Faking Paradise

by Lily Montgomery

  If this was going to happen to anyone, it would absolutely happen to me. Perhaps it was just because I was well aware of the difference in my history and Grant’s, but I was supremely uncomfortable at the current level of intimacy. I’d never seen him with an unattractive woman, and I was mentally comparing myself to them, knowing that I couldn’t hold a candle to them. Give it up, Soph. Guys like Grant don’t date gals like you. At least not for real.

  I felt the zipper finally give, and he slowly unzipped the dress, his finger leaving a trail of goose bumps down my side. I looked over my shoulder at him. “Thank you.” Why couldn’t I move away?

  His hands were on my hips and he gently turned me toward him. As he stood, he brought his hand up, passing over my bare ribs.

  “I’m going to go change,” I whispered, eyeing his lips. Maybe...

  “Shh.” He trailed the other hand from the base of my abdomen, up to my breasts, pushing one of my straps down. Dropping kisses on my shoulder, he pulled me closer.

  The knock on the door snapped me out of his spell.

  “We have enough towels, for God’s sake!” he bellowed.

  “Uh, all right?” Vivian said.

  “It’s Vivian,” I said.

  “Of course.”

  While he went to the door, I dipped into the bathroom to change while my brain was functioning normally. What the hell were you doing, Sophie? You idiot. He’s not attracted to you. You’re just convenient.

  “Some of us were going to go out dancing. I wondered if you two wanted to join,” Vivian said.

  “No, I think we’re going to stay in,” he answered.

  “Oh. All right. Let me know if you change your mind.”

  “Will do.”

  The door closed.

  “Sophie? Sophie?”

  Safe in my pajamas, I opened the door. “I’m right here.”

  Seeing my attire, he sighed. “Yeah. That’s probably for the best. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a cold shower to attend to.”

  I moved out of his way and over to the dresser, where I had put my magazine to dry. Remembering his words about it being garbage, I slid it over into the trash, picking up the romance novel. At least someone else would be getting laid tonight.

  12

  I slipped my feet into the only pair of flip-flops I owned, grabbed my beach bag, and waited by the door. Today’s excursion would be swimming with dolphins. I had tried to hide my excitement, but Grant saw right through my cool facade. I’d always loved dolphins, but growing up in the Midwest meant I didn’t get to see them very often. Anxious to get there, I was ready early, something that had only happened a handful of times in my entire life.

  Grant finally emerged from the bathroom in his slim swim trunks and shook his head at my cover-up.

  “That damn muumuu.”

  Not even his jabs at my attire could dampen my mood today. A lifelong dream was about to become a reality, and not even Derrick’s presence would ruin it.

  Holding hands, we walked along the boardwalk. I had grown a little more comfortable with Grant, so it wasn’t as awkward as it would have been two weeks ago. Especially not after our close call last night. When you almost make a huge mistake and sleep with your way-out-of-your-league coworker, everything else seems inconsequential. Not to mention the fact that I was able to handle everything a little better once I’d pinpointed why I’d hated him up until recently. My own inadequacies, of course. Nothing he’d done.

  Our hotel had its own private port, which was where our boat would be departing from. Since our bungalow was tucked toward the back of the resort, we were fairly close to where the boat was sitting, waiting on us. My ankle and dignity prevented me from bounding forward like a lunatic out of sheer excitement, but I really wanted to.

  We stood on the small dock, waiting for the rest of my family and watching the two-person crew go through the final touches for our tour. The familiar voices of Maisy and Derrick floated to us, and I could tell they were in the middle of a hushed argument. Over what, there was no telling. When Maisy saw us, she hushed him, plastering a fake smile on her face. Derrick still looked sour. What I wouldn’t give to deck him directly in that asshole face. That would only add to what was already going to be the absolute best day ever.

  “Everybody else is right behind us,” she said.

  “We can chuck him overboard if you want,” I said, giving her a hug.

  “I’m thinking about it, I swear,” she whispered.

  “All right, everyone, let’s get to sea!” Dad said as he walked by, oblivious to the argument that had been had.

