Chapter 6
chapter six
Mia
It’s seven p.m., the sun has set, and I’m feeling slightly buzzed as I sip wine with my girlfriends.
The night is still early, and we’re all at the apartment Juniper and I share, getting ready for the evening.
Music plays through the small Bose speakers in the corner of the room, and I watch as my friends Summer and Silvie bop their heads to Bruno Mars.
I’m so glad to see them with smiles on their faces, as they’ve both been through a rough time recently.
“Who wants another glass of wine?” Juniper holds up a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and looks around. She’s always a gracious host.
We all rush over to the kitchen with our glasses to get more wine.
“Thanks for inviting us tonight,” Wendy says gratefully. “I needed a girls’ night, where I could just decompress.” She runs her fingers through her dark hair and shakes her shoulders, as if shaking off her money woes.
“You’re telling me.” Summer lets out a light sigh. “I love Coconut Beach, and it’s been great being back, but renovating a house is not for the weakhearted.”
“I’m so glad you girls were able to rally with me tonight because I really needed girl time.” I look over at Juniper, Wendy, Josie, Summer, and Silvie and beam at them. “And doesn’t my new candle smell just like butter popcorn?”
“Yes, and it’s making me hungry.” Juniper fake growls at me, which delights Lani, who starts zooming back and forth on the rug. She loves it when we have company.
“She’s so cute.” Summer’s green eyes light up as she takes in Lani, who is now rolling on her back and yelping. “I love dogs.”
“She’s a keeper,” I agree and clear my throat. “Attention, everyone. I have an announcement. Most of you already know, but my best friend, Luke, and I are going to Rex Haverbrook’s wedding together, and we will be pretending that we are madly in love.”
“I don’t know that it’s the best idea you’ve ever had,” Juniper says, tilting her head to the side, “but I fully support you.” Her brown eyes shimmer under the glittery silver eye shadow she’s applied, and she looks absolutely gorgeous.
“Now, that’s a good best friend,” Silvie says with a warm smile as she takes a seat at the dining table and applies some blush.
“Yes, she is. But remember, everyone, it’s a secret.” I glance at Josie and issue her a warning look.
I love Josie, but sometimes, she gets so excited that she has loose lips.
“My lips are sealed. Trust me, I won’t tell a soul.” Her lips are pink and glossy as she leans back on the couch. She looks over at Wendy. “I’ve been good at keeping secrets.”
Summer brushes through her long blonde hair, and I watch the way it shines with a tinge of jealousy.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got my own issues going on right now with Dayton second-guessing every decision I’m trying to make for this renovation.
It’s infuriating.” She puts the brush down and takes a couple of deep breaths. “He is driving me crazy.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s that bad?”
“Worse than bad. But enough about me right now. I don’t even want to think about him right now.” She looks over at Wendy. “How have you been doing?”
“Let’s just say that I’m trying my best to ensure that we don’t lose the bed-and-breakfast, and Grandma is so busy in everyone else’s business, but her own.” She lets out a frustrated sigh. “I’m scrambling to get as many guests as possible.”
“But we did get someone. A very hot someone,” Josie adds, making an ooh sound.
“A very, very hot someone,” I say, giggling and moving back and forth. “Or as some would say, sexy.”
“We have a new guest who is staying with us. His name is Carter, and he is handsome to some,” Wendy explains to Summer and Silvie.
“I will totally make out with him tonight if he’s at Cocktails & Chaos.” I lick my lips.
“You and me both,” Juniper says.
“No, you guys won’t,” Wendy says quickly, and I see her blushing slightly.
I wonder if she has a thing for him. I’m almost positive that he has a thing for her because the last time I saw him, we were all at Salty Sirens, and I was pretty sure he had lust in his eyes, though I didn’t tell her that.
Wendy’s the sort of woman who doesn’t want to hear about hot men wanting to seduce her.
She doesn’t understand how beautiful she is and how men are drawn to her.
If I had a man like Carter gazing at me like caviar, I’d be sure to let him have a nibble.
Maybe that’s why I don’t have any men after me.
“Well, I’m not going to say anything either,” Silvie says. “Especially not now that I’m entering my own fake relationship with Cal.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be interesting.” I stare at her, wondering if she knows what she’s getting into.
She doesn’t know Cal that well, as she hasn’t been on the island long, but apparently, they hit it off right away.
Cal is the owner of Cocktails & Chaos, and he is a really nice, good-looking guy, but I’ve never known him to be the sort of guy who would be great in a fake dating situation.
I wonder if Silvie has a thing for him. Even though she did just run away from an almost marriage.
