After a moment, I ask, “Am I missing something?”
Through fits of laughter, she shakes her head. “I’m sorry. It just hit me how ridiculous this situation is, but it’s also sooo me. First, I attempt to relax in a hammock. Then, I get freaked out because someone was in the pool. I decide my only course of action is to hide out in said hammock indefinitely, but of course a lizard crawls on me. So, I go absolutely berserk, fall and then you,” she moves her finger up and down at me.
For the first time I realize I’m standing wet and shirtless in my swim trunks. I turn to the side in a lame attempt at modesty. I’m still trying to register Chloe’s geyser word explosion while also waiting for her to continue.
She doesn’t finish her thought, but instead bends over in what appears to be laughter, except no sound is coming out. My towel is by the pool just a few steps away, so I hurry to dry off and throw on my T-shirt.
I keep my eyes on Chloe, who can’t seem to pull it together. When she finally sits up, she has to wipe tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, l did not expect my first day in Sunshine Shores to be like this. Although I probably should have.” She’s looking off in the direction of the ocean and seems to be talking more to herself than me. Her smile slowly fades, and I feel disappointed, like when a gorgeous sunset disappears beneath the skyline.
“Why wouldn’t my giant life change start out incredibly humiliating, you know? It’s par for the course.” She stands quickly and suddenly clutches her back. “Ahh.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, just sore. Trust me, my pride hurts more.” She walks gingerly in front of the sliding glass door.
I find myself not wanting my interaction with Chloe to end. Maybe it’s because I really want to catch another glimpse of that heavenly smile. “Hey, since it’s my fault you were stuck in the hammock and then attacked by a lizard…and then slipped…Can I at least show you around Sunshine Shores? We have the best café in Florida.”
“You really don’t have to.”
“I owe you, come on. It’ll be fun.”
“Now?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah, if you’re not busy.”
She leans against the door. “Does this café have donuts?”
“No…but they have cupcakes.”
A little smirk emerges, and she shrugs. “That’ll do.” We head inside and she stops near the stairs. “I should probably change.”
I can’t help but smile as she rolls a very large suitcase into what I know is a small powder room. It’s gonna be a tight squeeze, but as a casual acquaintance, I don’t want to question her actions.
As I wait for her to change, it hits me. I don’t know this woman at all really, and for the first time in forever, I want to. Since Elena left, I’ve tried dating a few times—at my friend Jason’s insistence. But, I couldn’t bring myself to put in genuine effort. It wasn’t the women, it was me. I guess that’s not entirely true. There was one lady who brought her pet ferret on our date, but I didn’t know it until it scared the living daylights out of me by popping its head out her purse. That failed date was on her.
I’m pulled out of that bad memory by the sound of Chloe trying to maneuver her massive suitcase out of the bathroom. When she finally emerges, I realize she’s changed into an outfit almost identical to the one she wore earlier. The only thing that’s different is her jacket color. It went from dark to light gray. And she has on black high heels. She looks great, just way more formal than what I’m used to seeing in Sunshine Shores. If you’re wearing anything other than shorts and flip flops, people will assume someone died.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Yep,” she says as she shrugs. She’s holding her purse in front of her, and I’m sensing she’s nervous. Although, I can’t blame her considering she just met me thirty minutes ago.
We walk to my Ford pickup parked in the driveway, and I follow her to the passenger side to open the door. I gotta admit, I’m not usually the door-opening type. I mean, I’ll do it on a first date, but this isn’t a date. At least it’s not supposed to be. I pause slightly and consider turning around, but then it’ll look like I accidentally followed her like a lost puppy. Thankfully, I pull myself together and make a move to open her door.
“Oh wow, thanks,” she says with a flustered smile.
Great. Now she feels awkward too. Maybe I should just own this. I’m a door-opening guy now. At least for Chloe. She makes me want to be. What is with this woman making me want to do things I don’t usually want to?
I rub my chin, trying to wrap my head around what this means as I walk to my side of the truck. In an attempt to ignore the weird feeling in my stomach, I ask, “So, what brought you to Sunshine Shores?”
“Um…it’s kind of a long story, but I guess I just needed a fresh start.”
“You were in Denver, right?”
Chloe tilts her head and says, “Yeah, I was.”
“Val filled me in a little.”
“That’s not fair. You know about me, and I know nothing about you.”
