Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(19)

Panic rose within me and I took a deep breath, trying to fight it. Why didn’t I think of that? People were going to see Jacob and me today, if he planned on giving me that lesson at the lake, which wouldn’t work. No way. I didn’t think this through. I couldn’t be seen with Jake. What if it got back to Kyle? Plus, then they would all know I couldn’t swim for crap and I would look like a total loser. I don’t want to give them more reasons to laugh at me.

We should’ve arranged for private lessons. Night lessons. Though I think he’d rather spend his nights doing anything else but teach me how to freaking swim…

“Hey, Annie.”

That drawl was unmistakable. Could I maybe close my eyes and I’d disappear so he wouldn’t notice me sitting here?

Kelsey’s sharp elbow in my ribs—again—told me no.

“Um, hi.” I lifted my gaze to Jacob’s, saw that he clutched a tray overloaded with food in his hands. Kyle stood next to him, his tray equally full, a curious expression on his face as his gaze went from Jacob to me.

“Mind if we sit here?” Jacob asked, waving at the empty spot across from us.

Kelsey’s jaw just about dropped to the floor. “Um, aren’t you supposed to sit with your cabin?” She looked directly at Kyle while I tried my hardest not to blush, but it was no use. My cheeks felt like they were on fire.

“My group’s gone,” Kyle said as he and Jacob sat down, Jacob directly across from me while Kyle sat across from Kelsey. Both boys dug in without saying a word, and I cataloged everything on Jacob’s tray.

A banana, an apple, a blueberry muffin, scrambled eggs and bacon, strawberry yogurt, an orange juice, and a chocolate milk. Oh, wait, make that two blueberry muffins. He already had one halfway stuffed into his mouth.

“You boys sure do eat a lot,” Kelsey said, laughing.

Jacob smiled, his mouth curved and lips sealed, thank goodness. I did not want to see chewed-up muffin in his mouth. “You’re the girl from the dock,” he said to her after he swallowed.

Kelsey nodded, looking pleased. “Kelsey.”

“Jake.” He flicked his head in Kyle’s direction. “This is Kyle. And that’s Annie. Though I think you two already know each other.” He pointed at me, his gaze dropping, taking in the fact that I was wearing his hoodie, no doubt.

Busted.

“Yeah.” Kyle wasn’t overly friendly this morning. He just grunted his hello before taking a big bite of banana.

“Kyle’s not much of a morning person,” Jake said, holding up his hand at the side of his mouth, like he was telling us a great secret.

“Neither is Annie,” Kelsey said, earning a dirty look for her totally unnecessary comment. Why did she have to bring up my faults? Though I guess it gave Kyle and me something in common, so that was a good thing, right?

“Hmm, I bet, especially this morning.” The knowing look in Jacob’s eyes made me want to kick him.

…

JAKE

She was so incredibly easy to get a rise out of. I sat with Annie and her friend just to bug her. I ran across Kyle in front of the dining hall just as I was about to go in. He was running late, since he slept in and didn’t come with the rest of his cabin group, which was weird. But Brian was his counselor, and he cut everyone slack—which would totally piss off Uncle Bob.

But what Uncle Bob didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

I warned Kyle as we entered the dining hall that I didn’t want to sit near Lacey, considering she was the first person I saw. Girl tried to talk to me last night when I went back to the staff cabins—I found her waiting for me outside, pacing back and forth. When I told her I had nothing more to say to her, she started to yell, calling me all sorts of names and even waking up Dane and Nancy.

The girl was nuts.

I’d walked into the dining hall with my breath held and my guard up, but she hadn’t looked in my direction. Thank God.

“So. You’re Dane’s assistant. Right?” Kelsey pushed aside her plate and leaned forward, her elbow on the table, her chin propped on her curled fist. She had that dreamy look in her eyes like all the girls did when they talked about lame-ass Dane. “What’s it like, working for him?”

Could I tell her he was an egotistical prick? That would be a lie, but still. It would be fun to create a new rumor about my so-called boss. The guy wasn’t that bad, but he did think he was God’s gift to women, and the way all the girls chased after him while they wiped the drool from their mouths, it proved he sort of was. Not that he touched any of those girls. He wouldn’t dare, and he wasn’t stupid. He was way too old for them. Plus, he had a girlfriend in Australia he called all the damn time. She hated his summer camp job because it kept them apart.

I was pretty sure he loved it because every summer, he was king of the lake with his adoring harem surrounding him.

“He’s cool,” I said as noncommittally as I could. I tried my best not to talk about Dane. I’d realized quickly that he preferred the mystique surrounding him, so I helped support it.

“He’s more than cool, and you know it.” Kelsey sighed and smiled. “I think it’s his accent. He always sounds so sexy, even saying the most boring thing ever. I could listen to him talk all day long.” She sat up straighter, her hand falling to the table. “I bet I’d die if I went to Australia and had to listen to those accents all day long. Just straight up keel over.”