  The boat wasn’t a tiny thing, and we had plenty of room to walk about, and there were refreshments in the small galley below. It was a day boat trip, and I hoped it would all be spent in the water. I chose a spot at the bow of the boat and took a seat, gazing out at the vast ocean, hoping to be the first to see the pod.

  “Hey.” Grant sat next to me.

  “Hey.”

  “I have a question, and it’s none of my business, so you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” He turned his head to make sure no one was listening.

  “Okay, everyone,” the older of the two crewmen, a woman in her mid-forties with graying sandy blonde hair and a plump frame, got our attention. “Life vests are under the seats located at the bow of the boat. You don’t have to wear them while we’re cruising, but you will when you get in the water. Any questions before we get this show on the road?” Eager to get going, no one said anything. “All right, I’m Sarah, and this is Brandon.” She gestured to her fellow crewman. “If you need anything, let us know.”

  The boat cranked, and we began our journey.

  “What was your question?” I asked.

  He looked toward Maisy and Derrick, who were, as usual, arguing as she dug in her bag for something. “Why is she with him?”

  “It’s… complicated.” I looked to my little sister, who had been with this creep for almost four years now. “Maisy got pregnant right out of high school. She was barely eighteen, and scared. They’d hardly been together for a couple of months, and he hadn’t revealed his true form just yet. As you could imagine, Mom absolutely lost her mind, demanding that they get married. Thankfully, Dad put a stop to that talk. He refused to let his baby girl marry someone she’d been with for two months, pregnant or not.”

  “Your dad definitely seems like the more level-headed of the two.”

  I nodded. “Maisy had a full ride to Julliard.”

  “To Julliard?” Grant said, a little too loudly.

  “To Julliard,” I repeated. “But since she got knocked up, she couldn’t really dance. I mean, have you ever seen a ballerina in her third trimester? So she dropped out and got her cosmetology license. She’s really good at it, but you can tell it wasn’t her first choice. She wanted to be on Broadway, and if you’d ever heard her sing, you’d know she’d be damn good at it.”

  “Why couldn’t she just go to Julliard and sing instead of dance?” Grant asked.

  “Her scholarship was for dancing, and by the time everything happened, it was too late to audition for singing.”

  “And the baby?”

  “She lost it,” I whispered, remembering the pain of that day.

  “And she stayed with him?”

  “Like I said. It’s complicated.”

  “I’d like to punch his teeth in,” Grant said, looking back at them.

  “Join the club.”

  The first half of the day was reserved for a boat tour of Hawaii, showing us the different volcanoes and islands. Everything was almost too perfect. The crystal-blue ocean, the green of the trees, and the cloudless sky. Grant had gone to the galley to get us a drink, and I kept an eye on the horizon for the familiar fins poking out of the water. I turned to see Grant and Maisy emerging from the galley, and he gave her a nudge, whispering something to her.

  “Amaretto sour for my lady.” Grant extended a glass toward me and I took it, sipping.

 
; “I think this is the best Amaretto sour I’ve ever tasted. Maisy helped.”

  “What was all that?” I knew Maisy made a mean cocktail, a talent I’d never mastered.

  “I can’t tell you,” he said, sitting beside me. “How’s your ankle holding up?”

  “Better.” I lifted the hem of my cover-up.

  “Still looks pretty gnarly.”

  “Looks worse than it feels at this point.” I ate the cherry garnish, pulling the stem from my teeth.

  “Can you tie that?” Grant’s voice tickled the curve of my neck, and I was affected, once again.

  I could, of course. A party trick I’d mastered in my early twenties to impress drunken guys at frat parties who thought it was “so hot.”

  “I can. The question is, can you?” I bounced the flirtation right back at him, thanking the alcohol for the confidence.

  “I can.”

  “Okay, who’s ready to swim with the dolphins?” Sarah asked loudly.

  “Son of a bitch,” Grant whispered, pulling away and downing his drink.

  “I know Sophie is,” Dad said, buckling his life vest.

  “Did you bring a dry cover-up?” Grant handed me a vest, then took his shirt off and put his vest on.

