Chapter 21. We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Bed
CHAPTER 21
We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Bed
Despite my resolution, I was still a hot mess the next day, because I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. My concentration was shot, and I found myself explaining the same things multiple times to Ruby, Jenna’s friend whom I’d hired to work the front of store, because I wasn’t making any sense. It took all my willpower to focus on the last two pending tasks on my To-Do List, but no matter how hard I tried, my traitorous brain kept repeating yesterday’s humiliating episode over and over again, like one of my Engkong’s old, scratched CDs that always got stuck on the same annoying track.
On the brighter side, my mother hadn’t tried to call again, which was good, because I just didn’t possess the mental capacity to deal with her and Alec right now.
After debating with myself the entire day, I finally decided to pretend that nothing had happened, and to treat him with cool indifference. Ignoring him would be the preferred solution, but we were heading into a weekend with Rob, Jacqui, and God knows how many GPG employees, so that option was obviously out.
When I arrived at the airport, it was close to 9:00 P.M. The resort was on a small island an hour away, and Alec and I were booked on the last flight of the day. Rob, Jacqui, and the others had flown out earlier. Carmel texted to say she’d already checked us in, reserving his seat and mine next to each other.
I’d taken an Uber to the airport, so I didn’t see him until it was time to board the flight, which was practically empty. Pretending not to see Alec, I went to find a vacant seat as far away from him as possible. Sure, it wasn’t very adult-like, but I had no intention of sitting next to him, while trying to suppress my murderous urge the whole trip, because it could end horribly—with me strangling him using my bare hands.
The island’s tiny airport was deserted when we landed. There was only one available taxi when we exited the building, so I had no choice but to share it with Alec. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere but stuck in the same car with me, probably because I’d been shooting down all his attempts at making conversation. The air inside the Toyota minivan was colder than a tundra, thanks to my curt nods and one-word answers.
It was almost 11:00 P.M. when we finally arrived. The Pacific Palms was a five-star resort by the sea, ten minutes from the airport. Two majestic palm trees stood on either side of the main entrance, curving to form a welcoming arch. Bright lights illuminated the lobby, and I could hear gentle sounds of ocean waves lapping against the sand from a distance. A resort staff wearing a bright-blue shirt printed with colorful frangipanis ushered us into the foyer and took care of our luggage. I thanked him, then slumped into one of the comfortable sofas as Alec checked us in. My eyes started to drift closed, only for me to be softly shaken awake a few minutes later.
“There’s a problem.” Alec’s eyes were unreadable, his tone flat. “No twin rooms available. We got a room with a queen bed.”
A queen bed. Frustration clawed at my spine, but I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. “They don’t have any other rooms?”
“They’re fully booked.”
My heart rate picked up speed. “Does it have a sofa bed?”
“Not according to the manager who checked me in.”
He handed me a key card, and I grew quiet as we followed the concierge, who led us on a darkened garden path toward our room. My nerve endings were on high alert, because not only was I spending the next two nights sharing the same secluded room with him, but also the same definitely-won’t-be-big-enough queen-size bed.
Surviving the weekend wasn’t just impossible; it would be a miracle.
Our room was a boutique-style villa, one of the many individual huts dotting the property. After thanking and tipping the concierge, Alec slid his key card into the slot and pushed the door open. The luxuriously furnished room was bathed in warm, neutral colors. A spacious bathroom occupied the right side, and two comfortable armchairs flanked the transparent sliding door at the far end.
And in the middle of the room: one comfortable, heavenly-looking queen-size bed. With plush pillows, luxurious, satiny-looking bedsheets, and a pale beige comforter.
Not a sofa in sight.
My heart dropped to my shoes.
Alec’s phone trilled. Sighing, he strolled toward the sliding door, stepping out to take the call. An automatic light switched on, and I could see an inviting patio with brown deck chairs, direct access to the sandy beach, and a spectacular view of the moonlit ocean. The amazing scenery did nothing to help the churning in my stomach as reality sank in. I was stuck in a beautiful, romantic resort for the next two days with him, sharing a room and a bed, while playing the role of his loving girlfriend.
I should really get an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony for my performance this weekend. At the very least, a nomination for Best Actress. Maybe I could even try to write a soundtrack about this trip and hope to be nominated for a Grammy.
Alec was still outside on his phone. If he wasn’t taking phone calls from his potential girlfriend, then who’d be calling him this late at night? Maybe he’d lied about not being interested in anyone else? Maybe there really was another woman, and somehow things didn’t work out, and now she was calling because she wanted a second chance? Perhaps that was why he ended things last night?
I shushed my neurotic thoughts as the patio door slid open.
Alec stepped in, frown lines pulling his forehead down. He saw me contemplating the bed, so he cleared his throat and gestured to the armchairs. “I can sleep there.”
The two fat, fluffy armchairs would be heavenly to lounge in, but they weren’t built for sleeping. He’d wake up in the morning with his body stiff and screaming curses.
Although… after last night? He totally deserved that, and so much worse. He’s lucky we’re not kicking him out to sleep on the patio , my brain argued.
But my mouth had a mind of its own.
“The bed is big enough to fit both of us.” My eyes twitched, because even as I said those words, my brain was hastily sending instructions to STOP TALKING RIGHT NOW!
My common sense, along with my dignity, had clearly gone for a dip in the ocean and would not be returning for the rest of my life.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He wasn’t meeting my eyes.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I only offered because it wouldn’t be comfortable to sleep in a chair.” I hoped my raised chin conveyed disgust and indignation. Walking over to the bed, I reached for a pillow and plonked it in the middle. “That’s your side. This is mine. We’re both adults, so we can co-sleep on the same bed peacefully.”
