I know we will still be together. Iknowthat.
But our lives could be turned upside down. Will the life we’re building together in Miami be ripped apart because we dared to violate some unspoken code?
I shake my head and tell myself not to worry about it now. Christmas will come soon enough, and once it has passed, we’ll talk to my parents.
And we’ll make them see that what we have is real.
We have to, I think.Failing here is not an option.
Because I don’t want to think of what life will be like if they don’t come around on the idea of me being with Aiden.
* * *
“There they are!” Hadleigh says.
I spot two beautiful girls standing outside of an apartment building in the Brickell area of Miami. I pull my car over to the curb where she’s pointing and unlock the doors.
Hadleigh lowers her window and grins at them. “Get in, losers, we’re getting sushi!” she calls out excitedly.
I hear a burst of laughter from the girls, and I laugh, too. They open the doors and get into the back seat of my car. I turn and look over my shoulder. “Hello!” I say brightly. “I’m Scarlett, your Uber driver for the evening.”
“Hello, I’m Marley,” the beautiful brunette says. “This is my friend Ava.”
I study them both for a brief moment. Marley has amber-colored eyes, while Ava’s are a very dark brown, almost like espresso, and her hair is long and jet-black.
Greetings are exchanged, and I put the address for the sushi restaurant in South Beach into my navigation system.
“We should arrive in nineteen minutes,” I say. “Is everyone okay with a pop Christmas playlist?”
The music is approved, and it fills the car along with chatter. I’m glad Marley and Ava are talkative, so there are no awkward pauses as we begin to get to know each other. When they find out I work for Real Miami, both think it’s super cool, and I answer a lot of questions about what it’s like to work for a pro sports team. I don’t volunteer that my dad is the coach for the Manatees, shifting the conversation back to them.
“What do you guys do?” I ask as I drive.
“I’m working on my master’s in business at Miami, and I work part-time at my parents’ floral shop. So nothing interesting. Not like Marley’s job,” Ava says.
“Hey, hold on, I think floral design is interesting. She has a talent for it,” Marley insists. “You should see some of her bridal arrangements.”
“I’m just impressed you know how to stick flowers in that green foam-block thing and get them to stand upright. I took a class once for fun. It did not end well,” Hadleigh says.
“What? But Hadleigh, it’s not hard to use florist foam!” Ava protests.
“Says theflorist,” Hadleigh teases.
“Marley, tell Scarlett what you do. You didn’t tell her, did you, Hadleigh?” Ava asks.
“No. I always like hearing people’s reactions to Marley’s job,” Hadleigh says.
“I feel like I should be afraid now,” I tease. But I am curious.
Marley laughs. “No, no, it’s just weird. I guarantee you’ve probably never heard of it before.”
“I’m intrigued. Go on,” I say, pulling up to a red light.
“I work at the Hotel Fredrico,” she begins.
Hm. That’s not nearly as interesting or dangerous as what I had envisioned she was going to tell me.
“And I’m a soap concierge,” Marley finishes.
