“This conversation is not done,” he declares, wagging a finger at me with a smirk. “We’ll pick it back up later. We don’t want the ladies listening in on this one. Let’s grab a beer, you and me after dinner.”
“Deal,” I agree, glancing over at the group by the pool. “Now round these people up, and let’s go eat.”
Everyone looks ready, and Max is corralling them out. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. Although I wouldn’t mind staying behind and regrouping, I can’t miss out on the wedding celebrations. We all stroll out the door as it closes behind me and we all roam through the resort to the restaurant.
We settle into our seats, and the menus are laid in front of us.
NINE
FAITH
The knocking on my door rattles through me, and I sit straight up as my heart beats out of my chest. I fell back to sleep again. Sliding off the bed, I fling my legs over the edge and get up. I open my hotel door to find my girlfriends standing there with worried looks on their faces.
“You ok?” Kendall barges into the room. Addison and Lane follow her.
“Yes, why?” I ask, brushing my hair out of my face. I’m sure it’s a sight to see.
“It’s time for dinner. You sure you’re ok? You look like shit,” Kendall mutters, pointing to my face and hair.
Going to the bathroom, I peek at myself in the mirror. I’m horrified by what I see—mascara all over my face, red and puffy eyes, and a scrunchie hanging out of my hair. So maybe I had a bit of a crying fest after writing and decided to lie down and rest my eyes…
I yell from the bathroom, “I’ll need a few minutes to fluff my hair!”
“You need more than that girl, get moving!” Addsion yells back.
It ends up taking me about fifteen minutes to put an ice-cold face cloth on my eyes to tame the swelling, wash off all the rogue mascara, wet and brush my hair, and then style it. Thankfully my concealer is in my makeup bag, because I need it right now—badly. The essentials are all lined up on the counter, and I grab products and apply them to my face. I spritz some of my vanilla body spray on, and by the time I’m done, I feel human again.
I come around the corner to get dressed, and my girlfriends start whistling at me. The before and after is a stark contrast. My friends are all wearing dresses. I go through the clothes on the hangers, andbam!There it is. My fitted black dress with an open back. I’ll wear a necklace statement piece to dress it up for tonight’s dinner.
Opening my arms and displaying my attire, I say, “Ready.”
“Thank you for gracing us with your hotness.” Kendall wiggles her eyebrows. “You trying to impress someone who shall not be named?”
“No, I had this outfit planned out before even knowing he’d be here. And seriously, it’s not like that. I’m happy for him and seeing him reminded me that I need to move on with my life and not have one foot in the past.” I shake my head, trying to believe what I’m saying.
“Well then, let’s get to dinner,” Addison pipes in as she points to the door.
“Sounds great to me,” Lane says as she hooks her arm around mine. “You look stunning, and any man would die to have you on his arm.”
“You’re sweet. Thank you.”
The restaurant is a quick walk from the lobby, and as we make our way through the winding path, I get a gorgeous view of the sun starting its descent in the sky. It’s not quite sunset time, but when it does set, I can already tell there will be ribbons oforanges and pinks painting the sky, setting the perfect scene for the boats to coast on the ocean in the distance.
I stop for just a few seconds and close my eyes. The sun warms my skin and recharges my body—which is much needed after my afternoon, that’s for sure. Sorting through all of those residual feelings and hurt over Jude really took it out of me. There’s just something about feeling the warmth of the sun that provides a special kind of comfort and rejuvenation. The ocean waves are in the background, and it makes me want to stay here and soak it all in.
The girls halt after realizing I stopped.
“You need a minute?” Lane asks as she makes her way back to me and takes my hand.
I open my eyes and give her a loving smile. “This is paradise! No wonder they call itOne Happy Island. I just needed a minute to soak in the sun.”
We arrive at the restaurant right on time for our reservations.Phew!I thought I was going to make us late, but that nap was much needed. I’m standing taller, my muscles in my neck and shoulders are relaxed, and I’m smiling and enjoying the time with my friends. There hasn’t been much time to be with each other without talking about Jude. AJude-freenight sounds like just what I need.
The hostess approaches us with menus in her hands and asks, “What’s the name?”
“Faith Tinsley.”
She marks us down with a swift check mark on her clipboard and gives us a welcoming smile. "Right this way," she says, motioning us to follow her.
