Don't Bet On Love by Sheri Cobb South Page B

but I recognized her instantly. The tall, slender figure, the dark hair and strikingly beautiful features, the slightly haughty manner—they were Colette all over again.
    “ You’ll find Colette’s friends out by the pool, ” Mrs. Carroll said as if she knew instinctively that I was no friend of Colette’s. “ Just go straight down the center hall and out the French doors. ”
    Obediently, I followed her directions, glancing through open doorways at rooms that made me think of the home decorating magazines Mom sometimes read. When I reached the French doors leading out onto the terrace, I hesitated. The confidence I had felt earlier was beginning to evaporate.
    Colette had certainly gone all out on this party. Since the April evening was still too cool for swimming, the pool was covered with flower-shaped candles bobbing on the surface of the water. A string of Japanese lanterns illuminated two refreshment tables set up at one end of the terrace, where a large group of kids had already gathered around to sample the goodies. There were plenty of faces I recognized, but I didn’t see a single person I knew well enough to start a conversation with—there was no sign of Colette, or of Gary, either. I stood there in the doorway, feeling awkward and alone, not knowing what to do next.
    Instant wallflower , I thought, glancing down at the sparkling surface of the pool. Just add water and stir .
    At that moment I heard a masculine voice calling my name.
    “ Molly! Molly McKenzie! ”
    I turned toward the sound, and saw Steve separate himself from a group of kids and start walking in my direction.
    I hurried to meet him. “ Steve! ” I exclaimed, relieved to see a really familiar face. “ What are you doing here? I thought you’d be out with Liz. ”
    “ She’s away for the weekend, ” he explained. “ But Mark seemed to think that this would be Gary’s big night, so when Colette invited me, I decided I’d better protect my investment. I figure when it looks like Gary’s about to ask her to the prom, I can push them both into the pool! ”
    I smiled at his joke, then asked anxiously, “ Did Gary say he’s going to ask her tonight? ”
    Steve shrugged. “ Not in so many words. To tell you the truth , Gary doesn’t seem to want to talk about it at all, and I don’t know why. I mean, Colette is his for the asking. Why, just yesterday she— ” Steve broke off abruptly, his eyes fixed on some point behind me. “ Well, get a load of that! ”
    I turned to follow his gaze, and saw Gary and Colette framed in the doorway. Gary wore a pale turquoise sport coat, a white open-neck shirt, and dark trousers. I couldn’t help noticing how the color of the jacket brought out the red highlights in his hair.
    But it was Colette, clinging tightly to his arm, who riveted my attention. She was wearing a clingy silver tunic over black spandex leggings that hugged her slender legs so closely, I was sure she must have been melted and poured into them. In comparison, my pink ruffled dress seemed dowdy and childish. Colette’s dark hair was coiled into a topknot high on her head, revealing silver earrings that dangled almost to her shoulders. All my fighting spirit faded away at the sight of her. How could a pug-nosed, freckle-faced blonde possibly compete with that ?
    “ That sound you hear is me kissing my ten dollars good-bye, ” Steve muttered glumly. “ Do you want something to eat? The mob around the refreshment tables is beginning to thin out. ”
    Sure enough, most of the kids had left the food and were now gathering around Colette and Gary. Silently, I followed Steve around the edge of t he swimming pool to the refresh ment tables at the other end of the terrace. I wasn’t at a ll hungry, but anything was bet ter than standing there and watching Colette and her crowd fawn over the very same boy they’d ignored only two weeks earlier.
    Although I didn’t want to look, my eyes kept swiveling back to Gary as if they