21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter twenty-one
Kennedy
Whirlwind.
That’s the only word I can use to describe the last forty-eight hours. I can barely wrap my head around everything that's happened. It’s like I blinked, and I’ve gone from being buried under the stress of trying to get the building permit approved to standing on-site, watching crews prepare for the construction of the overwater villas. My mind is still reeling from it all—racing through the frantic phone calls, the long meetings, and the nagging pressure that we were behind schedule and the threat of losing my job. It wasn’t until the plans were finally approved that I even allowed myself to breathe again.
Then, of course, there was him .
As I’m standing here on the resort property, watching the construction crews move like ants as they start work on the villas, I feel like I’ve been spun in a thousand directions at once. My mind is a mess, constantly shifting between excitement and anxiety, between thinking about the project and him . It’s like I can’t separate the two—this mix of professional and personal chaos—and I don’t know which is making my heart race faster .
This villa project is going to be a massive success, but I can’t help thinking about how last night seemed like the start of something just as big. Something I’m not sure I’m ready for.
My phone ringing in my pocket has me startling out of my daydream. The tropical heat and humidity are fogging my brain. Glancing at the screen, I see Lana’s name and smile. It feels like forever since I’ve talked to my bestie. Knowing that it’s too loud to answer, I decline her call and type out a text, letting her know I’ll call her back shortly.
With one last glance, I find the foreman and make my way toward him.
“Miss Reed,” he greets.
I smile warmly as I glance around. Lumber lines the beaches, the sounds of heavy machinery humming and roaring as workers drill deep into the sandy soil, installing pilings that will support the villas. Metal clanking against metal echoes across the shoreline as cranes move in, lifting beams and foundation supports into place. Teams of workers in neon vests and hard hats move with precision, shouting instructions and coordinating tasks as they lay the groundwork for the structures. The air smells of saltwater and fresh lumber, the faint scent of sawdust mixing with the tropical breeze.
“Everything is moving quickly. Thank you for being prepared as soon as we got the go-ahead,” I say to the foreman.
“Of course, Miss Reed. We should have the site work and framework finished by the end of next week. We have teams in place to have around-the-clock crews working to ensure we hit the new deadline.”
I nod, jotting down his update in my notebook. “That sounds great. I wanted to let you know I’m taking off for the evening, but if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call me. ”
We shake hands on that promise, and I move through the silky sand as the early evening sun beats down on me. A glass of wine and my bikini are calling my name. It’s been an exhausting work week, so I’m ready to be out of work mode.
I’m met with the rush of air-conditioned air as I step out of the elevator, a welcome contrast to the heat that’s been clinging to my skin all afternoon. Hours under the beaming sun with the construction crew, overseeing every detail, left my skin warm and tinged pink. I’m sure I was a pest to them, but there was no way I wasn’t going to verify they were in line with the blueprints and the very specific building permits. I wasn’t risking any more delays on this project.
I roll my neck and feel the twinge of my muscles as I let my bag slip down my arm and land on the couch with a soft thud. Slipping out of my sandals, I head straight to the galley kitchen. The penthouse is quiet except for the soft whir of the A/C unit, which is a stark contrast to the bustling resort. Normally, I’d be welcomed with Tristan’s deep timber, but right now, it’s just me. It’s well after five on a Friday, and he’s been a firm believer of business hour boundaries since we arrived on the island, which means he must’ve gotten caught up with something important.
My fingers instinctively swipe across my phone, pulling up my best friend’s name. A quick tap and the FaceTime call rings out as I prop the phone against a decorative bowl on the counter. The fridge door effortlessly pops open, and I smile at the sight of the chilled bottle of rosé, which has been calling my name for the past hour.
I reach for the bottle and bring it to the counter as I pull a crystal glass from the cabinet and wait for Lana to answer. Pulling the cork out, the pop sounds as my nose is met with the sweet, fruity scent of the wine. The call connects as I pour the blush-colored wine into a glass, the soft glug filling the silence.
“She’s aliiiiive,” my best friend answers in dramatic fashion as her face fills the screen.
“Lana, Lana, bo-fana,” I say by way of greeting.
We share a chuckle as I bring the glass to my lips and savor the light, refreshing taste of the fruity wine. Grabbing my phone, I hold it in the air until I have the perfect angle as I wander toward my room—phone in one hand and wine in the other.
