Chapter 17
The collection of butterflies in my stomach breaks into a synchronized victory dance as I step over the threshold to join Dom, Rex, and Juju outside. The short red romper I’d picked out was the right choice. It’s written all over Rex’s face.
“The red one,” Abby had texted after I sent photos of my four outfit choices from the dressing room. “Rex is going to keel over when you walk out in that.”
Sadly, Rex doesn’t quite keel over. Instead, he sucks in a breath and rubs his bottom lip with his finger. If Juju isn’t aware of it yet, that’s Rex’s telltale sign for you look entirely fuckable tonight .
It takes everything in me not to spin around triumphantly.
“Liv!” Juju says excitedly when she sees me. “You look stunning! Have just one drink with us before you head out?” She’s already filling up the extra glass meant for me. “Let me grab another one for you too, Dom. I had no idea you’d be coming over!” She gives me a sneaky grin before shoving the glass into my hands.
“Oh, we’re just heading out—” I start to tell her, but she’s already sprinting back into their townhouse for an extra glass.
“Just one!” she calls over her shoulder. “Then we’ll let you two go!”
She disappears inside.
When it’s just the three of us left on the deck, Dom pulls me into a tight bear hug, as if Rex isn’t even there. I wrap my arms around his torso and curl into him. He feels as solid as an oak tree.
He grins.
“Red is definitely your color.” My mind swims back to when we were standing at my front porch — the last time he saw me in red. The look in his eyes says he’s right there with me. “Beautiful,” he whispers. His voice is loud enough for Rex to hear, but soft enough to sound seductive.
As quickly as the heat flashes in his eyes, it’s gone, and he kisses the top of my head, his cheek lingering against me.
“Thank you.” Even though I know this is all just a show, I’m still unable to stop myself from blushing. He squeezes my hip, sending that familiar wave of electricity through me. “That shirt matches your eyes.”
Dom smiles down at me and I nearly forget Rex is still standing with us until he takes a loud gulp of his drink.
Juju emerges again with an empty glass for Dom, which she quickly fills from the pitcher.
“So, what was all that about you opening the door for Liv yesterday?” Juju asks. “It seemed like you two knew each other a little bit before this morning?”
I’m guessing this girl has never known a stranger in her life — she’s so friendly.
Dom breaks into a hearty laugh, then studies me closely, his eyes dancing playfully. I can’t tell if this is all an act for our little audience, or if there’s some truth behind that look of admiration he’s giving me.
He squeezes my hip. “Do you want to explain that one? Or should I?” His lips twitch into a grin, then he kisses the side of my hair, just above my ear, hinting to our audience that we’ve grown more comfortable with each other since this little story began.
“You can take this one.” I bite my lip, challenging him a bit. I just want to watch Rex’s face when he explains how we met.
“Well, I was coming back up from a surf yesterday afternoon, when I heard this huge commotion. Lots of banging. It sounded like something — or someone — was getting beaten up, followed by this wild growl at the end.”
I burst into laughter. “Okay, I had been trying to get that front door open for like ten minutes at that point. It’s still freezing back in New York, and I wasn’t smart enough to change my outfit before leaving the airport, so I was still in jeans and a sweater. Sweating my face off.”
“Not by the time I saw you,” Dom adds, his voice deepening.
Blood rushes to my cheeks.
Rex’s mouth drops open.
I smile sheepishly at them both.
“Wait, what? Details!” Juju takes a sip from her mai tai and leans in, like she’s binging on her favorite show.
I shrug. “I was roasting. I didn’t see anyone around so . . .”
“So, as luck would have it, this incredibly gorgeous woman here was right in the middle of changing on the front porch when I walked around the corner to investigate.” Dom eyes Rex as he finishes my sentence.
Rex chokes on something — either his mai tai or the visual Dom just served up.
I smile to myself, watching Rex’s eyes dart between Dom and me while he clears his throat four times.
“You were changing on the front porch?” Rex manages to spit out.
Juju is too busy laughing to notice the look of horror spreading across his face.
“Just the bottom half.” I smile innocently at Dom like I’m still embarrassed about the whole thing. “It was practically the same thing as bikini bottoms, right?”
“Depends on what you call a bikini.” Dom moves his arm up around my shoulders. He pulls me against him, laughing.
“Girl!” Juju exclaims, nudging me in the ribs. “This is the most amazing story I’ve ever heard about how two people met. Tell me he got that door open for you. Tell me those muscles are for more than just eye candy!”
