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“Hmm.”
I drop my head to take a sip of my mimosa before leaning back and closing my eyes once more. “I guess I can miss one day of work, stay here another day. It’s paid for, after all,” I continue, chuckling under my breath as I imagine the look on Evan’s face when he sees the charges from the hotel on his credit card statement.
“I have to be at work on Tuesday,” she mumbles.
“Okay. We’ll catch a flight back together tomorrow. I’ll check on times later.” I open my eyes to take another sip and they land right on Chase, sitting at the bar. His eyes are hidden behind designer sunglasses, but when I catch him looking in our direction, he subtly flinches, as if he knows he’s been busted. “Chase is over at the bar,” I mutter to Brenda.
“Will you put the poor bastard out of his misery and invite him over?” She jumps up out of her chair, flailing her arms frantically. “Yoo-hoo, Chase! Over here!”
Good fucking lord, she knows how to get someone’s attention. My cheeks are on fire and I bury my head in my hands. If he can’t see me, I’m not here. “What the fuck are you doing?” I whisper, glancing at Brenda, trying to contain my laughter.
“What I should have done months ago,” she answers, still flailing her arms.
“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me!”
“Oh, Liv. I can do a lot worse than this. See, here he comes.”
“Good afternoon, ladies,” he chuckles, clearly entertained by Brenda’s antics.
“Please, take a seat.” Brenda motions toward an empty chair.
“Thank you,” he says, sitting so close to me, he could be on my lap. “How’s your day going so far?” he asks both of us, but he’s looking right at me. I can see his eyes hiding behind his Ray Ban’s.
“It’s been fantastic,” Brenda beams.
“Yes, it’s been nice,” I murmur into my now empty glass.
“I planned on taking an early evening sail to watch the sun set. Why don’t you ladies join me?” he asks with a tone I can’t quite place. It’s somewhere between hesitant and pleading.
“Oh my God, that would be great!” Brenda says with the enthusiasm of a child at a birthday party.
Chase turns to me. “Olivia, what do you think?”
“Sounds like fun.”
After heading back to the room to change, we wait in the lobby as instructed. Brenda, in her cute floral dress, stands next to me, fidgeting with her purse and mumbling profanities under her breath. I quirk my eyebrow at her, and ask, “Lose something?”
She huffs and grips the bottom of her purse to spill the contents onto the hotel lobby couch, frustrated. “I can’t find my phone in this behemoth thing. I need a smaller bag. Why would you let me buy this? It’s so impractical, like the place where things that never want to be found again go.”
“Let you buy it? Since when have you listened to me about anything involving fashion,” I say, playing with the cuffs to my sweater.
“Relax,” she scolds. “Just be yourself, and let whatever happens, happen.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone exiting the elevator. Chase strolls out with a confident swagger, causing my breath to hitch. He has on a pair of khakis, a white polo golf shirt, and those soft leather flip flops I love. God, he is beautiful.
“All set, ladies?” he asks with that boyish smile I was first introduced to when we were paddle-boarding on Davis. I know he’s excited and looking forward to this. We both nod our heads in unison. “I have a car waiting, shall we?” he asks, waving his arm in the direction of the lobby doors.
A town car greets us as we walk out of the hotel. The driver jumps out and around to open the back passenger door for us with a smile and dip of his hat. I smile back, nodding my head, and Brenda jumps past me to slide in first, taking advantage of my distraction. I narrow my eyes and scoot in next, smacking her arm. “Ow! What was that for?” She rubs the spot as if my tap was a punch and tries to hide her smile.
“You know what that was for,” I say out the corner of my mouth, giving her the side-eye. She moves to shove me, but stops as Chase slides in next to me. Not moving her big booty back to her side, she’s awkwardly sprawling in the seat, forcing me closer to Chase. Our legs touch and butterflies hover in my stomach. I shudder as a chill runs through my entire body.
“Are you cold?” Chase asks, and I shake my head. The driver closes the door, gets in front, and pulls away. Brenda breaks the silence.
“So, where are we going, Chase?”
“I chartered a sailboat. It’s like a cruise to nowhere. The sunsets are beautiful from the water,” he boasts. There’s that little boy smile again, and it warms my heart. His eyes sparkle and his nose crinkles. It’s the cutest thing.
“Sounds beautiful,” I murmur.
