“Joe, shh!” My grandma pats him on the shoulder. “It’s not our business. We’re just happy that Rex has met the love of his life.”
“I suppose so. Wasn’t he interested in that Summer girl as well? I remember him talking about her.” He looks at Grandma, and she nods, eyes wide, a small smile on her face as she looks at him.
“Yes, I was talking about it with the busy Bees the other day.” She lowers her voice and presses her finger to her lips. “But neither of you are to say anything about that. I don’t know if Andi knows that Rex was also trying to date Summer, Silvie, and Wendy earlier this summer. Well, at least, that’s what the other Bees and I think.”
“How do you know this information?” I cock my head to study her as we walk onto the wraparound porch of my grandparents’ grand white beach house.
Memories of sitting on the wide wooden porch swing, rocking back and forth, while eating grapes with Mia flood my mind as we walk through the open doors into the wide foyer. I can see the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the entire back of the home. The air is chilly as I make my way through the open-plan house and toward the back, where the oversize gray sectional couch sits, right next to the French doors that lead to the back porch.
“Grandma?” I look back at her and wait for an answer.
“We Bees know everything.” She offers me a secret smile. “Would you like some iced tea before we get ready? The festivities start in an hour, but I’m sure you can’t wait to see Mia.”
“You’ve got that right.” I laugh, though she doesn’t know why we need to see each other right away. “And I’d love some tea, please.”
I push open the French doors and step onto the white woven rug that sits on the wooden floor. The fine white sand beckons to me, and Islip my shoes and socks off and head down toward the water. I pass the tall, towering hibiscus plant that Mia loved as a kid and smile, thinking about the time we attempted to crossbreed different hibiscus plants to make our own variation.
My feet sink into the cool sand as I look down the long stretch of beach. The houses on this side of town have fairly private beaches, as the tourists prefer to spend their days on Sunrise Beach, as that is right next to the food trucks and the pier. It is also were they can charter a boat from Captain Smitty at Ocean’s Calling and go swimming with dolphins—an activity that Mia and I both loved, though we’d go in my parents’ boat. Those were the days.
I am looking forward to the next two weeks. I am more pleased than I realized at being back. Coconut Beach is home, even if I now live in New York.
“Tea’s on the kitchen table, Luke,” my grandma calls from the porch, the wind blowing her skirt back and forth. “You should get ready, Luke. We will need to leave soon.”
“All right, Gran,” I call back, though I allow myself to take in the clean ocean air for a few more moments before I go back inside. I feel at peace, standing here. I feel happy and even a teensy bit excited.
I am looking forward to this holiday and charade. I only hope that Mia and I will be able to pull it off. I am not sure why I am so excited about pretending to be madly in love with her, but I’m not going to question it.
The sounds of a string orchestra fill my ears as I make my way toward the park. The beach party is already packed, and I am ready for one of Cal’s fine cocktails and a couple of beers, but I need to find Mia first. I walk past Iggy’s Grill, surprised to see the crowds of people hanging out outside. My heart races as I make my way past the playground and toward the gazebo. Someone attached string lights to the canopy, and they sparkle in the night sky.
I pull out my phone to let Mia know I will be there in a few minutes when I realize there’s a group of six women standing there, laughing and chatting about something. I stop next to one of the palm trees andjust stand there, watching them. The women don’t notice me, so I allow myself the time to observe them.
I gaze at each of their faces quickly. I recognize Juniper immediately, her long, dark hair hanging in waves down her back as she talks to another brunette next to her, who I’m pretty sure is Wendy. My eyes keep moving, and I see Josie standing next to Wendy. She’s laughing at something while texting. Next to her is a blonde, who looks vaguely familiar. I’m pretty sure that’s Summer, though we didn’t really hang out much in high school. She’s chatting with another blonde, who, at first, I think is Mia, but I soon realize it’s not. This is a lady I don’t recognize. I rack my brain to try and remember the names of the new women Mia told me about, but I can’t place it. My eyes move to the next woman, but I know she’s not Mia.
I frown as I decide to call her. Did she stand me up? Her phone rings three times, and then she answers breathlessly.
“Hey, Cool Hand Luke.” She giggles into the phone, and I immediately know she’s already had a few drinks. She always sounds happy when she’s drunk.
“Hey, Mia Farrow. Where are you?” I scan the women under the gazebo again and then realize there’s another woman at the back that I didn’t notice before.
“I’m here. Where are you?” I hear laughing in the background and realize that the seventh woman, the woman who has her back to me, must be Mia.
“I’m here.” I’m about to step forward when my breath catches.
I watch as the woman moves toward the front of the gazebo. She’s wearing a simple, short silver dress and heels. Her blonde hair hangs past her shoulders, silky and shiny. Her brown eyes survey the park as she looks for me, a sweet, sexy smile on her face. My eyes wander down her body to her long, slender legs and the anklet that clings to her right ankle. My eyes move back up her slinky, shiny dress to the V neckline that shows off a generous amount of cleavage. I feel like I’m seeing her for the first time. That is definitely Mia, but this is a grown-up version. Somehow, I didn’t realize that my best friend had grown from a tomboy to a sex kitten. I shift back, watching as she continues to look for me in the crowd.
“Where exactly? I’m looking for you.” She looks back, and I watch as her hair bounces across her bare golden shoulder. “Hey, Juniper. Do you see Luke? Hesays he’s here, but I can’t see him.”
“I see you,” I say as I step away from the tree. “I’ll be right there.”
I grip the phone in my hand tightly. I should not be noticing her curves or the way her breasts have blossomed from A cups to what looked like Cs. And those legs … I never knew that Mia had legs for days. Legs like that could drive a man wild. And I am very much a man.
“Look to your right.”
I take another step toward her and watch as she swings around, her eyes searching. And when she sees me, it’s like time stands still. Our eyes meet, and her lips turn up in a wide smile, transforming her entire face into one of beauty and wonder.
“Lukey,” she calls out, hanging up.
I watch as she runs toward me, happiness in her every stride, and for the first time since landing back on the island, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. Mia Bishop is my best friend, but she’s also the hottest woman I’ve ever seen in my life. As I wait for her to reach me, I wonder what she would do if I let the wicked side of my brain take over and I pressed her up against the tree.