Rex chokes again, clearing his throat and pounding on his chest with a closed fist, as if something’s stuck.
I laugh, then finger one of Dom’s biceps appreciatively.
“Oh, they are definitely functional.” I lean into him like we’ve known each other much longer than we have. “And yes, he got the door open on the first try. Almost wish it was a little harder for him so he’d have worked up a sweat or something.”
Dom is eating this up, laughing at my recollection of how it happened. The funny thing is, he doesn’t know how that last little part is true. But even if this is all an act, his body feels rock solid against me, and I’m happy to have him here steadying me. To make me laugh through what would otherwise be a painfully awkward moment.
“Pretty much took everything in me not to ask her out right then,” Dom goes on. “I’d planned to come back to surf in the same spot the next day, hoping to run into her.”
My stomach twists in a knot, wishing that were true. “But we’d better go.” He sets his glass back on the table. “That mai tai was amazing, by the way, Juju. Homemade?”
Juju beams at him, nodding. “My secret recipe. I’ve been perfecting it for years. You’re welcome back to have one anytime.” She takes my glass from me, giving me a little side hug goodbye. “You two are a hoot. We won’t keep you any longer, though. Have fun tonight!”
“Not too much fun!” Rex calls after us.
I roll my eyes as we make our way back through the townhouse, then out the front door.
“Thank you,” I whisper to him when we’re safely out of earshot. “That was perfect.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He places a hand against the small of my back to lead me. “That guy never deserved you anyway.”
When we get out front, there’s a black Escalade idling by the sidewalk, a driver behind the wheel.
“I didn’t realize you had a car waiting!” I nudge his arm gently. “I hope the driver isn’t going to be mad it took so long.” I shoot him a nervous glance, hoping we’re not about to get an earful from his Uber driver.
“Oh, he won’t be mad,” he tells me. “He’s used to this.”
He opens the back door for me.
“Hey, Charlie,” Dom says to the driver.
“Hello, sir,” the driver says, not turning around, but his eyes look calm in the rearview. This doesn’t feel like an Uber situation. “Still going to Cliff’s?”
“We are. Thanks for waiting,” Dom tells him before shutting my door. Then he walks around to the other side and climbs in next to me.
“Is this some type of ride share that’s based here in Hawaii?” I ask, looking for a windshield sticker. Seems pretty high-end.
“It’s a private service,” Dom says. Then he melts me with his eyes before squeezing my knee, topping it off with a sexy side grin. A tidal wave of desire pumps through my body at his touch, but disappears when he shifts his hand off my knee again. My heart sinks when I remember this is all just a show. Every last bit of it. And now that we’re in the car, there’s no need for any more contact between us. “I figured we’d have some drinks tonight, so I didn’t want to have to worry about driving later. Charlie is going to wait and take us back after, too.”
“Wish we had a ride-share service like this back in New York,” I tell them.
I see the driver’s eyes crinkle as he smiles in the rearview mirror at us, but he doesn’t say a word.
After a short drive, we pull up to Cliff’s. I’d been right about the bar having a classic tiki vibe. We sit down at a long table outside while we wait for Dom’s group of friends. The owner is his buddy, Cliff, who switches between chatting with us and bantering happily with other regulars, taking their orders and welcoming them in.
So far, no one has recognized me, and if they have, Dom’s proximity is making them keep a safe distance for now. Everyone just seems happy to be here, and swept up in their own conversations.
As I’d hoped, there’s a lot of young Chris Hemsworth lookalikes, with surfboards lined up against the wall near the door, but also a lot of relaxed-looking tourists and locals vibing to live music together in the open air. Surrounded by high-top tables, a row of open-flame torches lining the teak wood deck, the rhythm of continuous waves lapping the shore under a glowing moon mingles with the sound of an older musician in the corner strumming away on his guitar. The sky is in full bloom now, showing off its map of bright white stars, while the air is thick with the smell of plumeria and hibiscus flowers, scattered across the sand from a nearby row of trees.
I smile to myself while taking it all in.
I did it.
I’m here.
A blinding sense of appreciation sweeps through me, admittedly for the first time since I arrived.
Maybe it’s unfettered access to the ocean, or the fact that I’m more than a stone’s throw away from my ex and no one seems to recognize me, thanks to Dom. Whatever the reason, I feel myself starting to relax and unwind. In a good way. In the best way. Just the smallest hint at a time.