He eyed the bed with trepidation. “We can?”
“Absolutely.” I ignored my wildly thumping heart and nodded a couple of times, more to convince myself. “But one snore out of you, and you’re banished to the floor.”
Alec considered me for a few seconds, before giving me a brisk nod. “Fine.”
“Great.”
“Awesome.” He jabbed his thumb toward the bathroom. “You want to go first?”
My cheeks heated as memories of last night’s shower episode came flooding back. Grabbing my pajamas and toiletry bag, I was done within ten minutes, then slipped under the blanket as Alec went into the bathroom. I closed my eyes and sent firm demands to my brain to relax and go to sleep. But no such thing happened; all the sensory neurons in my body were busily buzzing, still wide awake by the time he climbed onto the bed. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, and even though I had my back to him, I wondered if he could hear my heart anxiously thrashing around in my chest.
“Ellie?”
I squeezed my eyes tighter, hoping that would somehow send me to sleep quicker.
“I don’t snore.”
My eyes creaked open.
“I sometimes hog the covers, though.”
Forget pretending to be asleep. “Do that and I’ll kick you off the bed.”
There was a low chuckle from his side. “Just promise you’ll be gentle about it.”
I didn’t answer, because obviously, I’d gone back to sleep.
“Thank you. For coming along this weekend. It really means a lot to me.”
I let out a pretend snore. Loudly.
“Sleep tight, Ellie.”
But of course I couldn’t, because I was too aware of him. Of his clean-soap smell, his steady breathing, his warm, comforting body behind mine. A couple of hours later, as my eyelids finally succumbed to exhaustion, my last coherent thought was, Two nights of this?
God help me.
When my alarm quietly beeped in the morning, it took me a few seconds of staring at the foreign ceiling before realizing I wasn’t in Alec’s spare bedroom; instead I was at a beautiful, romantic resort, staging my last appearance as his fake girlfriend. The Grand Finale, the Swan Song, the Last Hurrah. The performance that was going to win me numerous awards.
I shifted my body to watch Alec’s unmoving figure next to me. His eyes were closed, a gentle snore coming out of him, completely oblivious that he was the leading cause of the chaos and pandemonium inside my head—and my heart.
One night down. One more to go.
I only had to make it through to tomorrow, and it would all be over. In fact, I should update the Stay on Track Plan to include moving out of his house. Maybe I could finally put my sleeping bag to use and beg Kim and Jenna to let me sleep on their living room floor until I found a place of my own, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
Anything was better than living under the same roof with him.
Quietly removing the covers, I tiptoed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and don my running gear. Ten minutes later, I silently closed the door, then made my way to the lush garden. Putting my earbuds in, I started around the jogging track as the sun made its way up. It was still early, but there was already a buzz of activities happening. When I passed the pool, shrieks and noisy chatters of little kids drifted my way, their parents watching as they lounged on the deck chairs. Some guests were on their way to the beach, carrying tote bags and beach towels, with some surfers already out enjoying the waves.
When I returned to the room, Alec was on the patio on another one of his mysterious calls. I slipped into the bathroom for a shower, and by the time I finished, he was back inside, frowning and typing furiously on his phone.
He glanced at me before pocketing his phone, looking like he was choosing his next sentence carefully. “Morning. How was your run?”
“Good.” Even though I’d offered him the bed last night, it didn’t mean I’d forgotten and forgiven him for what had happened two nights ago.
“Did you have a good sleep?”
“Yep.”
He hesitated, before trying again. “Should we go for breakfast now? I’m starving.”
“No.”
Alec sighed. “Ellie, we can’t do one-word answers. I know you’re mad, but we need to present a united front for Jacqui. Two days, and you’re off the hook.”
I ignored the hollow feeling inside. “Not mad.”
“You sound like it. You sure look like it.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I? Because that murderous glare on your face tells me I’m right.”
I folded my arms, exhibiting top-level mastery in denial and ignorance of my own feelings. “Let’s move on. What does Jacqui have planned for the day?”
Another sigh, but he didn’t press the issue further. “Carmel emailed me the schedule.” He whipped his phone back out, and five seconds later, my phone pinged with an email notification.
My eyes grew larger as I scanned the contents, detailing all the things Jacqui expected us to do today: company lunch, then a series of team-building games (sandcastle competition, beach relay races, and beach dodgeball), followed by a casual company dinner. Tomorrow was a free day, but we were invited to participate in (optional) dolphin-watching, snorkeling, and hiking, before checking out and heading back to the airport.
Whoa. Even reading the schedule exhausted me. Whatever happened to sunbathing and pina coladas by the beach?
“We have a couple of free hours after breakfast. Any ideas what we could do?”
“ We? ” Raising my eyebrows, I snagged my backpack and marched toward the door. “There’s no ‘we.’ I’m having breakfast, then a relaxing swim before lunch.”
“Great idea.” He followed closely behind, making me hyper-aware of his presence. “We should stick together. Jacqui will be suspicious if we do separate things.”
“Whatever.” I shrugged. We got to the breakfast room, and Rob waved at us from a table by the window. I schooled my features to portray the adoring girlfriend I was supposed to be and made my way toward Rob’s table.
Then I felt Alec linking his warm hands through mine. He pulled me closer and planted a quick kiss on my temple. “Put on a smile, Ellie. Get ready for a weekend of fun.”