Free Love the One You're With by Cecily von Ziegesar Page B

should just stay friends. They could do that, right?
    Right.

animal attraction
    “Slow down! I swear to God, he always does this to freak me out!” Layla yelled as Riley slammed his foot against the gas pedal
     of the Gator golf cart that came with each villa.
    “Layla has issues with rough riding,” Riley yelled. The wind was whipping his longish brown hair. “You okay, Baby?”
    “Beats a cab!” Baby grinned, glad she’d decided to tag along. Layla and Riley had been joke-fighting the entire ride, but
     at least they weren’t an ultra-gross PDA couple who sucked face in front of her all the time.
    On their left, an identical golf cart filled with sunburned guys in their twenties chugged up beside them. “Backseat betties,
     nice job, man!” one of the guys called approvingly to Riley.
    Baby stuck out her tongue flirtily. Instantly Riley hit the gas, zooming away from the other cart and taking a tight turn
     on the lush green path.
    “Ow!” Baby cried as her hip slammed into the side of the molded plastic seats.
    “Sorry ’bout that,” Riley said, not sounding sorry at all. “I just didn’t want to share you girls.”
    “Riley, is that how you and all your player friends talk at school?” Layla turned to Baby. “His new band is called the Players.
     I think they let their name get to their heads,” Layla rolled her large green eyes. From her tone, it was hard to tell whether
     she was joking or not.
    “So I think we’ll have fun riding. I’m awful, but Riley’s amazing. When we came last year, he was practically hired by the
     stables. He grew up in Texas and has been riding horses since forever.” Layla smiled proudly, two dimples appearing on her
     cheeks.
    Baby nodded, glancing over at Riley as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in some private rhythm. She’d noticed
     calluses on his hands and had assumed they were from playing the guitar. But maybe there was more to him than the musician-type
     she’d seen so far.
    Finally, they pulled up to a slate-gray stable next to the beach. Unlike the rest of the property, which was filled with palapa-leaf
     thatched roofs, infinity swimming pools, and slate floors, the stables looked ramshackle and pleasantly weather-beaten, as
     if they’d been there long before the villas.
    “Welcome back!” A woman in her twenties ran out from the stables, her long black hair trailing behind her. “I’m Erika,” she
     introduced herself to Baby, after giving both Layla and Riley hugs.
    “So, what’s your riding experience?” she asked Baby.
    “I took lessons when I was younger, but I haven’t ridden in years.” Baby had always loved horses and had begged her mom for
     lessons when she was thirteen. But she’d been so disappointed by how many rules there were, how much supervision, and how
     slowly you had to go at first—she’d wanted to just ride free. Eventually she’d given it up.
    “Okay, we’ll call you a beginner, just to play it safe. I’ll get you some appropriate horses. Riley, will you help me?” She
     turned around and walked back to the stable.
    A few minutes later Riley emerged from the stables with two horses, followed by Erika. “Okay. Layla, you’ve got Dusty, the
     developmentally challenged, super-slow pony, and I’ve got my girl, Nikita.” He turned to Baby.
    “Erika set you up with Birdie. She’s sort of a wild card,” he warned. Erika handed Baby the worn leather reins, at the end
     of which was a dappled mare, who snorted loudly. “Need a boost?”
    Baby nodded as Riley bent down and formed an impromptu step stool with his hands. He smelled like leather and sunscreen, and
     Baby’s stomach did an involuntary flip. Instead she focused on mounting Birdie. She was shorter than most people, but she
     hadn’t remembered horses being so
big
. Gently, Baby stepped her Puma sneaker on Riley’s palms and swung her leg over the horse.
    “Hey,” Baby whispered into Birdie’s straw-colored mane. The horse