A Hope and a Chance(52)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Buffy caught me glaring. “Hope!” She said as she smacked me on my butt.

“Sorry, I can’t help it,” I confessed.

Buffy laughed. “My girlfriends used to love spending the night so that they could stare at him. We were seniors and he was just a measly freshman, but that didn’t stop them all from inviting him to their prom.”

I looked over at him again, before he disappeared into the pool house. “I believe it.” I said biting my lip.

“Seriously, Hope, could you stop undressing him with your eyes?”

“Yes, sorry. Here let me take that out for you,” I offered.

I picked up the tray of steaks and carried them out to the grilling station. My father was standing there waiting for me. “Thanks, sweetie.”

“Can I have a beer, Dad?” I asked obnoxiously.

“No you can’t, young lady!” He replied.

I rolled my eyes. The two assholes were drinking and one of them was the same age as me.

I caught Trevor looking at me, before calling me to come over where he and his brother sat. “What have you been up to, Hope?” He asked.

“Nothing much. Just hanging out here for the most part.”

I saw Chance come out of the pool house again. Our eyes met for just a second, and it was so hard not to smile. He gave me a quick wink before anyone noticed he was there.

Trevor wasn’t paying any attention to our new company. “Have you been to the beach lately? I could take you sometime if you wanted.”

“Actually, I just went last week. It was the best day of my life.” I said loud enough that Chance could hear.

He gave a half smile before I heard my father calling us all over from across the patio.

“Greg, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s little brother Chance.”

Chance extended his hand out to the old man. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Trevor’s older brother jumped in. “Hey, is your last name Avery?” He asked.

I could see Chance tense up. “Yes, it is. Why?”

“I saw you play ball once. Man you’re an awesome short stop. Where do you play now?” Michael asked.

Chance’s jaw clenched. “My mother died not too long ago, and I decided to take some time off from ball.”

“Man, you played like Ripken himself. I bet you could get picked up by a triple A team easy.”

“Thanks. I haven’t played in a while though,” I could see how much that hurt Chance. I wished I could help him get his old life back.

“My name is Michael, by the way, but you can call me Mike.” He held out his hand and shook with Chance. “So are you going to school around here this fall?”

He glanced over at me for a second. “Actually, I was considering it.”

That’s why he asked me. He wanted us to go together. I should have figured.

“You should check out Virginia Tech man, it’s great there. I have some friends on the team and none of them can play like you.”

“Maybe I will,” Chance replied.

I sat down in a chaise lounge about six feet away from the guys. They seemed consumed in their baseball talks, and I started to relax knowing that Chance was being sociable.

I closed my eyes for a second and felt someone sit down beside me. When they opened I was met with Trevor’s stare. His hair was lighter from being at the beach, but those lying blue eyes were exactly how I remembered them. “Hey, sexy. So what were we talking about before?” He asked.

“I don’t remember!”

“Oh yeah, the beach. So who gave you the best time of your life?” He asked.

“None of your business, Trevor. Did you overlook the fact that we weren’t together? Did you forget me telling you that you would never have any part of this again?” I waved my hands around my body.

“Oh, I remember. It turned me on.”

I had to look away on account of wanting to literally slap that cocky grin off his face. “Trevor, please just leave me alone. We’re not friends. We never really were.”

“I never asked you to be my friend, Hope. You were my girlfriend. We fucked. That’s all I wanted out of you.” He laughed before standing up and heading in the direction of the guys. I hated him so much, and wondered if he was going to go over there and gloat about sleeping with me to Chance. Of course he wouldn’t know that we were together, but that wouldn’t stop him from putting it out there. I think all I ever was to him was someone that he could brag about. It made me sick to my stomach. More than anything I wanted this family gone from my house.

Buffy finally came outside with two margarita glasses in her hand. She handed me one and winked. My father noticed right away. “What are you doing giving her alcohol?”

“There isn’t alcohol in hers, Mark,” she said.

I took a sip and knew right away that she was lying. The tequila burned going down my throat. Buffy seized my arm and led me to the pool. “Come on, Hope, let’s get in and relax.”

I gave her a smile before realizing I was wearing the ugliest bathing suit. “Hey, Buff, where is that suit that I borrowed for the beach?”

“It’s still in the laundry room. Why?”

“I’ll be right back,” I announced.

Trevor was an ignorant bastard, and he was never going to touch me again. He didn’t deserve me, or anyone for that matter, and I felt like rubbing it right in his face.

31

I didn’t feel like talking to these rich guys about how easy they had it, but Buffy asked me to be nice. She also told me that Trevor was Hope’s ex. I could read between the lines. I saw what Mark was trying to do, and I didn’t appreciate it. That was his daughter and he thought he could get in good with the father if the kids got along.

I was surprised Buffy hadn’t caught on to that. She was usually really good about reading people.

I didn’t know what Trevor had said to Hope, but after he walked away I noticed she was gone. Buffy was climbing into the pool, so I headed over to ask her. “Hey, where did Hope go?” I whispered.

“She um, you’ll see I guess, but Chance, please remember to keep your cool tonight. I can’t have you losing your shit and costing Mark this deal.”

“You’re scaring me, Buff. What’s she up to?”

“She’s putting on a bathing suit.”

“What suit? Not the? Tell me it isn’t that one.” I asked, but my worst fears were confirmed when Hope came back out of the house. She immediately started removing the cover-up to reveal the skimpy bikini she wore for me at the beach. Every single one of her perfect curves was accentuated. I wanted to run over and hide her, and I certainly didn’t want to have to watch them eying her up. This was pure torture.