15. Chapter 15
The next morning, my alarm went off, and it took me several moments to blink away the dream that immersed me before I remembered, yes, I was in Costa Rica, sharing a room with Beck. I sat up, ramrod straight, only to find the couch empty.
Last night, I’d unpacked my belongings and sorted them in the dresser drawers. I padded over there now, then pulled out my swimsuit, some khaki shorts, and something Hailey had given me to match her for our trip in Florida: A pink shirt with the words VACAY scrawled beside a hibiscus flower.
Getting dressed, my blood seemed to buzz through my veins with nervous, excited energy. Today would be spent under the sun without a single spreadsheet, IT ticket, or meeting that should have been an email. At the same time, I’d have to be vigilant and remember I was supposed to be Hailey while also attempting to connect with people from a wholly different social class than my own.
Topping off my outfit with a floppy sun hat, I circled the suite, wondering where Beck was. Maybe he’d gone to get breakfast. Or, more likely, he’d found the resort’s gym. I rolled my eyes. I knew he dedicated himself to the lanes, but I didn’t think he’d been one of those psychos who kept up their fitness regimen on vacation.
As I was about to give up and head to the lobby, I noticed the hammock’s sway outside and realized someone occupied it. A tuft of curls spilled over the edge on one end. On the other, a bare leg hung out.
On the way to the balcony door, I tripped over Beck’s duffle and barely caught myself. After regaining my balance, I slid the bag over with my foot.
“You really shouldn’t leave your stuff on the floor,” I said to Beck as I joined him on the balcony.
The jungle greeted me as loudly as it had the night before with calls of all sorts, reminding me how wild this place was. A breeze moved through the trees, sending a ripple through the emerald expanse.
“Good morning to you too, Lane,” Beck said in a voice still gravelly from sleep. He turned a page in the book on his chest. “Didn’t realize you were such a neat freak, but I should have guessed.”
“I am not a neat freak,” I huffed. “I read an article about tourists leaving their bags on the floor only to find lizards or cockroaches in the cozy compartments of their suitcases.”
“We’re in a luxury resort.” He turned his book over, using his leg as a bookmark. “I don’t think we have to worry about pests in the suite.”
I leveled him a look. “Did you already forget about the snake?”
He smiled wickedly. “How could I possibly forget, Hailey Emily?”
I chose to ignore the jab. “You should probably start getting ready if we want time to eat breakfast before sailing.”
Beck picked his book back up. “I’m pretty tired from traveling yesterday. I’m going to hang back and take it easy.”
I snorted. “Too tired to relax on a beach?”
“I want to have enough energy for the rainforest hike tomorrow.”
“You act like we are going to be rowing to the beach.”
“I’m just tired, Lane.” He shrugged, turning a page. “I’ll meet you guys in town for dinner.”
I opened my mouth to plead with him. Being alone with Victoria, his friends, and his ex without a buffer . . . In a tank of sharks, he was supposed to be the cage between them and me. The idea left me feeling vulnerable and shy.
My mouth clamped shut before I could start begging. Maybe time away from each other was a good idea. We could use some space if we hoped to maintain any sense of normalcy between us. Even if the idea of spending the day with him had excited me. Maybe, especially because it had.
“Well,” I said, “enjoy your book.”
He smiled. “And you enjoy your vacation. You deserve it.”
Somehow, those two sentences, so simple yet earnest, made me want to ask him if he minded if I stayed on the balcony with him.
But I knew better. On this trip, too much alone time with Beck was a recipe for disaster. Clear boundaries and distance would keep me levelheaded and guarded. So, with a heavy feeling in my stomach, I headed down for breakfast and prepared for my plunge alone with the sharks.
I met the others in a van waiting outside the hotel. They greeted me with bubbly good mornings and hellos, and I realized I’d been a little dramatic, picturing the group as bloodthirsty millionaires who spent their free time diving into a pool of diamonds Scrouge McDuck style.
“Beck staying back?” Victoria asked, not seeming surprised to find I’d come alone.
“He says he’s tired from traveling,” I explained, buckling up beside a man with sandy blond hair and a gym shark body.
“What a killjoy,” my seat partner said, outstretching his hand for a shake. “I’m Dustin Koontz. But everyone calls me—”
“Koooontz,” a chorus of guys called throughout the van.
He shrugged, and I laughed. “Nice to meet you, Koontz, I’m Hailey.” I had to work to keep the wince off my face, lying to yet another person.
Reagan and the platinum blonde ducked into the van last. The group greeted them with the same enthusiasm they’d shown me. But the blonde flashed her palm, looking a little nauseous.
“Don’t,” she bit out.
“Aww, is Madison hung over?” Koontz asked.
The blonde, Madison, stuck her tongue out at him, and I had to suppress a smile. This group of friends had a rich history, and even though that made me feel like an intruder, it was also kind of fun to be an outsider, figuring out the dynamic.
