Chapter 33
I’ve been looking forward to today’s itinerary more than any other day on the trip. We traveled by boat to the Phi Phi Islands, where we visited exotic beaches, climbed a billion stairs to the top of a breathtaking lookout, and swam in a canyon of limestone rocks.
On a day like this, there’s a lot of coordination—letting our group go at each spot and then gathering them again at the designated time. A guest or two is always missing, or someone doesn’t follow instructions, creating problems for the tour guides. Because of that, I haven’t had a chance to spend quality time with Nate, which is probably good since things got a little too real between us last night.
But at our last stop of the afternoon, when everyone is relaxing on the beach or eating their rice and fried chicken picnic lunch, Nate and I walk out to the ocean to enjoy a swim in the warm water.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Nate shirtless. I mean, besides the shower incident, but I just saw shoulders and chaos then. Today I see it all, and well, Nate’s a ten.
I wish that weren’t the case, but it is.
I wish he didn’t have a subtle six-pack that deepens whenever he laughs.
I wish his arms weren’t defined with the perfect amount of muscles that don’t make him look like a bodybuilder but also don’t make him seem like he’d never be able to pick me up.
I wish his shoulder and back muscles didn’t move and twist with so much sexiness every time he dives over a wave.
And I wish his skin wasn’t a perfect golden brown.
These are the things I wish, but since there’s not a genie in a bottle handy, I guess I’m out of luck.
He dives over another wave, pushing his dark hair back as he comes out of the water. I peek at him until the last second, when I know his hands are about to drop and his eyes will open. That’s when I look away, pretending to be more interested in the swirling water around me than the hunk of a man swimming next to me.
“You’ve been really great today,” he says as he plays with the water in front of him.
“Hardly.” I glance up. “We’ve been so busy we’ve barely touched. Your aunts probably think we’re fighting again.”
“I wasn’t talking about the fake relationship. I was talking about work. You work really hard and help out a ton. You’re a huge asset to have on these trips.”
“Does this mean you won’t kick me off any of your future events?”
“I can’t guarantee that.” His grin turns teasing. “But it does mean I’ll stop harassing you about your checklists.”
“How mature of you.” I playfully roll my eyes.
“In all honesty, I was in over my head on the New Zealand trip.”
My mouth falls open. “I knew it!”
“The trip didn’t go smoothly at all. More than once, I wished you’d been there to help me.”
I hit the water, splashing him. “That’s called karma.”
His laughter is instant. “Your trip checklist was the only thing that saved me.”
“So, in the end, all credit for a successful trip goes to me.”
“Pretty much.”
This conversation tears my walls down. Every reason I had to dislike Nate at work is going up in flames, and it’s scary. But will it stay like this when we get back to the office?
“So, I’ve been thinking about something you said last night,” he shifts the topic.
“What’s that?”
“You said you rafted the Noce River in Italy after high school.”
“Yeah.”
“Was that, like, a graduation trip?”
“No, funny story. I actually won the trip from The Price is Right . It was part of my Showcase Showdown.”
Something crosses through Nate’s eyes, and a frown creases his brows.
“I know,” I laugh, “shocking that I was on The Price is Right. But I’m obsessed with being on game shows. Another piece of me I like to keep hidden.”
“Wait.” The lines across his forehead deepen even more. “You won The Price is Right ?”
“Yeah.” I don’t know why he’s acting so strange about this.
“And you won the Italy trip?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Is that the only game show you’ve ever been on?”
“No, I’ve also been on Let’s Make a Deal. ”
He blinks a few times. “The one you have to dress up for?”
“Yes, I know, totally embarrassing. I wore my dad’s real antlers to the show, and every time the camera panned to me, they were falling off. When I watched the show back, I looked like a complete idiot.”
Nate’s eyes drop to the water, and he just floats there… silently .
He must have some prejudice against people who appear on game shows, although I don’t know why he would. I’ve always considered it to be one of the most unique things about me—the truth I share whenever people play two truths and a lie .
“I think I'll take a swim for a while.” He doesn’t wait for my response before diving into the water and disappearing.
I stand confused, not knowing what just went wrong between us.