“Oh my God, do you realize what jackpot you’re handing us?” Ethan exclaimed.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Ethan. I’m not sure he’ll even agree.”
“No, Hazel, it really is a big deal. It’s huge,” Luke insisted, his tone sincere. “I can’t believe it. You know Watson? Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” He put his phone down, fully engaged in the conversation, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Because I’m a gold digger who wanted a vacation,” I said sarcastically. Silence. No one laughed. Oh no. It sounded insane—and honest.
“Oh my God, no, it was a joke...” I felt sweat pooling at the back of my neck, this time from pure embarrassment. Why did I say that? They barely know me. What if they actually believed it? I hadn’t paid a dollar for this trip.
“I—I can pay.”Can you, really?“For stuff. You know, I—”
“Relax. No one’s thinking that,” Luke interrupted, stepping closer as I started to spiral. “I’m just blown away by this... coincidence. This crazy, amazing coincidence.”
“I don’t know,” I fumbled. “I remember bringing him up before the trip, but then I moved, everything got chaotic, and it just slipped my mind. I’m sorry.”
What is wrong with you? You could’ve helped them so much sooner.
“Tell us more.”
“About living here?” He nodded.
“There’s not much to tell. I applied for a year abroad and picked Portugal because I liked the ocean.” I laughed at the actual truth. “Watson mentored me on a research project, but...” I hesitated, not wanting to delve too deep into that part of my life. I wasn’t here to put a damper on the party. “I had to return home earlier than planned,” I said, brushing past the truth like it didn’t sting. “Some of the bucket-list things I missed out on, I’m doing with you now.” I smiled, choosing gratitude over theweight of what I’d left unsaid. “The last time I saw Watson, he said I could reach out if I ever needed his help.”
Luke glanced at Ethan, and the two of them lit up, trading smiles and a quick high five. Then Luke looked back at me, eyes bright. He leaned in, like he was about to hug me, but then seemed to think better of it as he glanced at the others. Instead, he settled for a playful shoulder push. I giggled, and he winked. Heat flooded through me again, and suddenly, my wetsuit felt unbearable. If I didn’t get out of it soon, I might have a heat stroke.
“Can I get some water?” I asked Luke, struggling with the zipper on my back.
“Sure.” He was quick, already handing me the bottle. I finally unzipped the suit, pulled my arms out, and let it fall to my waist.
I grabbed the bottle and drank the water in big gulps. When I came up for air, the breeze was already cooling my body. I took a couple of deep breaths and felt myself relax. Then, finally, shed the rest of the wetsuit.
“Damn, girl!” Norah suddenly exclaimed.
I looked up to see seven pairs of eyes staring. Luke was frozen on the spot, shamelessly watching my body. My cheeks flushed, probably cherry red. I knew I wasn’t unattractive, but I definitely wasn’t in a sexy bathing suit today. I was wearing a simple black top that would keep my boobs in place as I fell from the board, along with high-waisted boxer shorts.
“That’s some serious ink.” Oh, right. The tattoo.
“How long did it take?” Norah asked. The oak tree. It started on my left thigh and climbed up my hip, ribs, and part of my back.
“About 32 hours.” I felt everyone’s eyes on me, checking out the work. Maybe I was imagining it, but Luke’s gaze drifted over the rest of my skin, tracing his way through other parts the inkdidn’t cover. I felt his gaze linger on my chest, legs, neck... my lips. Was he doing that on purpose? To mess with me?
“I told you I wasn’t afraid of needles.” Luke remained silent, still staring. Why wasn’t he saying anything? He always had something to say. Did he find it off-putting? Was this one of those moments where people stay quiet if they can’t say something kind?
Wait. It didn’t matter what he thought. I loved this tattoo.
“That’s one way of proving it,” Logan said. “Looks great.”
“Thanks. I’ll make the call now,” I said, digging through my bag.
“To Watson? Now?” Ethan asked.
“Why not? We’re finally in the same time zone, right?” I smiled and walked about a hundred feet away from the noise.
I flipped through the phone book a few times unsuccessfully. Damn it. It was probably in my university notebook then. I quickly dialed another number.
While I waited for Thomas to pick up, I turned back only to be met with Luke checking me out again, sitting in a foldable chair and sipping his drink. To be honest, he was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn’t see his eyes, but his head was turned toward me, so I allowed myself to think he was stealing glances at me.
Suddenly, a new person joined the group, drawing everyone’s attention. I texted Thomas to call me back and strolled toward them, savoring the sand between my toes. Something caught my attention. The new guy, his figure seemed familiar. I’d seen him somewhere, a long time ago.
