Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
NATALIE
A n hour later, I was walking through the main building of the resort when I heard my name bounced across the lobby. Skidding to a halt, I turned around and found myself facing a very excited bride in a strappy matte gold dress, surrounded by a large collection of women who surrounded her like an entourage.
“Lea!” Surprise colored my greeting. “What are you doing here?”
“We are having a spa day while the men are out on their adventure.” She began pointing wildly among the group for introductions. “This is my mom and my aunt and a cousin and my sister. You know these ladies from last night. Oh, and this is my grandma, and Ben’s mom is over there next to his grandma!”
I waved politely and was about to wish them an enjoyable afternoon when Lea grabbed my wrist. “You came to join us!” Despite being incorrect, Lea’s excitement was so inclusive.
“Oh, um, well, actually, this is where I’m staying.” I sputtered. I quickly calculated Joel hadn’t told anybody about how we met and how I was a tourist staying at a resort. Mentally pleased I had come across as a local, I didn’t offer any explanation.
“Either way, you’re coming with us.” She left no room for arguing.
I was being stared down by an overly excited bride who didn’t appear to have ever been told the word no. “Oh, I haven’t even showered yet today.” I gestured to my hair and outfit. “You go have a great time, and I’ll see you tonight. But thank you so much for including me.”
Lea gave the same pout she gave when we left early the night before. “That’s okay—I am the only one who is supposed to look pretty today.” I bit back a chuckle. “You are just fine like that. Come! We are going to have drinks and get our nails and hair done!”
I decided to give the bride her wish, internally determining it would be more fun to be around everybody tonight if I had spent time with them during the day. Promising to meet them in the spa, I ran back to my bungalow and dropped off Joel’s things, canceling the room service lunch I had been looking forward to the whole drive back.
“So, did I hear that right—you’re staying here?” One of the women from the dinner party asked as we sat next to one another in the spa. She had already gotten a manicure in preparation for the trip, and I had newly polished nails, so we opted to settle in on the plush couches while everybody else was assigned a manicurist and a station. The room was open but elegant in a palette of light grays and warm blues, a large window streaming in the sunlight. Upon entering, our party was welcomed and given water infused with pineapple and raspberries, and plates of the resort’s signature chocolate-dipped fruit were waiting on a table for us near the couch the two of us now occupied.
I sized her up a moment—appreciating her small features, dark blonde hair, and impeccable style—wondering how much Joel wanted people to know. If anything at all. “Yes, I am.” I smiled politely and took a sip from my flute. “Remind me again who you are married to? I’m so sorry, there were a lot of names and faces last night.”
“Of course. I’m Annie, and I’m married to Jeff,” she began and pointed out the other familiar faces, sharing who their husbands were with little details to help me recall later. When she finished, she leaned in and asked, “How long have you and Joel been dating?”
I stalled, bending away to grab a slice of mango from the platter. She patiently waited, silently letting me know she wasn’t accusing or looking for gossip, she was genuinely inquiring. Licking a bit of chocolate off my lip, I took a breath. “I met him last Saturday.”
“Really?” She seemed more surprised than amused.
Emma, the only redhead of the group, finished her manicure and made her way over to us. “Really, what?” she asked, blowing on her nails and pouring some bubbly.
Annie looked at her and pointedly announced, “Natalie just met Joel last week.”
Emma hid her surprise behind a bite of pineapple. “You’re kidding.”
I opened my mouth to defend my story when Annie continued the conversation in front of me as if I weren’t present. “I know, right? Joel is so at ease around her. I never thought I’d see him actually smile again, but he couldn’t stop last night.”
Emma glanced at me long enough to say, “You know, you two really act like you’ve been a couple for a while.”
I smiled and let them talk, enjoying their deliberations.
Emma nodded. “He looks good. I mean, Matt and I caught him for a video chat once, and it was . . . rough.”
They both stopped and took me in for three long seconds. Then Emma spoke first. “We love Joel. He has had an understandably tough two years?—”
“We want him to be happy. If that’s with you, we’ll love you. If you don’t plan on that being you, please don’t drag him along,” Annie finished. It didn’t come out the threat I expected. They were looking out for their husbands’ friend, and I was not a long-term prospect.
