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Kori was the most independent of the group. Actually, she had always been that way. She was the middle child of three who wanted nothing more then to shine in what she excelled, which was her acting and music. She found simple joy in reading a story and putting herself into the characters as she read. It was a gift she would use to choose her path in life, and nothing in the world could stop her from achieving the success she deserved.
Kori walked into the kitchen with her script tucked under her arm. She opened the refrigerator and relished the cool air that swept around her. Summers in Florida were so much hotter than Massachusetts! She searched the kitchen for a snack but settled for a bottle of juice. Walking through the living room toward the patio, Kori soaked in the quietness that had seemingly disappeared since they arrived. Claudia and Anna understood Kori's need to be alone every once in a while and they gladly made themselves scarce for the morning. It was a good excuse for Claudia to indulge herself at the library. Claudia also liked the solitude. She loved being amongst the books that gave her a respite from her lonely life. Anna was outside with Bryan and Shane on the beach. Anna needed time to decide what to do about Jerid and Bryan was the perfect distraction for her.
Kori sat her drink on the table and made herself comfortable on the patio chair. She put on her sunglasses, pulled her hair out of her eyes, and began to focus on her reading. She tried to pull herself into her character, but something was blocking her creative thought. She pushed the book away and closed her eyes. She envisioned herself as Lori, the lead role. Thinking about Lori's heartache and the pain she felt while dealing with Will, her boyfriend. Kori tried to place herself in the girl's shoes, but it just wasn't coming. She was just getting a picture of the scene in her head when her meditative state was interrupted by soft guitar music floating on the breeze. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. It had to be coming from next door. She pushed her sunglasses back into her hair as she saw Kian strumming the guitar with his eyes closed. Good lord, he was as beautiful in person as he was on the cover of her CD. Kori could see that he was almost as involved in his music as she had been in her play. She sat silent, watching him and wondering what he was thinking as he played. She was amazed that she had the opportunity to see a side of Kian very few people ever had.
"If only I could find the words for that song," he said quietly, as he opened his eyes to find Kori still staring at him. It took Kori a second to realize that they had locked eyes on each other. Neither of them felt the need to break away.
"Hi, neighbor." Kori said casually, realizing the moment the words left her lips how stupid they sounded.
"Hi yourself." Kian had a big smile on his face as he put down his guitar. He walked over to her cabin and stood at the steps.
"I don't think we actually met last night. I'm Kori Masters." She waved him onto the porch.
"I heard all about you from the guys. I'm Kian Egan." He stretched out his hand and she accepted the almost formal greeting, touched that he was so very polite. They held hands for a moment, then shyly let go.
"You didn't have to stop playing, it was beautiful." Kori smiled as she stood up from her chair, offering him a seat. Kian sat down next to her and glanced at her playbook.
"Working?" He picked up the script.
"I'm auditioning for a big play when we get back to school. I just want to be prepared." She took a sip of her juice. "I'm sorry, do you want something to drink?" She stood up again and started towards the kitchen.
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Kian reached for her arm and settled her back in the lounge chair next to him.
Kori was taken aback by his gentle and charming manner. There wasn't a guy on campus that would even think twice about helping a girl sit down. They were too full of themselves. Kori never had a problem finding dates at Harvard but there was nothing serious, nothing like Anna and Jerid. She was either too busy at rehearsals or too busy with homework or too busy finding other things to occupy her time. The truth of the matter was, Kori didn't find any of the guys at school worth the effort. She didn't purposely shy away from the guys, she was just picky. Her schooling and acting were what mattered most.
"What part are you going to play?" Kian asked as he flipped through the pages.
"Lori." Kori pointed out the character to him as their gazes caught again. She could spend forever in those blue eyes. 'Where did that come from,' she wondered. Snapping out of her trance, she replied "She's just a girl who loves this guy, Will, but can't find the nerve to tell him,"
"Why can't she tell him?" Kian asked, his eyes still roaming her face.
"She's afraid he'll reject her,"
"But maybe they could have a love that would last forever, she wouldn't know until she tells him." Kian sat back in his chair with a smile.