“How’s my badass designer queen doing?” my bestie asks, her voice crackling. I walk through the doorway of my room and feel my shoulders relax.
My eyes land on my bed as images of Tristan and me tangled in my sheets flash through my mind. Last night, we each slept in our own rooms, and I’m not even going to lie, I missed being in his arms. I can’t explain the cosmic shift between us. How I went from hating him to drooling over his delicious body. All I know is that one night with Tristan will never be enough. Well, until reality slaps us in the face and we go back to New York.
“Earth to Kenny…”
Shaking my head, I fix my eyes back on my screen. “Sorry, girl, it’s been a crazy couple of days.”
I toss the phone onto the bed, flipping it so she can still see me, then set the glass of wine on the dresser. The air is lighter now, my shoulders no longer weighed down by the stress of the day. I open the closet and thumb through bikinis, finally settling on one with tropical colors.
"Spill. The. Tea. I know that look on your face. It’s the look of you hiding something from me. "
I snort, grabbing my bikini from the drawer. "You have no idea."
"Oh, I think I have some idea," she teases and leans in closer to her screen. "That grin is telling me everything. Something definitely happened. Did you finally—"
"Make out with Tristan? Oh yeah," I blurt out, heat rising to my cheeks. "A few times. It wasn’t planned. I mean, one minute, he’s surprising me with a sunset cruise and dinner at the resort. Then, the next thing I know, I’m basically mounting him in the middle of the restaurant.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I tie the bikini strings behind my neck. The memory of his lips on mine, the way his hands held me so close... My stomach does a little flip just thinking about it.
Her jaw drops, eyes wide as saucers. "Wait. Hold up. You kissed Tristan ? You kissed him after months of all that tension and denial? Oh my god. Tell me everything!"
With my bikini on, I turn back to the phone, pausing long enough to grab my glass of rosé off the dresser. "It wasn’t just a kiss. I mean, yes, we kissed, but it was more than that. It was..." I hesitate, unsure how to explain the intensity of the moment. "It was like everything that’s been building between us finally snapped into place."
As I head toward the balcony, her squeal of excitement rings through the penthouse. "Oh my god, this is like a movie !"
Laughing, I step outside, where the warm breeze greets me. The sun is just beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the ocean. I settle onto a lounger, stretching out as I sip my wine. "I know, right? It felt surreal. But now I don’t know what happens next. He’s still technically my boss and Tristan , and that complicates everything. "
She rolls her eyes dramatically. "Girl, you kissed him! That’s huge! Was it everything you imagined?"
I pause, closing my eyes for a moment as I replay the memory of his lips and the feel of his hand on the small of my back. "I never imagined kissing Tristan Nelson. You and Zoe have always thought this would happen, not me. But if I’m being honest, the man can kiss."
She claps her hands in delight. "I knew it! The tension has been driving me crazy through the phone, so I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you. I’ve got to know all the details. What the hell happened to change things?”
“Two nights ago, I came home from work with a surprise sunset cruise planned,” I start, settling deeper into the lounger as the breeze teases loose strands of my hair, carrying the faint scent of salt and hibiscus. “Never in a million years would I have imagined that Tristan Nelson would plan a sunset cruise and dinner for us.”
“Wait, what?” Lana’s surprised expression reminds me of exactly how I felt that day.
Lifting my glass, I take a sip of wine before continuing. “Yeah, imagine my surprise…” I pause, a soft smile tugging at my lips. “Lan, the way he looked at me as the sun faded, it was like he could see right through my walls. It was everything I didn’t know I needed from him. Like he could finally see me .”
“Aww,” she coos, her eyes softening.
“For so long, we’ve been at war with each other.” I look away sheepishly. “A battle I started, only for him to prove me wrong in the most epic of ways.”
“What do you mean? ”
Resting my wineglass on my stomach, I stretch my legs and let the warmth from the setting sun sear my bikini-clad body. “He confessed that he’s never viewed me as the competition or his rival. Which means I created this entire narrative in my head and was so hellbent on proving I was right, only to be completely wrong.”
“I told you that you were making a bigger deal out of things,” she says with a shrug, and I glare at her.
“Not the time.”
