“Nice to meet you, Alex,” Ted says, extending a hand.
“It’sAlec,” Alec says curtly.
They exchange a manly shake, but Alec looks a bit pouty.
“Well,” he says, still pouting as he glances between me and Ted, “I suppose you two had better get to it, then. Cheers.”
With that, he spins on his heel and stalks away.
“How rude,” I huff, loosening my grip on Ted’s arm. “Thanks for the rescue. I owe you one.”
Ted smiles, catching my hand in his and pulling me closer. “You could make it up to me by joining me for breakfast.”
And…there it is. Another unwanted advance, not five minutes after the first. Not that Ted isn’t a catch. He’s a genuinely nice guy, and normally I’d jump at the chance to talk baseball with him again, especially if an order of eggs benedict is involved. But the only man I’m interested in right now is Sebastian. There isn’t even the smallest blip of interest inside me for anyone else.
Which is a problem, because I can’t figure out what Sebastian wants. I could be saving myself for him for the entire remainder of this vacation, and it might be all for nothing.
Still. It's a risk I’m willing to take. Even one last kiss would be worth it.
Meanwhile, I don’t want to lead Ted on.
"I'm so sorry, Ted, but I have a full day planned with my parents. I’d invite you along, but we’re supposed to be having family time together. I hope you understand."
His crestfallen look brings on another twinge of guilt, but he gracefully accepts my rejection and I head back to the resort alone. I can’t shake my unease, though.
Why do men have to behave like that? Like just because they feel an attraction to me, they automatically expect me to reciprocate. Nobody gets to have a claim on me just because we had one pleasant conversation. I’m my own woman. That’s my mantra.
Hopefully it will start to have an effect if I repeat it enough times.
16
BLAIR
A pedicurist handsme a swatch of nail polish choices in sad shades of pale pink and mauve. My mother coos as if they are the prettiest colors she’s ever seen. Too bad she’s choosing a color for me.
We’re supposed to be having a relaxing afternoon getting mani-pedis together, but it's impossible to relax in my contoured, body conforming spa chair when she insists on sitting right at the edge of hers with her calves planted stiffly against the footrest. It took five minutes for the other pedicurist to convince my mother to put her feet in the foot bath, and Mom’s been eyeing it warily ever since, as if she’s worried something unsanitary might materialize in the water.
Not that I don’t appreciate the effort she’s making. When it comes to self-care, my mom is woefully out of practice. Ever since Sophie died, Mom has barely tended to her own needs, never mind anything so frivolous as a spa day. I thought it was a good sign that she agreed to do this with me, but now I’m not so sure. If anything, she seems more tense now than she was when we first walked in.
Taking the color swatch from me, my mother considers each option.
“This one.” She points to a shade that’s easily a mixture of mud and arterial blood. "It’s much more neutral than that garish red you’ve got on, and you can get your toes to match. How about that?"
I know how to play along. I've been playing along for years, haven’t I?
"I'm sure it will look great. Thanks, Mom."
To my complete surprise, she finally sits back and sinks into her chair just as her pedicurist comes back over to take Mom’s feet out of the water. Maybe she’s finally loosening up. I sure hope so.
Shifting in my chair, I reach for my bag on a side table and fish out my phone. Feeling very much like I’m doing something naughty, I check my email and then pull up my text thread with Sebastian. I know this is a bad idea. But I can’t stop myself. Between the dueling bachelors on the beach this morning and the stressful spa date I’m having with my mom, I could use something fun to look forward to later.
Are you free after work?
I type out, and then pause. I don’t want him to ignore me because he thinks I’m just trying to get him in bed again. I delete the message and try again.
How’s your day going? Still breaking in that new trainee?
I hit send. It sounds neutral enough. And I genuinely care about how his day is going. It’s not like the only reason I’m reaching out is because I’m hoping he’ll want to hook up.
