InHap*pily Ever After

by Kim Desalvo

  She hadn’t yet figured out how to get some time alone with him so she could try to set things right, but even though there was still a curtain of doubt between them, she was sure she felt the same old Bo coming through when they’d danced together the previous night. However, she thought she’d seen him later on when she was walking the beach, but when she turned toward him to wave, he faded into the shadows and disappeared. She just didn’t know what to think.

  “I was going to say the same thing,” Jessa chimed in. “It’s been a little while since I’ve seen him, and my, a lot has changed! When did he get so buff?”

  “He is gorgeous,” Margo agreed, “like a Greek god or something. I remember meeting him in England—he was such a flirt, and so much fun to be around. I might just have to explore that a little further…”

  Lexi felt a twinge of jealousy pluck at her heart. Bo had always been her flirting partner, and the thought of him behaving that way with someone else bothered her on some subconscious level that she couldn’t explain. She had no claim on him, of course, but she somehow felt that they had something…exclusive between them. She tried to shake the thoughts away—after all, it wasn’t like they had a relationship, or anything. They were just friends, right? And these days, maybe not even that. He could flirt with—or be with—anyone he wanted. Besides Tia and Jessa, she was the only other woman around during the tour, so he didn’t exactly have a choice of flirting partners. Still, she felt a rush of heat creep up her neck as the girls continued to talk about him like he was a piece of chocolate. A creamy, delicious piece of chocolate that would melt on her tongue…

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Margo crowed, “I think we’ve just found the world’s next sexiest bachelor.”

  “Now it’s too bad he isn’t wearing one of those tiny little swim trunks—you know what they say about black men with big hands, right? And that boy has some serious big hands.” Gina added.

  Margo giggled. “Something like, walk softly, and carry a big stick?”

  “And we’re not talking drum sticks, either!” Gina giggled.

  The girls burst into peals of laughter, and Lexi held her drink to her forehead to cool the flush that burned her face. She’d had the same thought, actually, but hearing it out loud from the other girls made that jealous streak rise up again.

  Jessa stood up frowning. “I think this is where I take my leave, ladies,” she said with exaggerated annoyance. “I have to spend way too much time around those guys to have that picture in my head. I think I’ll go grab another round of drinks. Anyone?” She waved her empty glass in the air, and several of the girls lifted theirs in response. Jessa plunked them onto the tray and headed for the bar.

  “Sorry ladies, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to forget about Bo,” Tia joked. “He’s only got eyes for Lexi.”

  All heads turned in her direction. “Seriously?” Margo asked. “You and Bo are an item? I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize…”

  Lexi blushed. “No!” she said, perhaps too quickly. “We just have this flirting thing, that’s all. Tia has a tendency to over exaggerate.”

  “You’re sure?” Margo asked, “I wouldn’t step on on any toes…”

  “Positive,” Lexi mumbled, grabbing the bottle of suntan lotion and squirting some into her hands. She lowered her head so none of them could see the flustered look on her face, and rubbed the cream vigorously onto her legs. What could she say? That she was feeling things for Bo that she couldn’t explain? That her life felt all kinds of empty if he wasn’t in it? She felt a prickle on the back of her neck; had the sense that someone was watching her, and she turned her eyes toward the game and saw Bo standing stock still and looking at her.

  Damn, thought Lexi, these boys must have some kind of telepathy when we’re talking about them. They locked eyes for a moment and there was something in their exchange that confused her; something about the way he stood frozen on the court, even as the ball sailed over the net and smacked him in the head, providing the game winning point for the other team. The Brits exploded—it was their first victory in three games, and they were letting the other team know it.

  “Nice shot, Collins!” Tony yelled, picking up the ball and tossing it back at Bo. “Maybe next time you can keep your eye on the ball instead of your forehead.” He glanced over and looked at the group of bikini clad girls and waved, adding, “Oh, hell, you’re forgiven. That view is enough to divert anyone’s attention.”