"I didn't write it. I'm just auditioning." Kori laughed. She brushed back her hair again. Kian was entirely caught up in watching Kori as she spoke, her excitement in acting obvious on her face. He watched her lips but couldn't pay attention to the words spilling forth. He watched how her blue eyes sparkled and how she slightly twisted her hair as she spoke.
"So, would you tell?" He asked.
"Tell what?" Kori leaned back in the chair.
"Tell Will that you loved him,"
"But I don't love him." Kori laughed again and it gave him a thrill to know that he was the cause of her laugh. Kori leaned closer to Kian. "Will is a fictional character."
"But if you loved someone, would you tell him?" Kian moved closer to Kori. She shifted in her seat, their closeness suddenly awkward.
"I don't know, if the circumstances..."
"He's leaving and you'll probably never see him again." Kian interrupted her.
"Where's he going?" Kori tried to change the subject, the words suddenly becoming a little too personal.
"Doesn't matter. This is your one and only chance to tell him. What are you going to do?"
"Don't take this the wrong way Kian, but if you knew me, you wouldn't ask me that kind of question. I am the queen of blurting out the wrong thing at the wrong time. I would get it all wrong and it would come out like an insult or a joke. I just don't randomly say important things like that." Suddenly Kori realized the words coming from her mouth were making no sense.
"Well, that's good to know. Now I know never to ask that sort of important question right before I go off." He gave her a smile that went right to her heart. She took the book from Kian, shuffled it from hand to hand. There was something about Kian that made her feel...feel something that she had wanted for a long time. Kori had always secretly hoped to find the Prince Charming she attracted in her productions. She believed that he was out there for her, somewhere... It was probably just a silly dream, but at that moment, staring at Kian, maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe he could be the man for whom she had searched and longed. But before Kori could shut the thought out of head she could hear Mark making his way over to them.
"Kian, where is everyone?" Mark stalked up the stairs and saw Kori and Kian together on the chaise.
"Do you mind, mate. I'm sort of in the middle of something..."
"I can see that. Good morning - or is it afternoon now? I'm Mark Feehily. I don't believe we've met." Mark interrupted Kian.
"This is Kori Masters." Kian said as he stood up. "Maybe if you didn't sleep most of your life away, you would...
"Have you seen Claudia?" Mark interrupted Kian again.
"She's at the library." Kori said as she sat watching Kian.
"Library? On her vacation?" Mark asked.
"Claudia doesn't know much about ... having fun." Kori replied.
"Well, lucky me. I believe I could be just the person to help her with that." Mark laughed. "Tell her to come see me when she gets home." He patted Kian on the back and walked back to their cabin.
"Sorry about that. Mark can be...overly confident in his abilities with the ladies when he first wakes up." Kian said, still standing by her side.
"I don't mind. But he could have a point. He is the perfect person to show Claudia how to have a good time. She needs someone to help her loosen up." Kori pushed away from the table and stood next to Kian.
"Mark could definitely do that." The two stared at each other in silence.
"I really should get back to my play. I have a ton more reading to do." She looked down at her book.
"Sure, I have to work on some songs." Kian started walking down the steps to the beach as he turned around to face Kori. "There is something about you, Kori Masters. I don't know what it is, but I think we'll become pretty close this summer." He grinned.
"Just because my roommates are pairing up with your roommates..."
"It has nothing to do with them, I just have a feeling. If I knew you better, I would tell you that you're going to marry me someday ... but I don't want to freak you out. Heaven only knows what you might-or might not-say." He turned around and began walking to his cabin. Kori sat down and watched him. He picked up his guitar and went inside the house. She tried to concentrate on Lori's lines, but Kian's words continued to ring in her ears as she studied. Dating, much less marriage, was nowhere in carefully drafted plans for her near future. She wanted to have fun with her girlfriends and get a great tan this summer, and that was about it. But her mind continued to wander to Kian as she read the notes. Studying was hopeless now. She shut her book, then closed her eyes and sat quietly. Kori Egan. 'Please, don't even go there girl. Not in a million years...'
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