“Enjoy your time,” he said. I paid the fare, walked around to her side of the car, opened her door, and offered my hand. She smiled and took it.
“Such a gentleman,” she said.
“I try,” I replied, leading her to the restaurant entrance.
It was truly magnificent; walking into The Old Man and the Sea was like walking through a tropical rainforest. Lush greenery surrounded a full bar, dazzling lights were draped around the perimeter of the walkway, and it opened up onto the beach, where tables were placed artfully in the sand. I gave my name at the hostess stand, and we were escorted out onto the beach, past all the tables, straight toward the water. Another walkway, this one elevated above the gently lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea, lit on either edge by blown glass lanterns with candles burning, led us to our private dining table.
“Holy shit,” I heard Harmony say under her breath.
The smile that spread across my face was impossible to contain.
The overwater cabana was exactly as it looked in the photothat enticed me to book this place in the first place. Most romantic dining in paradise, indeed. It had the same aesthetic as our bungalow. Classy, chic, island luxury through and through.
We had a dedicated server named Fernando. He seated Harmony and me, handed us our menus, poured San Pellegrino from a large green bottle into our glasses, and recommended a particular type of champagne I’d never heard of before. Harmony looked hesitant; everything was fairly pricey, and I could see her nervously tabulating how much this might cost me.
“Hey,” I whispered when Fernando went to get the bottle of champagne because I went ahead and ordered it, not caring about its price tag. “It’s jackpot money. Don’t even worry for a second about it.”
She nodded. “Okay,” she said. She took a deep breath.
“You all right?”
“I am. I promised my mom I’d let myself enjoy this night.”
I reached for her hand. “Listen,” I said. My thumb grazed her palm, and I watched our fingers weave together as if they belonged together. “We can call it after dinner if you’re nervous. I understand. There’s no pressure to do anything other than share this meal.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “It’s not that, though.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just really like you.”
“Well,” I replied, lightly moving my thumb back and forth over hers, “that feeling is entirely mutual.”
Fernando came with the champagne. He popped the bottle and filled our flutes, then placed it in an ice stand beside our table. He asked if we would care to start with an appetizer. I ordered the ceviche; Harmony chose the Mediterraneansalad. Fernando left to inform the kitchen of our selections as we perused the rest of the menu.
“This is too much,” Harmony said.
“Too much what?” I asked. “I already told you, it’s casino money.”
“The whole thing. It’s so beautiful. I’ve never had a meal in such incredible ambience.”
“Good,” I replied. “Have you decided what you’ll have for dinner?”
“The lobster à la vodka sounds amazing.”
“So you should get it.”
“How about you?”
“I’m going to go with the twelve-ounce rib eye.”
We placed our dinner orders, then settled into the table and its surrounding scenery. Piano music wafted through some hidden speaker somewhere, sweetening the air. We talked and laughed about the events of the week, recounting highlights and favorite moments. After the most spectacular ceviche I’d ever had and a salad that looked like it had been handpicked from a sustainable island farm moments before being arranged on Harmony’s plate, I held out a hand to her.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“I would love to.”
We stood, set our cloth napkins down on the table, and moved back and forth in each other’s arms in time with the background music. I leaned down and kissed her, tasting vinaigrette on her lips, happier than I’d ever been in my life.
