Page 6 of His Curvy Catfish

I slipped my feet into a pair of water shoes, grabbed what I’d picked up at the gift shop for Dani, and then headed for the door of my house. I lived only a couple blocks from the resort, which definitely made my life easier.

Buddy followed, eyeing me hopefully.

“Yes, Buddy,” I chuckled, taking the leash off its hook by the door. “You get to come, too.”

He let out a bark of excitement and tried to keep still while I snapped the leash’s hook onto his collar.

“Let’s hope this afternoon goes better than this morning.”

***

Wow. Dani looked even prettier than she had earlier. We’d agreed to meet on the boardwalk by the swimming pool. She was in a pair of jean shorts that showed off her long, tanned legs, and a simple red tank top. Her honey-brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and hung like a shiny river of spun silk down her back.

She waved upon seeing me.

“Hi,” she said, smiling widely as Buddy and I approached. “Who’s your friend here?” She bent down and opened her arms. The dog practically leaped into them and began covering her with happy licks.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” I said. “This is Buddy. I apologize if he’s a little over-enthusiastic.”

“Not at all,” she laughed. “I love dogs… all animals, really. We were never allowed to have pets growing up due to my mom’s allergies, and I think that just made me want them even more.”

“Do you have any pets of your own now in L.A?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No, I travel too much for work.” Standing back up, she extended her hand.

“I don’t believe I’ve even introduced myself properly. My name is Dani…Dani Lane.”

“Brayden Porter.” I grasped her hand and shook it. “And I know who you are.”

I watched her cheeks turn pink.

“Okay,” she said.

“If you don’t want to go on a walk with me, it’s totally fine, by the way,” I quickly said. “I don’t want to bother you and totally get it if you want to be left alone.”

She shook her head. “Thanks for saying that, but I don’t. A beach walk with you and Buddy sounds fun.”

I smiled. “Great, then right this way.” I steered her towards the path that led down to the waterfront.

“Sorry if I was awkward back there,” said Dani as we walked down a flight of steps. “It’s just that I wasn’t sure if you recognized me because I know I don’t look my pictures…at least, not right now.”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure what you mean,” I replied. “But I definitely like you better this way. A real human being is always best in my opinion. You may have noticed that at Hillcrest we pride ourselves on being a safe space where people can come as they are. The resort was founded on the principles of getting back to our roots, honoring the natural environment, and restoring health…both mind and body.”

“I love that,” said Dani. “I did notice that all the food and bath products are organic and locally sourced. It’s a very different mindset than L.A. culture. I’d like to learn more about it.”

“You should check out some of the classes the resort offers,” I suggested. “There are always a bunch of different workshops going on. I’m sure the concierge could tell you what’s available now.”

“Thank you,” said Dani. “I’ll have to look into that. I’m not sure whether I’ll have time to fit anything in, though. I’m actually here this week for my sister’s wedding. The wedding party will begin arriving tomorrow ahead of the rehearsal dinner Friday night.”

“Oh, I see…Well, congratulations to your sister. That sounds exciting.”

“Thanks,” she replied. “She and Steven have been together for several years, and we’ve all known it was coming for a while.”

“That’s great. It must be wonderful when you finally meetthe one.”

“I agree, but I wouldn’t know,” Dani said.

“No?” I couldn’t help myself, I had to dig deeper. “Do you have a date to the wedding or are you going solo?”

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