  “No.” I blanched.

  “You might not want to swim in that, then. It might get chilly on the way back if it’s wet.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. The breeze of the ocean had felt cool on the way around the island, and I could see the potential for cool to become cold with a wet cover-up. Shit. I didn’t want to swim in just my bikini, but I also didn’t want to freeze because I was too stupid to bring a spare cover-up. I looked around, foolishly hoping an answer would come to me in the mere moments I had before we jumped in the water.

  “He’s right,” Vivian said as she grabbed a life vest from storage, buckling it over her one-piece.

  “I don't need your logic right now, Vivian, thank you,” I snapped. Problem was, she was right, he was right, and I knew it. I just didn’t want to admit it.

  People were starting to drop down into the water, so I didn’t have long to decide.

  Muttering curses, I took off my cover-up, immediately feeling vulnerable. Behind me, there was a loud clang, and I turned to see Brandon had dropped an oxygen tank. Trying to minimize the amount of time I spent half naked above the water, I quickly buckled my life vest and hurried to the end of the boat, lowering myself into the water.

  “And what, exactly, is wrong with that bathing suit?” Grant asked when I swam over to him.

  “I feel so exposed,” I admitted.

  “Why did you buy it, then?”

  “Well, I had planned on losing weight, but that didn’t happen.” Curse you, ice cream.

  “You don’t need to lose weight, that’s insane.”

  “Okay, everyone!” Sarah called from the boat. “Once I’m in the water, you’ll follow me to the dolphin lagoon. It’s feeding time, so they’ll all be happy and full. Ready?”

  “Ready!”

  She jumped down into the water, and we followed her through a narrow channel into a small lagoon, where a few trainers were finishing up feeding the pod. We were only allotted an hour’s worth of time, and I wished for four more. Derrick complained when he was splashed repeatedly by one of the dolphins, Grant making a comment that dolphins were excellent asshole detectors. Rebecca and I were favorited by one of the female dolphins, and she performed all of her tricks for us.

  Just as I was warned, the trip back was a bit cool, and I was glad that I had listened and wasn’t wearing a drenched muumuu.

  Grant asked to be first in the shower, and I obliged, making myself a light snack and enjoying a few moments on the lanai in the meantime. Even though I loved my job in New York, it had been nice to get away from the subways, the concrete, and the hustle and bustle for a while. My apple was crisp and paired well with the cheddar cheese. Room service was the best part of the trip, and I dreaded the bill that was coming.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as happy as you were this afternoon,” Grant said, closing the sliding glass door and rubbing a towel on his wet hair.

  “Something about the dolphins, I guess.” I offered him an apple.

  “You weren’t hiding anymore.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was meaning literally or metaphorically, and quite frankly I didn’t want to ask. I left him with the last of my apples and cheese, heading for my turn in the shower.

  Even though I’d had the snack, the swimming had taken a lot out of me, and I found that I was ravenous. Deciding that I’d just call in dinner tonight and go to bed early, I put on my silky pajamas, even though it was hardly dark out.

  “Rebecca came by when you were in the shower,” Grant said as I took my bathing suit out to dry.

  “What did she say?”

  “Apparently your dad decided to have another super fancy dinner tonight. Is an hour enough time for you to get ready?”

  “Oh. Sure.” Damn. I rifled through my suitcase for a suitable dress. Knowing that it was wedding week, I brought several fancy dresses so I’d have options. But the more I looked at these dresses, the less I wanted to get out of these silky pajamas. “I wonder if I can just say I don’t feel well.” I eyed the dress I had picked out and gave a wary glance to the shoes.

  “She seemed pretty adamant,” he said. “I think it’s a big deal or something.”

  “How is it a big deal if it wasn’t planned until ten minutes ago?”

  “I don’t know, she just said we had to be there.”

  “All right.” I begrudgingly took my dress to the bathroom to get ready. This dinner better have bigger portions than the last, or I’d be forced to call in pizza.

