by T. A. Foster
In the back of the office was a walk-in closet where all of the motel giveaway items were kept. I opened the door and gawked at the stacked boxes. Grey had placed orders, but never unboxed any of the items. The shelves were empty, which probably meant the rooms didn’t have any of these things stocked either. I pulled a pair of scissors from the desk and laughed. The last time I had a pair of these in my hand, I administered a new hairstyle.
I dug the blade into the first box and sliced through the tape. I pulled back the cardboard and retrieved the mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Each was labeled with a drawing of a palm tree silhouette. I smiled, thinking of Grey selecting these. I unloaded each of the boxes, making straight lines on the shelf for all of the bottles and tissue-wrapped soaps.
There was one box left, tucked in the corner of the closet. It didn’t have the same packaging, but I was on such a roll with my extraordinary organizational skills that I tore into it, ready to clean out the rest of the supplies.
Instead of shower caps or matchbooks, there was a stack of pictures. I knew I shouldn’t look at them, and deep down I didn’t want to see what was in them, but some unknown force drove me to sort through the handful of four by sixes.
There he was, smiling on the beach with his hand on her knee. She had on big sunglasses so I couldn’t see her face, but I didn’t need to. I put the pictures on the floor, and brushed aside the cream-colored sweater that was layered under the photos. There was a pink bottle of perfume, a pillowcase, and a stack of index cards. I flipped through the cards. They looked like study aides, each labeled with a different medical term. The handwriting was swirly.
I shoved the contents back in the box and sunk to my heels. I had found Laura’s box. Other than our brief introduction at Pete’s last night, I didn’t know her, but she had officially become my least favorite person on the planet.
***
Marin was a godsend. Her parents had a storage shed of party supplies. Her mother was a retired wedding planner on the island and had never emptied out her soiree stash.
“This is incredible. I’ve never seen so many swan cutouts in one place.” I pulled a pair of swans from the wall and dusted them off.
“Ugh! My mom had some of the tackiest brides this side of the Guadalupe.” She had discovered a box crammed full of nothing but pink tulle.
“Well, it’s perfect for the luau. We can take these arches and cover them in leaves and grass. And bingo! There are at least fifty tiki torches here.” I pushed my way to the back of the storage building and started handing Marin the torches.
“My mom will be glad someone is using this stuff. It’s been in here forever.” She started a pile next to her truck. “I guess things with Grey are getting pretty serious.”
“Why do you say that?” I was knee-deep in paper bells.
“Who would go to this kind of trouble for a guy they’re just sleeping with? You have it worse than I thought.”
“How do you know we’re sleeping together?”
Marin eyed me from across the scattered swans and plastic ferns.
I blushed. “Ok, yes we’re sleeping together. And can I tell you something?”
“Absolutely.”
I had been dying to tell someone. I thought it would be Taylor, but our spring breaks were so off schedule we could never talk. “It’s the most amazing sex I’ve had in my life.” I think I actually squealed when I told her.
“I always thought he’d be good in bed. I mean, not that I tried, but you know—he’s too hot not to think about it.” Marin giggled. “He’s got that whole brooding thing going for him. It works.”
“Yeah, it definitely works.” I passed over the last torch. “He is—I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s like I’ve never been with anyone else. Being around him makes everything feel like the first time. That sounds totally cheesy, doesn’t it?”
“No, I think it sounds romantic. Just enjoy it, girl.”
“That’s kind of the problem. I wasn’t expecting this. You know my ex dumped me right before the trip, and I came here to be by myself. It was supposed to be a total girl power trip. Then I met Grey and everything has changed. How am I supposed to go back to Carolina?”
“Uh-oh. Y’all haven’t talked about it?”
“Not exactly. It’s gone from spring break fling, to something I can’t even put into words.”
“He’s not much of a talker. I don’t envy you. However, you have to talk to him. Long distance can work.” Marin tossed one of the tikis in the back of her truck.
“Long distance from Texas to North Carolina? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.” Now that the words were out there, I wanted to take them back.
“You never know. Romance can trump anything.”
“You know Marin, you sound crazy and ridiculous. I’m just not that type of girl. I don’t fall like that.”
“I think you need to reexamine what type of girl you are, because if you have something with Grey, keep your options open. It can work out, Eden. I’m telling you.”
“You sound like a total romantic optimist. I wish I was more like that.”
I wanted to turn my practical-thinking self into someone who believed and hoped as Marin did, but no, I had to end up with Dad’s affinity for numbers instead of my mother’s yoga, freethinking approach to life.
“It’s probably because I grew up around weddings. Seeing couple after couple live happily every after has that effect on a girl.” She looked wistfully at the crepe paper doves before closing the door. “Who knows? You might have already met your Prince Charming.”
I coughed loudly.
“Don’t panic on me. I’m just kidding with you. Let’s get these to the Palm.” Marin slammed the tailgate against the bed of the truck. “I bet there’s a boy there who’s counting the seconds until you get back.”
Had she seen me checking my phone the whole time? I didn’t want to be away from Grey one minute longer than I had to be.
“What else is on your list?” Marin asked as she climbed into the truck.
