“How do you know what she looks like?” I ask, my voice low.
“Um, Instagram,” Lis says. “Have you not looked at his pictures of her?”
“No,” I say. But now I want to see them immediately.
“She’s not hard to find. I follow him, and he tags her. Ergo I know who she is.” She pulls up his Instagram and hands me her phone. “That’s her.”
Definitely gorgeous. Stick-straight light brown hair with blond highlights. Amazing cheek bones. Big eyes. Glam. Yep, a real ten.
I spot Muffs and JJ returning to our table, and I quickly hand Lis back her phone.
Even when I was a camper, everyone wanted to get to know Gavin. He was the guy all the girls thought was hot.
And now that I know his girlfriend is gorgeous, for some reason, he is even hotter?
The score is 5–7. It’s the ninth inning. We’re losing. And I’m at bat. Botts is on first. Janelle is on second. Brody is on third. We have two outs.
I’ve had one walk so far, one out, and one ground ball. I haven’t played in a while. Since high school. Funny that Eli has never seen me play.
“You can do it!” Botts screams. “Come on, Rosenspan! Take us home!”
“Go, Sammy!” my girls scream from the bleachers.
No pressure or anything.
Smokin’ Hot Benji is pitching.
He tosses the ball.
I miss.
“Strike one!” Josh says.
Crap.
He tosses the ball again.
I miss again.
“Strike two!”
“You got this, Rosenspan!” Botts yells.
I look up at Gavin. He makes a swinging motion.
I got this.
The ball sails toward me and I swing and this time I smash it! The ball goes sailing in the air right over Bunk 11!
Everyone cheers and I run to first base, second base, third base, and home! I did it! I brought everyone home! Botts even dives into home right in front of me and then high-fives me as I step on the plate.
“Impressive,” Gavin says, and our eyes lock. “Athletic and adorable. Quite a combo.”
“Thanks,” I tell him. Then my campers jump all over me, shrieking and cheering. The eye contact is gone.
“You’re in my boat,” Gavin tells me on Saturday morning when I bring my bunk down to the beach.
I’m glad Talia and Lis are on their days off or they would totally say I told you so. Also they would call me out for putting eyeliner on before boating.
Prague, Em, and Lily are in our boat too.
“It’s a perfect day for sailing,” Gavin says as I sit down beside him.
He says the same thing every time.
I laugh. “But there’s no wind!”
He shrugs. “Still a good day for sailing. Sun. Water. A boat. Good company. What more could you want? I’m going to teach you how to jib the boat today,” he says.
“I don’t know what that means . . . but it sounds kind of dirty,” I say, lowering my voice.
He laughs. “Oh yeah?”
“Totally.”
“I’m also going to teach you how to tack,” he says.
I fake fan my face. “Why, sir! You are being most inappropriate. I am a lady!”
He laughs again.
“Where did you learn how to sail anyway?” I ask when he finally sits down and we’re halfway across the lake.
“Self-taught,” he says. “I grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. Near the water.”
“Speaking of water,” Prague says, jumping into the conversation. “Can you try and get frog hunting on the schedule, Sam?”
“Frog hunting!” I cry. “I loved frog hunting!”
“Me too!” Prague says.
“What, exactly, is frog hunting?” Lily asks.
“We all put on Billy Boots and go to the marsh and catch frogs and put them in buckets,” I say. “We did it when I was here. It was fun. I’ll ask Danish. Want to come frog hunting with us, Gav?”
“No thanks,” he says. “I prefer to keep my hands slime-free.”
“But it’s fun!” Prague says.
The boom comes across and he jumps to the other side of the boat. “Pass.”
I’m surprised he’s not up for it, but I guess chasing frogs in a marsh is not everyone’s cup of tea.
“Fine,” Prague says. “But you’re coming with us to New Beach tonight!”
“You are?” I ask, surprised.
He nods. “I’m your tripper. They always send one of the boat staff to help out.”
“That’s fun,” I say, flushing. I turn to Prague. “How did you know that?”
“I know everything,” she says, and pokes Gavin in the side. “Are you cooking?” Prague asks.
“Yup. I’m in charge of the hot dogs.”
“I had no idea we got a helper,” I say. “I was wondering if anyone was going to instruct me on how to roast a weenie. Do you stay overnight too?” I keep my eyes down as I ask the question.
“Of course I stay overnight,” he says, and my heart races. “It’s really far away.”
He shakes his head at me. I realize that he’s not staying overnight; he’s just saying that for the girls’ benefit since they are not supposed to know New Beach is a part of camp.
“Oh, please,” Prague says. “It’s right by Bunk Eleven.”
I laugh. “You really do know everything, don’t you, Prague?”
“I really do,” she says, and turns back to the water.
“Come on, girls, we gotta go!” I call out from the porch.
“You’re so lucky your camp boyfriend is coming on our overnight,” Talia says.
I laugh. “He’s not my camp boyfriend!” But then I think about my actual boyfriend, and realize that today was so busy that I forgot to text him again. Yesterday was busy too. I was on nighttime OD plus Free Play OD and couldn’t get to the office. Staying in constant contact is harder than I thought it would be. And where are those postcards he was supposed to send me? He was supposed to send one a day while he was abroad. Why’s he so busy that he can’t send me postcards?
“I’m just jealous,” Talia continues. “Everyone in camp is in love with him and he only talks to you.”
“That’s not true,” I say, but it might be true, and I kind of like it.
I wonder what he’s like as a real boyfriend. Is he romantic? Is he a good kisser? Is he the kind of guy who makes the first move? Would he take my hand first? Touch my back? Or just try to kiss me?
Inappropriate! I try to shake off the thought.
I wonder if Talia’s really jealous, though. She doesn’t seem interested in Gavin. Or any of the guys, for that matter. Or the girls.
“Come on, guys!” I yell again. “On the porch! Hustle!”
The girls trickle out, wearing their backpacks, which are hopefully filled with their warmest pajamas, a bathing suit, a towel, and a change of clothes for tomorrow. They are holding their water bottles and plastic garbage bags for storing their sleeping bag and pillow, to keep them from getting wet if they fall in the water. It better not rain.
I have my own backpack of clothes, my own sleeping bag and pillow, and an extra supply bag.
When the girls are finally on the porch, I lead the way to the beach. “We’re going on a boating trip!” I yell out to the tune of, “We’re going on a bear hunt.”