“We”—I gesture to Darby and June—“were wondering if you might do us a favor tonight.”
“I’m cooking tonight,” he says. “Big celebration dinner for Alex and Ariel.”
“Right.” I nod. “I’m talking about later.”
“There’s a strict no-fraternizing rule,” he says, but his eyessay otherwise as he leans closer. “But what did you have in mind?”
“We’re putting together a bachelorette party for Ariel, and we need a stripper.”
Marc’s eyes go wide. “Uh…I’m not sure I’d be the best choice.”
“Why not?” From Darby. “I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately?”
June is studying Marc intently, the way I sometimes catch her studying me.
“It’s not that,” Marc says. “I just don’t think she’d be comfortable?—”
“I’ll be damned,” June hisses in a whisper. “He’s done it with Ariel!”
Marc’s cheeks go red.
Marc? And Ariel? Sweet little Southern belle Ariel?
Respect.
“Does that matter?” I ask.
“It matters to me,” Marc says.
I sigh. “All right. Who’s another hot staffer we could ask?” I look around. The bartender on the deck is a woman, but… “There’s the bartender who worked the first night. God, he was hot. He’s been working every day since. He has golden brown skin, a gorgeous smile, and luscious lips.”
“Zion,” Marc says, his lips in a straight line.
“What a great name,” Darby says. “It just flows off my tongue. Zion.”
“Zion, yeah,” I say. “Do you think he’d do it?”
Marc clears his throat. “Probably not the best choice either.”
June’s eyes go wide as saucers. “That little minx! Then again, I know firsthand that she’s not averse to threesomes.”
Darby about falls out of her chair. “Okay…I’m a little freaked here.”
Seriously? What did she think she’d encounter when she came to an island where women were competing for men? There was going to be sex, and a lot of it. Maybe she didn’t think threesomes were on the table.
“Shocked?” I ask, feigning innocence.
Though I have to say I didn’t expect it from Ariel. And one of her alleged threesomes apparently included June.
“Who can we ask then?” I say to the women.
I don’t expect Marc to answer, but he does. “Why not ask the groom?”
June bursts out laughing. “What fun would that be? This is Ariel’s last hurrah. What about that massage therapist, Jared? He’s hot.”
“I’m assuming Evangeline will be at this party?” Marc says.
“Probably—” I stop. “Oh. Right. No fraternizing.”
