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“So you’re Ginger and Marna?”
“How do you know our names?” they asked simultaneously.
“Same way you know mine.”
The mean sister narrowed her eyes at me again. What was with her?
“Word is you and Kai are work partners.” Blake winked at me. I felt my face warm, and shrugged noncommittally. I didn’t think any of them were buying my tough act.
“I haven’t seen him or talked to him in a few weeks,” I said.
Mean Sister pulled out her cell and scrolled through her contacts.
She dialed. “Aw, cripe, voice mail... Oi! Arse-face! We’re at your little girl Anna’s house. Ring me back straightaway.” She slid it shut and glared at me. “Surprised he still has the same number,” she said. “That bloke gets his number changed more than anyone I know.”
I was very uncomfortable. I still didn’t know what they wanted with me. Not a single one of them emitted any emotional colors, and they acted so tense.
“Why don’t you all sit down and I’ll get us something to drink.” I’d definitely been raised by Patti Whitt.
Kopano sat at the end of the couch. Blake shrugged and sat at the other end.
“I’ll just stand,” Mean Sister said with a bored wave of her hand. Suit yourself, I thought.
I walked to the kitchen, surprised when the nicer sister followed me. She watched with interest as I filled glasses with ice and took the pitcher out of the fridge.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Sweet tea,” I said. Her gray eyes widened and she smiled. She had a slender, oval face. Pretty.
“Ooh, Ginger, tea on ice! I’ve heard about it,” she called out.
“Sounds awful,” Ginger said.
“I can make you a cup of hot tea instead.” I made sure to be polite, but I wasn’t wasting any smiles on the mean sister, Ginger.
“Fine.” She huffed and sat down between the two guys, wiggling on the springs.
I looked up at Marna as I warmed the water, wondering how wrong I was doing it, but she didn’t seem interested in critiquing. I handed her a glass of iced tea and she took a sip.
“Mmm. That’s different. Not bad, though. It’s not bad, Ginger!”
“Good for you. Drink up. Have a ball.”
It wasn’t going to be so hard to tell the sisters apart after all.
“Is this your first time in America?” I asked Marna.
“Yes. We’ve only just turned eighteen and finished school, so we’re traveling the world now.”
“No, we’re not, Marna. Stop telling people that. We’re only visiting the United States. Then it’s back to London.”
“Well, it feels like it to me,” she shouted, turning back to me with a sweet smile. “We met Blake and Kopano in Boston, then we drove down here together. It’s a long way.”
“What’s in Boston?” I asked. I didn’t think there were any Dukes living there.
“Kope just finished his first year at Harvard.” We looked over at him, and he gave a bashful nod, then looked down.
Harvard, wow. I’d never met anyone who went to a big, famous school.
“What should I put in this?” I asked Marna about her sister’s hot tea.
“Scoop of sugar. She needs it. Old sourpuss.”
Musical notes filled the air and Ginger pulled out her phone. My stomach tightened as she slid it open.
“Is Pharzy home?” she asked as a greeting. Kaidan. “Drats. We’ll stay here for now, then.... Don’t worry. We haven’t tortured the poor girl. She’s the one trying to torture us with American iced tea.... Don’t think you can weasel out of seeing us.... When, tonight? Hold on.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at me. “Do you know how to get to some club named Double Doors?”
“Um, kind of. I can find out from my friend. I’ll write down directions for you.”
“I don’t think so,” said Marna in a singsong tone. “You’re coming with us.”
My heart sped up. I had narrowly escaped this noose with Jay before. They watched me, and all I could think about was how Kaidan was on the other end of that phone line.
“I can’t,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Why not?” Ginger snapped at me.
“I’m busy.” Doing nothing.
“Come,” Kopano said. His voice seemed to reverberate around the silent room. He held my gaze, but I had to look away. His soulful eyes made me feel like he could see too much.
“Please,” said Marna next to me, clasping her fingers together.
I thought about Jay and how excited he would be if I came and heard his song. I looked up into Marna’s pleading eyes and over at Kopano’s serious face, full of mystery.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“We’ll be there at seven,” Ginger said, then snapped the sleek phone shut.
Oh, my goodness, I was going to see Kaidan! My whole body buzzed with excitement and dread.
I took my drink and sat down on the floor in front of the others with my legs crossed, hoping none of them was observant enough to see the slight shake of my hand.
Ginger began. “The first thing you need to know is that we can see through any and all bull. So be straight with us about everything. Understand?”
Since BSing wasn’t really my thing anyway, I nodded, realizing now that sitting on the floor was a bad idea—it gave me the inferior position of having to look up at her. And I didn’t like the way she was talking to me.