My Fake Summer Boyfriend Read Free Page A

us. They have a son who goes to your school. Maybe you know him. His name is Alex. Alex Stedman."
    "We 've, uh, met." I gulped. So Alex would be in Chatfield for the whole summer!
    Jason walked in, staggering under the weight of two bags of groceries. I took one and put it on the counter.
    "They've got a daughter, too," Dad continued. "She's about Jason's age—a year younger, I think. Jason, do you know a girl named Hailey Stedman?"
    Jason shrugged. "I don 't think so."
    "Well, that 's okay. We'll get to know them all real soon." Dad pulled out two packages of hot dogs and three pounds of hamburger from one of the grocery bags. "I invited them over for a cookout tonight."
    "T-tonight?" My heart somersaulted. There was no time to l ose. "Where's my room? I really need to, um, freshen up."
    "Turn right at the top of the stairs," Mom said. "It's the third door on your left. The bathroom is between your room and Jason's and our room is on the other side of the hall."
    Sifting through Mom 's directions as I ran, I dashed up the stairs to my room. My suitcase was on the bed, which was covered with a blue-and-white spread that matched the cushions on the living-room furniture. I was glad to see a large mirror hung over the white wicker dressing table next to the bed.
    Through the bedroom window I saw two sea gulls flying over white-capped water. The sky was unblemished by even a single cloud. On the horizon was a sliver of land which I knew was Long Island. Three sailboats skimmed across the water near another island that looked as if it was only about a half mile off shore.
    But admiring the view would have to wait. I had more important things to do. Such as fix my hair. I plugged in my curling iron and sat down to comb my hair and decide how to style it.
    After I was satisfied with my hair, I carefully applied makeup, a bit more than usual, then changed clothes twice before finally deciding on a yellow sundress with enough gathers in the bodice to round out my less-than-voluptuous figure. My new white sandals completed my outfit.
    I swirled down the stairs feeling primed to impress Alex with my sophisticated image. As soon as I got within ten feet of my mother I could tell I was getting the once-over.
    "Blue eye shadow for the beach?" Mom raised an eyebrow.
    "It contains a sunblock," I answered quickly. "Where are Dad and Jason?" A deft change of subject on my part. "Shouldn't we be setting things up for this cookout Dad planned?"
    "They 're out back cleaning the grill and sweeping off the picnic table." She'd forgotten my eye shadow and any objections she may have been about to raise. "As usual, your father wasn't thinking too far ahead when he issued one of his last-minute invitations, and now he's realized how much there is to do before we can serve company."
    "We 're eating outside?" I pictured the wind ruining in an instant what it had taken me twenty minutes to achieve with my hair.
    "Well, we can seat eight at the picnic table. Besides, we might want to go swimming. Jason is already in his bathing suit."
    "I'm comfortable in this." I headed off what I knew would be my mother's suggestion to change my clothes. Instead I again changed the subject. "I'll make some potato salad." I always used my grandmother's recipe, and it never failed to win compliments. It wouldn't hurt to impress Alex in as many ways as I could.
    Once the potato salad was ready and Dad had lit the coals in the grill, I began to pace. "When are the Stedmans coming over?" I asked my mother. I tried to sound casual, as if it really didn 't matter and that, in fact, I found the whole idea of a cookout mildly annoying. That way Mom wouldn't wonder why I was so eager.
    "Your father said they 'd come around six o'clock, so they should be here before too long. Why don't you go out and see what Jason is up to? I don't want him swimming alone, and if Dad is engrossed with making the perfect fire, he may not be watching Jason too closely."
    "All right," I said,