Chapter 2
BLAIR
Not wanting to seem too eager, I decided to show up at the kiddie pool five minutes late. Wearing a black mesh cover-up over my pink bikini, I walked slowly toward where I was supposed to be meeting Tate.
Goose bumps formed on my arms as I spotted the brawny hottie sitting on one of the chairs typically occupied by parents looking on as their kids swam.
He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I took a moment to admire him from afar while also attempting to calm my nerves.
Next to him on a small table were an assortment of drinks.
He was wearing shades, but there was no mistaking him.
His was a body you didn’t forget. Maybe it was a little ridiculous that I’d had him meet me here.
It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it felt kind of odd.
I walked toward him.
Tate stood when he saw me approaching.
His mouth curved into a smile. “Hey...”
“Hi.” I blew out a nervous breath.
“Tate.” He held out his large hand. “Good to officially meet you.”
“Doris.” I nodded. “Same.”
He had a firm grip, and my skin prickled as I imagined feeling that hand elsewhere.
“I brought you something to drink.” He gestured to the table.
“Looks like you brought more than one thing.”
“Well, I didn’t know what you liked. So we have a daiquiri, an iced coffee, a hot coffee, and a lemonade.” He shrugged.
That was kind of adorable. “So thoughtful of you. I’ll take the iced coffee. It’s that time of afternoon where I get a headache if I don’t have more caffeine.”
“Same. I think I’ll take the hot.”
I nodded, but this guy didn’t need any more hot. He was pretty much as hot as they came.
He handed me the iced coffee.
“Thanks.” I took a sip.
After a moment of silence, he tilted his head. “What’s your real name, Doris?”
Heat rose to my face. “Excuse me?”
“You just introduced yourself as Doris. But your profile name is Delores.”
Shit. I’d been so mesmerized I’d forgotten the damn name I’d chosen. Fuck my life.
I surrendered. “It’s not my real name. But I prefer to keep my real name to myself, if that’s okay.”
His expression turned serious. “I have no problem with that. But it would’ve been nice to know you were using a fake name from the get-go.”
I nodded, actually quite annoyed with myself. “Well, now you know.” I cleared my throat.
He cocked his head. “Out of all the names, why did you pick Delores?”
I feigned confusion. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It sounds like someone’s grandmother.”
I chuckled. “Look, I just didn’t want to give my real name to a stranger. I didn’t spend all that much time thinking about it. For some reason, it was the first name that came to mind.”
“Why is that so scary? It’s just a first name. Not like I could look you up without your last name.”
He took off his shades, and for a moment I got lost in the blue of his eyes that were glowing in the sun. Holy shit, this guy was hot—and a little intimidating.
“I’ve never done this before,” I confessed.
“Done what before?”
“Met someone on a hookup app. I only downloaded it today.”
His eyes narrowed. “What made you start here at the resort?”
“This was supposed to be an exciting vacation. But so far, it’s just been...peaceful at best. I wanted to have at least one good story when I got home. I’ve already wasted a few days. So I figured it was time to start making memories.”
He smirked. “Making memories sounds a bit too wholesome, considering what that app is normally used for.”
“Well, I know.” I rolled my eyes. “Are you a regular on there or…”
“Not at all.” He shook his head. “I’ve only used it one other time. I, like you, found myself getting a little antsy here and was looking for some fun.” He raised his chin. “Why are you on vacation by yourself?”
“I might ask the same of you. I assumed you were someone’s dad.”
“Ouch.” He nearly spit out his coffee. “Did you just call me old?”
“You’re not old, but you do give hot-dad vibes.” I felt myself blush.
“Hopefully you mean a dad with very young kids.”
“Yes.” I smiled. “Of course.”
“You know…” He scratched his chin. “Come to think of it, up close, you look a lot younger than twenty-nine. If your name is fake, who’s to say you’re not lying to me about your age, too?”
A rush of adrenaline hit. “I just have good genes.”
Tate bit his bottom lip. “You’re dangerous, Doris-Delores.
I probably shouldn’t be here at this…kiddie pool with you.
” He gestured toward the children splashing in the water.
“I’m starting to worry you should be swimming with them instead of fucking around with me.
” He sipped his coffee. “I’m thinking I should let you go.
Thanks anyway.” He nodded and turned to walk away.
What the hell?
That’s it?
He wasn’t even going to say goodbye? Who does that?
“Wait,” I called.
He turned. “Yes?”
