“Hey, you gotta go with human nature for the win,” she answers, picking up a slice of star fruit and taking a dainty bite.
I watch her mouth as she licks her lips, my body reacting to the thought of that tongue moving across my skin. By the time I snap out of that thought, her cheeks are a bit red, and she’s wiping her mouth with her fingers. “What? Do I have some food on me?”
“No, you’re perfect,” I say, feeling like a total jackass.
“So, why are you staring?”
“It’s just nice to see you all lit up like this,” I answer, which is true, even though it’s not what I was thinking about thirty seconds ago.
We continue brainstorming through breakfast and while I do the dishes. By the time I’m done, Paige is furiously jotting notes. “Okay, if you go out to the shed and take a tally of everything in there, I’ll go to my room and pick out clothes we can use to make some scarecrows, or in this case, ‘attract-crows.’”
She stands up and starts to hop in the direction of the bedroom. I walk over to her and put my arm around her waist, even though I know she can make the short trip alone. “Let me help.”
“Thanks,” she says, placing her arm over my shoulder. She shuffles down the hall while I hold her up to keep her from putting weight on her left foot. When we get to the bedroom, I stay with her until she’s on the bed, then I bring her suitcase over to her and set it down next to her.
“You good here?”
“Golden,” she answers.
“Okay, boss, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I answer. “After I check the shed, I’ll head over to the plane and see what I can find there too.”
“Perfect.”
I hurry out of the cabin, a sense of optimism coming over me. This is going to work. I know it is. And I honestly don’t know what to hope for—that the plan will work and attract attention right away, or that I can get a few more days, or maybe even a few weeks, alone with her.
16
A Lady’s Guide to Being an Evil Mastermind…
Paige
Texts from Vivian to Paige:
Vivian
I had a look at the weather network and it showed a huge storm blew through the area you were in right after we were texting. I’m now in full panic mode and will be notifying the Coast Guard if I don’t hear back from you right away. So, if you’ve disappeared on purpose, please let me know because I’m about to launch the mother of all searches. Otherwise, hang on, my friend. Help is on the way.
Apparently, in order to launch the mother of all searches, the Coast Guard needs more to go on than a ‘tiny, sketchy plane with a super sexy but surly pilot about to take off for Azure Island.’ Seriously, can they not just figure it out? There’s got to be a plane missing from somewhere. And a pilot. I’m going public with this. See if I can force their hand.
Vivian’s Good Life Vlog
The video starts up to show Vivian sitting on her green sofa in her pajamas. Her eyebrows are knit together in concern. “Hey, my friends, it’s me. I was going to make a video showing you how to make the world’s creamiest hot chocolate, but I’m afraid I need your help today instead. You’ve all met my best friend in the whole world, Paige.”
A picture of Paige and Vivian smiling with their cheeks pressed together appears on the screen. “Well, I’m afraid something horrible has happened to her. Two days ago, Paige was on the way to Azure Island in the Benavente Islands for her sister’s wedding, only she never showed up. The last text from her was to me to tell me she had found a ride on a…” Vivian looks down at her phone. “… tiny, sketchy plane with a super sexy but surly pilot about to take off.
“There was a huge, fast-moving storm that blew through the islands right around the time she sent that text, and yesterday, I got a text from her sister, the bride, who told me she didn’t make it. I don’t have any information about the flight she was on or the pilot. No one does. And when I spoke with the airport authority in San Felipe, which is the town she flew out of, they had no record of a flight taking off at that time, which means it was most likely a private seaplane.” Vivian’s eyes fill with tears and her voice cracks as she says, “They said they couldn’t send out the Coast Guard to look for a plane that they don’t even know took off. But I know Paige, and she would never just disappear like this. Not without telling me. She’s the most responsible person I know, and she was determined to get to her sister’s wedding. If anyone out there has contactson Santa Valentina Island and might be able to help me track down this plane or the pilot, please DM me right away. There’s a chance they crashed into the water, but it’s still early enough that, if they did, they could be alive.” Her chin quivers a bit, and she takes a deep breath, then adds, “Any information could be the difference between her getting home safely or … not. Please share this video with everyone you know. Please help me find Paige.”
Text Conversation Between Vivian and Daniela Chadwick (Paige’s mom, in case you forgot because her name has only been mentioned once, and while we’re on the subject, why don’t more books include this type of helpful info? I can’t be the only person to forget a character’s name when it’s rarely used…)
Vivian
Daniela, I know you may be under the impression that Paige never left New York, but I assure you she did. I’m afraid something has happened to her. I heard from her just as she was taking off in a charter flight and she believed she was on the way to the wedding. I’m flying to San Felipe first thing in the morning to file a missing persons report and to try to find the airplane she was on. I suggest you meet me there because I have a feeling the police will take the matter more seriously if Paige’s parents are there.
Daniela
You’re scaring me, Vivian. Are you positive she isn’t hiding out somewhere in New York?
Vivian
