“Rude,” I joke back.
“I love you,” he says, “but you have to convince the board that this is a real marriage. And the optics of marrying your assistant is not going to fly. In fact, I’m terrified of what your father would do to me. He scares me on a normal day at work. As a son-in-law? Never, ever going to happen.”
Anxiety makes my chest tighten. I circle over and over to my problem that needs solving. Unfortunately, all the answers are vague and out of reach.
“Ohhh.” Wilby’s head jerks and he looks behind us. “Ohhhhh my.”
I swivel in my chair and follow his gaze. Cal is walking toward us from the bar, barefoot, shorts slung low on his hips, a button-down shirt flapping in the wind, unintentionally showing off his chiseled abs. He’s smiling and waves at me.
Wilby’s jaw drops.
“Him,” Wilby says faintly, looking stunned by Cal.
Cal comes around and stands in front of us, eyes flicking between us with curiosity.
“Hey,” he says, wearing a friendly grin. “This must be your friend.”
Wilby stares and doesn’t blink. He’s entranced. Then he slowly turns to me. “You know this exquisite man, Silverlyn?”
Cal’s mouth turns up when he hears my full name. “Silverlyn,” he repeats. “Beautiful name.”
I never told him my full name. Not that I don’t trust him, it just never came up. And hearing it on his lips is nice.
I smile. “Cal, this is Wilby. Wilby, this is Cal.”
Wilby stands and offers his hand like a gentleman who has lost control of his motor functions. “Hi,” he says. “Hello. Wow.”
Cal shakes his hand, looking at me, amused. “Nice to meet you, Wilby.”
“Is Cal short for something?” Wilby asks, something I’ve been wondering myself.
“Callahan,” he says. “Callahan Bennett.”
I laugh. “That’s sexy too, hot bartender.”
Cal groans playfully. “Not this again.”
“She keeps calling me hot bartender,” he tells Wilby.
Wilby looks at me, his eyes widening, and mutters. “Well, if the shoe fits.”
Cal snorts, shaking his head. “Can I bring you two some food or some cocktails?”
Wilby sinks back into his chair with a sigh, staring up at the sky. “I’ve died,” he mutters. “And gone straight to heaven.”
12
Cal
“Morning!”I call as Wilby and Silvie cross the sandy beach to me.
When I asked them yesterday if they wanted to surf this morning, Wilby lit up like I’d offered him free drinks for life at Chaos. I didn’t sleep much last night. I was excited to see Silvie again. And Wilby seems cool. The waves are clean, the air feels great, and there’s no way I’m missing another morning with Silvie.
Silvie smiles at me, looking hesitant. The other day she fell more than she surfed but I have to hand it to her, she stuck with it. “You already got the boards?”
“All set.” I nod toward the lineup. “You guys ready?”
Silvie smiles at me, and yeah, that makes the lack of sleep worth it.
