“Are you okay, Nell?”
“I am great, Renata. Honestly, this is a great night and I am thankful for being here with you.” I wave the waiter over, then order some drinks.
Thankfully, she lets it go and we all clap when a tray of shots is brought over to us. We take turns taking the shots, me and then one of the aunties, I forget which one, as the shots are doing their job of making me forget.
A game is suggested, and we play a few rounds, until I find myself floating, then placed on a soft bed of clouds. A handsome angel looks down at me, and I reach up and touch his face.
“You are the most handsome angel I have ever seen. You have a sexy smile and cherub’s hair. Sweet and sexy all in one package.”
He smiles at me, then lips press to my forehead before sleep takes me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Romeo
My gaze is focused on the beauty sleeping in our bed; something is off with her. When she came back from the restroom earlier tonight, she was different. Her shoulders were tight, until she got drunk.
I asked my mother if Nell had said anything. She told me no, but she found it odd that Nell would make toasts about men being not all that they seem and that men know what to do and say to get what they want.
It got me thinking about what could have happened but nothing came to mind, so I let her be, but I had the hope that if something was wrong she would come to me.
When I joined them at the table, Nell told me that I was good at games, and that she should have known. Nothing that came from her mouth made sense.
Then she proceeded to call me a handsome angel as I laid her in our bed. That was two hours ago, and she has not yet stirred.
My skin feels tight, and my emotions are all fucking jumbled from what I was already feeling, and now her words. They do say that alcohol can be a natural truth serum.
Pushing to my feet, I walk to our closet, and pull out a pair of swim shorts. The gym is the usual place that I go to ease some tension or I fuck, but since my current woman is passed out in bed, that is a no go.
A few laps in the pool might help.
Slipping into the shorts and then pulling a soft T-shirt over my head, I slip my feet into my sneakers, collect my phone and room key, and exit with one more look at Nell.
The hotel is quiet; it is strange to see it so empty. A stark difference from the daytime.
Stepping out into the pool area, I select a table where I can leave my items and then remove my shirt and toe off my sneakers.
Closing my eyes, I tilt my head up and take it all in: the smell of coconut, and ocean salt permeates the air, and I breathe it in, letting my body relax. When we first made plans to come here for the wedding, I thought it would be simple.
We’d arrive, and play it off as a great coupling, but then Nell had to worm her way under my skin, showing me what it could be like to settle down. She has left her mark on me, which is something I never thought would happen.
Stepping to the edge of the pool, I take a deep breath and dive in. Holding my breath, I keep my hands together, slicing through the water, until I surface then I swim. Doing lap after lap. Twisting, pushing off the wall.
With each lap I can feel my head clear, my body slowly relaxing from the emotional rollercoaster it seems to have been on since we arrived.
After my tenth lap, I pull up out of the water, resting my forearms on the wall and catch my breath. Pushing my hair outof my face with one hand, I look up at the hotel, seeing the balcony that leads to the room Nell and I share.
After catching my breath, I can’t help but think over the words she said to me, that I am good at playing games. Fuck, she must have been real drunk or something definitely happened.
Pulling in more oxygen, I swim more.
Swimming and running used to be my teenage self’s favorite things to do when I needed to clear my head. That was before I found that fucking helps too, but few girls my age wanted to just have sex for the fun of it.
Older women were a thing for me for a little while, until I was caught sleeping with a married woman, and her husband would not believe me when I told him that I did not know she was married.
He beat the shit out of me, so my uncle dealt with him.
Pulling myself out of the water, I sit on the wall, my feet and most of my calves submerged.
