Chapter 17
chapter seventeen
Luke
It’s times like these when I wish I had a male best friend too.
I need someone to talk to about Mia. I saw the anger in her eyes when I told her I wasn’t able to swim with her right away, and a part of me wondered if it was because she was feeling tense due to our physical intimacy.
It wasn’t like I could go to her and ask her if she was upset with me because I knew she wouldn’t tell me the truth, and I had no one to speak to.
I have male friends, of course, but none that I am especially close to.
None that I could talk to about my situation with Mia.
I think about Rex and how different our relationship could have been if we’d been like real brothers and had a bond. What would it have been like if we hadn’t always been competing?
I look down at my phone and see missed calls from my mother and my father.
They’re both annoyed that I hadn’t told them about Mia and that I haven’t spent any one-on-one time with them.
Nor have I asked to visit their home yet, but I just didn’t want to.
It has never felt like my home. Not like Mia’s parents’ house or my grandparents’.
Who can I speak to? I think to myself.
There is only one person I can call and ask for advice, but I know I’ll have to be really careful.
I can speak to my grandma. Bitsy is a gossip, and she is a busy Bee, but she loves me, and she’s always been there for me throughout the years.
She is the only one who knows how much I cared about Mia back in the day.
I decide to call her because I know I’m going to go crazy if I don’t speak to someone about what’s going on.
“Hi, Luke. What are you doing?” She answers the phone right away. “Grandpa wants to know if you want to play golf later today.”
“Hey, Grandma. I was just calling to see if everything’s going well. Tell Grandpa I would love to, but I can’t today.”
“Grandpa will be disappointed, but he will understand. Lucille and I just got back from crochet, and we’re going to go to bingo tonight.”
“Wow, busy.”
“It’s always busy on the beach.”
“I suppose that’s why you’ll never leave.”
“It’s my home, Luke. Of course, I’ll never leave. I just hope that one day you’ll move back.” Her voice softens. “I do miss seeing you weekly.”
“I know, but I wouldn’t count on it, Gran.”
“But what about Mia?”
“What about her?” I ask before I think about the fact that we’re supposed to be in a relationship. “I mean, she and I haven’t gotten to that stage in the relationship yet where we’re talking about where we’re going to end up.”
“Even though you’ve been dating for a year? Now, now, Luke, I hope you’re not just wasting her time.”
“No, I would never do that to Mia.”
“So, why are you calling? Is everything okay?”
“I just … it’s actually about Mia.”
“What’s going on? Do you want to meet for coffee or—”
“No, I’m actually headed down to the shoreline to meet up with her and talk, but I think she’s annoyed with me, and I just don’t know how to address the situation.”
“Why is she annoyed with you?”
“I’m not really sure,” I lie because there are three reasons in my mind why she could be upset.
One, she could be upset because we’d been extremely physical.
Two, she could be upset because I hadn’t gone to the beach with her, which I thought was unlikely because we went swimming in the ocean all the time.
Or three, she was just cranky because she was worried about something else.
Maybe she’s still heartbroken over Rex. The thought makes me distraught.
“Luke, you don’t have any clue?”
I realize then that my grandma can’t help me because there’s not much information I can share with her. No one can help me unless I’m fully honest with them, and the only people I can be fully honest with are Mia’s friends, and they are her friends first and foremost.
“Actually, I think it’s probably just a stupid minor argument. I think I see her. I have to go.”
I hang up and stand there in the grainy white sand.
I don’t know what to do. I can head down to the water and search for Mia, or just leave it until later.
When I spy the tiki torches outside of Cocktails & Chaos, I think about Preston and his own situation.
He knows this relationship is fake. He is also in a similar situation with Louisa.
Maybe he’ll have some advice for me. I hurry down toward the bar and walk past the palm fronds that decorate the front pole, along with several colorful flags.
“Hey there, Luke. You want a beer?” Preston asks as I enter and make my way to him.
It’s still quite early, so the tourists haven’t flooded the place yet. I notice two older men playing darts toward the back and a single lady sitting at the bar, reading a book. I wonder if it’s a romance. I know if Mia were here, she’d ask the lady what she was reading.
“No thanks. Actually, I was wondering if you had five minutes so we could have a quick chat.”
“Sure. We’re not very busy right now. What’s going on?” He heads toward the front with a rag and starts drying the stack of cups.