She chuckles, and I stare out over the phone at the birds floating in the ocean breeze as images of that night flash in my head. I nibble on my lower lip as a blush creeps across my cheeks. “I didn’t expect the night to end the way it did.”
“What happened?” Lana gasps, bring the phone closer to her face. “I swear, Kenny, I’m going to hang up the phone if you don’t get on with it.”
“Okay, okay.” I huff a laugh. Leaning closer to the screen, I lower my voice, even though no one else is around to hear. "You’re not going to believe what I said to him."
Her eyebrows shoot up, intrigued. "Oh, this is going to be good."
"I told him to crawl to me," I whisper, my lips curving into a shocked grin. "Like, literally crawl to me. I have no idea where that came from. He asked what he could do to fix things between us, and that’s just…what popped out."
Her mouth falls open, and I can practically feel her jaw hitting the floor through the screen. My expression mirrors hers—eyes wide, cheeks flushed, my fingers still clutching the side of my face as if that might stop the heat from spreading.
“Oh my god, Kenny, you did not? ”
I nod.
“What did Prince Nelson do?”
"He did it." I shake my head, almost like I’m trying to wake up from some crazy dream. But the smirk tugging at my lips gives me away.
Giddiness radiates from Lana as she squeals with excitement. “I am so here for this new Kenny.”
With a smile, I take another lazy sip of rosé, letting the chilled wine roll across my tongue before I glance back at the screen. “Oh, there’s more.”
“Spill!” Lana demands.
I roll my eyes and adjust the screen. “The next morning, I woke up with him still in my bed.”
Lana’s eyebrows exaggeratively wiggle in a suggestive way, causing me to giggle.
“Anyway, I went to take a shower, and that’s when I got the email that the plans had been approved. Without a thought, I took off back into the bedroom, completely naked, might I add, and started moving in this ridiculous celebratory dance.”
“Oh my god.” She cackles, throwing her head back as the phone shakes in her head.
Nodding in disbelief, I add, “Not only did I dance for him, naked, but he was on the phone with his dad. And then I tripped over my shoe and fell flat on my face.”
“Kenny, that’s classic. I wish there was video evidence.”
My face scrunches. “Ew, I was naked.”
“Semantics.” She waves me off. “Happiness looks good on you, babe. ”
I try to keep the smile on my face, but I feel the corners sagging as doubts cripple my mind. Adjusting the strap of my top, I battle my inner overthinker.
Lana notices the shift in my mood. “This is your moment, why are you hesitating?"
I shift on the lounger, staring out at the waves. "It’s just... I went from hating him to wanting him in the span of, like, forty-eight hours. One minute, he’s infuriating, and the next, we’re making out, sitting around a fire pit like it’s the most natural thing in the world. What if it’s just a phase?"
Her expression softens as she tilts her head. "Look, it’s clear you’re not just physically attracted to him. You’ve been stewing on this for a while. Maybe now that things are happening, it feels like too much, too fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real."
"I don’t know. We kissed, and I can’t stop thinking about him, but he’s still my boss, and that power dynamic...it’s weird."
She shakes her head, taking a long sip of her drink. "Okay, but think about it this way—if the roles were reversed, and you weren’t working together, would you still feel this way about him?"
I bite my lip as I consider it. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I would."
"Then that’s all you need to know," she says with a grin. "Boss or not, you’re into him and, clearly, he’s into you. This isn’t some office fling—it’s been brewing, especially on his side. You don’t need to know all the answers right now."
I take a slow sip of wine as I let her words sink in. "I just...don’t want to screw it up. We’re in such a weird spot. What if this ruins everything? "
Her voice drops to a more serious tone. "Babe, if you’re worried about screwing it up, that means you care. But you can’t let that fear stop you from exploring something that could be great. You’ve already got chemistry—don’t let logistics ruin that."
I laugh softly, feeling some of the tension ease. "You always know what to say. And yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just...a lot."
She raises her glass. "To ‘a lot,’ because that’s where the good stuff happens. And to you finally making out with Tristan!"
For the next fifteen minutes, the two of us continue catching up before she has to hop off for dinner reservations.
The sun slowly dips lower, and as I lie back on the lounger, the uneasiness remains in the back of my mind, but it’s lighter now. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I just need to lean into whatever this is and see where it takes me—after all, the chemistry is undeniable.