Chapter 6
Cameron
The walk to The Drift Bar & Grill isn’t long. The moon’s sitting over the ocean, reflective vibes bouncing off, making for a pretty night. The temperature’s still warm, and there’s a buzz in the air between Juli and me. I’m not sure what that’s about, but for now, I’m going with it.
Inside the restaurant, soft lantern glow mingles with the shimmer of candles on reclaimed wood tables, while woven accents, hand-painted murals, and billowing fabrics create an atmosphere both intimate and timeless.
The scent of sea air and the rhythm of live acoustic music flow in from the back.
On the beach, couples curl into the hammocks on the sand or gather by driftwood firepits with glasses of champagne.
I lead Juli to the bar—crafted from reclaimed wood and patterned tile—my hand on the small of her back.
I’m not sure why I feel propelled to touch her, nor why she doesn’t question it beyond a quick look down at where my hand rests.
If she wanted it removed, she’d say something, right? Or move out of my reach.
Sure, let’s go with that. It’s easy to convince myself this is the case.
There are like four empty stools, but only two together, so we snag those. If I’m not mistaken, I swear she delays a little longer with my hand on her back, pushing slightly against it, before climbing on the stool.
Natasha joins us almost immediately after we’re settled. She’s a local to Charleston, and we were lucky to snag her from her previous position slinging beers and pouring cocktails at a dive bar. She’s curated a great drinks menu for The Drift, offering soulful and serene options.
And of course, Bushwackers.
“Hey, Hobbies Boss. How was the badminton tourney?” She slides a coaster in front of each of us.
I blow out a sigh. “Not as bad as I anticipated, but still bad.”
“At least it’s over.”
“This is true. And if I have my way, it’ll be the first and last one.”
Beside me, Juli chuckles along with Natasha. “Hi, Juli Langley.” She reaches her hand out for Natasha to shake, and she accepts with a puzzled look.
“Langley as in Money Boss Langley?”
I nod. “Indeed. His kid sister.”
Natasha’s eyes give Juli a once-over, down and back up. “She doesn’t look like she’s in college.”
“That’s Elisa. I’m the middle one.” Juli doesn’t seem offended by the comment. As much as she doesn’t look her age, she also doesn’t give off a young, college vibe.
“Right, sorry. Money Boss mostly keeps to himself. I barely know him, and I’ve worked here a year or so.” She shakes her head, her braids bouncing. “What can I get you?”
“A weedwacker.”
I stifle my laughter at Natasha’s eyebrow raise.
“Bushwacker. Heavy on the cream, light on the liquor. I’ll have the same.
In the reverse order.” Not sure I need the extra alcohol, but the five liquors—coconut rum, Kahlua, Bailey’s, amaretto, and vodka—combine to give it its unique flavor. See why it packs a punch?
Juli spins on her stool. “Hey.” She points to herself. “Big girl. My decision.” Without waiting for a response from me, she turns back to Natasha and coos sweetly, “Regular Bushwacker. I can handle it.”
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Natasha’s gaze swings between the two of us. Until Juli huffs.
“I know he’s only looking out for me. It’s his thing. Make sure the ‘little’ sister is taken care of. But I’m a big girl and can handle my liquor.”
One, there’s nothing big about Juliana Langley except for her heart and the way she cares about the important people in her life.
Two, she thinks I treat her as if she’s my little sister? I try to reconcile that with the past. Did I give off those vibes to her? Certainly not that night. No way. No how. Definitely didn’t feel like that at all.
I don’t actually have a younger sister—two younger brothers—but there’s no way on this green Earth I’d do those things with a sister. Or someone I thought of as a sibling.
Ew.
I’m about to set the record straight, tell her that, but am interrupted by Natasha.
“Two regular Bushwackers coming right up.” She consults me. “Glass?”
“As if a plastic cup would ever suffice.” I refrain from rolling my eyes at the keen bartender.
“You got it, boss.” She disappears down the bar, setting to work on our drinks.
As for me, I’ve got a fallacy to rectify.
“Juli, I . . .” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I want to go for a boat ride. How do I make that happen?”
The recreation director part of me takes over, pushing her “sister” comment and how to fix it to the back burner for the time being.
“What kind of boat are you looking to take for a ride?” The comment sounds a little crass, but Juli doesn’t seem affected by it.
“Preferably one that goes fast. You got those here?”
I shake my head. “We don’t have many water vessels here at the resort, but we have connections with several places around the islands. Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it booked for you. Just for yourself?”