“I’m kind of frustrated about this situation with Mia.” I lower my voice and look around. I definitely don’t want anyone to hear me.
“Oh, no. Is the fake dating situation not going well?”
“It’s not going poorly. I just think we’ve crossed a couple of lines that maybe we shouldn’t have, and I think maybe she’s mad about it. I don’t know. She’s just been really grumpy today, and I’m trying to navigate that without having her blow up at me.”
“You think it’s got to do with the kiss from last night?”
“That’s the least of it, dude. We’ve done a bit more than kiss, Preston.”
“I got you,” he says, nodding, his eyes twinkling as he pours me a beer and sets it in front of me. “Just in case you need it. I understand how complicated these fake relationships can be.” He grimaces. “These women know how to drive us crazy.”
“I’m guessing you and Louisa have also crossed a couple of lines?”
“I will not say if I’ve sampled the goods or not.” He winks. “Luke, I’m a gentleman.”
“I’m a gentleman as well. How’s it going with you and Louisa? Is it super complicated?” I want to hear it’s not just me who is going out of his mind.
“Aren’t these things always super complicated?” He grabs a bottle of whiskey. “You want a shot?”
“Sure, thanks.” I nod.
I’m starting to realize the whole fake dating with Mia may not have been my finest decision. Nor sharing the same room. Nor flirting. Nor touching. Nor kissing. Nor getting to know each other intimately.
“I figured Mia and I have been best friends for so long that this would be fine, to pretend we were dating, but I guess I didn’t predict that she would be sexy as hell and I wouldn’t be able to resist her.”
“She’s a good-looking girl,” he says with knowing eyes. “A lot of guys try to get with her.”
“They do?” The thought doesn’t please me.
“Yeah, she and the girls come by maybe once a week, and there’s always a local tourist asking me if I know who she is and if she’s in a relationship and if she’s looking for some fun.”
“Well, great. That’s always good to hear,” I say sarcastically.
“It doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“No, of course not. She’s free to do what she wants. Obviously not right now, while we’re in this fake relationship, but once this is over, she can date as many tourists who ask about her as she wants. Like I care.”
I’m not about to admit I’ve been in love with her for over a decade, and I’m finding it hard to navigate fake dating without getting my real emotions and wants to surface.
“If you don’t care, then what’s the big deal? Just go back to being as platonic as possible when it’s just the two of you and just hold hands or something when you’re around your family.”
“I suppose so.” The thought doesn’t settle well in my mind. I don’t want to go back to just being friendly with Mia in the bedroom, but I don’t know if our current friendship can handle any more blurred lines.
Don’t even go there, Luke. Do not try to sleep with her.
“So, how’s business? I heard you’re doing amazing in the city.” He hands me the shot, and we down them. “No chance of you coming back?”
“Business is great, and it’s unlikely I’ll move back.”
“And your parents’ business?” he asks. “I assume it’s going well also?”
“No idea. Why do you ask?”
“Between you and me, I’ve noticed Rex has seemed a little anxious the last couple of times he’s come in, and I’ve overheard him arguing on the phone, and the calls seemed to be about money. I was just curious if it was business-related or wedding-related.”
“I’m sure it’s wedding-related,” I say, shaking my head. “My brother is the last person I thought would ever get married and settle down, and I’m sure he’s probably having second thoughts.”
“Yeah, he’s not exactly a monogamous sort of man, is he?”
I lean forward and look at Preston. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I might or might not have overheard him having a conversation a couple of nights ago, talking about wanting Mia Bishop and how gorgeous she was looking and how he would hate to have to ruin your relationship by having her want him again.”
“He said fucking what?” I clench my fists. “You’re joking, right?”
Preston shrugs. “I wasn’t going to say anything because what’s the likelihood of Rex really making a play for Mia when he’s about to get married? But I just wanted to make you aware. I know there was some history with Mia and Rex.”
“It’s fine. Thanks. I should get going. I know Mia is probably huffing and puffing, waiting for me.”
“Okay, cool. Well, you let me know if you want to chat anymore.”
“Thanks, Preston. And you let me know if you need to chat about Louisa.”
“Will do.”
“What do I owe you?”
“It’s on me today. I’ll catch you later.” He grins as I head out of the bar.
I notice Carter walking in, head down, deep in thought, as I make my way out.
“Hey, Carter. How are you doing?”
“Oh, hi, Luke. Good to see you again.”