  Bo stood for a moment longer and smiled, then turned and trotted to the water. As though an alarm had sounded, all of the boys followed, diving into the sea to cool their hot—in every sense of the word—bodies. They met in a little huddle and laughed at their exchange, then ran back up the beach to shake the cool water on the girls, who giggled and squealed with delight.

  Dylan grabbed Tia’s hand, pulled her up, and carried her to the water, unceremoniously dumping her in. The guys shouted encouragement to the rest of the girls, and they all ran into the sea, laughing.

  “Let’s take out the wave runners!” Margo exclaimed. She turned right to Bo. “Would you take me out?” she asked. “I don’t know if I can handle all that power between my legs.” She smiled suggestively, and took his hand.

  Bo was taken aback by her tone and the way she looked at him as she wrapped both of her hands over one of his. He tossed a sideways glance at Lexi, but she was focused on something in the other direction and seemed not to notice. Or maybe she just didn’t care. “Um…yeah, sure,” he stuttered.

  “Who wants to join us?” Margo called.

  Tia spoke up. “I can handle the power just fine,” she said, taking Dylan’s arm and heading for the pier. “Let’s go.”

  Sean looked at Gina and shot her his best smile. “What do you say?”

  “I say, lead the way,” she smiled back.

  Lexi watched as the group jogged over to the pier and Margo climbed on behind Bo, wrapping her arms around him tightly and laying her head against his back. She was suddenly overwhelmed by a confusing array of emotions that seemed to assault her all at once. The spark of envy flared up in her again, and for one brief second she pictured herself yanking Margo off the back of the wave runner and tossing her out to the sharks. She shook her head to clear the image—she had absolutely nothing against Margo—she was sweet and friendly and had a dynamic personality; there was no reason at all to harbor ill-will toward her.

  When she heard Margo’s shrieks of laughter as Bo spun the machine around the waves, she decided that maybe what she needed was to take a walk and clear her head a little. She had to try and get to the bottom of the odd feelings she’d been having ever since she got to the island.

  Tony saw Jessa sitting at the bar, looking out over the beach, watching the wave runners race back and forth with amused interest. He left the water and grabbed a towel, rubbing it vigorously over his hair and chest as he approached her.

  “Hey,” he began, “do you have a few minutes? I was thinking of going over some of what we have so far, and making a list for some interviews at sunset…”

  Jessa scowled at him. “Tell me you’re kidding, Tony,” she said flatly, as if the question was ridiculous. “I’m not an employee today; I’m a member of the wedding party. This is the best part of the day, everyone’s having an incredible time, the sun is shining, and you want to go work?”

  He was completely taken aback. It hadn’t occurred to him that she wouldn’t go, and he didn’t know what to say, so he just stood there, dumbfounded.

  “Lighten up and have a little fun, Tony,” she added. “Everything’s going beautifully—you’ve already put in the work to make that happen. Now you need to sit back and just enjoy it for a bit.” And with that, she stacked the drinks on the tray and balanced them on her forearm as efficiently as a waitress, and walked back over to the girls’ cabana.

  Jessa could feel Tony’s confused eyes on her as she walked back to deliver the drinks. The look on his face was priceless—she figured that he was used t
o people jumping every time he lifted a finger and didn’t often get no for an answer. Get used to it, Granger, she thought. I don’t take shit from people either, and I’m not afraid to butt heads with anyone. Bring it on!

  It took Tony a minute to come to his senses. He’d just been shot down by a little bit of a woman—she couldn’t stand more than five foot two, and she’d left him completely speechless. He tried to remember the last time he was put in his place, but he couldn’t come up with anything in recent memory. She was on his island as his guest and was technically his assistant as far as the wedding plans and filming went—then why did he suddenly feel like she was actually the one in control? He thought he should be insulted, but instead, he was intrigued. There was really no need to work on anything at the moment, he realized, it was just an excuse to spend some more time with her. Why, he couldn’t say, but there was no doubt about it—Jessa had piqued his interest.

