Sunset Island - Sunset Secrets Part 19

She's sort of a world traveler, and right now she's a cook on one of those North Atlantic cruise ships. He met her when the Flirts played that weekend cruise back in March."

Sam was incredulous. "Hold on a sec. Am I picking up vibes that you've agreed to let him keep seeing her once you leave?"

"Sam, I don't have the right to let or not let him do something. He's a grownup. He makes his own choices."

"Hey, that's a little too New Age for me," Sam snorted. "If it were Danny, I'd deck him!"

"You're the biggest flirt in the Western hemi- sphere!" Carrie hooted. "Who are you to talk?"

"Flirting is permissible, for your information,"

Sam said coolly. "It's action that means war."

Carrie crumpled up her napkin and laid it by her plate. "I don't know what's going to happen. If he can last until June, at least we'll have the summer together. I've promised to be Graham and Claudia's au pair again."

"Yikes!" cried Sam. "I forgot to tell you what I did-yesterday! Danny and Kevin rented a boat and went sailing, so I got a bike and rode around. I ended up going past the Jacobs place, and Dan was there! He's having a new roof put on and wanted to check the progress."

"Were the monsters along?" asked Carrie, referring to Dan's precocious thirteen-year-old identical-twin daughters.

"Only in spirit," said Sam. "The point is that he asked me back for the summer."

"And?" said Emma.

"And I told him I'd think about it."

"But what about Disney?" Carrie asked.

This was it. The big chance. The big opening.

Truth tune.

"I'm . . . having some problems at Disney,"

Sam ventured.

"Really?" Carrie asked, concern etched on her face.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"It's ... it's ... oh, it's nothing," Sam said, brushing it off. She'd gotten so used to the lie, she just couldn't make herself tell them. She changed the subject quickly.

"Hey, listen, I picked up a magazine in the hotel lobby and there was an ad in there for dancers-dancers for an international touring company!" Sam said animatedly. "Would that be totally happening, or what?"

"Would that be long term?" Carrie asked. "You wouldn't be able to keep your job at Disney, would you?"

Sam sighed. "Honestly, Carrie. Didn't you ever hear of thinking big?"

Carrie looked a little hurt. "Well, how would you get in on it?"

"I have to send for more information," Sam replied. "I guess they have auditions. Just think- by next fall you two may be getting postcards from London, Paris-who knows?"

"Hi there!" came a low male voice.

The three girls looked up to see Kevin Logan standing at their table.

"Takeout," he said, holding up a bag of m.u.f.fins.

"How's it going?"

"Great!" said Sam. "We're about to move on to dessert."

"Try the Chocolate Sacrifice," Kevin suggested.

"I had it yesterday. It's incredible." He glanced at each of them. "See you!"

Emma, Carrie, and Sam watched Kevin saunter out of the restaurant.

"Tell me that isn't a world-cla.s.s b.u.t.t," Sam murmured as they watched him walk out the door.

"You won't get any argument from me," Carrie said.

"Does he have a girlfriend, or what?" Emma asked casually.

"From what Danny tells me, he has a harem!"

said Sam.

"Anyone for dessert?" the waitress asked cheerfully.

"Not me," said Emma.

"Or me," Carrie seconded quickly.

"Such misses!" Sam chided. She turned to the waitress. "One Chocolate Sacrifice," she ordered, "and three spoons."

"So Kevin's a heartbreaker, is he?" Carrie said, immediately resuming their conversation.

"Not really a heartbreaker," Sam went on thoughtfully. "I think he just sort of plays the field, and he's so nice about it that girls feel lucky just to have his attention."

"He doesn't seem to have a big ego," Emma commented.

"He doesn't," Sam agreed. "There's something so solid about him-you know, he's smart, ath- letic, thoughtful, fun ..."

"Maybe we should run him for president,"

Carrie offered.

The girls enjoyed a laugh, but Emma was thinking that she was glad Kevin was going to be around for the party. If Kurt was going to get on her case about her drinking, maybe she'd just spend time with Kevin. After all, he'd been really nice to her at her apartment. And he was very, very cute.

Emma sighed and stared into the distance.

Love was not all it was cracked up to be. Not at all.

By seven-thirty Sat.u.r.day evening, the party plans had materialized. The Templetons' house was lit up like a Christmas tree, with munchies set around in each room and a buffet table loaded with goodies. Emma had sprung for trays of the Bay View Cafe's famous fried chicken, and Sam and Carrie had spent hours on fresh-vegetable dips and homemade biscuits. The Flirts had contributed a keg of beer, which was chilling in a tub of ice on the deck, and the girls had stashed extra bags of ice in the freezer, knowing that some people would bring their own liquor for mixed drinks.

As usual, the three girls couldn't have chosen three more different outfits. Carrie had on her new raspberry jacket again, but this time she wore a s.e.xy black bodysuit and black jeans underneath. She'd spent an hour putting the outfit on and then taking it off again, trying to decide if she looked fat. Finally, she'd simply forced herself to decide.

Emma had on a short pleated skirt in pink-and- purple plaid, with a long pink cashmere sweater that slipped s.e.xily off one shoulder. Sam had chosen a lime-green bodysuit, and paired it with a wide belt covered in Mickey Mouse stickers and an oversized man's jacket from the Salvation Army.

