A smirk tugs at my lips as my inner fifth grader instantly comes out. “Pardon?”
“Conch salad? I was saying we could share?” she says, sounding less sure of herself, and I wonder if she realizes that the word ‘cock’ just came out of her mouth not two seconds ago. Stabbing the fork back into the bowl, she says, “You know what? I should just go. I’m clearly disturbing you.”
“Actually, wait. Maybe you could tell me more about that salad,” I say, unable to stop myself from teasing her.
Her sunny smile comes back, full force. “Oh, well, it’s easy to find all over the island. It’s like a ceviche. There’s no shortage of the main ingredient around here!”
“I would have to agree with that statement,” I say seriously.
She comes a little closer, and any hint of irritation I was feeling completely dissolves. There’s just something so guileless and appealing about her, the exact opposite of the women I usually spend my time with. Not that I’m sizing her up for another meaningless one-night stand, of course, but still. She’sgot this wholesome quality that’s…frankly, disarming. I can’t possibly tell her to fuck off now.
Besides, my resort guests aren’t due until next week anyway. She might as well take advantage of the private beach and enjoy it while she can.
“Do you want to try a bite?” she asks. “It’s got a great mouth feel.”
Scooping some onto the fork, she tries to hand it to me, but I wave it away. “I’m sure thecock saladfeels great in the mouth, but I actually just ate.”
“Oh my God.” Her eyes go wide, and a blush tints her high cheekbones. “I really said that before, didn’t I? Cock salad. Jesus.” She laughs again. “Brooke is never going to let me live this down.”
“Brooke?”
“My best friend. She’s actually on a date right now, which is why I’m having lunch by myself.” She shakes her head. “Anyway! This was fun. I’m leaving now.”
“Stay,” I blurt without thinking, patting the sand next to me. “Have a seat and enjoy your not-cock salad.”
“I…okay. Sure. I will,” she says brightly.
Smoothing her skirt, she sits next to me, keeping a polite distance between us. When she digs into the food and takes a huge bite, I hear her quiet sigh of pleasure. Goosebumps rise on my arms, and despite the inches that separate us, I feel her proximity like a physical touch. It’s a primal thing, nothing more.
“So what brings you and your friend to the island?” My tone comes out flat and uninterested, but that’s my default setting. In reality, I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t curious.
“A very hard-earned vacation. We just graduated.”
“High school?” I tease.
“Ha. No. NYU.”
“Congrats. That’s impressive,” I say, meaning it.
“I know. And what better time to run away from real life and fly to some tropical dreamland to just beach out and relax, you know?”
I nod in agreement, even though being here is obviously more business than pleasure for me.
“I couldn’t help but notice how serious you were looking before,” she goes on. “Let me guess—you’re not here for vacation.”
“Work.”
“Ah. That’s why you’re so scowly.”
She shoots me another grin as she chews, and it takes any hint of insult out of her words.
“Well, I think you’re lucky,” she says. “I definitely wouldn’t mind my office view looking out over the Caribbean every day.”
“Fair point,” I say. “Have you received any job offers with that shiny new degree yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m all set. I know exactly where I’m going.”
I get the sense she doesn’t want to elaborate, so I don’t push. I’m trying really hard not to be the asshole that she doesn’t seem to see me as, even though everyone else does. Because maybe I can just enjoy a few minutes today where I don’t feel…broken. It’s worth a shot, anyway. And it’s not hard to appreciate the simple pleasure of sitting next to a beautiful woman like this. Taking in the sounds of the waves, the gulls, the palm fronds rattling softly in the breeze.
