“Shooting?” Nikki sounds totally confused.
“For thatLovedByspecial. Didn’t you say you had that coming up?”
“Oh, um, yeah,” Nikki says, and I swear I can hear herchewing on her thumbnail through the phone. “They’re still working out the timing.”
It was surreal to watch my best friend fall in love on television, but that’s exactly what happened. She and Aaron seemed perfect for each other, with their matching golden hair and flawless teeth. But then, on the live New Year’s Eve finale when they were supposed to say their vows, Aaron revealed that he’d actually been seeing another woman the whole time. He’d gone on the show in the hopes that Nikki’s connections in the athletic wear world would help him gain sponsorships—he was a pro golfer looking to up his celebrity status. Nikki had, of course, been shattered. I honestly can’t believe she’s willing to go back on the show after what happened, but if there’s one thing I know about Nikki Bennett, it’s that she’s a professional. With her, it’s alwaysthe show must go on!But of course, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel pain.
That’s why she was the one person I wanted by my side after my own heartbreak. I knew she’d understand. It must have been so hard for Nikki to watch my wedding implode, just like her own engagement did. But she was there for me every step of the way. Helped me get settled in my new rental house, brought me dinners, and reminded me that she was just a fifteen-minute drive away in Venice if I needed her, day or night. Thinking about it, I’m angry and devastated all over again—for both of us. We both thought we were going to get our happily ever afters only to have the rugs yanked out from under us.
“I love you, Nikki,” I say to her now. “Thanks for calling. I’ll be fine.”
“Love you too, Sybs.”
I’ll be fine, I repeat to myself after Nikki and I hang up.
I just need to survive a few more days without running into Jamie again. Halia Falls is a big place—it should be easy to avoid each other, right?
“DO YOU NEED ANOTHERDiet Coke, Miss?”
“Derek, I told you to call me Sybil,” I tell the poolside waiter as he deposits the poke bowl I ordered for lunch onto a little side table beside my lounger. Derek and I go way back. Okay fine, we go back about twenty minutes, but already we’ve chatted about the best items on the outdoor bar menu (the lomi lomi salmon salad), the most secluded beaches only locals know about (and how to actually get to them without falling off a cliff), our astrological signs (him Aries, me Gemini), and his mom’s Etsy shop (she’s a collector of rare books and antiques). “And no, I’m great! Thank you!”
I’m not sure what the tipping etiquette is here but I leave him a few extra because I know firsthand how absolutely exhausting working in the service industry can be—and, well, also because I may need his help in the near future, like to physically hide behind if Jamie returns to the pool area.
An hour later, after I’ve finished my meal and sent off a few emails to the interns back at Flowies, reminding them not to forget Meredith’s preferred nondairy creamer and the phone number for her dry cleaner, I make my way back to the lobby.
Ash, the woman who greeted me earlier, is there at the concierge desk. “Wow, I love your earrings!” I tell her, admiring them.
She smiles back and shakes her long, wavy dark hair, letting her delicate gold hoops with green beads sway. “Thank you! I actually got them from a little shop in town.”
“Really? Oh my gosh, you have to tell me where. I will definitely go check it out. I love your style.”And I could also use some modest retail therapy.
She laughs. “Ninety percent uniform, ten percent personal choice, but thank you. You’ll love the sweet town of Hana. It’s just down the road. Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah, I was just wondering if you have a resort map? I’d love to check out the grounds, but my sense of direction is absolutely insane. Give me a GPS to find the gym and I would probably still somehow end up walking straight into the ocean.”
She laughs again. “No problem!” she says, pulling a pamphlet from behind the desk. “There’s also a QR code for the digital version.”
“Great, thanks!” I’m about to walk away when I remember another question. “Sorry, one more thing—are you guys planning to do anything for the lunar eclipse on Friday?”
“Yes, there’s actually going to be a watch party out on the lawn that overlooks the beach. We’ll have music, cocktails, and passed hors d’oeuvres.”
“Great, thank you!” I make a note to do some Googling about what camera settings I’ll need to adjust on my phone to get a good picture of the moon turning blood red as it passes through Earth’s shadow. After coming all this way, it would be a serious fail if I ended up just posting a blurry red smudge to the Flowies feed.
I cross the lobby, pausing in the center of the atrium tostudy the map. I’m curious about the sculpture garden, thinking vivid flowers and bird baths would make for a great setting to stage some products, so I decide to head there after a quick change.
Already, my skin is looking more vibrant; tropical air suits me. I throw on a fresh bathing suit—this one decidedly sexier, an all-black bikini with beaded straps—and an airy cotton mini-dress that you can see through in the light. I run a brush through my hair and dollop another bit of lip gloss and I’m good to go.
I’m feeling a lot more like myself again when I descend back down to the main floor. But I’ve barely passed through the hedges that line the perimeter of the gardens when I spy Jamie and Genevieve sitting on a stone bench, tucked among lush, flowering pink ginger. Their heads are bent together as they read over a binder resting on their laps. She’s now in a fuchsia wrap dress that hugs her curves and sets off her sleek dark hair. Jamie’s changed into shorts and a T-shirt, and his hair has dried in soft waves. One piece keeps falling into his eyes as he leans in to point to something in the binder. My fingers itch with a Pavlovian instinct to reach over and smooth it back.
I think about just passing through anyway, give them a good look at my outfit change, act like I don’t care. But I’m not ready for that. I can’t handle another potential interaction this soon.
Then, as if he can sense my presence, Jamie’s head darts up, his eyes instantly finding mine.
My face flushes, and I turn on my heel to exit the way I came.
I’ll check out the sculpture garden another time.
FOLLOWING THE RESORT MAP,I take a path instead that goes past a putting green and a barbeque and picnic area before eventually winding its way down to the beach. I turn the corner, and the vista that opens up before me is absolutely breathtaking. Soft white-gold clouds on a brilliant blue sky, waves swooshing rhythmically in long white lines, the bright sand dappled with sunbathers.
