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She nodded and took off.
I scanned the menu, looking at the usual restaurant fare. Something quick and easy, light. I went back over it looking for my usual sandwich and fries.
She came back with the beers and lemonades, and Lucas ordered us our usual—his burger, my clubhouse sandwich and fries.
I sipped my beer and relaxed, Lucas beside me.
It had been a little different between us since that episode that morning. Never in a million years had I expected him to walk out naked. And I doubt he ever expected to find me sitting on his bed, camera in hand, either.
I’d tried to joke and play it off, but it was definitely something to chalk up to one of our most awkward friendship moments.
“So you want to clue me in on why we suddenly needed to get food? Not that I’m complaining…” Because now that we were there and I could smell the mix of food all around us, I was a little more hungry than I’d anticipated.
“I have a surprise.”
“What sort of surprise?” I’d thought maybe this beach was the big surprise he’d hinted at already.
He smiled. “I got you…us…a guide for a couple days. Show us the sights. I thought it’d be better than joining a tour group. Our own little excursion. Customized completely to us.”
“Really?” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know such a thing was possible. I mean, it’s not like he’d had a lot of notice about the trip…did he?
***
“Do you think I have time to run to the bathroom before the guide gets here?” I asked, pushing my chair back a little from the table.
“I think so…” he said with a grin. “The text said they were running late. I said we were in the corner table, I’m the guy in the grey T-shirt.”
“Good. I’ll be back in a few. Don’t eat all my food.” I hurried away from the table, stopping our waitress by the bar to ask for directions. She told me it wasn’t far and pointed out the way.
A short line up of women, and ten minutes later, I was winding my way through the tables back to ours in the corner. I could see a woman sitting there with Lucas.
I hesitated for a moment, then realized that was probably our guide. For some reason, I’d just assumed it was going to be a guy.
I headed to the table, a smile on my face.
“There she is… Dominique, this is Abbie,” Lucas said with a warm smile as I arrived.
I stopped in my tracks as I looked at the woman already there, the smile on my face faltering just slightly.
Dominique was a brunette Barbie come to life. Perfect hair, perfect make-up, perfect smile. In a red halter top that showed off her tan, she smiled up at me.
“Hello, Abbie…”
Her voice held the slightest hint of an accent I couldn’t quite place, but didn’t match the one that the locals we’d encountered so far had.
She held out a perfectly manicured hand. I shook it quickly, my smile almost faltering just a slight bit. Even her nail polish matched her shirt.
And I was a mess. My hair was frizzy from the beach air, my make-up long gone from the heat. My shirt was loose and flowy, and my shorts were dusty from the sand. I didn’t even want to glance at my nails to see how bad my nail polish had held up, if any remained.
It was like a glaring before and after picture, and I was the unlucky before.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
I moved around the table, trying to not stumble as I made my way to the seat beside Lucas. The food hadn’t arrived yet, but I saw he had ordered another round of lemonades for the table. I took my seat.
She smiled at Lucas then at me. “Welcome to Curaçao. Lucas said he wanted to wait ’til you were on the island to really finalize any sort of plans, so I brought a couple brochures with me. The rest is on my phone.”
