Chapter 6 #2
“Stunning,” Juniper says, her brown eyes warm. “You’re gorgeous. You know that, right? If you really wanted a date—a real date—for the wedding, you could have one.”
“I guess. It’s not like any guys are really banging down my door. It’s hard, living here.”
We don’t have many new guys who move to the island. The tourists come and go, and while there are locals, it’s such a small community that it’s hard to date.
“I get it, girl.” She lets out a long, deep sigh.
“Hey, don’t be down on yourself.” I reach over and rub her shoulders. “You’ll meet a good guy. Maybe there’ll even be someone at the wedding.”
“Maybe.”
“Girls, what if we vow to have the best summer of our lives?” I jump up and hold my glass in the air.
“I’m in,” Josie says.
“Yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t mind some good sex and some hot kisses,” Wendy says, grinning wickedly as she stands up and spins around.
“I guess I wouldn’t mind some fun,” Silvie says with a wry smile.
We all turn to look at Summer, who is looking down and blushing.
“Hey, you already know that I fucked up and sent my stepbrother those pictures,” she says quickly, waving her hand in front of her face. She’s now bright red. “I think, right now, I just need to concentrate on the reno.”
“Or wickedly send him even sexier pictures?” I tease.
“Really, Mia?”
“What? I’m just saying, this is going to be our summer. We’re all going to have the best sex of our lives.”
“We’re all going to be wooed,” Josie says.
“We’re all going to fall in love,” Juniper says.
“I just hope to save the bed-and-breakfast,” Wendy adds.
“I just hope to get over my broken heart and succeed in business,” Silvie says.
“And I just hope to get the beach house looking as beautiful and wonderful as I’ve always envisioned it could be,” Summer says softly.
We all grow slightly quiet then because Summer recently lost her parents, and we all know that she’s still getting over that deep trauma. I know that grief is something that never fully leaves you, but I want Summer to know she will always have us supporting her.
“Here’s to a summer of fun. And to you fooling the world into thinking Luke Haverbrook is your gorgeous boyfriend.” Juniper grins. “Cheers, girls.”
We all hold our glasses up and clink them.
I sit back down on the couch and look over at my friend group. I’m so happy to be in Coconut Beach with them. I haven’t known them all as long as I’ve known Juniper and Luke, but they all mean something to me. It’s friendships like this that make small towns worth it.
“Do you think we’ll grow up to be the busy Bees?” Juniper asks, laughing slightly.
“Never. We don’t gossip,” Josie says. “As much.”
“Just all the time,” Wendy adds, and we all start laughing.
My phone rings and I stare at the screen. “It’s Lukey,” I say, waving it. “Should I answer or let it go to voicemail?”
“Answer,” Summer says, giggling. “And does he like it when you call him Lukey?”
“I think he absolutely hates it.” I start giggling. “But it is what it is.”
I answer the phone. “Hey there, darling lover boy. What are you up to?”
“Are you drunk already, Mia?” His voice is dry, and I just start laughing.
“No, I’ve only had one glass. I’m here with the girls, and we’re getting ready to go to Cocktails & Chaos.”
“Oh.” His voice changes slightly. “So, you’re going through with that plan then?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten there yet. We’ll see.”
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Mia, especially if—”
“My gosh, Luke. Let me have some fun. I mean, you and Beatrice had fun recently, didn’t you?”
There’s silence on the phone.
My friends look at me with questioning eyes, and I whisper, “I’ll tell you after I get off the phone.”
“What did you just say, Mia?”
“Nothing. Hold on. Let me FaceTime you.”
I press FaceTime on the screen, and wait for him to pick up. He answers after a couple of seconds, and I can see that he’s still in the office.
“Hey.” He glances at me, his eyes narrowing as he takes in my outfit. “Are you wearing a belly top?”
“It’s called a crop top.”
“But it’s showing your belly.”
“Yes, Dad. It’s showing my belly. I live in a beach town, where most of us show our bellies.”
I move the phone around so he can see how the other girls are dressed.
“Hey, everyone. Say hey to Luke.”
“Hi, Luke,” they all chorus.
“Hey, girls,” he says. “Have fun tonight.”
“We will,” Juniper says. “Can’t wait to see you.”
“Yeah, you too, Juniper. So, I kind of have something to tell you.”
He sounds nervous, and all of a sudden, my heart drops.
“Oh shit. What is it, Luke?”
“Hey, I haven’t even told you yet. No need to sound like that.”
“It’s fine,” I say as a million different thoughts pass through my mind. Has he found a real date? Is he about to tell me that he doesn’t want to go with me? Is he about to tell me that he’s changed his mind?
All of a sudden, I feel low. I feel bleak. I’ve been having so much fun, talking about and getting ready for this fake summer relationship that I didn’t realize that it was taking the place of a real relationship.
All of a sudden, I wonder what it would be like to really be in a relationship with someone who chose me—someone who wanted to go to this wedding with me as my partner, not just as my best friend.
I’m desperately single, and I hate it. I don’t even want to think about what it’s going to be like, being at the wedding by myself with Luke actually there with someone.
