Welcome to Corbet's Inlet, North Carolina, where the teenagers act like adults and the adults act like teenagers. It's Griffin Connolly's favorite place in the world. And while she may not be good at making decisions when it comes to her own life, s...
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"Tell me again why you want to go visit your brother tomorrow?" Griffin's mom asked, pinning her blonde hair into place. "He's coming next weekend for your birthday."
Griffin sat on her parents' bed while they finished getting ready for some fancy fundraiser thing at the club. She'd decided to casually bring up visiting her brother to them on their way out, hoping they wouldn't stall by asking too many questions. She had all the arguments and reasons she needed teed up ready to go in case they did.
"I let him borrow my favorite tennis racquet when he was home for my graduation and he never gave it back," she said. "I need it for the Charity Tournament coming up."
Preplanned Tactic #1.
Her dad emerged from the walk-in closet. "You have plenty of other racquets, Griff," he said, straightening his lapels. "And it's not like you're going up against a lot of competition in the twenty-and-under bracket anyway."
"...Rob asked me to play in the twenty-one-and-over bracket this year," Griffin said sheepishly.
Her dad looked pleased. "Well, you probably won't see a lot of competition there, either."
Griffin hated when he made comments like this. The only thing more awkward was when he said them to other people.
"The drive to Greensboro isn't bad, though," she tried again. "I'll just go up tomorrow, stay Tuesday, and come back on Wednesday. Easy."
"But, you never want to leave Corbet's in the summer, honey," her mom said.
"I know. But I miss having Bo around," Griffin said, switching to Preplanned Tactic #2. "He hasn't spent a summer here in forever."
Bo had graduated from NC State a year ago and gotten a full-time banking job in Greensboro. He rarely came home. Griffin wasn't lying when she said she missed having him around, but he was also a conveniently perfect alibi to get her out of Corbet's to go to her interview on Tuesday with Bill Hammond. Greensboro was half an hour from Wake Forest.
"Well, I guess we can live with that," her dad said, fixing his cufflinks in the dresser mirror. "As long as you're back in time to rest up for the Charity Tournament."
"First round is Thursday morning, dad," Griffin said. "I'll be back Wednesday afternoon at the latest. Maybe even Tuesday night."
"I don't want you driving late," he said.
"I'll come back Wednesday morning, then."
Both of her parents paused in front of her, her mom in a blue satin gown, her dad in an expensive-ass tux. They looked like such a stereotypical Corbet's Inlet power couple Griffin almost cringed.
She stood up and winced at the bolt of pain that came from the cut on her foot. "You guys look great."
"Thanks, honey," her mom said. "We shouldn't be back late from the fundraiser. What are you doing tonight?"