  He strolled over to where she’d taken a seat in one of the oversized beach chairs, surprised that his heart was pounding faster than he’d expect. “How about a sail, then?” he asked as casually as he could muster. When she looked at him over the top of her sunglasses, he shrugged. “What? You just said I should enjoy myself, and you’re absolutely right. I’d love to get a view of the festivities from the water; see the whole beach from a different perspective. Care to join me?”

  For a moment he held his breath, worried that she might say no. He exhaled when he saw the smile spread slowly over her features. “Why not?” she said, grabbing her beach cover and pulling it on. “Let’s go.”

  From the water they did indeed have a completely different view. Around the beach, clusters of guests were scattered about, taking part in a variety of activities. A group of musicians was sitting around with guitars and bongos, sharing musical interludes, a few older guests took shelter under palapas, sipping concoctions made of the local dark rum, and a number of snorkels poked up from the water over the little reef that hugged the island. Dylan’s and Tia’s families were sitting together getting to know each other, and by the way their laughter rang through the air, they were getting along just fine. A few guys were tossing around a football, and another group was sailing a Frisbee through the air. A group of girls was building a sand castle, and a few couples were simply floating in the water on inflatables, enjoying the combination of sunshine and calm sea. As they flew by on the jet skis, Dylan raised his hand in a wave, but his arm froze halfway up when he saw Jessa sitting with him on the sailboat. He pointed a finger at Tony, likely to warn him again that Jessa was his, since Tony had already hinted; maybe too many times; at how much he could use a person with Jessa’s skills and work ethic on his team. Or maybe, he thought for a fleeting second, a flash in his mind of her peeling off her cover and pulling the string on her bikini, he could come up with a much more interesting use for her.

  As he cut the power and slid the water craft onto the beach, Bo looked automatically for Lexi. He thought maybe he could talk her into a little ride—the whole time he was on with Margo, he was thinking about how it would feel to have Lexi pressed up against him as Margo had been; breasts flattened against his back and her hands tight around his middle. He thought he’d talk her into taking the controls for a while as well, so he could have a valid excuse to sit behind her and wrap his arms around her smokin’ hot scantily clad body. As his eyes swept the beach, he noticed that she was no longer there and handed the machine over to Leroy, who climbed on with his wife and headed out into the crystal blue waters.

  Then he saw her in the distance…just turning around the curve of beach that led to the gardens and hiking trails. He took a deep breath to summon his courage and was about to start heading in that direction when Margo came over with a glass in her hand.

  “You’re a beer drinker, right?” she asked, handing him a frosty mug topped off with a foamy head.

  “Um, yeah,” he said absently, taking the glass. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Hey, want to get a bite to eat? Gina told me they were setting up the buffet for lunch.”

  Bo watched as Lexi turned the final curve and disappeared from view. He wanted to ask her about the look she’d given him at the end of the volleyball game—about the confusion he saw in her eyes. It was maddening, really, the way he was feeling. Now that he’d fully admitted to himself that he was more than crazy about Lexi Summers, he found it hard to even talk to her—he wasn’t at all sure that he could even look her directly in the eyes without her seeing the truth. He feared that it must be written all over his face, but the suggestive hints that Margo was throwing his way gave him some confidence that his secret was still safe. She’d been pressed up against him much more than necessary on the wave runner, and the way she was smiling at him right now left little confusion about her intentions.

  It was painfully clear that Lexi still had a lot on her mind. She’d been quieter than usual, and now she was obviously looking for some solitude. Who knew? Maybe being here, watching her best friend about to get married, reminded her of what she’d lost in her own relationship. Perhaps she was missing her ex, wishing he was here to share the romance of this place. Either way, it seemed pretty obvious that she wasn’t in the mood for his company, which really bothered him. Things were uncomfortable between them, and no matter how hard he thought about it—for the past four months, truth be told—he couldn’t figure out just how to fix that. He glanced in the direction she’d disappeared, wondering if the timing would ever be right, or if he’d get up the nerve to tell her how he felt about her. It sure as hell wasn’t now. “Let’s go,” he said, as Margo linked her arm in his and led the way to the main porch.

