Free Girls We Love by J. Minter Page B

project and it’s filming in Gda ń sk and it’s going to be totally, you know, arty… ”
    â€œVunderful,” Liesel said, and they clinked glasses. “I just think this is going to be majuh. You, me, DeeDee… ”
    â€œSo what’s it like?” SBB got a mystical look in her eyes, like she was imagining herself in the role of junior PR girl on the make. “What are you working on?”
    Liesel rolled her eyes. “There’s something happening every minute in PR, you see what I mean? It’sexhausting. But right now I’m working on building buzz for this club called Candy—maybe you’ve heard of it? Opening night is this Friday.”
    SBB shook her head.
    â€œIt’s a club for fabulous underage people, high school students who go to private schools, vacation in the Hamptons, and are on the fast track to Ivy League schools, mostly. They like to have fun, but they’re not assed out.”
    â€œWait, it’s
officially
for underage people?” SBB frowned. “So they can’t serve drinks? Like, how is that a party?”
    â€œI know, these people…,” Liesel said, not trying to hide her disgust. “No
real
drinks, anyway. They have some featured drinks like Break on Through, the energy drink, that kind of thing. And they give away candy bracelets.”
    SBB’s mouth was fixed in a little O of shock. “How are you ever going to make a club with no drinks hot?”
    â€œYou see what I mean? It’s a challenge.” Liesel shrugged. “But I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
    â€œWait! I have an idea,” SBB said, putting down her drink and reaching for Liesel’s hands again. “Tell me if this is, like, a good PR idea.” She met Liesel’s eyes, and took a deep breath. “So here’s my pitch. I met this adorable eighth grader named Flan Flood, at your party the other night—”
    â€œWait, is she related to
Patch
Flood?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI love it already.”
    SBB straightened up, like she was a business girl intern, too. “So, she was totally in love with your party.
She
wants a sweet sixteen—because she’s fresh-faced and excited about pure girlie fun. She’s fourteen, so she’s not jaded yet. She’s just like the Candy girl you described. You should totally throw a Candy sweet sixteen party, to promote the club and show what it’s all about. To give it personality.” SBB finished with a little clap for herself and her idea.
    Liesel slammed her jug of margarita down on the table, and put her hands on SBB’s shoulders. “A sweet sixteen for a fourteen-year-old? Brilliant,” she yelled, loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. “I love it so much, I’m going to
make it happen.
”

sbb can’t stop the ideas
    â€œThis is Liesel Reid at DDR PR. Leave a thorough message and I’ll get back to you as soon as my schedule permits.”
    â€œLies, it’s SBB again. It was so good to see you, and we didn’t even get to talk about our boys. Next time we should get Philippa to come. But, I had this other idea I wanted to shoot your way. When I was at Flan’s on Monday night, I noticed she has this homage to Leland Brinker—you know, the eighteen-year-old folk sensation who I dated once? Yeah, anyway, she has a crush on him, so maybe it would be cute if you got him to show up, like her surprise birthday date. What do you think? And, he has the same publicist as me, Vinky Morningside. Ciao, ciao.”
    â€œLeave a message.”
    â€œSBB, is this your phone? I hope so. Anyway, Leland Brinker! I love. I’ll call Vinky.”

love hurts when you love girls
    Philippa took a sip of her v and t, and gave her girlfriend, Stella, a lonesome look. Or a look that she hoped conveyed lonesomeness. Stella apparently had not gotten the point, because she was still up there singing