Match Made in the Maldives
1. Chapter One
Chapter One
Luna
As I zoom down the moving walkway, dodging weary travelers who waddle along with bulging suitcases, the gate finally appears. A clueless woman stands smack dab in the center of my path, so I weave around her and mutter, “Scuse me,” with the terseness of someone who’s about to miss an international flight but knows she only has herself to blame. The reality of this trip hits me hard as I step off the walkway and slow to real time. Even the reassurance of the words Final Boarding flashing above the door does little to soothe my nerves.
But the sight of Finley Robertson waiting by the counter brings me some calm. My older brother’s best friend waves at me as his face relaxes into a reserved smile. He says something to the gate attendant while my attention skitters down and up his body. Finn’s sporty sweatpants and fitted tee accentuate his lean, athletic frame gained from years of soccer. He has wild brown locks and facial hair that he can barely control, and his gentle eyes are a striking, sharp shade of light blue. And, he has a really nice mouth that tugs up at one corner in a smirk, with lips that taste—
“C’mon Lou,” he calls to me.
“I’m here!” I jog to the gate, praying that the frantic process of taking multiple trains, checking bags, and getting through security at Chicago O’Hare Airport hasn’t worn me down to a sweaty, sloppy mess.
“Another minute more and I would have had to stage a peaceful protest to keep the doors open.”
“I’d pay decent money to see that.”
“Luna.” My name on his tongue tugs at my insides. “You had me worried.”
While he isn’t related by blood, Finn spent more time at our house than his own growing up. My parents treat him like one of their own, so he’s part of this tropical family vacation too. Especially considering what went on with my dad this last year, Finn is as much of a Moore as I am.
“Well, you know me,” I say, whipping out my boarding pass with an innocent smile. “I like to keep things interesting.”
The gate attendant scans my ticket, and my relentless anxiety about the week ahead nips at my heels. Can I spend seven days ignoring my mountain of work projects? And on a scale of bearable to gag-inducing, how easily will I manage being single in the most romantic destination in the world?
My family and I are lucky to have something to celebrate and that my dad chose such a special place for this trip. I just wish my life had chosen a different time to crumble to pieces.
“Got you a chai latte,” Finn says, holding out a beverage in my direction.
“Thanks. Glad I didn’t miss drink delivery.” My fingers brush his when I grab the cup, and the skin-on-skin contact sends a zing of awareness up my arm. “Look,” I say, pointing to a line of people on the jet bridge waiting to board the plane. “All that rushing, and I’m right on time.”
“Your brother may disagree.”
“Surprise, surprise. Aaron will take any chance to pick on me.”
“He knows how important this trip is to your parents.”
“So do I. And it’s important to me too. The morning got away from me.”
More like the past few months. As our getaway approached, I engaged in an unhealthy amount of freaking out over what to talk to my family about, since any details about my job and love life must remain off-limits. We can enjoy some wonderful discussions about the weather, and I have an entire folder of cat photos on my phone to share. Hopefully that will suffice.
We reach the end of the line and slow to a snail’s pace, so I turn to him. “You didn’t have to wait on me, you know.”
“Just in case.”
“How’ve you been?”
“Good. You?”
Ah, a man of many words.
“I’m good too.” If coping with a breakup and managing a fledgling graphic design business count as good. “Still doing barre class. I painted a forest green accent wall in my living room last week for kicks. Oh, and I got Newman set up for my bestie to pop in and cat-sit him, so hopefully he remembers me when I get back. You know, the usual.”
Finn grunts in response. I wonder if he’s chattier with the people he dates, although I’ve seen him with a few women before, and he never had issues with them. But I’m under no illusions. I’m his best friend’s annoying little sister who always has some artsy project she’s working on, asks fifty questions at once, and wears clothing with loud colorful prints. But Finn makes space for me in a way that I rarely experience as the youngest child. As a result, I’ve had a simmering crush on him for years—the kind that exists on the back burner but heats up to a boil when I overanalyze something sweet that he said or did. It’s silly. All I have to do is remind myself that he says and does these things to be nice—because that’s just who he is—and the feelings cool down.
“Not gonna drink that?”
“Oh,” I say, clutching the chai tighter to my body as we step onto the aircraft. “I will.”
I can’t. Earlier this year, I cut out dairy per my doctor’s recommendation, but Finn wouldn’t remember that. He went out of his way to get me tea, so I’ll pretend to sip on it until I can covertly slip the cup to a flight attendant.
Finn gives me one of his classic lopsided smiles and leans in closer to me like he has a secret. “It’s oat milk.”
“Oh.” I soften at his thoughtfulness. “Thanks. When did we see each other last? The holidays?”
He opens his mouth to say something, but a familiar jovial voice cuts him off as we enter the cabin.
“There’s my LouLou!” my dad cries from the opposite end of the row.
“Thank God,” my mom says from the aisle seat next to Dad.
