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"You probably should have done that on the last two dates," I replied, turning just in time to see Kaden lean against the frame of the patio door and give us both a disparaging look.
"I had no idea there would be a private party on my terrace. And that it would be so bad that there wouldn't even be music."
Kaia rolled her eyes. "We're celebrating, grumpy. Nika?"
Waiting, Kaden looked at me. He seemed curious, and I could barely contain the joy inside me. It was such a small thing, and yet I felt the need to hug someone again, to rejoice with them.
"I got promoted to restaurant manager today," I explained with a grin.
Kaden's eyebrow went up. "You'd think I'd know everything that's going on at my resort, but apparently that's a mistake."
His eyes darted to Kaia. I couldn't interpret it correctly, but it didn't matter because the next moment he was coming toward me to congratulate me on my success with the strong hug I had longed for just a moment ago.
I was afraid it would seem wrong. That it would feel wrong. But the opposite was true. Even though Kaden had everything under control, he seemed genuinely happy for me. It might have irritated him that Kaia had made the decision without his consent, but in the end it didn't matter.
Over my head, Kaden must have spotted the cake, because I felt him stretch out his arm. "We should make a rule. If there's cake in my flat, I want to be informed immediately."
He pulled away from me, only to take a knife to the cake. What he did to the cake could not be described otherwise. In the end, however, a plate with a slice of cake was in my hand, so I had no complaints.
With an indulgent sound, Kaia popped the first bite into her mouth.
"But before you make someone assistant manager, I want to be informed," Kaden said, pointing his fork at Kaia and then, without waiting for her answer, pounced on his piece of cake.
Smiling, I did the same, but not without enjoying the whole package. Kaden stood next to me, the lukewarm night hugged my body. The sea roared in the background. The scent of the countless flowers and trees wafted through the air.
Everything was more than perfect. I was in paradise in the truest sense of the word– I had been given a piece of the cake called a contented life.
I looked at Kaden with a sincere smile, gave him a quick sideways glance and then turned my eyes to Kaia.
If I had to choose a family, it would probably always be the one on this terrace with me. I had never felt as comfortable with my sisters in Iowa as I did right now.
Kaden leaned over, took the champagne glass from my hand and raised it. "To you. It wasn't part of the plan for you to have a career here, but I can't say I have any objections. I'm happy about it."
Kaia seemed pleased with her brother's response, nodding in agreement and pouring herself more champagne. "To theHonolulu Sun. And here's to the sun shining again since Nika got here."
I snorted as Kaden rolled his eyes. Still, a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and he had a hard time suppressing it.
I was already screwed, not even four weeks in. It was still eleven months to go. How I was going to get through them was beyond my comprehension.
Kaden
If you want me to do this, then you owe me a date on my terms," I growled, wrinkling my nose slightly.
I seriously wondered where she'd gotten this damned idea. Pretending I didn't know her– so we could practice dating, so she could judge whether I'd made enough effort on the other dates she'd sent me on… by God, did Nika really think I was sabotaging her? The exact opposite was the case. I was trying my hardest to see something in all these women that intrigued me. But I was just as fussy as ever.
If it became clear within the first twenty minutes of a date that a woman was no good, what was the point of getting to know her? And I wasn't trying to say that these women weren't capable of being in a relationship. Absolutely not! It was just that they were not capable of being in a relationship with me.
"Aren't we doing almost everything on your terms anyway, Kaden?" asked Nika, raising an eyebrow.
I clenched my hand into a fist under my desk. Not because I felt the need to hit anyone. But because she wanted to make a ridiculous fuss to find out what mistakes I had made on a date.
"You expect me to pretend I don't know you. I know what you like to eat, what makes you sick, how you sleep, how you shower, and how you stand in front of your wardrobe in the morning just to put on the same clothes you always wear. I know what you eat for breakfast and most importantly, I know what your pussy feels like inside. And now I'm supposed to forget all of that so we can pretend that we met by chance and go out on a date. In case it wasn't clear enough, I hate role playing." Our eyes met intensely, but Nikau didn't look away. She kept eye contact until I finally looked down. She shook her head.
"How do you think I act when I go on these dates? I don't fool around. I try really hard. But these women aren't…"
I didn't finish the sentence.
"I don't even want to hear that, K. We have a deal, and if you want me to do what I promised, you better try harder on the dates."