She nibbles on her bottom lip, the same one she uses to pout when she wants something badly enough. Or at least she used to. It’s yet to make an appearance today.
“You have any free time the next few days?”
“You want me to come with you?” I ask incredulously. Why I’m super shocked remains a mystery. Oh right. Maybe her comment from earlier about not wanting to run into me at all. “What’s changed?”
Her lips purse together, her shoulders sagging ever so slightly. Another nibble of her lips. “I’m not sure I want to go by myself. It would be more fun with someone else. Someone I know. Who’s fun.”
“And you want that someone to be me?” My tone pitches on the last word, surprise lacing each letter.
Our gazes lock for a moment. Her brown eyes swim with an emotion akin to uncertainty. It’s not a look I like on her.
“Forget it. It’s stupid. Just because I’m on vacation doesn’t mean you can take off gallivanting on the ocean. Forget I asked.” The expectant tone contradicts her words. It’s not what she wants. Not at all. But it will be fun to play with her for a bit.
“Okay, so only you. Tomorrow?”
Reluctantly, her head bobs up and down, accepting the setback. Natasha’s back with the Bushwackers, and as she places Juli’s down in front of her, Juli takes it all in, her eyes widening at the sight of the tall, frothy drink. She gulps loudly.
“Um, wow. This isn’t exactly what I was expecting.” She pushes the straw around, mixing it up. “It looks like a grown-up chocolate milkshake. What kind of alcohol did you say was in it?” A pause. “And exactly how much?”
I can’t resist the “I told you so” moment. If I were a better man, maybe I wouldn’t do it. For sure, if she weren’t Juli Langley, I’d laugh it off. But neither of those things is true at the moment. And I can’t not take this opportunity.
Leaning in closer to her, a faint whiff of her hair’s fruity notes accosts my nose. I don’t allow it to take me back to the past and force myself to stay in the present. My mouth close to her ear, I rasp, “Not such a big girl now, huh? Thinking of retracting any of your previous comments?”
She sucks in a deep breath, her focus not straying from the drink in front of her. She swallows once. Twice. Three times. Though I’m positioned awkwardly leaning over toward her stool, I don’t dare move. I barely breathe waiting for her response.
When I think she’s going to refuse it or admit she was wrong, her comment surprises the heck out of me.
“Ah, fuck it. You only live once.” Her declaration out there, she reaches for the drink, pulls it closer to her, fits her lips around the straw, and sucks. And not a small sip. No, Juliana goes big.
“Go big or go home,” I mumble from the stool beside her, taking a sip of mine. The overpowering coconut flavor explodes on my tongue.
“Wow. That’s pretty good. I could get into a lot of trouble with these.” She goes in for another sip. And as much as I should warn her against going too fast, pretty sure she’ll ignore my guidance. Seeing as how this day has gone.
Which reminds me.
“So, a boat for tomorrow. What are you thinking?”
Her lips stuck to the straw, she shrugs. Only when she swallows does she give me her attention. “I gotta round up a friend. I’m not prepared to go by myself. When do you need to know to book it?”
“The rental people know me well. And we’re heading out of the prime tourist season. Even last-minute, I can work magic for you.”
If she’s not strapped for a specific time, I can join her. But I’m not sure I want to let her know that right now. I’ll make her sweat it out a bit.
She smiles, and the way it lights up her face does weird things to the organ beating against my ribs. Then she places her hand on my arm. “That would be great, Cameron. I appreciate it.”
“Do you have a budget in mind?”
“No.”
Her answer shouldn’t surprise me. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t.
“Okay.”
Once that’s settled, a silence surrounds us until she guzzles the last bit of the drink. Hopping down, she uses the stool to stabilize herself.
“Whoa. The booze went straight to my head. Maybe you were right,” she admits after steadying her body.
“What happened to the girl who could hold her liquor?”
Her reply is instantaneous. “She didn’t gorge on enough dinner.”
I can’t explain why her comment affects me so much.
The protective streak she accused me of having earlier comes out in full force.
However, it’s not because I think of her as a sister, little or otherwise.
It’s more because I feel a tad guilty for encouraging her to try the drink.
To my credit, I fed her first, apparently not enough.
“I should probably sit back down.” She attempts to climb back up onto the stool, and after four tries, she manages it.
Natasha’s there with a glass of water, which Juli accepts without question.
“I forgot he’s one of the good ones. Shoulda heeded his warnings. Things are confusing. And weird. And uber-confusing.”
As Juli drinks a bit more water, Natasha mouths to me, “Is she okay?”