  Lexi picked her way over the little peninsula that served as a breakwater for the beach and wandered into one of the gardens that sat just a small walk into the tree line. It was blissfully quiet; just the songs of birds, the chatter of a couple resident monkeys, and the sounds of the waves rolling onto the shore behind her filled the air. She plucked a blossom off the hibiscus and absent-mindedly pulled off a petal, nibbling at it. She’d read that the flowers had medicinal properties; that they helped with stomach problems and helped soothe the nerves. God knew her nerves could use more than a bit of soothing. She took a deep breath through her nose and held it for a three count before pushing it out through pursed lips slowly and deliberately. Yoga breathing wasn’t going to make this any easier, but at least it might settle her thoughts enough that she could put them in some sort of order.

  “Hey,” the soft voice made her jump, and she turned to see Tia balancing a plate of food as she made her way up the trail.

  Lexi gathered herself and sat up, flashing her a warm smile. “Hi!” she said brightly. “Is that for me?” she asked, motioning at the plate. Tia handed it over and Lexi picked up a tiny sandwich and popped it in her mouth, chewing enthusiastically. “Oh, thanks, I was starving!” she lied.

  “You can’t bullshit me, you know,” Tia said, cocking her head. “I know you way too well for that. Something is bothering you. Want to talk about it?”

  Lexi opened her mouth to protest, but quickly realized the futility of a lie. She and Tia had shared way too much over the years, and could read each other better than a lot of sisters she knew.

  “I don’t even know what it is,” she said with a sarcastic giggle. “I honestly don’t.”

  “Are you thinking about Ryan?”

  Lexi looked her best friend right in the eye. “I’m really not,” she said. “I haven’t thought about him much at all.” It was true. She’d given him one fleeting consideration at the bonfire; and it wasn’t to miss him. She’d looked around at the crowd gathered—her InHap boys, her best friend, the new friends she’d met along the journey she’d hopped on and off of with Tia—and she knew instantly that Ryan didn’t belong. He wouldn’t fit in here, and if he had come, she’d have had to spend most of her time running interference for him or placating his wounded ego.

  She realized, too, that if Ryan were here, s
he wouldn’t be free to be herself—and that it had probably been that way for longer than she cared to admit. He had lost trust in her the minute he’d heard that she had met Dylan. Nothing she did or said made the situation any better, so she found herself downplaying the whole thing for his benefit, to the point of avoiding all conversation involving InHap so he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. She’d been furious with him when he postponed the wedding, but sucked it up eventually and put everything she had into supporting his career. Yeah, she thought bitterly, and how did that work out for you? She had put herself in a self-imposed holding pattern for the past year, and wasn’t even sure who she was anymore. Sure as hell not the same, though.

  Without a doubt she wouldn’t have been able to spend any time with Bo if Ryan were here; not that Bo seemed to want her company anymore either. There were a lot more woman here to catch his eye than there’d been on the tour, and it appeared that maybe Margo had.

  Tia took a seat next to her on the bench and took her plate, setting it on the little table next to the bench. She took Lexi’s hands in hers and looked her straight in the eye. “Oh honey,” she said sadly, “is it the wedding? Is it too much? I’m so sorry.”

  Lexi jumped off the bench, pulling Tia up and into a crushing embrace. “NO,” she said firmly. “Absolutely not.” She put her hands on Tia’s shoulders and held her gaze. “I am happier for you than I’ve ever been for anyone in the world,” she said honestly. “You’ve found your soul mate and you’re going to have the most amazing life together…this is the most incredible location—the perfect place for the perfect wedding of the perfect couple.” She smiled, and the corners of Tia’s lips twitched up in a grin. “And I couldn’t say that more perfectly.” They sat back down, and Lexi threw her arm over her best friend’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “I honestly don’t know what’s bothering me exactly,” she said. “It’s like…” she looked hard at Tia. “Oh hell, can I just say that I’ve learned a whole new respect for you over the past few months?”