Silvie’s love life is even more of a hot mess than mine. Mine is just nonexistent.
“Plus, he’s really hot,” I say loudly. “How are you going to fake date a really hot guy? You’re going to want to date him for real.”
“Are you going to want to date Luke for real?” she shoots back at me.
“Oh, no way. He’s been my best friend since before I could do multiplication. I do not want to date him.” I gag.
“But he’s cute,” Summer says, teasing me. “I remember him from high school. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and those baby blues of his are to die for.”
I frown at her words. She’s gushing far more than I like.
“Yeah, he’s okay. But, my gosh, I’m kind of nervous, guys. I realize that we may have to kiss.”
“What do you mean, you may have to kiss?” Juniper giggles loudly. “You’re definitely going to have to kiss.”
“But I’m not going to French kiss him. I’m just going to give him a peck. That’s what I told him.”
“A peck?” Wendy raises her eyebrows in surprise. “What are you, twelve?”
“Why do you sound like Luke right now?”
“I bet he’d totally want to go all the way with you,” Josie says, winking at me. “And, girl, you should go for it. Luke has always been a stud muffin.”
“No, he hasn’t,” I say, staring at her. “Do you have a thing for him?”
“No, I don’t. Why would you ask me that?” Josie looks at me and bursts out laughing.
“I don’t know. I just thought you said that kind of weird, like you wanted to make out with him.”
“Are you acting jealous?” Juniper’s eyes narrow, and my heart races.
There’s no way I’m jealous of any woman who wants Luke.
“I’m not. At all. Let’s finish putting on our makeup.” I take a long gulp of wine and try not to think of kissing Luke.
“My parents were kind of gobsmacked when I told them, my grandparents were cool with it, and Rafe was acting like an absolute jerk. I don’t know that he believed me, but Luke and I are going to sell it so that he’ll have to eat crow.”
“Well, you know he is very smart.” Juniper walks around with the bottle of wine and tops us all up.
I stare at her. “Since when have you thought that Rafe was smart?”
“Since always. He’s always been smart. You know that.”
“He’s book smart. He’s not emotionally intelligent. He’s my brother, and he is so freaking annoying. All the questions he kept asking me, I was like, is he trying to ruin this for me?”
“Have you heard what Rex has said?” Silvie asks. “Because he’s the reason you’re doing this, right?”
“I have no idea what Rex thinks,” I say softly.
“And I am not doing it because of him per se. I’m doing it because of the note he left on the wedding invitation.
It’s a pity you don’t have a date. Excuse you, Rex?
I have a date. Your brother. Your very eligible brother. Your much better-looking brother.”
“You think that Luke is better-looking than Rex?” Juniper asks, and my heart thuds.
“What are you talking about?” I blink rapidly.
“You just said that Luke is much better-looking than Rex.”
“No, I didn’t. I mean, Rex is gorgeous, and Luke is just Luke.”
“Girl, you just said that,” Summer says, grinning at me.
“I heard you say that,” Josie adds.
“Me three,” Silvie says with a wry smile.
“Slip of the tongue. I really like that eye shadow that you’re wearing, Silvie. It really stands out.”
“Thank you. I want Cal to see why it’s a good idea to fake date me.”
“Are you into him, into him?”
“No. Of course not,” she says a little too loudly. “How’s your brother, by the way, Summer?”
“Oh, Dayton is not my brother. Do not call him that,” she says, blushing bright red. “He’s my stepbrother and I can’t stand him. He’s more like my enemy.”
“Ooh, sorry,” Silvie apologizes and glances over at Wendy. “And what about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
“No one,” she says a little too quickly. “No one at all.”
“And I know you’re not seeing anyone, Juniper. Are you down to find a hot guy with me tonight and make out?” I ask my friend.
“Sure,” she says. “Do you know if Rafe is going out tonight, by the way?”
“I have no clue. Why?”
“Well, you don’t want to be making out with some strange guy when you told him that you and Luke are in love,” she says quickly as she slips on some heels.
“I guess I kind of forgot that he goes out sometimes. He’s such a bore.”
“He’s not a bore,” Juniper says.
“Why are you sticking up for my brother so much?”
“I’m not. I’m just saying that he’s not an absolutely awful guy.”
“Girl, if you saw him the other day when I was on the phone with Luke at my grandparents’ house, you would know he is as awful as I say he is—and maybe even more.” I apply red lipstick to my lips, stand up, and twirl around.
I’m wearing a short white skirt that emphasizes my golden tan and a silver top that clings to my breasts and exposes my taut belly.
“How do I look?” I say, spinning around, my long blonde hair bouncing against my back.