like?”
“Huh?” She studied his shaggy brown hair, noticing how the sun had bleached the ends some, but it was actually a shade or two darker than her own. Still it was attractive in a beach-boy sort of way.
“The other girls I mean. What are they like?”
“Oh, well, I have to admit that they’re really pretty. My grandmother probably wouldn’t let a girl live there if she weren’t pretty. Well, except me, and that’s only because I’m family.”
“You’re pretty.”
DJ laughed. “Yeah, right. But, thanks anyway.”
“No, you really are.” He leaned in as if to study her more closely. “I mean you’re not a frilly kind of girl. Kind of what I’d call low maintenance.”
“How would you even know what that was?”
“My sister Amy. She’s in college now, and she might’ve calmed down some. But when she was at home, she was what I’d call really high maintenance. Seriously, she would not step out of the house if she hadn’t washed, blown-dry, and styled her hair within an inch of its life. Then she had to put on these layers of makeup that took like an hour. After that, she’d try on about twenty things out of her closet until she had the perfect outfit. I swear that girl had to get up at four in the morning just to make it to school on time.”
DJ laughed. “Yeah, I guess that is high maintenance.”
“Which you obviously are not.”
She frowned. “It’s that obvious?”
“It’s not a bad thing, DJ. I think it’s pretty cool that you don’t put a lot of time and fuss into your appearance.”
“Kinda like one of the guys.” She couldn’t help but frown as she wondered what Conner’s real perception of her might be.
But he just smiled. And his blue eyes sparkled in a way that she couldn’t be sure was serious or not. “Yeah, except you’re better to look at than a guy.”
Thankfully, the waitress came to take their order just then.
“Want some fries too?” asked Conner.
She grinned. “Actually, that sounds pretty good. It was kind of hard to eat tonight with so much going on at the table. I just wanted to get out of there.”
So he ordered a large side of fries and two Cokes. As a distraction from talking about looks, DJ asked if he planned to play fall soccer and when practices start. She was pretty sure he’d already told her, but it was a good way to move the conversation.
“Varsity practice started already,” he told her. “For guys anyway. It started last week. I thought I mentioned it.”
She nodded. “Maybe you did. Guess I’m kinda spacey with all the craziness going on at my house. Did I tell you that Rhiannon is going to live there?”
“Really? How’d that happen?”
“I guess her mom and my grandma worked something out.”
“Rhiannon should be glad. She was pretty bummed about moving.”
Then DJ told him about Rhiannon’s roommate, Taylor, and her celebrity mother.
“I’ve heard that name,” he said. “Cool. Someone almost famous.”
DJ rolled her eyes.
“You don’t like this Taylor girl very much, do you?”
“I thought I liked her. I mean not so much at first because she seemed kind of snotty. But then I hung with her awhile this afternoon—after I caught her smoking.”
He chuckled. “Does your grandma know about that?”
“No.”
“Good blackmail material.”
“My grandmother probably wouldn’t even believe me. I’m sure she thinks those girls are all perfect, and that I’m the loser of the bunch.”
He frowned. “Why would she think that?”
“You haven’t met my grandmother yet, have you?”
“I know she was somebody big in the fashion world. My mom and sister both told me that much. They were impressed.”
“Yeah, people who are into fashion and all that nonsense are totally impressed. My grandmother likes to be surrounded by people who are impressed with her, and I’m just not. I mean who cares if she was a supermodel back in the Stone Age. In my opinion, fashion magazines only contribute to eating
“Huh?” She studied his shaggy brown hair, noticing how the sun had bleached the ends some, but it was actually a shade or two darker than her own. Still it was attractive in a beach-boy sort of way.
“The other girls I mean. What are they like?”
“Oh, well, I have to admit that they’re really pretty. My grandmother probably wouldn’t let a girl live there if she weren’t pretty. Well, except me, and that’s only because I’m family.”
“You’re pretty.”
DJ laughed. “Yeah, right. But, thanks anyway.”
“No, you really are.” He leaned in as if to study her more closely. “I mean you’re not a frilly kind of girl. Kind of what I’d call low maintenance.”
“How would you even know what that was?”
“My sister Amy. She’s in college now, and she might’ve calmed down some. But when she was at home, she was what I’d call really high maintenance. Seriously, she would not step out of the house if she hadn’t washed, blown-dry, and styled her hair within an inch of its life. Then she had to put on these layers of makeup that took like an hour. After that, she’d try on about twenty things out of her closet until she had the perfect outfit. I swear that girl had to get up at four in the morning just to make it to school on time.”
DJ laughed. “Yeah, I guess that is high maintenance.”
“Which you obviously are not.”
She frowned. “It’s that obvious?”
“It’s not a bad thing, DJ. I think it’s pretty cool that you don’t put a lot of time and fuss into your appearance.”
“Kinda like one of the guys.” She couldn’t help but frown as she wondered what Conner’s real perception of her might be.
But he just smiled. And his blue eyes sparkled in a way that she couldn’t be sure was serious or not. “Yeah, except you’re better to look at than a guy.”
Thankfully, the waitress came to take their order just then.
“Want some fries too?” asked Conner.
She grinned. “Actually, that sounds pretty good. It was kind of hard to eat tonight with so much going on at the table. I just wanted to get out of there.”
So he ordered a large side of fries and two Cokes. As a distraction from talking about looks, DJ asked if he planned to play fall soccer and when practices start. She was pretty sure he’d already told her, but it was a good way to move the conversation.
“Varsity practice started already,” he told her. “For guys anyway. It started last week. I thought I mentioned it.”
She nodded. “Maybe you did. Guess I’m kinda spacey with all the craziness going on at my house. Did I tell you that Rhiannon is going to live there?”
“Really? How’d that happen?”
“I guess her mom and my grandma worked something out.”
“Rhiannon should be glad. She was pretty bummed about moving.”
Then DJ told him about Rhiannon’s roommate, Taylor, and her celebrity mother.
“I’ve heard that name,” he said. “Cool. Someone almost famous.”
DJ rolled her eyes.
“You don’t like this Taylor girl very much, do you?”
“I thought I liked her. I mean not so much at first because she seemed kind of snotty. But then I hung with her awhile this afternoon—after I caught her smoking.”
He chuckled. “Does your grandma know about that?”
“No.”
“Good blackmail material.”
“My grandmother probably wouldn’t even believe me. I’m sure she thinks those girls are all perfect, and that I’m the loser of the bunch.”
He frowned. “Why would she think that?”
“You haven’t met my grandmother yet, have you?”
“I know she was somebody big in the fashion world. My mom and sister both told me that much. They were impressed.”
“Yeah, people who are into fashion and all that nonsense are totally impressed. My grandmother likes to be surrounded by people who are impressed with her, and I’m just not. I mean who cares if she was a supermodel back in the Stone Age. In my opinion, fashion magazines only contribute to eating
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