“As far as he’s concerned, you’re also taken,” Jean reminded her. Crossing to the dresser, she helped herself to a squirt of hand lotion, rubbing it in as she considered Libby. “Maybe you should make it official. With Mr. L.”
“Seriously?”
“It would be like tying a string around your finger.Note to self, don’t cross any lines with that one dude because I’m hella married.On top of which, you pocket the cash. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.”
“He did offer to name a towel rack after me. Or was it a bath mat?”
Jean was silent for a moment. “I was going to say,He’s full of surprises,but it’s actually the opposite, isn’t it?”
Libby nodded glumly.
“I know how much you want this, Libs. And I’m not going to let you blow it. We’ll figure it out. All the its.”
Jeanhadput a lot of effort into this ridiculous scheme. More than Libby had ever seen her devote to, say, a legit job. Libby might not be blessed with a college degree or perfect teeth, but she had loyal friends.
“I did have one idea.” Libby watched her roommate kneel on the floor and reach for something under the sofa. It turned out to be a bottle of wine, no doubt smuggled from downstairs.
“Hit me.” Jean sliced through the foil with the tip of her key-chain corkscrew.
“Put off giving him a final answer as long as possible and then pretend I died?”
Jean paused with the cork halfway out of the bottle. “That’s a little extreme.”
“How is it any more out there than the rest of this?” Libby could have made a list, with her giant nudie portrait near the top. “You’re the one who used to talk about faking our deaths to get our student loans canceled.”
“That was different. Lillibet can’t disappear. It defeats the whole purpose.”
“We could say I had amnesia? Like when I resurface a few months from now.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s drink this wine, go to bed, and start fresh in the morning.” The cork emerged with apop.Jean set it aside, holding the bottle out to Libby. “We made it through the day. Here’s to us!”
Libby took a long drink. “Whoever we are.”
Chapter 12
lovelillibetMy first breakfast is the deep breath I consume when I finish my morning meditations. Filling myself with clean air gives me the spiritual fuel I need to sail out into the now.
Love, Lillibet
Image: A blue-and-white platter with tropical fruits including mango, papaya, lychee, and apple bananas.
#justbreathe #smoothsailing #fillherup #consciousfasting
Jefferson had never tasted papaya. The teardrop shape and mottled green-and-yellow skin suggested something in the squash family, until he watched Keoki’s knife slice one in half without visible effort. After scooping out the fat black seeds, Lillibet’s chef placed an entire half on a white plate, squeezed a wedge of lime over the exposed orange flesh, and pinched a purple-and-white blossom from the floral arrangement on the counter, placing it next to the papaya.
“Don’t eat the flower,” he said, handing Jefferson the plate and a spoon.
They were the only ones in the kitchen. Jefferson had already walked down to the beach, hoping to see the sunrise—and anyone else who might be there to greet the day. He’d struck out onboth counts. Lingering cloud cover muted the colors on display, and he’d been alone at the water’s edge.
“There’s a table in back,” Keoki told him, nodding at the kitchen door. “I’ll bring out coffee when it’s ready.”
“You don’t have to wait on me.”
“Might as well enjoy the quiet.”
Jefferson heard the unspokenwhile it lasts.
The chair was still damp with dew, but the temperature of the air was pleasant enough that it didn’t matter. Jefferson sat with his back to the pool masquerading as a lagoon, preferring the view of swaying palms above the deep green hedge.