“I’m nineteen,” I blurted.
His eyes widened. “Jesus. I knew you were younger. But that young?”
“So what?” I crossed my arms. “I’m legal.”
“Barely.”
“And you?” I raised a brow. “Are you really thirty-six?”
“Yes.” He drew in his brows. “Why would I lie about that?”
“I don’t know. How do I know you’re not forty-six?”
“Do I look forty-six?”
“No, but...” I looked down at my feet.
“You’re just trying to distract from the fact that you’re a liar. The way you really know I’m thirty-six is simple: I’m not a liar.”
“Okay, look.” I blew a breath up into my hair. “It wasn’t right of me to lie about my age. But I was trying to have a little fun, protect my identity, and…I didn’t want to be typecast.”
“How can I possibly typecast someone who picks a name fit for an eighty-year-old and matches it to an eighteen-year-old’s face?”
My eyes widened. “Now I look eighteen?”
“You could pass for it.”
“Well, if you knew I looked young, why did you meet me?”
“I guess I hoped your age was correct and you just had young genes or something.”
“But you said you noticed me when we first got here. Why were you checking me out if I’m too young for you?”
He shook his head. “You’re a real pill, you know that? And I wasn’t checking you out. But I did notice you ogling me.” His eyes fell to my chest.
“Like you’re doing right now?” I asked. “Looking down at my boobs?”
He gritted his teeth. “Have a good rest of your day, Delores.”
Then he walked away—again.
Oh my God. Did that just happen? And of course, he looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.
Not only did I feel like a fool for getting caught in a lie, but I had just blown a date with the hottest man I’d ever laid eyes on. Yes, I’m pathetic. Even after all that, I still wanted to sleep with him.
As I walked back toward the hotel, I called Taylor.
“Hey. How’s it going in paradise?” he said in greeting.
“I just did the dumbest thing.” I rolled my eyes.
“What?” he asked, though he was already laughing.
I told him the story of my app-date fuckup.
“Why the hell would you pick that name?”
“It rhymes with clitoris?” I chuckled. “Who the hell knows! You know I have problems making small decisions. It takes me forever to pick what I want to eat at restaurants. It was the first name that came to mind.”
“You figured the name would offset lying about your age?”
“It wasn’t even that calculated. Just a dumb, spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Well, I guess you live, you learn, right?”
“You’re not gonna scold me and warn me to be careful?”
“Hell no. You deserve to have some fun. But yes, be careful about who you’re dealing with. Don’t go anywhere alone with anyone. You made the right decision meeting that guy out by the pool.”
“Okay, but if you’re looking to hook up with someone, how do you do that in public? At some point, you have to be alone with them.”
“Well, at least get to know him first. Make sure he’s not a serial killer. Get a vibe for the type of person he is as best you can. Maybe run a background check or something. I don’t know. Just don’t rush into anything.”
“Pretty sure I won’t be meeting anyone else. It’s slim pickings here, and I won’t leave the resort. So no need to worry about any of that.” I sighed. “Anyway…what are you up to tonight?”
“Juliana and I are going to the movies.”
“Fun. Have a good time. I’m gonna see if I can jump on one of the excursions this afternoon or something. I need a distraction.”
“Good idea. The trip will be over before you know it, so you should make the best of it. Don’t turn into a mope because of one bad experience. That would defeat the whole purpose of my gift, which was to make sure you forget all about that clown ex of yours.”
“I know. Thank you. It’s been an amazing vacation so far, even if I’ve had my moments. It’s given me a lot of time to clear my head. I’ll never forget you gifting this experience to me.”
“Okay.” He sighed. “Be careful. Stop trolling older men. And call me if you need to.”
“Will do, my friend. Thanks for listening.”
After we hung up, I went to the front desk and inquired as to which excursions had open spots late this afternoon or early evening.
There was a spot open on the five o’clock helmet-diving adventure, so I signed up for that.
After returning to my room to freshen up, I walked down to the pier where the boat was located at a few minutes before five. I met the driver, Pete. He was really nice and told me there was only one other person signed up. So, we were just waiting on them before leaving the dock.
In the meantime, he and I got to talking about what to expect. I was a little nervous. The idea of being that far underwater, weighed down by a heavy helmet, got my catastrophic mind churning.
Just as Pete asked me where I was from, a deep voice called from behind me. “Don’t believe anything she says.”
I froze and turned to find my apparent diving partner: Tate.