My phone vibrated, saving me from potential oversharing.
Those sharks had nothing on me. We are heading back to the dock and then grabbing lunch. Hope you’re having a great day.
My lips curved up into a wide smile.
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Annie whispered to Emma, as I worked out a witty response to Joel.
“Are your eyes closed?” I called out, having opened the front door just a crack. “And you promise you’re facing the lanai?” “Yes, I’m exactly as you instructed in your text,” Joel replied.
I dashed inside and headed straight to the bedroom.
“Can I ask why I am not allowed to look at you?” he asked.
“I already told you!” I called from the bathroom. “Oh! I need you to grab me a soda from the fridge, please, and place it right outside the bedroom with my lunch. Then go back to where you’re standing and face out again.”
Joel’s footsteps got louder as they made their way through the space, bringing me my food and drink. Once I was sure he was back near the lanai, I dashed to retrieve everything.
“No, you didn’t explain anything,” he laughed. “You sent two texts. One demanded I bring back Bob’s so you could eat before the wedding. And the other said I couldn’t look at you when you got back. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. For the record, I demanded nothing. If you remember correctly, I went to town for you today, and you were forewarned you would owe me.” I grabbed a fish taco and sunk into the oversized leather chair in the bedroom, keeping myself partially hidden from the rest of the bungalow. “Did you get yourself food?”
“After last night, I know exactly what I’m walking into. Of course I bought something for myself.” He stretched as he stood, placing both hands behind his head and swinging side to side. He looked newly sun-kissed and his swim trunks curved around his bottom just right as he lengthened out.
“Did you already eat it?” I couldn’t see another bag for him.
“No. Call me crazy, but I assumed we would be eating together. Mine’s on the table over there getting cold next to where I had placed yours.” From my position, I saw his toned arm extend and a finger point to his meal. “And when you said I would owe you, I thought you meant, you know, in kisses or something.” He chuckled to himself at the last part.
“Hi, my name is Natalie, and my love language is fish tacos. I had no idea we had not established this.” I opened the wrapper and took a bite. “Mmmm. That’s the stuff. Consider your debts paid. Okay, sidestep over to your food and sit facing outside, and we’ll eat and chat, but you can’t look at me.”
He complied and opened up a burrito. His shoulders hunched over his food as he dug in. “Seriously, what is going on?”
“I got my hair done, and I don’t want you to see me yet.” I said it matter-of-factly, taking another bite of the taco.
His tone held back a laugh. “You went back to the spa?”
Our conversation went back and forth across the bungalow while I described my day to him, all the way through the last minute decision to get my hair done while the women strategically determined how to get me to catch the bouquet tonight.
When I finished my story, he kicked his legs up onto the other dining chair and leaned back with his hands behind his head again.
“Did you have fun spending the afternoon with them? ”
“Actually, it was a really good time. They acted like I had been friends with them forever.” I polished off the last of my food. “Okay, Joel, close your eyes.” Placing the things from his apartment in my bathroom, I grabbed his hands and led him to the shower. Closing the door behind me as I called out, “Okay! You have twenty minutes to get pretty because I’m going to need a lot more time than that!”
Once I heard the shower turn on, I sat on the couch and checked my work email. Nothing pressing, which was good. I pulled up my personal account and scowled at seeing a message from Dane sitting in my inbox.
Natalie:
I know you’re still in Hawaii, but have you seen my Tom Ford Square Acetate sunglasses? The ones I got in Vegas. I remember they were at your place the last time I saw them. I need them for a little getaway I’m going on with Lucy at the end of the month. Could you please let me know when I can come look for them?
Dane
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, let me get right on responding to that. I knew exactly what became of his precious sunglasses, but I’d let him come over for kicks and giggles to look for them before revealing their fate. I reread the message and was pleasantly surprised at how seeing his name in my inbox and reading about—a trip with Lucy? Already?—didn’t send me spiraling. No pit in my stomach. No clenching heart in need of a mini meltdown. No required dipped chocolate fruit plate or pull to turn on the sad music. My feelings were indifferent. I only needed one guess as to why.
