Page 56 of The Other Side of Paradise

“That’ssosmooth,” she said, settling back into the seat and taking a sip of her drink. “So, what kind of girls are you into? Because Ryan told me she was just messing with me and you’re not really into athletic girls.”

“Oh, god. Um. Yeah, I’m not.”

She elbowed me, laughing. “You didn’t want to say so earlier?”

“I mean, it’s not like there’s no such thing as a hot athletic girl. To an extent. I wouldn’t want someone who looks like BB. Like, I would wantsomesoft surfacessomewhere.”

“Like in the form of huge fake tits.”

“Oh my god, again with that. I’m not looking for a girl with huge fake tits.”

She laughed. “So, the question? What kinds of girls do you like?”

“God, I don’t know. Um…” I busied myself looking at the screen, pretending to be interested. There was a click, and the screen turned off, and I looked over at where Stella held the remote, dangling it teasingly.

“Look at me when we’re having a conversation, Allison.”

Oh, shit, that was a turn-on. I laughed nervously. “Right. Sorry. Just, uh. Just, I don’t know. I don’t know.” I shrugged. I didn’t want to know how red I was. “I don’t think I really have a type. Just… someone who’s pretty.”

“Like Ariana Grande.”

“Um. Sure? Why her?”

She smiled wider. “I thought she was your celebrity crush?”

Oh, shit, she was. I was forgetting everything I’d ever said. I blushed furiously. “Oh, um, yeah. She is. I don’t think she’s here, though.”

She winked. “Even if she were, though, you wouldn’t take your eyes off me, I’m sure.”

“Uh.” I really wouldn’t. “I mean, obviously.”

She set the TV remote down on the table next to her, and she took a long sip of her drink before she turned back to me and said, “So, it’s about time you fessed up.”

“Fessed—” Oh, god. Did she know I was desperately pining for her? She was going to kill me.Iwas going to kill me. How would she not know? I wasn’t subtle. “Fessed up about what?” I said, all coming out more like one word.

“Who’d you make out with at the beach?”

Oh, Jesus. That was better. Also worse.I masturbated in the car thinking about youwas a bad answer. “Nobody,” I said, after too long a pause, which she immediately called me out on, with,

“That was too long a pause.”

“I was—trying to remember what you meant.”

“Trying to remember?” She laughed. “What, did you make out with so many girls you can’t keep them straight?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t want to make out with a straight girl.” Shit, that wasn’t even true. She laughed, eyes sparkling brighter.

“Oh yeah? Never had a crush on a straight girl?”

“N-no.”

“You’re a liar.”

I wish I were a better one. I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head, looking away. “Okay, maybe like, once.”

“Who?”

Fuck me, I shouldn’t have said anything. “What, like you’d know her?”