“Okay, look.” I blew a breath up into my hair. “It wasn’t right of me to lie about my age. But I was trying to have a little fun, protect my identity, and…I didn’t want to be typecast.”
“How can I possibly typecast someone who picks a name fit for an eighty-year-old and matches it to an eighteen-year-old’s face?”
My eyes widened. “Now I lookeighteen?”
“You could pass for it.”
“Well, if you knew I looked young, why did you meet me?”
“I guess I hoped your age was correct and you just had young genes or something.”
“But you said you noticed me when we first got here. Why were you checking me out if I’m too young for you?”
He shook his head. “You’re a real pill, you know that? And Iwasn’tchecking you out. But I did noticeyouogling me.” His eyes fell to my chest.
“Like you’redoing right now?” I asked. “Looking down at my boobs?”
He gritted his teeth. “Have a good rest of your day, Delores.”
Then he walked away—again.
Oh my God.Did that just happen? And of course, he looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.
Not only did I feel like a fool for getting caught in a lie, but I had just blown a date with the hottest man I’d ever laid eyes on.Yes, I’m pathetic.Even afterallthat, I still wanted to sleep with him.
As I walked back toward the hotel, I called Taylor.
“Hey. How’s it going in paradise?” he said in greeting.
“I just did the dumbest thing.” I rolled my eyes.
“What?” he asked, though he was already laughing.
I told him the story of my app-date fuckup.
“Why the hell would you pick that name?”
“It rhymes with clitoris?” I chuckled. “Who the hell knows! You know I have problems making small decisions. It takes me forever to pick what I want to eat at restaurants. It was the first name that came to mind.”
“You figured the name would offset lying about your age?”
“It wasn’t even that calculated. Just a dumb, spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Well, I guess you live, you learn, right?”
“You’re not gonna scold me and warn me to be careful?”
“Hell no. You deserve to have some fun. But yes, be careful about who you’re dealing with. Don’t go anywhere alone with anyone. You made the right decision meeting that guy out by the pool.”
“Okay, but if you’re looking to hook up with someone, how do you do that in public? At some point, you have to be alone with them.”
“Well, at least get to know him first. Make sure he’s not a serial killer. Get a vibe for the type of person he isas best you can. Maybe run a background check or something. I don’t know. Just don’t rush into anything.”
“Pretty sure I won’t be meeting anyone else. It’s slim pickings here, and I won’t leave the resort. So no need to worry about any of that.” I sighed. “Anyway…what are you up to tonight?”
“Juliana and I are going to the movies.”
“Fun. Have a good time. I’m gonna see if I can jump on one of the excursions this afternoon or something. I need a distraction.”