“Hey, what’s going through your mind, Mia? You look miserable.”
“It’s fine. What is it? Are you going with Beatrice or something?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why are you calling? You’re not changing your mind, are you?”
“Why would I change my mind?” he asks, looking genuinely confused. “You mean because it’s not going to be a Fifty Shades of Grey contract?”
“Did I just hear him say Fifty Shades of Grey?” Juniper squeals and comes running over to me. “Mia, what have you held out on us?”
“Nothing,” I say, laughing. “He said it’s not a Fifty Shades of Grey contract.”
“Oh,” Juniper says, laughing slightly. “I thought he said you guys had a Fifty Shades of Grey contract, and I was like, Whoa, how do you go from kissing on the lips with no tongue to anal and whips and chains?”
“Whips and chains, eh?” Luke sounds amused. “You didn’t tell me that was on the table, Mia.”
“It’s not, Luke. Now tell me why you were so nervous when you called me. You’ve got me worried.”
“So, you know how we said I’d be there a week early?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not going to happen right now.” He looks nervous. “I’m so sorry. I really wanted it to happen, but my boss came into the office, and I’m in the middle of this big deal, and I just can’t get away for that long.”
“It’s fine,” I say, though disappointment courses through me.
I love Luke. I’ve always loved Luke. He’s been my best friend forever, but sometimes, I feel like he takes my friendship for granted.
Sometimes, I feel like I come last to everything else in his life.
Sometimes, I just want to be a priority.
But I don’t want to be that girl. It’s not like we’re really dating.
I don’t want to be the girl who gives ultimatums to her best friend like some sort of loser.
I want him to choose our friendship above his job because that’s what he wants, not because I make him.
“You’re not mad at me, are you? You’re not going to kill me?”
“Of course not,” I say. “Why would I kill my fake boyfriend?”
I pretend to laugh and shrug it off, and he grins into the phone.
“Thank you. I knew you would be understanding. We’ll figure it out when I get there.”
“Yeah. It’ll be fine. I’m sure no one’s going to ask lots of questions that we won’t be able to answer. It will be cool.”
“You’re mad,” he says, his eyes narrowing. “Mia, tell me the truth.”
“I’m fine,” I say. “I have to go now though because Summer is really excited to get to the bar, and so is Silvie because she’s going to see Cal.”
“Why did you say that?” Silvie says quickly with a defensive tone. “I never said I was excited to see Cal.”
“I think you protest too much, girlfriend.”
She blushes again, and I wonder just how fake this relationship with Cal really is.
“Anyway, I got to go. I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay. Have a good evening. And, Mia?” he says softly.
“Yes, Luke?”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Okay, I’ll try not to,” I say and hang up.
I throw the phone onto the couch and let out a low yelp.
My friends all look at me.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Juniper looks up from applying mascara. “Mia?”
“I’m just annoyed he’s not going to be able to come the week early anymore and we have nothing fleshed out. Rafe is already suspicious. What’s going to happen when even more people ask us questions that we can’t answer?”
Juniper nods slightly. “You guys will figure it out. You always do. You’re Luke and Mia. I swear you can read each other’s minds.”
“I guess,” I say. “I mean, I guess we’re just going to have to see what happens.”
“Hey,” she says, giving me a look. “It’ll work out. I promise. It’s going to be the best fake summer romance you’ve ever had. And who knows? Maybe you’ll actually meet a really cool guy at the wedding, and then you’ll have a real romance come out of it.”
“I don’t really know how that’s going to work, but, yeah, maybe.” I feel slightly deflated, but I don’t want to let Luke and his change of plans affect me. “How about we all have shots of tequila before we go out dancing?”
“I am down,” Wendy says. “Trust me, I need a shot for the week I’ve had.”
“Great,” I say. “I’ve got a bottle of some top-shelf tequila in my closet that I was saving for a special occasion, and I think tonight is that special occasion.”
I head to my room to grab the tequila, and Juniper gets a bunch of shot glasses. I pour the tequila and fill each one up while Juniper cuts some lemons and grabs the salt.
“To tonight,” I say, holding up my shot glass. “To the wedding. To summer. To hot sex. To friendships. May we all be blessed with fun times and fun guys.”
“Cheers,” Juniper says, and we all down our shots.
As the warm liquid ripples down my throat, I start to feel myself perk up a little bit, but for some reason, I’m still a little deflated. I shouldn’t be. But all the years of Luke choosing his job and everything else above me come crashing into my head.
I’ve always been the faithful friend. I’ve always been there for him—supporting him through high school, college, grad school, when he got his job at that hedge fund.
Even when he stayed in New York City summer after summer and Christmas after Christmas.
I even downplay how hurt I am that I haven’t seen him in years.
But now I can feel my anger threatening to bubble over.
I know I can’t let it bother me though. Not until we get through the summer.
But once the summer romance is done and the wedding season is over, I am going to tell him how I really feel. He is my best friend, but I am fed up with him not treating me like his.
I feel like an option and not someone he is choosing. I feel like the friend who is always there that he takes for granted and not the friend that he is going above and beyond for.