Zoey Dean - Tall Cool One

Copyright 2005 by Alloy Entertainment

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group, USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
For more of your favorite series, go to www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com.

First eBook Edition: April 2005

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Cover design by Marci Senders
Cover photography copyright Andrea Balena/Photonica

ISBN 978-0-316-04157-7

THE A-LIST

GIRLS ON FILM

BLONDE AMBITION

TALL COOL ONE

BACK IN BLACK

SOME LIKE IT HOT

AMERICAN BEAUTY

HEART OF GLASS

BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

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For my friends in Aruba

If Id observed all the rules Id never have gotten any where.

Marilyn Monroe

A nna Cabot Percy was very good at a wide variety of things: Conjugating irregular French verbs. Putting together the perfect understated outfit. Memorizing the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Ballet. Any and all forms of analytical left-brain thinking. Looking tan and gorgeous in her white racer-back Polo Ralph Lauren bathing suit. So okay. She was not without talents. But as she shivered on her surfboard in the ocean at Zuma Beach, Anna realized that surfing was not going to be one of them.

She felt like a bedraggled, waterlogged wreck. Who knew a person could wipe out so many times in one afternoon?

You good? asked her friend Danny Bluestone. He bobbed on his own board a few feet from Anna. Danny was on the short side, but he was still cute and quirky and funny and extremely talented. He and Anna had met on Hermosa Beachthe new hit TV show where he was the youngest writer and Anna had interned. A native Californian, Danny had assured Anna that he could teach her how to surf in a single afternoon.

Im great, Anna lied, trying to will herself into a positive mind-set.

Hey, did I mention the peeing thing?

What... thing? Anna asked, refusing to blush. It wasnt easy, though. According to the This Is How We Do Things Big Book (East Coast WASP edition), the apocryphal bible by which shed been raised, urination was not a bodily function to be discussed in polite company.

Basically, dont pee in your wet suit, Danny explained. Gives you a rash from hell. You wont be able to sit down for a week.

Good to know, Anna replied gamely. But memories of the carafe of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee she and Danny had shared at the 17th Street Caf in Santa Monica three hours ago suddenly became a pressing issue. She willed herself to ignore them. When shed moved from Manhattans Upper East Side to Beverly Hills six weeks before, hoping for new adventures, a severe rash in unmentionable regions had not been one of them.

I learned the hard way, Danny said with a grin. Anyway, you ready to give it another go?

Anna nodded with determination. Because thats just the kind of girl she was.

Perfect. Ill be behind you. Well pick the wave, Ill help turn your board, youll paddle like hell, and Ill push you from behind. Then stand up. Hey, take this one!

Anna saw a decent wave coming her way. Not too big, not too small. She swung her board around so the nose faced the beach and paddled as the wave swept toward her. Then she felt an extra surge as Danny shoved her board from behind.

Get up! he yelled.

Anna rose to her feet just like Danny had taught her on the beachknees bent, left foot ahead, arms spread for balanceshe was surfing!

For about a nanosecond.

Then she lost her balance, the board flipped out from under her, and she somersaulted headlong into the breaker.

Woo-hoo! shouted a guy on a surfboard who rode past her when she surfaced. Nice wipeout!

Humiliating. Even Anna knew it was time to pack it in. Five minutes later she and Danny floated in to shore.

I think I missed getting the surfing gene, Anna despaired as they carried their boards up onto the beach.

Thats a good thing. Danny cut his eyes at her and smiled.

Does that remark come with an explanation?

Lets just say that female perfection can be highly intimidating. This is our spot. Dig your board in here.

As they pushed the boards into the sand by their woven rattan beach mat, Anna noticed that two long-haired burnouts in crud-encrusted tie-dye shirts had plopped down on their spot without asking. But before Anna could say anything to them, they stood and scuttled away. She was about to tell them to go ahead and use the mats. But after Dannys crack about female perfection, she was probably better off keeping her inner Mother Teresa... inner.

Danny closed his eyes and raised his face to the sun. Man, Im glad to be out of the office while its still daylight.

You might want some of this for your face. Anna handed him some Clarins 30 UV sunblock for his fair skin.

He nodded, squirted some into his hand, and spread it on his face. You cant do this in New York in February, thats for sure. Whats the temperature there right now?

Probably twenty-something.

Perfect surfing weather. For polar bears.

Though it was a Saturday afternoon in February, here at Zuma the weather was perfection and the beach crowded. Up and down the sand, sun lovers frolicked with their dogs, tossed Frisbees, played volleyball, built sand castles, and picnicked. Out in the water, there were still dozens of surfers doing their thing. Anna had to agree: Except for her inability to get up on a surfboard, this was about as close to nirvana as real life could get.

Danny reached into the cooler hed brought and plucked out two bottles of pear-apricot juice. He handed one to Anna. She opened it as she scanned the ocean. A girl surfer had just caught a humongous wave and was riding it with elegant perfection.

Anna cocked her head toward the girl. Whats she got that I havent got?

Me? Danny quipped.

Anna gave him a confused look.

I mean not now. But in theory I could probably go chat her up, give her the old yeah, I write for a hit TV show routine, and next thing you know, were getting our freak on.

Anna playfully swatted his arm. Very funny.

He shrugged. Just want you to know what youre missing.

She laughed because he was joking. Sort of. She and Danny had formed a fast bond since theyd met at Hermosa Beach. Theyd had some adventures and shared some kisses. She liked him a lot. But in the last few weeks, Anna had come to think that this was a time in her life when it would be best just to focus on herself. After her fling with Ben Birnbaum had flamed out, she didnt want to make things too complicated, too fast.

Were friends, remember?

He winced. The F wordkiss of death. He took a long drink of his juice. Would it help to mention how hot you look? A tall blonde in a wet suit? Cant beat it.