by M. Ullrich
“I did.” Emma didn’t look at her.
“Then why didn’t you answer me?”
“Because you didn’t ask me anything,” Emma said, her brow creased. She scribbled something on her paper.
Caroline rolled her eyes. “We’re the only gay couple here. Do you think they’ve planned for the possibility, or is this retreat catered only to straight couples?”
Emma tapped her pen twice and looked up. She leaned into Caroline and spoke quietly. “I don’t know, but that could make for a very interesting review. When you researched their activities, did they seem inclusive or exclusive?”
“I didn’t notice, actually.”
“Looks like we’ll be finding out,” Emma said, sitting up straight.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” a tall woman in the center of the circle said loudly, effectively ending all chitchat in the room. Her smile was bright and her demeanor relaxed. “My name is Maria, and I am so happy to see the seats are full today. As you all know, this is our first week open, so I was a little nervous we’d be a bust.”
Caroline laughed along with the people around her. She couldn’t imagine the kind of pressure a new resort must feel. She wondered if they had a public relations team in place to handle any possible bad press. Would they even think about needing one?
“I feel like I’m in elementary school again. This is stupid,” Emma muttered.
Caroline chuckled. The resort might need their reputation patched up after Emma was done with them.
“Is everybody done with their forms?” A series of nods went around the circle like a wave. “Great.” Maria collected each piece of paper and offered a genuine thank-you to each individual. Her eye contact was unwavering, which made Caroline shift uncomfortably. Maria shuffled the papers in her hands and said, “The goal for today is to meet new people. We have a lot of group activities, and getting to know each other can only enrich the experience.”
Emma chortled. “I’m pretty sure most couples come here to fuck, but what do I know?”
Caroline shushed Emma but wanted to laugh when the young guy next to them fist-bumped her.
“For anyone who’s nervous about sharing their answers, don’t be. I’ll be reading them, and the rest of you will have to guess whose paper I’m reading from.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” a gruff, middle-aged man said with his hand raised. “What’s the point?”
Maria smiled softly. “We have a tendency to judge books by their covers, and it’s no different with people. Many people decide they have nothing in common with someone else based on an age or cultural difference. This way, we’ll learn how right or wrong our assumptions are.” Everyone seemed momentarily placated by the explanation. “I’ll start with a simple example. I want everyone whose idea it was to come here today to sit on this side of the circle,” she said and pointed to her right, “and the ones who are just along for the ride to sit on the other.”
Everyone looked around and started to move. Only two women stayed right where they were. Once every seat was filled, the divide was obvious. The side with initiators was mostly women, while the other side was mostly men. And Emma.
Caroline bit back a laugh.
“See that? Regardless of age, religion, culture, or sexuality,” Maria said with a pointed look at Caroline. “Everyone on this side has one thing in common, and everyone over here does as well.” Maria surveyed the circle again with a look of satisfaction. “Let’s really get started. Once I finish reading the answers, I’ll ask each of you to point at the person they think I’m describing. Once you’ve been guessed, you leave the circle and can help yourself to the refreshments in the corner. If I’ve read your answers, just point to whoever’s left in the circle to play along.” She spared a small laugh.
Caroline looked at Emma across the circle. Everyone on that side seemed more interested in what kind of refreshments were in the corner, Emma included. Caroline smiled.
“I really enjoy craft beer, water sports, and jigsaw puzzles,” Maria said loudly, as if she were making an announcement for the world to hear. “My favorite color is green, and my dream house would have a hammock.” Laughter traveled around the room. “The best part about this trip is time away from the kids.” Two other people cheered in agreement. “Who am I?” Maria posed the question to the group.
Everyone shared the same look, seemingly hesitant to be the first to guess. Caroline looked from face to face of the men in front of her. Which one was the most likely to be the guy in question. Craft beer and time away from kids indicated someone slightly younger. Caroline waited for someone else to point to the guy who had fist-bumped Emma earlier. She laughed loudly when Emma pointed at her.
Once everyone had made their guesses, Maria introduced the person in question. “My name is Ramona. I’m fifty-one and am here from New York.” Ramona stood and waved shyly.
Ramona’s husband clapped for her as she exited the circle and went straight for the refreshments. “I got her into beer,” he said proudly.
“How long have you been married?” the woman beside Caroline asked.
“Twenty-five years this month. That’s why we’re here.”
Caroline’s chest warmed at the pride this man wore so effortlessly. Some people found real love in their lifetime, and some even managed to hang on to it for decades. Everyone congratulated them.
“Are we ready for the next one?” Maria waited for a positive response before continuing. “I really enjoy strawberry ice cream, morning jogs, and fishing.” Caroline first thought about the men in the room, but this time she doubted herself. “My favorite color is teal, my dream house would have a wraparound porch, and the best part of this trip is the beach. Who am I?”
Everyone was much quicker to guess this time around, and Caroline was satisfied to see everyone pointed at a male in the group.
“My name is Justin, I’m thirty-nine, and I’m visiting from Missouri.” Maria waited for Justin to stand before offering him a round of applause. Justin was Emma’s fist-bumping buddy.