“Mac said we could pick up the kegs Saturday morning. Pete’s is taking care of all of the food, and they even are letting us borrow their sound system. I can’t believe how awesome everyone has been.” I felt lucky to be able to pull the luau together so quickly, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all the help.
“I think everyone wants to see Grey make this work. If he sells the Palm, it should be because he wants to, not because he has to.”
Marin’s words resonated with me. All this time I couldn’t understand why Grey was so determined to hold on to the money pit his grandfather had given him. Maybe what it came down to was choices. He wanted to have them, not be forced into them.
“You ready?”
I smiled at my new friend. “Yep. Let’s get the torches to the Palm.”
CHAPTER NINE
Marin dropped me off at the Palm Palace office. She still had to finish her shift at the front desk before tonight’s bonfire. During spring break, the local group gathered on the beach as many nights a week as they could.
I had been looking forward to it all day. It was the first time Grey and I were going somewhere public as a couple. I was willing to expand the definition of a public date to include a private beach party at night. I didn’t let the part about it being a group date bother me. These were my friends too and that made it feel a little more special.
Grey’s truck was gone. He had probably made another supply run. The Palm Palace apparently didn’t accept the memo that he didn’t want to spend any more money on parts. This morning he found a crack in room eighteen’s sliding door. It looked like a seagull had flown smack into the glass. The patio was covered with feathers, but the offender had survived the crash.
The sun was setting on the sound side of the island, the perfect time to hit the beach for a run. I changed into my running shorts and tank top, and jogged across the boardwalk.
The beach was littered
with late afternoon sunbathers. I watched as two toddlers took turns dumping water out of their buckets and squealing every time the waves lapped their toes. Their parents caught every second of the action with their phones and cameras.
I hadn’t explored the beach toward the south, so I took a right and settled into an even pace. My feet pushed off the sandy surface and I dodged rushing waves, making a game for myself. The farther I ran, the lighter my steps became. I was dancing across the surf like a gazelle in the grassy prairie. As soon as I crossed the barrier for the first resort, I made a bounding U-turn for the Palm Palace. The MTV cameras were everywhere and the crowd on the beach was huge. I was having too much fun to start wading through the spring break mob.
The boardwalk steps rose from the sand and I took them two at a time. I was completely energized from my run. By now, the beach was desolate and the sun had sunk almost to the horizon. The funny toddlers and their buckets were gone.
I slipped off my running shoes and stuffed my socks inside. From the perch of the boardwalk, I inhaled the salt air and closed my eyes. I aligned my feet, before extending my arms and bending into warrior pose. If only my mom could see me now. I slid my feet so that they were touching and carefully brought my hands together over my head. The last rays of the sun pierced my back. Two more deep breaths in tree pose and I released my form, bending to grab my running shoes.
I felt his gaze before I saw him. Grey was standing on the bottom step.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were there.” I blushed.
“What was that you were doing?” He tilted his head to the side and smiled, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.
I brushed the sand from my feet and wiggled my toes into the socks. “A little warrior pose, a little tree pose.” Surely, people in Texas did yoga.
“You looked beautiful.” He walked up the five steps to meet me.
Did he just say beautiful? I repressed an inner sigh. “It’s just yoga. I do it with my mom all the time. I told you she teaches it, right?”
“I don’t think so. But, seriously, you looked incredible up here. Did you go for a run too?” He stepped closer.
I looked down at my tank top. It was stuck to me from perspiration. I was a beachy, sweaty mess. “Yes, it was amazing. I guess I kind of got caught up at the end.”
He leaned down and kissed me on the neck before helping me into a standing position.
“Sorry I missed it. I would have liked to have gone with you.”
“You run?” I couldn’t picture Grey running, but he obviously did something to keep his body looking like he could grace the cover of GQ at any second.
“Yeah, I run. I swim. Maybe lift every now and then.”
Right, he didn’t look like that without a serious workout regimen.
“Ok, how about tomorrow morning we go for a run together?” I wanted to see him in action.
“You’re on, college girl. But that means you’re going to have to actually wake up and get out of bed—early.”
I shoved him lightly. “Hey, I don’t stay in bed all day.”
His eyes instantly flared. “What about all night?” I knew that look.
Before I could hit him with a witty retort, he slung me over his shoulder and jogged straight for my room.
“Grey! Put me down. We have the bonfire. I’ve got to take a shower.” I wiggled in his tight hold.
He used his free shoulder to shove the door open. “Oh, you need to take a shower? Hmm.” He sounded so serious I thought he might let my feet touch the floor. “Then I better help you out of those running clothes.”
I giggled. “Grey! You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, you’re getting ready to see how serious I am, baby.”
***
I loved how his hand felt around mine. It was warm, solid, and strong. Like, as long as he had me, I was safe and free at the same time. Was it possible that I had been holding hands with all the wrong people my entire dating life?
“Look who finally showed up!” Marin greeted us at the edge of the blazing fire. We were fashionably late.
I shot Grey an I-told-you-so look, but he just winked at me and gave my hand a double-squeeze.
