Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Naomi
B ut I don’t get to see Sam after the party, or even the following day, as we’re both caught up in the aftermath of the wedding. I’m helping to pack up and distribute decorations and lost belongings to their rightful owners, and Sam’s days are filled to the brim with every single other thing that goes into running a resort of this size.
Luckily, he’s gotten really good at keeping his phone on him, so we keep up a near constant chat under our aliases. After he told me that he named my contact Natalie, I changed his to Smith, making our inability to be in the same room at the same time more like a little game.
Naomi: That was quite a day yesterday, how are you holding up?
Sam: I got out of here at eleven, luckily, and got some sleep. Good thing, too, because I had to swing over and pick up the morning front desk person when their cart wouldn’t start this morning at five.
Naomi: Daaaang. I was barely getting home at five. I stayed to help with wrapping up the party after these crazy kids danced until three and then had drinks with the staff.
Sam: Ah, I remember those days.
Naomi: The good old days?
Sam: Nah. I prefer to be the boss. Make my own schedule. Make other people stay until three and clean up after drunk wedding guests.
Naomi: What else do you like making people do, Mr. Boss?
Sam: If only you could make it up here before my next meeting, I’d show you.
Naomi: I can run stairs pretty quickly…what’s your timeframe?
Sam: They just arrived. Sorry, princess.
While I’m dying to sink into Sam’s arms in a private corner somewhere, it also feels really good to be an important part of this project. After my photographer duties were a wrap last night, I stayed to help wherever was needed, and it turned out that was everywhere. I can’t even describe the feeling of finally watching the last guest hit the elevator call button and getting to collapse into a chair and drink wine out of a coffee cup with the rest of the crew.
I was needed. I was wanted. I was part of a team.
This morning, I got up as early as I could manage, arriving to find grateful, welcoming faces downstairs on wedding clean up. They put me to work right away, and I stay and help until the last task is marked off the list.
“Thank you so much for all you did,” Fran says as she hugs me tight, preparing to hop into her golf cart and leave the resort for the first time in nearly forty-eight hours.
“You haven’t even seen the pictures yet,” I protest, but I’m overjoyed by her praise.
She pulls back and holds me at arm’s length, grinning. “Even if there weren’t fabulous pictures to look forward to, I would still appreciate you. I don’t know how I’m going to pull off next month’s wedding without you. They want a champagne fountain. Like it’s the nineties or something.”
I laugh, but her words also sting a bit. I try not to let my disappointment show.
She’s so quick to assume that I’ll be gone by then, and maybe she’s right. I do have my own life to get back to, don’t I? Fran’s just trying to be supportive, to let me know that she believes in my ability to recover from the setback of my cancellation.
“That’s going to be a sight to see,” I say, taking a step back.
“See you in a couple days,” she says, tossing me a wave as she slips into the passenger seat beside Avery. “Have fun with the island all to yourself!” A wink and they’re gone.
I smile and turn back to head into the lobby, but I realize there’s nothing left for me to do there.
The wedding is totally wrapped up.
I have my bag on my arm already.
I shrug and try to shake off the sudden wave of uselessness that’s descending over me. It’s not until I’m starting the stair climb at Reina and Dom’s house that it hits me—I’m about to have Sam all to myself.
Naomi: I’m arriving home now. Will you be off sometime tonight?
Sam: I’ll be here until at least seven. What time are your housemates heading out of town?
Naomi: Boat picks them up at six-thirty.
Sam: Well, I guess I know what I’m doing when I get off work.
Naomi: OMG is it me??
Sam: *winking emoji*
I run the rest of the way up the steps and throw myself into the shower.
I have an epic vacation of my own to prepare for.
“Don’t worry about the AC, the house is set to temperature control so it will take care of it,” Reina is telling me for the third time as she follows Dom toward the front door. “Oh, and the house is smart, but only kind of smart, so if you get locked out of anything, you can override with the keypad using the code 425.”
I smile at her. “Got it.”
“Reina! Get out the door!” Dom yells from the front porch.
Reina grimaces happily, turning to run out the open door and past Dom down the steps. He stands in the doorway, still holding all the bags as I approach.
“Enjoy having the house to yourself,” he says, and his mouth could almost be called a smile. A tiny one.
We’ve been mostly avoiding each other over the last couple of days, and it’s worked fine for me. Hell, it’s been our relationship for my entire life, so I’m used to it. Anything’s better than fighting. It almost feels like a truce.
I nod. “Thanks. I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet.”
The look he gives me then is most definitely an exasperated smirk that might even be accompanied by an eye roll that he saves for after he turns away from me.
My mouth drops open as I prepare to ask what on earth that look was for, but it’s too late.
“See you Wednesday,” he calls back to me without turning.
I smile and wave until he’s halfway down the steps and then hurry through the quiet house to find my phone.
Naomi: Parents are officially out of town.
Naomi: I’m about to raid their wine cellar.