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“Yep. Part of the year, anyway. In summer, I head back to my hometown in Door County, Wisconsin to detail boats there for the tourist season. It’s a top summer tourist beach destination, like Paradise Isles is in the winter. I flip-flop back and forth, always staying with the boat people, so I have a great business year-round.”
“Nice! That’s pretty clever. How fun you get to—”
“Iris! What the hell?” Ivy came wheeling up to the bar. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Please ignore my sister.”
She yanked the phone off the bar and spun it away.
“Hey!” I heard Iris call as the screen disappeared from my view.
Ivy pulled the phone right up to her face. “If you asked him to have sex with me and tell me if I’m bad in bed, I swear to God, I’ll kill you!”
My eyes got so wide they almost popped out of my head. “Wait. You want me to what?”
Ivy spun to look at me, and her eyes widened to the size of my own. “Uh...”
“I didn’t ask him that, dumbass.” Iris sighed. “I just asked him to join us and keep you company.”
“Oh my God.” Ivy continued staring at me, blinking those long lashes over wide eyes while a deep crimson crept up her cheeks.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Iris continued. “I was going to ask thateventually,but I wanted to ease him in. But now thatyouripped off that Band-Aid, Ivy, what do you say, Ethan? Want to show my sister a good time tonight and then let her know if she’s got skills?”
My jaw dropped so low that I worried Alec would have to come over with the ice scoop to lift it back up. “Uh ... I have no idea what is happening right now.”
Alec walked over from where he’d been serving drinks with a huge grin on his face. “I see you’ve met Ivy and Iris.”
I nodded my head as I tried to process the strange request that had just been dropped on me like a rogue asteroid ... a request that, admittedly, I was ready to scream “hell yes” to. Instead, I answered, “Yeah. We’ve met.”
Ivy palmed her face. “Oh my God, I’m dying. I’m absolutely dying. For the record, I donotwant to have sex with you and have you tell me if I suck in the sack. Okay? Just forget you ever heard that. I so wish I could run to my hotel room right now and curl up under the covers and never come out.” Ivy plunked into the seat beside me and buried her head in her arms. “How is this happening to me?”
Alec and I shared a look, and his grin widened. “Oh boy. You got the ‘bad in bed’ proposition?”
My brow snapped together. “Wait. You asked him first?” I shouldn’t have been jealous that Ivy had already propositioned Alec, leaving me as her second choice, but a little green monster started growling inside my chest.
“I didn’t askeitherof you!” Ivy sat up straight and pointed her finger at both of us. Then it spun to her phone still clutched in her hand. “The very,veryunwanted propositioning is coming from my meddling and insane sister.”
“The fun sister,” Iris added.
“The sister who is now getting hung up on before you pimp me out to some other poor sod you flag down off the beach. I will call you later.”
“Hey! I wanna stay and—”
Ivy hung up the phone and set it face down on the bar. “Ugh. I swear to God she’s trying to give me grey hair way before my time. As if my night wasn’t bad enough, now I’m extra humiliated on top of it.”
“Aw, come one,” Alec said as he swiped a damp rag across the bar with a chuckle. “She was just trying to cheer you up. She sure gave me some laughs.”
“Yes. Iris has that way about her, and while I appreciate her attempts at cheering me up, I think I just need to sit here alone for a while and process what just happened.”
I didn’t know the story, but I didn’t want to push and ask. “I understand. If you change your mind, I’ll just be right over there. I’m happy to keep you company if you want it.”
She arched an eyebrow.
“Notthatkind of company. Just the ‘sit at the bar and have some drinks with you’ kind of company.”
Or that kind of company too,I thought but didn’t dare say.
“Thanks, but I think I just need a little time alone. And I’m sorry my sister dragged you into this.”
“No apologies. It was the most entertaining part of my day.” I stood up even though every molecule in my body warred against the idea and wanted to stay put.
