**FOUR**
THE TATTOO SCENE
“We’re going swimming.”
“Swimming?” I echo, snapping my head up to my sister.
Tammy nods, confirming my nightmares. “Swimming.”
Don’t get me wrong, I love swimming, but…there’s a problem. Three, actually. “Why?”
“Because,” She sends me a dry look, “I’m bored. And hot. And there’s food. That’s free.” She plucks a skimpy bikini out from her dresser. “Let’s go.”
“Why is there food?”
“It’s a pool party, Pia, come on, keep up,” She rolls her eyes. “Get ready in five.” She slams the bathroom door shut, leaving me on my old bed, struck with shock.
I can’t wear a bikini. Everybody will see. Especially my sister…I shudder, flipping back to my book. No swimming for me today. Tammy, like she promised, came back five minutes later. Her eyes skim my body. “You’re not wearing a bikini.”
“Nope.”
“You’re coming,” She states dryly. “Get ready.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“Too bad.”
She stares at me with wide eyes. “But there’s guys! And they’re cute!”
My stomach lurches when she says ‘guys’. I’m not in the mood to go and flirt with anybody, not now, not ever. “I’ll pass.”
She yanks the book from my hands, and replaces it with a swim suit. “You have ten minutes. If you’re not wearing that,” She motions to the swim suit, “This,” She shakes the book in her hands, “will get burned.” She walks out of my room, jumping down the stairs with my book.
Damn it. I should know she means business. As quick as possible, I change into the bikini she gave me. It’s a purple shade with black polka dots scattered around. It’s strapless, one of things I despise in life, and the bottom has little strings tied in bows on the end. I look in the mirror and pull up the bottom a bit more. There. Now nobody can see it. I put a little jacket on too, so it covers the two on the back of my shoulders.
I climb down the stairs and slip my flip flops on. I rush into the kitchen, yelling, “Don’t burn my book!”
I don’t run into Tammy, actually.
I run into Joey instead.
He jumps, looking completely startled. “The fuck are you doing?”
YOU ARE READING
The Jersey Girl
Romance'Scene doesn’t even acknowledge that Angelica, his girlfriend of two years, is in the room, watching us make out against my fake boyfriend’s kitchen wall. Wow, my life is screwed up with a capital S.' Pia Lombardi hates New Jersey. Period. When she...
