Free Tormenting Lila by Sarah Alderson Page B

muffled.
    ‘OK, listen I have to go,’ I said.
    ‘Say hi to lover boy,’ Suki giggled. ‘Oh, and Lila, wear the green dress tonight, that’s his favourite. It might even get you to fourth base. It had better, because
frankly Nate and I are tired of waiting for you guys to do the jiggy jiggy.’
    I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it speechless, wishing my powers worked long distance so I could throw something heavy at her head.
    ‘Why am I friends with you?’ I demanded.
    ‘Because you love me,’ answered Suki, sighing happily, before hanging up on me.
    I turned back to Alex, ready to jump back into bed, but he was already standing by the door, pulling on a T-shirt. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let’s go. We’re wasting this
beautiful day.’
    My shoulders slumped. Alex had obviously located the chink in his armour while my back had been turned and cemented it closed.
    ‘Let’s rent some bikes and hit the beach,’ he said, throwing me my bikini.
    Miller’s Bike & Boat Rental was set a little way out of town and by the time we got there it was nearly midday. Outside stood a row of bikes, and several oars leaned
against the wall. We pushed open the door, the bottom half of which was boarded up with a sheet of wood, and wandered inside.
    Behind the counter sat a boy of about nineteen. The first thing I noticed was that he was reading
American Psycho
, the second that a heavy-looking wrench sat on the counter right beside
him.
    ‘Hi,’ Alex said.
    The boy looked up from his book, his shoulders tensing and his hand twitching straightaway towards the wrench. Seeing us though he relaxed, laid down the book and hopped off his stool.
    ‘Hey, what can I help you with?’ he asked with a smile.
    ‘We’d like to rent some bikes,’ Alex answered, glancing around at the display inside the store.
    The boy immediately crossed to the row of bikes running down the centre of the store and asked whether we wanted hybrids or road bikes, at which point I switched off, not having a clue what the
difference was. I was much more interested in the pile of books I could see on the counter so I left Alex to it and edged over towards the desk.
    There was a pile of well-thumbed novels stacked up beside the till, including my very favourite David Mitchell and a few biographies of musicians. Behind the counter was a door that stood
propped open, revealing a storeroom filled with bike paraphernalia and fishing equipment. A guitar stood leaning up against a crate. I glanced over my shoulder at Alex and the boy, who were now
busy chatting as they did something to the handlebars of one of the bikes.
    Although generally I only had eyes for Alex, I would have to be blind to not notice how good-looking the boy was, with dark hair and light-brown eyes and the kind of lean but muscled body that
fitted white T-shirts were made to show off. I could just imagine him playing guitar in a band, or posing on the front of
Rolling Stone.
He was exactly the kind of guy who Nate and Suki
would bust a gut lusting after. I said a prayer of thanks that they were in Atlanta, a thousand miles away.
    I turned back to the counter and picked up a flyer from a pile sitting beside the books. It was advertising a music night at a place called The Ship.
    ‘Take it.’
    I turned around. The boy was standing behind me, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. ‘It’s tonight. Should be good.’
    ‘Is it your band?’ I asked, holding up the flyer.
    He gave me a curious smile, probably wondering how I’d figured out he was a musician. ‘It was,’ he said with a light shrug. ‘I don’t play anymore but they’re
good. You should go. Check them out.’
    I nodded. I could wear my green dress.
    Just then the door pinged behind us. A girl with messy blonde hair and heavy eyeliner strolled in, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw the boy.
    ‘Hey, Jesse,’ she said in a husky voice.
    ‘Hey, Nikki,’ the bike boy said. He gave me an apologetic