13. Chapter 13
Life is too short to eat lemon Starbursts.
Once back in my cottage, I shower again and shave before changing into black pants and actually adding some product to my hair, which I normally don’t do.
Then I brush my teeth and make a call to the dining room to arrange for sommelier service.
It’s not included in the resort fee, but I give zero fucks about how much it costs.
Fifty-nine minutes after I’d left, I knock on the door of cottage four. I’m fully expecting Juliette to call out that she’s not ready and to give her five more minutes. Which would mean thirty. At least that was always my experience with Leia.
All the air seizes in my lungs when Juliette opens the door dressed in a bright pink…
thing. I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s called a romper, a one-piece outfit with shorts that show off legs that seem to go all the way up to her ears.
The short ruffled sleeves cling to her upper arms, leaving her tanned shoulders bare and supremely lickable.
A sheer pink skirt drapes from the back, and she’s paired it with silver jewelry and heels, giving the ensemble a slightly fancier look.
Struggling to get my mouth to actually form intelligible words, I finally say, “You look absolutely gorgeous, Juliette.” Okay, not the most poetic statement ever, but it’s the truth, and she seems pleased with the compliment. She dips her chin and gazes up at me through her lashes.
“Thank you. You look really handsome.” She fingers the collar of my shirt, the backs of her knuckles brushing against my throat. “I like you in pink.”
I like you in everything. Though I’d like to see you in nothing.
Instead of voicing my dirty thoughts, I ask, “Are you ready to go? ”
She grabs a small silver clutch from the table and turns back to me. “Ready.”
I step back and let her exit onto the porch before I close her door and check to make sure it’s securely locked. Her hand is warm and soft when she takes my elbow, and I guide us down the path to the lodge.
When we arrive, I give my name to the hostess, and she smiles. “Right this way, sir.” As we follow her, I place my hand on the small of Juliette’s back, gently stroking the long, blonde hair that feels like silk beneath my fingers.
“Your hair looks really pretty like this,” I tell her, my mouth close to her ear as I hold out her chair for her. I don’t miss the slight hitch of her breath.
“Thank you,” she says as I round the ivory quartz table and take my seat across from her. It’s a quiet, intimate spot near a window with a stunning ocean view. “I always wanted curls when I was growing up, but my hair has always been straight as a board.”
“I was the opposite. I hated my curly hair as a kid and made my mom keep it short.” Running a hand over the top of my head, I say, “Until high school when I realized girls like curls.”
Juliette laughs. “Gave you a whole new outlook, huh?”
“Guess it did.”
She looks around at the room with its hardwood floors and muted chandelier lighting. Candles and small pastel floral arrangements dot each table. “This is so nice. It’s the first time I’ve eaten here.”
“The food is good too. Are you hungry?”
“Starving. I’ve been focusing so hard on writing, I haven’t made time to get dressed up and come down here.” She lifts an eyebrow. “Though someone has been sending food to my room the past two days.”
I flash her a chagrined smile. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t hungry.”
A woman in a dove-gray suit stops by the table and introduces herself as Liza, the sommelier. After chatting with her for a few minutes, Juliette and I decide on a glass of Sicilian Bianco to start, a bottle of the Gaja Barbaresco nebbiolo for dinner, and a Riesling for dessert.
Once Liza departs, my dinner partner leans across the table, her aqua eyes wide as she whispers, “I have no idea what she was talking about. We could end up drinking vinegar for all I know.”
I chuckle. “I’m not an expert, but I know a little about wines, and they’ll be good.”
She relaxes and wipes faux sweat from her forehead. “Whew!” Her eyes dart over my shoulder and then widen. “Oh crap.”
Glancing behind me, I see a group of women being seated at a table. I’d noticed them around the resort, usually wearing unicorn headbands, though tonight they’re dressed nicely for dinner, sans horns. I’m aware of what unicorns are in this community but wonder why Juliette has a problem with them.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, turning with concern to my date, who seems to have shrunk down in her chair.
“A couple of those ladies invited me to a party tonight for playtime .” She raises her eyebrows in significance. “Before I knew what kind of playtime they were talking about.”
Hiding my smile behind my hand, I ask, “And I’m assuming you’re no longer interested in going to the party?”
She shakes her head. “No, and I know I need to tell them, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m not exactly knowledgeable on the whole etiquette of canceling on a group sex party thing. How exactly do you say, ‘Hey, I think you’re really sweet, but I don’t want to have sex with you?’”
