Teaser Tuesday
Here is an excerpt from The Art of Selling my Sister. In this scene, my protagonist Kasey is on a cruise with her family. She and her sister Lara just met brothers in the previous scene, and they all decided to try to get into the 18-and-over dance club using the older siblings' pass-back IDs. Lara is a dancer, Kasey is not, so she's nervous. In this scene, Kasey and Finn wait for Finn's brother to come out of the club with Lara's ID.
Finn leaned forward in his chair. "So, Kasey. Tell me about yourself.”
“Um, I swim a lot. And I volunteer at a soup kitchen.” Wow, that made me sound like loads of fun. I neglected to tell him that as soon as the cruise ended, I’d spend the rest of the summer as a lifeguard at the local YMCA back in Brooklyn. And the soup kitchen looked good on my college applications. But I wanted Finn to think I was cool, not some dorky work-a-holic. “And I hang out with my friends and do normal stuff too.”
He appeared to be amused. At least he didn’t get up and walk away.
"Your turn,” I said.
“Sorry, that information is confidential."
"What do I have to do to be 'in the know'?" I puckered my lips and tried to act covert. Finn was so easy to talk to. He brought out a side of me I never knew existed. And then I realized what it was. Flirting. Lara’s advice was working.
"Well, there's a secret code. And it's pretty hard to crack. Think Da Vinci Code."
"So I just need to ask your parents?"
He gripped the sides of his chair. “Wow, Kasey. You're smart. No one else figured it out. Okay, I'll tell you what you want to know. Shoot."
"I don't know. Hobbies? Likes, dislikes? Girlfriend?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and no."
"Only one of those was a yes or no question."
“Yes, I do have hobbies. Yes, I do have likes and dislikes. And the last question was a no. But it's not a hard no. It can be changed with a little persuasion."
Was Finn discreetly asking me to be his girlfriend after only spending ten minutes with me? Was I supposed to acknowledge what he said? Instead I nodded toward the door. "Hayden's coming back."
Finn spun around and waved as Hayden scanned the perimeter, trying to spot us.
"Oh man. You guys gotta check it out. That club is sick. I left Lara on the dance floor alone. Can't let her get all the attention." Hayden straightened-or messed up-his hair again.
I stood up, but before I left, I said to Finn, "Too bad you didn't divulge any info. Because now I'm going to ask your brother and take what he says as the truth.”
"Aww, man. Well, listen. I just want to say the drugs were planted on me. I swear. And that body they found? Dead before I got there."
"You're such a dork." Hayden messed up Finn's hair with his knuckles.
Finn leaned forward in his chair. "So, Kasey. Tell me about yourself.”
“Um, I swim a lot. And I volunteer at a soup kitchen.” Wow, that made me sound like loads of fun. I neglected to tell him that as soon as the cruise ended, I’d spend the rest of the summer as a lifeguard at the local YMCA back in Brooklyn. And the soup kitchen looked good on my college applications. But I wanted Finn to think I was cool, not some dorky work-a-holic. “And I hang out with my friends and do normal stuff too.”
He appeared to be amused. At least he didn’t get up and walk away.
"Your turn,” I said.
“Sorry, that information is confidential."
"What do I have to do to be 'in the know'?" I puckered my lips and tried to act covert. Finn was so easy to talk to. He brought out a side of me I never knew existed. And then I realized what it was. Flirting. Lara’s advice was working.
"Well, there's a secret code. And it's pretty hard to crack. Think Da Vinci Code."
"So I just need to ask your parents?"
He gripped the sides of his chair. “Wow, Kasey. You're smart. No one else figured it out. Okay, I'll tell you what you want to know. Shoot."
"I don't know. Hobbies? Likes, dislikes? Girlfriend?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and no."
"Only one of those was a yes or no question."
“Yes, I do have hobbies. Yes, I do have likes and dislikes. And the last question was a no. But it's not a hard no. It can be changed with a little persuasion."
Was Finn discreetly asking me to be his girlfriend after only spending ten minutes with me? Was I supposed to acknowledge what he said? Instead I nodded toward the door. "Hayden's coming back."
Finn spun around and waved as Hayden scanned the perimeter, trying to spot us.
"Oh man. You guys gotta check it out. That club is sick. I left Lara on the dance floor alone. Can't let her get all the attention." Hayden straightened-or messed up-his hair again.
I stood up, but before I left, I said to Finn, "Too bad you didn't divulge any info. Because now I'm going to ask your brother and take what he says as the truth.”
"Aww, man. Well, listen. I just want to say the drugs were planted on me. I swear. And that body they found? Dead before I got there."
"You're such a dork." Hayden messed up Finn's hair with his knuckles.