12. Chapter 12 #2
“Right? He was telling me he didn’t want anything serious, and I’m totally fine with that,” I say, tapping the center of my chest with my fingertips.
“I’m not in the market for a relationship, and I let him know we were on the same page.
Then he said he just wanted to make sure because outside of a vacation fling, he couldn’t be with anyone in my lifestyle . ”
Holly shakes her head. “What’s with all the lifestyle bullshit?”
“The only other thing he really knows about me is the writing gig, so I asked him if it was the spicy sex stuff that he didn’t like.” I lean forward and narrow my eyes. It still angered me to think about. “He said yes.”
“Oh. My. God. What a prickface,” Holly rants. “He probably couldn’t handle a real woman anyway.”
I giggle. “That’s what I told him right before I slammed the door in his face. ”
“Good for you, girl. You don’t need that kind of negativity.” My friend cranes her neck forward, her eyes narrowing into squinty slits on the screen. “Uh, Jules. What is that?”
“What?” I swipe at my mouth and chin. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No, that . On the wall behind you.” She jabs her finger vehemently.
I look up to see the metal decoration mounted above the headboard. “Oh that’s a pineapple. The place I’m staying at is called Pineapple Island Resort and Spa, so there are pineapples everywhere. I have no idea why they’re all upside down though.”
Looking back at my phone, I see Holly sitting there with her mouth agape for a long moment. I’m about to ask her what’s wrong when she throws back her head and lets out a laugh that’s so loud, I’m surprised it doesn’t wake up my nephew.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, but she continues her hyena routine for another full minute. Tears stream down her face, which has turned an alarming mahogany color. “Holly!”
“Ju-li-ette,” she gasps, my name coming out in three distinct syllables as she wipes at her face with her palms. “You are truly my most favorite person in the entire world.”
“What about your husband and child?” I ask flatly, still not sure what the hell’s going on with her.
She waves a hand absently. “Okay, fine. It’s a rotating list, and since I don’t have to change your diaper or share a bathroom with you after you’ve had a burrito-eating contest with the guys, you’re currently in the lead.”
“Gee, thanks,” I deadpan. “Why do you find the pineapples so entertaining?”
“Jules, I hate to tell you this, but…” She takes a dramatic pause before announcing, “You, my dear, are at a swingers’ resort.”
My head jerks back in shock. “No I’m not.”
Holly rolls her eyes. “Google what upside down pineapples mean.”
Skeptical, I pull my laptop from the charger and rest it on my thighs. Thirty seconds later, I let out a gasp.
“Oh my god. Oh my… Holly! Oh my god! I’m at a swingers’ resort!” The words come out at warp speed.
My eyes are glued to the computer screen, but I can hear her snicker from my phone’s speaker. “I know, Jules.”
I turn my gaze back to her, and she’s not even trying to hide her amusement. “How did you know that stuff about the pineapples?”
“It used to be a kind of secret symbol for couples who swing to identify each other. Like an upside down pineapple welcome mat or door knocker. But I think it’s pretty much common knowledge now.”
“Common knowledge?” I shriek, swirling my finger toward my laptop. “I’m common, and I did not have this knowledge!”
Holly chuckles. “Juliette McNamara, you are anything but common.”
“Great. I’m an uncommon dingbat,” I mutter, turning my attention back to the article on my computer.
“You are an absolute sweetheart, Jules. Perhaps a tad dingy.” She holds her fingers a half inch apart. “But in the most delightful of ways.”
Reno had called me delightful too . I pull my thoughts from him and read about unicorns in the swinging community. “Ah, there are a group of women here who call themselves the Unicorn Unit. I’m guessing you know what a unicorn is?”
“It’s usually a woman who enjoys playing with a couple. She’s typically bisexual.”
“I’m amazed that you know all this,” I muse, bringing my eyes back to my sister-in-law, who is smirking again.
“Bubba and I may have dabbled in the lifestyle a bit.”
“Dabbled?” I shout, feeling my brain attempting to explode into confetti. “You dabbled ?”
Holly shrugs. “For about a year. We had a lot of fun but ultimately decided it wasn’t for us.”
“I feel like I really shouldn’t know this information about my brother,” I say, pretending to cover my ears .
She tilts her head to the side and gnaws the inside of her cheek. “You know, Jules, I’m thinking that Sir Forearms probably wasn’t talking about your books.” Making a little circle toward me with her index finger, she says, “I think he thinks you’re… a swinger .”
My eyes practically pop from my head. “Oh shit, Holly. I think you’re right. I thought it was weird that he used the word lifestyle , but now it makes sense.” I squish my lids shut and massage my temples for a long moment. “But he’s at this resort too, so why would he be concerned about swinging?”
Holly crinkles her nose in thought. “Dunno. Maybe he’s just there to get his jollies for a few days but doesn’t want that in his life on a permanent basis.”
“I need to talk to him,” I decide. Then another thought invades my brain, and I gasp. “Holy shit.”
“What?”
“Holly, I got invited to one of the cottages for playtime tonight. I thought they were talking about board games or maybe a dart tournament or something.”
My friend falls over onto the couch, absolutely losing her shit. “This is… absolutely… the best story… I’ve ever heard… in my fucking life,” she gasps through her laughter. “Dart tournament. You would have gotten a bullseye for sure.”