Country music competed with the sound of the waves hitting the shore. It looked like the usual gang was in attendance. Mindy and Tara were dancing, and Pick had saddled up next to Marin. I searched the faces for Connor.
“Is Connor here?” I asked Pick.
“Nah, he took the night off.” I could tell Pick didn’t want to share any details.
“That’s too bad. Tell him I said hey when you see him later.”
I had a feeling things were going to be awkward with Connor, especially since my embarrassing encounter with his sister. However, that didn’t stop me from wanting to be his friend. I liked him, and he and Pick had been so sweet my first night on the island.
“Sure, Eden. Don’t you two want something to drink?” Pick motioned to the collection of coolers.
“Yeah, sounds good. Darlin’, I’ll get you something.” Grey kissed me on the neck before shuffling through the sand to the drink stash.
“Babe, will you get me a refill?” Marin batted her eyes once and Pick hustled to the cooler.
“You’ve got him wrapped around your finger.” I smiled.
“Oh, that? Unfortunately, it’s totally mutual.” She laughed. “I’d do anything for him. So, you two look all hot and heavy tonight.”
Marin loved to talk about Grey. Sometimes I thought maybe more than me. “Yeah, it’s intense. Totally mutual.” I was joking with her of course, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off him as I spoke the words. Deep down, I had never felt more connected to anyone in my life.
Mindy and Tara ran over to us. “Hey, Eden. Come dance with us.” Tara tugged on my wrist.
I looked over at Grey, who was walking back with my red cup. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
“Ok, I’ll dance.”
Mindy started spinning with her arms in the air. She might be the quiet one, but I was starting to see how she ended up being the life of the party in Italy. Halfway through the song, Pick and some of the other guys had circled our dancing ring. Grey sipped on his drink and waved at me. I was trying to hold back my laughter as Pick wiggled down into the sand.
Marin hugged me as the song ended. “I’m so glad you’re here. I think this is my favorite spring break yet.”
“Me too.” I beamed at her.
Then I walked over to the reason it was. Grey greeted me with a kiss, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
CHAPTER TEN
It was Thursday afternoon. We had two days until the luau, and only one until the guests started to arrive. I loaded the cleaning cart with towels, and began the process of checking each room for linens. Grey had given me the towel count. Each room was allowed four bath towels, four hand towels, and four washcloths. I had convinced him that three towels in a double room were not going to cut it.
I pulled a freshly washed stack from the cart and started folding the fabric so that the edges touched and draped over the towel bar in a perfect symmetrical rectangle. I stood back to admire my towel presentation. I might not know how to make fancy towel fans, but these looked quite crisp.
It was only last Friday when I was having daydreams of fluffy white spa robes and pina coladas by the resort pool. Today, I was a full-service motel operator serving fluffy towels to spring breakers who were on their way here.
“Now, if only I could find one of those French maid costumes, this would be perfect.” Grey stood in the doorway.
“Ha-ha, mister funny. I’m only on the third room. How are you doing?”
“Believe it or not, I only have a few left. This is actually going to happen. The rooms are going to be ready for tomorrow.”
“That’s awesome.” I folded one of the washcloths and placed it on the shelf.
“So, I had an idea.” Grey strolled into the room and watched me work.
“Really?”
I pulled another towel from the cart. “Something you want to add to the party?”
“No. It’s a thank you.”
“A thank you?” I abandoned sorting the linens and turned to face him.
“Did you bring your passport?” Grey was smiling.
“I did. Just in case I got to go to Mexico. Wait. Are we going to Mexico?” I couldn’t keep the excitement from my voice.
“Maybe.” Grey leaned toward me and grazed my lips with his mouth.
I inhaled the warmth of the kiss, and pushed against him. “Tell me. What is it?”
“What about a dress? Did Renee set you up with a pretty dress?”
I didn’t know where or when I was going to wear the strapless black dress when I bought it, but I was certain this was what it was meant for.
“Yes. I have a dress.” I smiled.
“Ok. Be ready tonight at six, in your pretty dress.” He walked backward out of the room and threw me a wink before closing the door behind him.
I pushed the butterflies down and sat on the edge of the bed. We were going on a real date—perhaps something we should have done before sleeping together. It didn’t really matter now. Grey was taking me out in my new black dress.
***
I shouldn’t be nervous. I had been on other dates, but looking at my reflection, I realized it had been a long time. Brett never took me anywhere when it could be just the two of us. He definitely didn’t ask me to get dressed up unless it was one of his fraternity’s functions. That didn’t seem to count since there were hundreds of other people there with us. I was probably a sophomore the last time I dressed up to go out with a boy on a real date.
It was almost six o’clock. The corners of my eyes were lined with a smoky charcoal eyeliner I picked up at Sandy’s Surf Shop. I puckered my lips a bit to smooth on a pale lip gloss. I hadn’t spent as much time as I thought I would in the sun, but it didn’t take much on South Padre to pick up a tan. My shoulders were already sun-kissed. I tossed my new makeup in a bag and straightened my lotion bottles around the sink. Tomorrow I’d move all of my things over to Grey’s room. True, it was only for two nights, but it felt like a big deal.