"I can't believe our week is almost over-it went so fast!" Carrie exclaimed wistfully as she ladled out one more bowl of salsa. Til be back in the dorm study room wondering if it ever hap- pened at all!" Still sticking my finger down my throat, she added in her head. Still desperate to find another way. She missed the feeling of being able to talk to Sam and Emma about anything.

"And I'll be back reading nineteenth-century French literature at Goucher College," Emma said, wrinkling her nose. And not getting up the courage to change my life. Drinking it away.

I don't even know where I'll be was Sam's scary thought. One thing I vow, though, is that I will not go back to Junction! She had promised Danny that she'd go back to Orlando with him.

But after that, Ufe was a blur. There was always the chance she could get back on at Big Al's, and maybe that ad for the international dance tour would pan out.

"But I refuse to think about it now!" Sam said aloud to no one in particular. She cranked up the tunes and did a little boogie across the living room. "Let's party!"

The front door opened, and the first guest arrived. To everyone's surprise, it was Daphne, carrying a platter of brownies.

"Hi," Daphne said shyly, meeting the girls'

gazes one by one. "I brought something to donate to the party."

Carrie was the first to rush up. "You didn't have to," she said with a smile. "But yum-we're glad you did! Come on in, and let's find room for these on the main table."

No sooner had they walked around the corner than the door opened again to let Flash Hatha- way slither in.

"Right on the heels of every silver lining, there's a big ugly cloud," cracked Sam.

"How can he have the nerve to show his slimy face on this island after everything he's done?"

Emma asked in shock.

"Hiya, chicks," said Plash, oblivious to Sam's slam. "Got any food around here? I got an engagement party to snap on the other side of the island, and thought I'd drop in for dinner first." Helping himself to a chip with salsa, Flash continued as he chewed, "Where's the third Mouseketeer? Or is she so intimidated by a professional photographer that she ran when she saw me coming?"

"Would you like a napkin?" asked Emma as Flash noisily licked his fingertips, then plunged back in for another chip.

"How about a bib?" said Sam with distaste.

Ignoring Sam, Flash said to Emma, "Sure, Blondie, I'll take a napkin. Let's go in here where the real eats are, and you can tie it on for me."

At that moment, Kevin and Danny walked through the door, Danny going straight to Sam for a hug. Kevin greeted Emma with an exagger- ated bow and a kiss for her hand.

"I see the royal family's arrived," said Flash, giving Emma a nod as he moved toward the buffet in the dining room. "Excuse me, Princess Di."

"Oh well," said Sam, following his exit with her gaze, "it's not really a party without at least one slob in the crowd."

Kevin offered to help Emma uncork wine bot- tles, and Danny and Sam iced the soft drinks he'd brought. Sam found herself hoping that Emma wouldn't drink too much, but the thought put a damper on her party mood. What the h.e.l.l, she told herself, it's a party-let everyone do what they want. She decided on the spot to have a beer herself.

Carrie and Daphne were touring the Temple- tons' house, and Carrie found herself desperately wanting to ask Daphne about her eating disorder.

Maybe here was someone who would understand.

She chose the balcony off the master bedroom to pose her question.

"I don't mean to pry," Carrie explained, "but I'm kind of curious about what you went through. I mean, your recovery. See, I have this . . .

friend . . ."

A shrewd and searching look came into Daphne's eyes but was gone a second later. "Well, there are different kinds of eating disorders. I thought I couldn't eat at all, which is usually called an- orexia. But it's complicated. Some people can eat, but then they make themselves throw up after- ward, and that's called bulimia."

"Yes, I've . . . I've heard of it," Carrie said.

"That's what my friend has."

"Well, your friend is probably really unhappy,"

Daphne said. "It's really painful."

Carrie felt like someone had hit her in her stomach with a fist. Yes, it really was painful!

How could it have possibly happened to her? To her?

"Anyway, at least your friend has taken the right first step," Daphne said.

"What's that?" Carrie asked.

"She told you! After that, it's her call. There are entire books on the subject! People have all kinds of ways they recover: reading, counseling, groups, programs."

"Oh, well, she's not the kind of person to join a program or something," Carrie said hastily. "I don't think she's been doing it for very long or anything."

Daphne looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, maybe she'll surprise herself. I sure surprised myself."

They were interrupted by a couple who claimed they were also just touring the house, though Carrie suspected they were probably scoping out bedrooms in case the party got "private" later.

Suddenly Carrie felt responsible for the Temple- tons' house, and ushered Daphne back toward the hub of activity downstairs.

"Gosh, just when I thought there were no good-looking girls at this party!" It was Billy, first leaning over her shoulder, then pulling her close for a hug.

Please let things work out this summer, prayed Carrie. / love him so much! The week of honesty with Billy had given her the courage to tell Josh she had made her decision. She would just have to take her chances. Maybe Josh would find a girlfriend who would tolerate Carrie's friendship with him, and they could still be friends. Very briefly, Sarah Lovett popped into her mind. She wondered if that was who Josh had in mind. She also wondered if she should have a chat with Sarah about bulimia. There I go again, she thought.

Fair-and-square Carrie.

"I brought some rum," said Billy. "Want a Sunset Mambo?"

Carrie hardly ever drank-she didn't particu- larly care for it. But tonight she felt like celebrating with Billy. "Sure," she answered. "Just be sure to make it a light one."