanted was a shot and a beer, and last call at 5 A.M.
     
    **********************
     
    “You
bitch!”  Sam ran through the parking lot when she saw Nikki pulling
in.  “You bitch!  Where’d you get that car?”  Nicole’s cousin,
Samantha stood in front of Nicole’s new Mercedes with her jaw on the
ground. 
    “Stop drooling,
girl.  Andrew bought it for me.” 
    “
No WAY !  You
are such a bitch!” 
    They laughed and
Nikki pulled her suitcase from the back seat.  She didn’t bring that much
to wear: Bathing suits, shorts, nothing stuffy.  No polo dresses here,
thank God.
    The two grabbed
something to eat, Nikki settled in, and they started walking to the
beach.  Although they hung out all the time when Nicole lived close, since
she left they rarely spoke.  On the walk they started catching up on each
others lives.
    “So, what about
this Andrew… What do you call him?  Drew? You always step in the
shit!” 
    “Oh Sammy. You
would too, if you looked like me.”  Nicole pulled her pony high on her
head and gave her cousin a snooty little look.  Samantha had dirty blonde
hair, curls, and freckles.  Cute, but she was no beauty like Nicole. 
Sam sunk into her shoulders and tucked her hair behind her ear. It was then she
remembered why they lost touch.  But she knew it would be a long
two weeks ahead if she didn’t shrug it off, like she used to. 
    Samantha went
on.  “Anyway, your mom told my mom he’s great.  Hot, well, handsome,
she said.  Down to earth, sensible, from a good family… worth millions…
what more can you ask for?  Except that car !  Bitch!” 
Samantha added the last ‘bitch’ for Nicole’s last comment about her.  She
sneered obnoxiously and shook her head at her cousin.  “Your mother sent a
picture—oh my God—a Greek God sitting on a BMW in the parking lot of the Hard
Rock Café in Maui…” she shook her head and
laughed.  “You are such a--”   Nicole cut her off.
    “He’s a sap.”
    “What?”
    “A sap—a
schmuck—a nothing.  He bores me to death.  He makes me eat broccoli
and listen to Beethoven.  I haven’t had a beer, or french fries, for that
matter, in months.  I can’t sleep after nine on weekends because there’s always some outing or family function to go to.  He wouldn’t know the smell of
good dope if it bit him in the ass, and he loves the opera.  But,” she
added with a broad smile, “he buys me anything I want.”
    Samantha looked
at Nikki and rolled her eyes.  “Ya know,” she said, “You make me
sick.  You’ve got this great looking guy, obviously in love and gushing
all over you.  He’s gorgeous, loaded—and you’re still not
satisfied!”  She laughed.  “But I can play that game if you want to.  Let me introduce you to my boyfriend’s friend, Craig.  We
can go out tonight.  You up for it?” 
     
    ****************
     
    “How do I look?”  Nicole
asked, her green eyes sparkling.  Nikki was always up for a
compliment.   She had on a pair of jean short shorts and a
half-shirt, showing off her long, tan legs and taut belly.  No make-up,
loose curls falling down her back, she struck a pose as she walked out of Sam’s
bathroom. 
    “Great, as usual!”
    “You expected something
different?”  Sam had friends who joked around like that.  The problem
was, when Nikki said that stuff, she meant it.  Sam always let it roll
off, because Nikki was her cousin, and when she didn’t get cocky she was really
fun to be around.  Deep down, Samantha knew Nicole was a nice
person.  If she wanted