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“You will,” James says. “He opens up slowly, but he will.”
“He talked about you some, you know,” Aiden says. “When you got into Penn. Bragged about his smart younger sister.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Really,” James confirms. “I remember that.”
“Huh.” I smile a little bit. “Okay, I guess I feel better now.”
“Good,” Aiden says. “Now, what do you think of this party? Honestly?”
I look out at the crowd again. I spot Ryan talking to some guys, miming a tennis shot, while Carter is huddled up with two girls and two men, having what looks like a deep conversation. Daniel is nowhere to be seen, but if I had to guess, he’s somewhere trying to fleece some rich guy out of millions by challenging him to cards.
“It’s not my scene,” I admit.
“Not mine, either,” he says. “But Henry wants to have a blowout.”
“Certainly is that,” James adds.
“Go big or go home. That’s how he rolls.” Aiden sips his beer. “Come on, let’s go check out the bonfire before one of these rich assholes tries to talk to us.”
“Aren’t you a rich asshole?” James asks Aiden as the three of us walk out back.
“Yes, but I’m not an asshole.”
“Are you sure?” I ask him.
He laughs. “Okay, maybe a little bit.”
“It’s okay. We’re all assholes,” James says, winking at me.
We head out back and skirt the pool. There are two girls in there, floating on inner tubes, completely naked. I do a double-take, surprised as hell, but nobody seems to mind. Both girls look totally bored. James and Aiden don’t even glance in their direction, like two girls with big fake boobs floating naked in the pool is a normal thing.
The bonfire is blazing as we move down the dunes. There’s a big group out here, and several kegs of beer, only reinforcing the feeling that I’m living in a frat party. James gets me a drink while Aiden points out a few people he knows.
“That’s Helmut Wang,” Aiden says, and gives me a look. “Yes, that’s his real name.”
I giggle. “Okay, I’m totally immature.”
He grins at me and laughs with me. “It’s a funny name. But he happens to be, like, this big defense contractor guy.”
“Why’s he here?”
He shrugs. “Henry knows him somehow.” He nods at a woman Mr. Wang’s talking to. “That’s a model, I think her name is…”
“Lacey Lane,” I say. “I know of her.”
“Yeah, that’s it. And over there are like… five basketball players.”
I laugh and watch the five enormous guys all jostle each other, trying to get some beer.
“Are his parties always like this?”
“Yes and no,” Aiden admits. “He wants this month to be special so I think he’s starting with a bang.”
“That’s an understatement,” James says, returning with drinks. “Did you point out the Senator?”
Aiden laughs. “I didn’t notice him.”
