“Yeah, but new rules. I show you my tats and you—”
“Evening, Eva. Justin.” Saylor drove her elbow into my stomach as she greeted the couple walking up behind me.
“Hey.” Eva grinned, her eyes darting between me and Saylor. “We missed you two on the falls trip. Did you find something better to do?”
“Eva,” Justin hissed, tugging his wife’s hand. “That’s none of our business.”
Eva shrugged, her overly made-up face sparkling in the tiki-torch lit path. “I just think it’s sweet how the two singles on the island are falling for each other. Almost like a reality show. Although come to think of it, I feel like I’ve seen you before. Are you a reality star, Malcolm?”
I shook my head. My smile felt so plastic. Brittle. “Sorry, Ava, no. No reality fame here.”
Justin sighed. “Everyone looks like a celeb to her. I swear she spent the whole flight over convinced there was a rock star on board.”
Saylor choked and tried to cover it with a cough.
I struggled to hide my smile. I thought they hadn’t been on our flight since they’d arrived after us but on the same day.
“I heard the flight attendant!” Eva exclaimed. “She said the guitarist from the Long Licks was on our flight. You just weren’t pushy enough to get us past her and into the first-class cabin. It’s not like all ten people up there needed their own bathroom. Ridiculous.”
Saylor became seriously interested in her sandal strap. I was just trying to keep my laughter off my face. I guess someone had recognized me after all—the flight attendant. Clearly not Eva. Or Saylor.
Justin rolled his eyes. “You know they never let people through that curtain barrier. Can we go eat now? I’m starving. I missed lunch.”
“Yes, dear.” Eva sighed. “I swear all this one ever thinks about is food.”
“See you guys in there!” Justin hollered as he left us and his wife behind to hightail it to dinner.
“Justin! Wait for me! Sheesh!”
Saylor, fortunately, waited until they disappeared further up the path before letting the laughter fly. “Oh my god.”
I sighed. “What? Some people just really like food, okay?”
“You know that’s not what I’m laughing about. You realize you might’ve been able to talk her into the mile-high club? Did you see the way her eyes sparkled when she said guitarist?”
I shook my head and followed in Justin’s path—leaving my woman behind. “She’s not my type. Never would’ve happened.”
“I can’t tell if I should be flattered or not.” Saylor panted as she caught up to me.
Fuck me. I couldn’t help but smile. “Definitely flattered.”
Later that night as we were eating dinner, Samu came up to our table totally apologetic about leaving us behind on the falls trip.
“And to make it up to you both, we’d like to comp you a private beach picnic tomorrow,” Samu offered.
Saylor’s eyes lit up. She’d no doubt read the brochure about the island’s amenities displayed in every room. And I’d never done the private beach picnic.
“Sounds good.” I smiled at Saylor.
She grinned back. “What time?”
She was cute when she was being all eager.
“We’ll meet at the dock at eleven tomorrow morning and take you by boat. You can snorkel in the bay—it’s totally private—have lunch just the two of you, and we’ll be back to pick you up at three.”
Four hours on a totally secluded part of the island?
“Sign us up.” I reached across the table to hold Saylor’s hand.