We boarded a boat that looked luxurious enough to be in a Dolce Gabbana commercial. Victoria stepped up first. She looked like she belonged in that advertisement with her white button-down and navy shorts. Though secured in a ponytail, her curls whipped wildly in the sea breeze.
The captain—a squat man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth— introduced himself as Jerry. Jerry looked as though he’d come here on a retirement trip and decided to never look back.
I found a spot near Kat, the woman who’d been making out like a teenager last night in the hot tub. Even waiting for Jerry to get everything set up relaxed me—the rock of the boat, the sunshine on my legs, the water—so blue it didn’t look real.
Once Jerry got the boat into open water, Sebastian turned to the man on his left. “Babe, this is the calligrapher I hired to do luxury lettering at the store.”
“Pleased to meet you, sweetheart. I’m Nick, the groom’s brother. And this guy’s better half,” he said, bumping Sebastian’s hip playfully. Nick had perfect white teeth and flawless skin. He leaned over to kiss my hand. “He’s so excited to have you at his sales event.”
“Wait! That’s right!” Kat put a hand on my shoulder, stealing my attention. “You were the one signing shells at Victoria’s shower.” She tugged on Jake’s shirt. “Honey, do you remember the calligrapher?” Jake nodded at Kat’s words but returned to his conversation with the guy across from him.
Kat huffed at his lack of attention. “Anyway, we are getting married next spring.” She waggled a ring-clad hand at me. “Just engaged!”
“Oh! Congratulations,” I said, trying to calculate how many months’ rent that rock on her finger would cover.
“Do you think you have availability for addressing and some signage?”
My heart caught in my throat. It was another job. Just like that. And one I’d earned in my own right. “Absolutely!” I needed to tone down the excitement. This was supposed to be something I did all the time. I cleared my throat. “Yes, of course.”
Kat gave me her email, and I promised to send her some quotes when I got back home.
As the boat glided over the glittering water, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. This vacation, these opportunities—trying on Hailey’s life had breathed so much life into my own. I wondered how I would bear returning to plain Emily but shoved those thoughts way down, not letting any negativity cloud this incredible day of sunshine.
Jerry dropped anchor in the middle of the bay, explaining that we’d spend an hour here before sailing to the private beach. He let us know we were free to roam the boat or take a dip in the ocean.
Soon, Doug and Koontz started doing cannonballs and backflips into the water. Gabe poised himself at the edge of the boat, and I recognized the red tattoo on his right calf as the Ironman Race symbol. I’d had a professor in college who did those races all the time. One hundred forty-something miles of swimming, biking, and running. Of course, Beck’s friend would be into that.
The girls took a more docile route. Reagan, Madison, and Kat stripped down to their swimsuits and found a place on the deck to sunbathe. Knowing I’d burn to a crisp if I wasn’t careful, I rubbed on another coat of sun lotion before picking my spot to lay out like a cat.
God, I had forgotten what it was like to purely exist, to soak up the sunshine and breathe ocean air. I must have fallen asleep because I jolted awake as Jerry yelled, “We are setting sail in five minutes!”
My elbow knocked my bottle of sun lotion onto the deck, and it rolled to where Victoria sat.
I got up to fetch it, but my flip-flop snagged on a board. A quick inspection told me the middle piece had slipped from the bottom.
“Damn it,” I mumbled.
Acting fast, I pulled my ponytail loose and grabbed another hair tie from my wrist. I looped one of the hair ties around the straps and pulled it through the bottom where I knotted the other one, securing the strap in place—a trick my mom had taught me when we didn’t have enough money to spring for new sandals. Not the prettiest fix, but one that would probably last me for the trip, at least for the lazy beach days.
Slipping my flip-flop back on, I hoped no one had noticed my Old Navy dollar flip-flop malfunction. Especially when everyone else sported Sax Fifth Avenue or Nordstrom Rack designer sandals. But, of course, Victoria came over, my sun lotion bottle in hand. She handed it over, wordlessly.
“Thanks.”
“Did you . . . MacGyver your flip-flop?” she asked, arms crossing over each other.
“I, uh, yes.”
“Remind me to keep you around,” she said, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes in a way that reminded me of Beck. “I might need a life hack or two for my wedding day.”
Victoria’s approval radiated inside me. “I’ll be there.”
With that, I felt a little less like an intruder. On the beach, we enjoyed the sand between our toes and the cool lap of water around our thighs. I listened to members of the group swapping stories about work and family. To my absolute surprise, I liked these people. I wasn’t sure about Madison and Reagan because they seemed to be enjoying their little bubble of two, but being with everyone else felt easy. Maybe it was the beach breeze, the rustling of palm leaves, or the crystal waves, but the air in the gathering felt sweet and light-hearted.
Even still, I kept having this feeling like I’d forgotten something important back at the resort. It kept nagging, tamping my enjoyment. With some annoyance, I realized that the missing something was Beck. I could try to ignore it all I wanted, but only he could have made the day better. Remembering Beck would meet us in town for dinner had me grinning stupidly.