Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
F or their first non-filming days, Anna and the other girls decided to stay on the island and just relax and explore without cameras following them. The guys, except for Brett, all headed to Boston on Monday afternoon to catch a Red Sox game that night.
Katy and Anna spent most of Monday at the beach in front of the house and, after showering and changing, they headed downtown in the late afternoon to do a little shopping and grab dinner somewhere. They roamed around all the cobblestone streets and popped in and out of shops. Anna picked up a thick sweatshirt at Murray’s Toggery in the unique Nantucket Red shade that was like a faded pinkish red. They had a delicious dinner at the Straight Wharf, which was a short walk to where the ferries came in.
On Tuesday, Katy suggested going to a spa, and Suzanne and Sami thought that sounded like a great idea. They booked massages and facials at the spa at The Whitley Hotel and it was one of the most luxurious spas that Anna had ever been to. When they checked in, they all got lockers and thick, soft, white robes. They undressed, put on their robes and headed into the relaxing waiting room where soft music surrounded them and there were lounge chairs around a wading pool. There was also an assortment of hot teas and infused iced waters, cucumber-lemon and raspberry-mint.
They sipped the cool waters and dipped their toes in the wading pool. One by one, they were called in for their treatments and it was an afternoon of pure, relaxing bliss. Anna had a stone massage followed by a signature facial, which included a neck and shoulder massage. By the time she was done, her skin was glowing, and she was so relaxed.
When they were all finished, they kept their robes on and went upstairs to the spa restaurant, where most people dined in their robes. They got a kick out of that. It seemed funny to sit in an elegant restaurant with a very fancy menu and be in their bathrobes. They ordered a bottle of prosecco and decided to share a bunch of different appetizers—Oysters Rockefeller, truffle fries, shrimp cocktail, a charcuterie platter of assorted meats and cheeses and some lightly fried calamari. There was plenty of food and it was all delicious.
As they ate, they talked about their impressions of everyone in the house so far. They all agreed that everyone seemed nice enough, but that Billy and Noah were not good romantic prospects, given their reputations.
“I’m not sure Jason is much better,” Sami said. “He’s getting a ton of attention from women. He’s even more popular now that he’s moved into influencing. I think it might be hard to trust any of them.”
“Well, we don’t have to marry them,” Suzanne said. “They might be fun to date. As long as you don’t expect anything serious out of it.”
“That’s true,” Katy agreed. “A summer fling might be kind of fun.”
Suzanne set her drink down and her eyes lit up. “Interesting. Do you have your eye on anyone?”
Katy flushed a bit at the question. “Not really. I was just thinking generally.”
“I wonder what they think of us?” Sami lifted her glass of prosecco and took a sip.
“They all seemed interested in Anna,” Katy said. “But that’s nothing unusual.” She looked at the others. “You’ve heard of pretty privilege? Anna has it, for sure.”
Sami looked intrigued. “What is pretty privilege?”
Katy leaned forward and looked around the table. “So, I know I can clean up good when I do my makeup and hair and wear a cute outfit. But I’ll never have pretty privilege. That’s when you literally turn heads wherever you go. When people are nice to you because of how you look. Guys just give you things—buy you drinks, open doors for you, bring you flowers, send a car for you on dates. It’s just another level.”
Anna felt herself flush. These things did happen to her at times, but she didn’t think she was alone in that. “I’m sure that happens to all of you. You’re all gorgeous,” she said.
Suzanne laughed. “It does not. Not like that. I do get recognized more now though, and that’s pretty cool.”
“Same here,” Sami said. “I’m surprised how often I am recognized. But when I’m not, honestly, nothing special happens. Not like that.”
Katy nodded. “People know me now too and it surprises me every time, but it is kind of fun. I just can’t imagine having real pretty privilege, like Anna does. What is that like?” she asked.
Anna felt uncomfortable talking about it. “It’s not that big of a deal, really. I think it’s kind of silly, actually. It’s not like I deserve any special treatment. I’m sure it’s mostly just that they recognize me, too.” She wasn’t comfortable with special treatment because of how she looked. It wasn’t something she thought she would ever get used to, and she really did think it was ridiculous. No one had given her a second glance until she was around fifteen. She’d been a late bloomer, skinny and gawky and awkwardly shy. She’d always been more of an observer, content to sit back and watch others shine.
But the summer before her sophomore year, everything changed. She grew more than an inch—everywhere. She filled out in all the right places and her face lost its softness and her high cheekbones stood out. Her nose was small and straight, and her eyes were just like her mother’s, a pretty shade of blue-gray. Her hair was naturally a sandy blonde, and it had lightened from spending the summer at the beach. When she went back to school that year, people looked at her differently, especially the boys. And over the years, as she grew more comfortable with herself, she developed her own sense of style—sort of a classic elegance—she liked lots of clean lines, blacks and whites and soft neutrals. She knew that she turned heads and had reluctantly accepted it.
The other three girls exchanged glances and then Suzanne changed the subject, thankfully.
“Did anyone save room for dessert? The chocolate mousse cake sounds amazing.”