After a few more rounds, they were introduced to Giovanna and Robert, who were visiting from Oregon, and Ramona’s husband, Ted. Up until this point of the elimination, Caroline hadn’t once guessed Emma. She didn’t know if she hesitated because she assumed she knew her or realized she didn’t know her at all.
“I enjoy chocolate milkshakes, dancing, and cross-stitch,” Maria said evenly. Caroline’s cheeks warmed the moment she recognized her own answers. “My favorite color is yellow, my dream house would have a large laundry room, and the best part of this trip is the freedom. Who am I?”
Caroline already regretted answering the last one honestly. She shot a shy look to Emma and saw her pointing to another woman. Caroline chose the man across from her.
Once everyone had chosen a likely candidate, Maria smiled and said, “I’m Caroline. I’m thirty-six and am visiting from New Jersey.”
Caroline shot up from her chair and walked straight to the jovial group enjoying refreshments and casual conversation. She looked over her shoulder to catch Emma watching her. She strained to hear Maria’s next introduction. Will was a forty-year-old from Florida who enjoyed whiskey, football, and shooting pool.
“Are you married?” Ramona said. It took Caroline a moment to realize the question was for her.
“No,” Caroline said with a laugh.
“How long have you and your girlfriend been together?”
This time, Caroline shot Emma a look because she was panicking. She wasn’t prepared to answer questions about their coupling by herself, and certainly not during casual conversation. “Two—uh, three years?” she said, wincing at her own inflection.
“You’re a new couple,” Giovanna said. She had her arm around Robert’s waist while she held a cup of white wine in her free hand. “What made you choose this place for your vacation?”
“We, um, like going to new resorts. You know, being some of the first people in the place and all,” Caro
line said, suddenly feeling proud of her improvisation. “If Emma could make a job out of it, she would.” Caroline grabbed a bottle of water to busy her hands. She looked longingly at a platter of fruit. She was starving after her disastrous breakfast, but she didn’t want to look overly eager to stuff her face. A new woman joined the group and drew everyone away from Caroline. She took the opportunity and grabbed a bunch of grapes.
“Hi, I’m Cam,” the newcomer said with a cute wave. “I’m here with my husband, Barry, from Maine.” Cam was blond and sweet looking, petite with blue eyes.
Caroline estimated her age around thirty but couldn’t say for sure. She really should’ve paid more attention to the introductions that Maria was still doing. “What does your dream home have, Cam?” Caroline asked, trying to fit in the best she could.
Cam smiled brilliantly. “A theater.”
“Hey, babe.” A guy Caroline could only assume was Barry came up behind Cam and kissed the side of her head. “Maria read mine pretty quickly. What do we have over here?” Barry was boyish, and his dark eyes lit up at the snacks lined up on the table. He definitely went with Cam.
Caroline watched Barry introduce himself to Justin and talk about a fishing boat scheduled to leave at sunrise for a morning excursion. Will’s wife, Sydney, clung to him and went on about her plans for the trip. This game really did bring strangers together. Everyone enjoyed simple conversations for another ten minutes before Maria called out for everyone’s attention. Only two people remained: Emma and another woman.
“Now I’ll read the final two questionnaires, and it’s up to all of you to decide which is which.”
Caroline arched an eyebrow and looked at Emma who shrugged.
“I really enjoy hot dogs, reading, and photography. My favorite color is orange, my dream house would have a studio, and the best part of this trip is experiencing someplace new.” Maria looked around at everyone and wiggled her eyebrows for dramatic effect. “Think about who that may be.”
“That’s definitely this one’s girlfriend.” Ramona poked Caroline in the back. “We know she likes new places,” she whispered.
“And finally—I really enjoy mimosas, traveling, and making jewelry.” Caroline lit up with certainty. “My favorite color is fuchsia, my dream house would have an infinity pool, and the best part of this trip is the pool bar. This person really loves pools.” Maria smirked. “So, folks, who are we?”
Couples discussed and Caroline stood awkwardly in the thick of it. She fussed with the hem of her black romper.
“On the count of three, I want you to point to the pool-loving woman,” Maria said as she stood behind the two women in question. “One, two, three!”
Caroline pointed confidently at Emma, whose face fell. No one else made the same guess.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Chanel who’s thirty-three from Missouri.” Chanel waved both hands and grinned. “Which means this is Emma, a twenty-nine-year-old hot dog lover joining us from New Jersey.” Maria touched Emma’s shoulder. “Okay, everyone, go back to your partners and finish up the snacks. I hope this opened your eyes to getting to know the people, all the people around you.”
“Definitely,” Caroline said to herself. She put on a fake smile as Emma approached. “That was surprisingly fun.”
“Yellow? Really?”
“Hot dogs? Really?”
Emma shrugged and said, “I’m a simple girl.” She pulled out her phone and started typing away.
Caroline looked around and noticed most couples were starting to leave. Her stomach growled. “Do you want to grab lunch?” After a minute of silence, she said, “Emma?”
“Hmm?” Emma didn’t look up from her phone.
Caroline frowned. “I asked you if you wanted to grab lunch.”