  I decided that when I got married, there wouldn’t be a week-long rigmarole, and I’d just take a nice vacation after eloping. Trying to get myself excited to put on makeup and real clothes, I played some pop music that I could sing to. My hair was a mess from the salt water, so I had washed it, and now I had to dry it and do something with it. I didn’t have enough time for an elaborate updo, but Rebecca had shown me a trick on how to curl your hair with a straightener that didn’t take too much time. Apparently, the salt air gave my hair a little extra oomph, and I embraced the volume, spraying the curls.

  My dress was rose gold, and the hem was short while the sleeves were long. It was obvious that I had high ambitions when purchasing clothes for this trip, as this one had a pretty deep scoop neck, and I had to bring my push-up bra out of retirement for it.

  “I’ll go to the gym every day and only drink water,” I mocked past me as I stepped into my pumps.

  I came out of the bathroom to see Grant standing there in a suit with a bouquet of tropical flowers.

  “What’s this?” I slipped my earrings in.

  “Every good date starts with flowers.” He grinned.

  “A date, huh? Did you bring enough for the rest of my family?” I took the bouquet and inhaled the fresh blooms. It was a huge bouquet, and the colors were brilliant. I took it to the kitchen, filling a glass with water and arranging the bouquet.

  “Come on, we’ll be late.” He offered his arm, and I looped mine in his. “That dress might be better than the red number from last night.”

  “Oh, this old thing?” I joked. This terribly short, terribly tight, terribly expensive old thing.

  The sun was setting, and the walk along the boardwalk was as colorful as the flowers. The sky was a mix of oranges and purples, blending with bright pinks. We weren’t going the way of the main building where the restaurants were, and I wondered if we’d be going to a different restaurant. Suddenly, I stopped. In front of me was a candlelit table for two. White linen tablecloth and maitre d’ waiting.

  “What’s this?” There was certainly not enough room for my entire family, and I didn’t see any more tables.

  “We’ll call it part of the full Grant Johnson boyfriend experience.” He pulled the chair out for me, and I sat, still
not believing that I was here.

  Enjoy it while it lasts, Soph, because in a few short days, it’s back to normal.

  The waiter poured a glass of wine—a white, but I couldn’t see the label.

  “It’s a moscato,” Grant said, sipping it. “I know you don’t like red.”

  “I’m surprised you remember.” The wine was crisp and sweet, with just the right amount of bite.

  “I remember very well. It was at Brenda’s Christmas party. You said that dry red wines tasted like you’d had the breath knocked out of you, and as far as sweet reds go, if you wanted to drink grape juice, you’d go to church and have communion.”

  I laughed, remembering the conversation that had been had over the table of finger foods. Brenda fancied herself a woman of good standing, but her spread was purchased from the deli of a local supermarket. And her wine was cheap.

  “Very good, Mr. Johnson.”

  A plate of lemon braised fish on a bed of wild rice with a side of asparagus was placed before me.

  “Does the Grant Johnson experience not allow a woman to order for herself?” I unwrapped my silverware and placed my napkin in my lap.

  “Trust me, there was a limited menu offered for a private dinner for two. So. Sophie McAllister. What are your top five favorite movies?” He cut his asparagus into bites.

  “In no particular order, we have Titanic, Steel Magnolias, Now and Then, My Girl, and Weekend at Bernie’s.” The lemon and basil on the fish were a perfect flavor combination, and I was glad this was the meal he chose.

  “I have only seen one of those movies, but you have to guess which.”

  “Weekend at Bernie’s,” I answered quickly.

  “Incorrect.”

  “Titanic.” What young boy didn’t want to see Kate Winslet’s boobs?

  “Nope.” He grinned.

  “My Girl?”

  “Bingo.”

  “I love sappy movies,” I said. “And I’m a sucker for a good coming-of-age story. I can still quote the entirety of her ice cream poem.”

  “I just had a crush on Jamie Lee Curtis.”

  “I had a mood ring like Vada’s as a kid. So, what are your top five favorites?” Despite being ravenous, I took small bites, partly because I didn’t want to appear rude, and the other part because I wanted to savor the meal.