I can’t help my chuckle at that. She is so damn cute.
“I can see where that would be awkward, but I’m sure if you’re just honest with them, they’ll understand.”
“You’re right,” she sighs, picking up her menu and staring down at it. “I’ll be honest later. Right now I just want to blissfully stare at this menu and pretend like I haven’t gotten myself into this pickle. ”
Smirking, I pick up my menu and read over it. “Would you like to split an appetizer?”
“Sounds good. I’m thinking of getting the prime rib for dinner with horseradish on the side. So maybe a seafood app?”
“Hmmm, the seared scallops?”
She peeps at me over the menu. “I love scallops. That sounds great.” Then her eyes shoot over my shoulder and she quickly raises the menu to cover her face again.
Taking it from her, I put on my stern voice. “Juliette, I want you to enjoy our dinner, and you’re going to be fidgeting the entire time if you don’t get this over with. Just go talk to them.”
She rolls her lips in and scrunches her nose. “You’re right. I’ll go. It’ll be fine.” Straightening her spine, she stands and brushes her hands over her hips. “Perfectly fine.”
About a minute after she goes, someone drops off our wine and takes our orders. When I glance behind me, I see Juliette returning with a huge smile on her face.
“Everything good?” I ask, rising to hold her chair for her again.
Her blonde hair sways as she sits. “Better than I expected. We had a laugh about it, but it was like they were laughing with me, not at me, you know? They were so kind and understanding.”
“Good,” I say, taking my seat. “I ordered the food while you were gone.”
“What did you decide on?”
“I’m getting prime rib as well.”
Juli folded her hands beneath her chin. “You seem to eat pretty healthy when we’ve had lunch together. What’s your guilty pleasure food?”
I pop an eyebrow. “My guilty pleasure food?”
“Yeah, you know… something you love that you really shouldn’t.”
“Cheetos,” I say immediately, and she lets out that full-bodied laugh I like so much. It’s not loud or annoying, just genuine.
“Oh my god. You’re such a bad boy,” she teases. “Regular or Flamin’ Hot?”
“Either. I’m an equal opportunity Cheeto eater. What’s your guilty pleasure?”
“Cherry Starbursts.”
“Why just the cherry ones?”
Juliette shrugs. “Because they’re my favorite. I found a place online where you can order an entire bag of one flavor. Life is too short to eat lemon Starbursts.”
“Words to live by,” I say, lifting my glass of wine, and she does the same. We clink and each take a sip.
“Mmm, that’s good.” She sets down her glass and tilts her head. “So tell me how you ended up here accidentally.”
I take another fortifying drink of my wine before starting. “This was supposed to be my honeymoon trip.”
Juliette’s lips part, and she reaches for my hand, stroking her thumb across my knuckles. “I’m so sorry, Reno. What happened?”
Turning my hand over, I link our fingers together. It feels comforting, this simple act of hand holding.
“I’d been a happy bachelor for my entire adult life.
I wasn’t looking for anything serious, but a few years ago, my grandfather started showing signs of dementia.
One day, a couple policemen showed up on my doorstep, letting me know he’d been found at a park wearing only his underwear.
It was almost freezing outside, but luckily a nice man saw him and gave him his coat before calling the authorities. ”
“That’s so sad,” Juliette says, her mouth turning down at the corners. “But I’m glad someone found him.”
“It could have been so much worse. Gramps had been married to my grandmother for around fifty years when she died. He seemed to go downhill quickly after that, or maybe it had been going on for a while before she passed, but no one noticed because Grandma kept an eye on him.” I blink out at the ocean for a long moment before returning my gaze to my date.
“I guess it made me rethink my life. They were so in love, and I realized I wanted a partner and not just meaningless hookups.”
She nods. “That makes sense. Something like that can really change your perspective.”
I give her a small smile. “It’s not like I set out on a frantic wife search or anything, but my goals slowly began to shift. I actually began dating instead of just being…”
“A playboy?” she fills in with a smile.
“I was going to say man whore, but that sounds nicer,” I admit with a chuckle. “I dated a few women, but no one really clicked. And then I met Leia at a party, and she was really nice and flirty. I asked her out, and our first date was good, so I asked her out again.”
Juliette watches me in silence, but her thumb rubs a soothing line between my thumb and forefinger. She is so fucking beautiful, her makeup applied with a light hand. There’s something pink and shimmery on her eyelids, and her lips are a glossy rose color.