Her hilarity continues, and I can’t help but join in because seriously, this is some funny shit. How the hell did I get myself into this crazy mess? When my sides begin to ache from laughing so hard, I blow out a long breath and compose myself, fanning my face with one hand.
“Okay, okay,” I say as another giggle escapes. “What the hell do I do now?”
“First of all, you need to talk to Sir Forearms. Then you need to find whoever invited you to the party and explain the misunderstanding.”
“They’re going to think I’m a complete idiot,” I groan.
Holly puts on a stoic face that I’m pretty sure is forced. “You’re not an idiot. You were just unaware of something you’ve never been exposed to.”
“Thanks, Holly,” I say, appreciating her loyalty in the face of my humiliation. “Listen, I need to go fix all these… issues.”
“Okay, babe. Keep me updated.”
I narrow my eyes in warning. “Do not, under any circumstances, tell my brother about this.”
“Oh, come on, Jules,” she whines. “Just let me—”
“No!” I insist. “If you tell him, I will sneak into your house and paint the soles of all your Louboutins black.”
Her face contorts in horror. “You wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I would. You know how Bubba likes to tease me, and I don’t need to give him any more ammunition. I’d never live this down.”
“Okay, fine,” she huffs, pursing her lips in a pout. “You don’t let me have any fun.”
“You’ll live,” I deadpan.
“And so will my Louboutins.”
“As long as you don’t tell. Otherwise…” I draw a slash across my throat in warning.
“Evil bitch,” she mutters before blowing me a kiss. “Love you, crazy.”
“Love you too.”
After we disconnect, I spring from the bed with urgency, slipping my sandals on and heading for the front door. I need to find Reno immediately and explain this whole situation. And to find out exactly what he was talking about yesterday. If he wasn’t judging my author career…
Slinging open the door, I rush out and run face first into… flowers? I stumble backward and almost fall on my ass when I feel a strong hand grip my upper arm to steady me.
“Whoa, Juliette. Are you okay?”
Rubbing my nose, I try to hide my surprise. “Reno?” He’s on my front porch with a gigantic floral arrangement in a pretty aqua vase .
His face is as solemn as a judge’s. “Yeah, I, um, I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“I’m not a swinger,” I blurt, and his eyebrows shoot upward as I go into full babble mode.
“I booked this place online, and I had no idea about pineapples. I mean, of course I know about pineapples, but not the upside down ones and the symbolism behind that. My friend just told me, and I was shocked, and I’m totally not into that lifestyle.
In case that’s what you were thinking. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. ”
“So you’re not into swapping and sharing sexual partners?” he asks suspiciously, and I shake my head vehemently.
“Not at all.”
Reno’s lips curl into a slow smile. “Somehow, coming from you, that explanation makes perfect sense.”
“I thought you were judging me because of the kind of books I write, and that really pissed me off.”
His face falls. “No, I would never. In fact, I started reading your books last night.” He gives me a shy smile. “I finished one and started on another. You’re such a talented writer, Juliette.”
I’m grinning so big, I feel like my face may crack in two. “Thanks. You really like them?”
“I really do. I’m reading your cowboy series and couldn’t put them down. Spent the whole afternoon reading at the beach.”
I know. I saw your tan lines.
My cheeks heat at the memory of naked Reno as he continues. “I hate Martin, by the way. What a douche.”
A laugh escapes me at the scowl on his gorgeous face. “Everyone hates Martin, but he redeems himself in book four.”
“Then I’ll have to keep reading.” Reno scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip as he holds out the vase filled with roses, dahlias, orchids, and a lot of other blooms I can’t identify in a multitude of colors.
“I wasn’t sure exactly what I did wrong, but I got you flowers because I’d obviously hurt your feelings. ”
Melting. That was the only word to describe my insides because that’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. He didn’t even know what I was upset about, and he brought me apology flowers.
“Thank you,” I tell him, taking the flowers and leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “These are my favorite color.”
A little furrow appears between his eyebrows. “Which color is your favorite? There are, like, ten different ones.”
I tilt my head. “All of them. It changes depending on my mood.”
Reno laughs and shakes his head. “I’m always surprised by your answers. I never know what the hell you’re going to say.”
“I like to keep you on your toes,” I tell him, backing up and allowing him into my cottage.
He closes the door behind him. After taking a sniff of the flowers, I set them on the small dining table and turn, leaning my butt against the surface.
“So, it was the swinging lifestyle you were talking about yesterday?”
He rubs a hand over the top of his messy dark hair. “Yeah. It’s just not something I’m into.”
“Then can I ask what you’re doing here at this resort?”
A low chuckle rumbles from his mouth. “I guess I’m like you and ended up here accidentally. It’s kind of a long story, but I’ll tell you if you’ll have dinner with me.” His green eyes shine with something that looks like hope.
To my credit, I wait an entire five seconds before saying, “Yes. I’d like that.”
Reno steps closer, trapping me against the table. Not that I’m complaining. He smells fantastic, a mixture of the ocean, flowers, and man.
Taking my face in both hands, he lays a soft, slow kiss on my lips, his tongue toying with mine briefly before pulling back. It’s a seductive promise, his eyes blazing with hunger. And not for dinner.
“One hour. Wear something pink.”
Then he brushes his thumb along my lower lip before turning and walking out the door. I stare dumbly, my entire face tingling like someone dumped a bottle of champagne over my head .
A smile pulls the corners of my lips up as I realize… It’s Wednesday, and he was wearing a pink shirt.