“Made it,” I say, giving them both a megawatt smile. “Sorry.”
“Don’t know what we would have done.” Mom rummages through her bag, no doubt gathering a short novel’s worth of printed information about our journey, the resort, and the Maldives.
“You ’bout gave me a heart attack,” my father adds.
“Dad.” Cassandra, my sister, chimes in. “Can we keep the jokes about your health to a minimum?”
Dad’s work offered comprehensive insurance coverage, so he didn’t stress too much about medical bills after his diagnosis. When he got the news that he was cancer-free, he wanted to mark the occasion with a once-in-a-lifetime getaway. He requested for all of us to join and be there like we were while he underwent chemo. As a doctor himself, Aaron insisted Mom and Dad temporarily relocate to Houston for the best treatment possible. Among us four—Cass, Aaron, Finn, and me—one of us was always there to help.
“Here, hand that to Lou.” My mom hands a stapled stack of papers to Melissa, my brother’s wife, who passes them to Aaron.
“Traffic from the salon?” Aaron grumbles, offloading the documents to me.
I flick the waves of my long dark brown hair over my shoulder. “When we’re thirty thousand feet in the air and twenty-four hours into our journey, this blowout is the thing that will keep me feeling human.”
“You look nice,” Carmen, my sister’s wife, says, and Cass hums in agreement. “Ridiculously late, but nice.”
“Your luggage is there.” Finn points to the overhead compartment, and I want to say thanks, but Aaron pulls my focus away from Finn.
“You needed to leave earlier,” he says with a harsh sternness in his voice.
“Thank you. I’m well aware. But I’m here and boarded. No big deal.”
“No big deal?”
“Could you both not?” As the oldest, Cass has no issue acting like a third parent. “I won’t have you both bickering over me and Carmen the entire flight.”
My family fills a whole row of the plane—four seats in the center and two on each side. I have the window seat next to my sister, whose wife, Carmen, is pregnant and prefers the aisle. Melissa and Aaron share the middle seats, and since we’re in premium economy, they should be comfortable. Although, after such a rude greeting, I secretly hope my brother isn’t. Finn sits on the other side of Aaron, near my mom and dad. I had kind of been wondering if this entire trip would leave me alone with Finn while everyone else pairs off with their spouses, but I guess not.
“Sure you don’t wanna call Tanner up?” my mom asks from the other aisle. “Change his mind?”
“Positive. He wouldn’t get through TSA in time.”
The last person I’d like to see is the ex-boyfriend I wasted three and a half years of my life with.
“Let him know we’ll miss him,” my dad says. “Next trip.”
When Tanner’s random hookups came to light, the doctors had only recently declared Dad cancer-free. I didn’t want to burden anyone with breakup news. Plus, I wasn’t exactly proud of being the oblivious, trusting woman he’d cheated on multiple times, even if our sex life had been pretty nonexistent in the final six months of the relationship.
I’ll tell my family we’re not together after our vacation. By that time, I will be in a better groove with the business so my life won’t seem like such a disaster. For now, they can believe Tanner has a last-minute work obligation. I’d love to avoid any pitying looks or special treatment from people who have all found their life partner, except for Finn.
Because this trip isn’t about me—it’s about my dad—and I want it to be perfect.
Once I sit down and buckle my seatbelt, my phone buzzes with a text from Finn. Aaron’s bday.
I peer down the row to find him in conversation with Aaron. His gaze catches mine for a split second before he laughs at something my brother says. I send a confused emoji as a response.
Last time I saw you, he replies. Aaron’s birthday.
That’s right. I’d forgotten that evening in January because of too many gin and tonics. The alcohol gave me a sublime buzz, a fizzy bounce in my step that made everything delightful. I had launched my graphic design business earlier that week and felt extra festive. Tanner chose not to come out—in hindsight, he was probably sleeping around—but oddly enough, I didn’t miss him. Instead, I relished the freedom of the evening and the company of Aaron’s friends. Especially Finn, since I spent much of the night talking to him and was reminded of what a great guy he is. We split a cab back to my place, and although things were hazy from that moment on, he made sure I got into my apartment safely.
Is this your oh-so-gentle way of telling me I owe you for the taxi? I text back.
His chuckle bubbles up from the other side of the plane, warming my insides.
No. Just didn’t know if you remembered or not.
All I recall is waking up the next day, I write, tucked comfortably into my bed with a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen on my nightstand. Which, by the way, thank you.
His response ignites a spark in my abdomen. Anytime, Lou.
The flight attendant shoots me a disapproving glance during the safety demonstration for not having switched my phone to Airplane Mode. Once I do, I tuck the device away and pull out a book to hold me over until I can use my computer.
My life might be falling apart, and this vacation is the last thing I have the time and energy for, but I want to put my family first. We’ll get some wonderful memories, and I just need to survive the week. I’ll figure everything else out later.