“Oh. No. I’m good.” She shot Caroline a quick smile. “I’m meeting up with a couple people I met last night. I’ll catch you later.” Emma lightly tapped Caroline’s shoulder and left the recreation room.
Caroline stood, dumbfounded and struggling with growing annoyance. Caroline understood Emma had a job to do, but Emma was going to have to realize Caroline had a job to do, too.
Chapter Seven
Caroline looked everywhere for Emma—at least that’s what it felt like. She wasn’t having drinks in the hotel bar or at one of the several small tiki bars on the property. Caroline didn’t know very much about her, but she was confident Emma could get creative when it came to having fun. Caroline looked for her on the beach, trying to allow the calming rush of the ocean waves to cool her anger. The rush of water around her ankles felt therapeutic and the steady horizon allowed her to focus on her thoughts.
She knew fighting Emma would most likely be a battle she couldn’t win, but dammit, Caroline hated Emma’s blatant disregard for responsibilities and for her travel partner. A woman in a small red bikini splashed Caroline when she ran past in an attempt to escape the man chasing her. Both of their smiles were brilliant and unrestrained. When he caught up to her, he swept her off her feet and ran back into the turquoise sea. Caroline sighed.
She felt lonely. Escaping her loneliness at home was easy. She joined yoga classes and kept busy with small projects around her new house, and she always had her family to count on. She could spend as little as an hour with her brother and not once think about the outside world. But seeing a couple frolic on the beach only reminded Caroline of her life with Ann in their home and impromptu dinner parties with their friends. Ann would’ve chased Caroline in the waves. Ann also broke Caroline’s heart.
Caroline glanced over her shoulder and hoped the happy couple would never know such pain. She shivered as a cool breeze blew off the ocean. Rehashing her failed relationship wasn’t going to make this trip any easier, and it certainly wasn’t going to help her find Emma. Whether I’m fake dating a coworker or in a real relationship with one, it bites me in the ass every time.
She wasn’t going to find Emma at the beach. Caroline walked back to the resort with her sandals in hand. She spotted Chanel in the lobby and waved to her quickly but didn’t stop walking. Caroline didn’t want to get in the inevitable conversation about Emma. No. She’d go back up to their room and enjoy some quiet time. Maybe she’d order some room service and relax. Caroline imagined lounging and playing a video game. She smiled. Quality time with Zelda and a salad would definitely help her calm down.
An hour later, Caroline was curled up in an armchair with a fresh avocado salad on the small table next to her. She had situated the furniture at an angle that’d allow her to glance at the ocean when she needed a break from the small screen of her Nintendo DS.
Caroline picked at her salad and fought off bad guys until the sun had started to set. Her bowl was empty, and she’d beaten another level by the time Emma returned. Caroline froze momentarily before jumping up and rushing to hide her gaming console in her suitcase.
Emma tossed her room key on the small bedside table and eyed Caroline suspiciously. “What’re you up to?”
“Nothing,” Caroline said, tucking her hair behind her ears and setting about returning the furniture to its original spot.
“You’re not stealing from me, are you?”
Caroline whipped her head around and pinned Emma with a lethal stare. “I absolutely am not! I can’t believe you—”
Emma held her hands up. “I’m kidding.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Clearly.”
“Where have you been?” Caroline sat once she moved the chair back.
“Me and a few people I met last night snuck some booze into the spa and got our drink on in the sauna. Gets you tipsy real quick, let me tell you.” Emma started sifting through her bag and pulled out another long dress, this one bright yellow. Caroline knew it’d go well with Emma’s blossoming tan. “But I didn’t want to get drunk again, so we went to the pool to cool down and sober up. The pool is gorgeous and very clean.” Emma pointed to her dress. “It’s your favorite color.”
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“Yeah.” Caroline ran her fingernail along the seam on the chair’s arm. “That’s good about the pool, though. Definitely a point for the resort’s maintenance crew.”
“Definitely.” Emma gathered her clothes and headed for the bathroom. “Have you been here all day?”
“Where else would I be?” Caroline mumbled.
Emma frowned. “Anywhere. You’re the one who knows all about the activities this place has to offer. You could’ve hung out with someone from the group or just went to the beach.”
Caroline felt like her choice of activities was under attack and grew defensive. “I actually did go to the beach.”
“Oh good. What did you do there?” Emma stepped over to Caroline and poked her arm. “You couldn’t have been sunbathing. You’re not even pink.”
Caroline stared at the spot on her arm. “I just went for a walk.”
“Was the sand hot? The sun is so strong today.”
“I, uh, didn’t notice.”
“How long were you out there for?”
“Just a few minutes.”
“That’s it? The beaches here are perfect to spend the day at. What made you come back so early?”
Caroline broke. “I was looking for you, okay?” she said in a near-shout. “Jesus.” She stood and started pacing. “I don’t want to sound like a broken record or a nagging coworker, but you don’t understand why we’re here together. I thought you did after we talked last night.”
Emma rolled her eyes.
“Do not roll your eyes at me.”
“Says the nagging coworker.” Emma walked back to the bathroom and threw her clothes on the vanity.
“We’re here to do a job, and the only way for both of us to be successful is for both of us to take it seriously.”