I shut down my laptop when I heard Joel open the bathroom door.
“Close your eyes!” I shouted the reminder.
“How is it fair for you to see how I look before I see you?” He called out, holding his hands in front of him for me to guide him into the safety of the main room.
“The real question is, why does it even matter if I see you first? You’re not going to outshine me tonight,” I promised.
It was good his eyes were closed when I saw him all cleaned up for the wedding. My breathing ceased. For the first time in my life, I experienced that moment from every romantic comedy where the world goes hazy and the you can’t imagine life ever being more perfect. Weirdly enough, the orchestral “PM’s Love Theme” from Love Actually immediately burst into the recesses of my mind at full volume. He literally—momentarily—made my heart stop.
The charcoal gray linen pants hugged him through the waist and thighs. They were designed to look relaxed but timeless. His white button up, once again with rolled sleeves, was tucked into his pants, and showed off the definition of his arms, chest, and abs. He had a black belt that tied in with his black dress shoes. His beard had been trimmed, his neck shaved. Only once I got close enough could I smell the woodsy aftershave he used. In one of his outstretched hands was a champagne-colored bow tie.
“Red, are you still there?”
Shaking my head and collecting myself, I walked over to guide him. “Yes.” I swallowed hard. “I was wrong. You’re going to give me a run for my money.” It came out quietly.
He sheepishly dipped his head as I led him over toward the couch. “Doubt it. Um, I am not sure how to tie this.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” I assured him, taking the tie.
Joel kept his promise, and his eyes stayed closed while I worked up his collar and placed the tie around his neck, looping the two sides around one another. My fingers fumbled at the proximity of our bodies. I held my breath, imagining what it would be like to have moments like this with him forever. Pausing ever so briefly, I tipped up on my toes and planted a playful kiss on his surprised, but willing mouth. His lips curved up, and he let out a small groan.
“That’s not fair,” he lamented. “I haven’t seen you all day—now you literally won’t let me see you, and you go and do that.”
“Yep.” I narrowed my eyes and focused on the last step.
“Hey. I missed you,” he admitted.
“Hold still,” I commanded with pep in my voice and finished by pulling both ends taut. “Done. Don’t look at it yet, let me get into the bathroom!” Turning on my heels to go get ready, I paused and closed the gap back to Joel. “I missed you too.”
Joel’s smile radiated triumph. One hand behind his neck, I gave him a longer kiss, savoring the shape of his lips and the way they felt against mine. They were warm from his shower, and I enjoyed the way they gently crushed mine for a moment. “Really. I missed you too.”
Safely hidden behind the bathroom door, I could hear Joel cross the room to the mirror by the front door. “I’m impressed with this bowtie, Red. Where’d you learn to do that?”
“YouTube!” I called out, tucking my freshly blown out hair carefully into a shower cap, remembering the time years earlier when Dane had needed one for a black-tie gala, and I learned on the fly ten minutes before our town car came.
Forty minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom, ready to go. My fuchsia one shoulder neckline with draped sleeve maxi dress had a billowy fit that still screamed classy. I opted for my golden leather earrings I wore on our first date and a mixture of thin and chunky gold bangles on my wrist. Despite the mugginess of the evening, my beach wave blowout from the spa was still perfect. I felt like a million bucks. I checked my simple makeup one more time to make sure nothing had smudged and walked out into the main room.
Joel was on the couch, scrolling his phone. My sandals clacked across the bamboo flooring. He raised his head, and the look on his face said it all. There was heat in his eyes as he crossed the room and clutched a hand to his chest.
“Natalie,” he breathed.
I arched a brow, put my hands on my hips, and gave a coy smile before awkwardly giving what ended up being a small curtsey.
“Not bad, huh?”
He pulled me in close to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling his face next to my ear. “Can we just skip this thing and stay here?” It came out a low growl, which he followed up with a lingering kiss on my neck.
It was a tempting offer. One I considered for two seconds before playfully pulling away from him. “You look incredible. I look off the charts. People deserve to see this level of hotness.” He tried a mock pout, which didn’t suit him, and I pulled him toward the door giving him a wink. “You know, you do have a toothbrush here now . . .”