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Not to mention, my wardrobe is a little less . . . exciting . . . than Audrina’s.
While I definitely have style, I tend to play it safe, buying classic, timeless pieces I can wear for years over trendy fast fashion. Let’s just say no one has ever stopped me on the street to interview me for their New York street-wear vlog.
A young man in jeans and a T-shirt waves from the dock, and Burke heads his way, leaving me in the proverbial parking lot dust.
Slinging my Lands’ End canvas tote over my shoulder, I head to the back of the Escalade to help Lenny with bags.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that, ma’am,” he says. “I’ve got it.”
There are seven large suitcases here, three of which are mine, and it’s a decent trek from here to the dock. He shouldn’t have to do that multiple times when Burke and I have perfectly functioning arms and legs.
“No, it’s fine,” I say. “I want to help.”
Lenny shoots me a quizzical look before glancing Burke’s way, almost as if he’s worried he’ll get in trouble for letting me assist. I take it as a sign not to press it any further.
“Why don’t you wait by the dock?” He offers a humble smile, but his rigid stance implies he’s not taking no for an answer. “I’ll have these moved in a couple of minutes, and then you two will be on your way.”
I trail toward Burke and the guy in jeans, breathing in the briny ocean air and basking in the sunshine that warms the top of my head.
There are worse ways to spend my summer than on some private island with a butler, daily housekeepers, a world-class chef, and a beach.
Burke mentioned in his pdf that Driftway had been in the Rothwell family for generations, that the main house was built in the late 1800s, and as it was passed down, other family members added things like guest cottages, a horse stable and riding ring, an Olympic-size pool, a solarium, a lighthouse, and a jogging path that encompasses the entire perimeter. The way he described the island made it sound like something out of a classic-lit novel from the Gilded Age.
He assured me I wouldn’t be bored here, not for a second, not even if I tried.
When we’re loaded onto the boat and about to disembark from the dock, Burke takes the seat across from the young captain and immediately digs into his pocket for his phone.
I wave, trying to catch his attention from where I’m sitting in the back of the boat. It takes a minute or so, but when he finally notices, I pat the beige vinyl cushion beside me and motion for him to come over.
“You’re going to need to be a little more engaged with me,” I say when he sits down.
“What are you talking about? You have a ring.” He glances at the rock on my finger. “We are engaged.”
Maybe he misheard me . . .
The motor is noisy back here, and the wind in our faces isn’t helping.
“No, I mean, interact with me. You’re always on your phone. And you talk to me without looking at me.” If this is how he treated Audrina, it’s no wonder she left him for someone else. No one wants to play second fiddle to the latest iPhone model. “I’m just saying, if you want to sell this, you’re going to have to actually act like you like me. You’ll have to stop acting like you’re at work and start acting like you’re in the company of a woman you want to spend the rest of your life with.”
Burke looks me in the eyes for the first time all day, though he doesn’t respond. I can only hope he’s chewing on my words and giving them the consideration they deserve.
If this mission fails, it’ll be because of him, not me—at least that’s what I’ve decided.
I’m giving this 200 percent.
Go big or go home.
I’ve already made a list of all the things I’m going to do with that million dollars, too, starting with paying off my mom’s mortgage back in Nebraska.
Not only that, but I’d like to pay off the mountain of physical therapy debt she’s accrued since being rear-ended by an uninsured driver a few years ago. The woman deserves to finally retire comfortably after raising me solo and putting in forty faithful years with the public school system.
I’ll probably buy her a Toyota as well—something safe and reliable that’ll last until the end of time so she’ll never have another car payment ever again.
I’m also going to make some donations to a few of my favorite charities, finally pay off my student loans, and look into that MBA program I’ve been hemming and hawing about for the past few years.
