“What’re you saying?”
“I’m saying that if this is something we want to … pursue, we should do it when we’ve left the island. And that while I’m here, for everyone’s sake, I should probably just focus on the task at hand. No matter how terrible an idea I now think it is, I just want to do what I was paid to do, and … then go home.”
Kevin shook his head, saying nothing.
“You didn’t see your mother’s face, Kevin. She’s worried. She didn’t come out and say it, but she was … imploring me not to be another Christina.”
“And you’re not! Not even close. Christina accepted my marriage proposal and the whole time, behind my back she was chasing after my brother, calling him, emailing him, texting him and trying to get him to meet up with her. And when that didn’t work, she made a move on him. And he was … weak. He finally gave in.”
Lia shook her head. “No. He didn’t. Not really.”
With narrowed eyes, Kevin looked at her. “What do you mean? He fucked her.”
“He isn’t that into girls, remember? Jesus, Kevin, for someone so smart, you’re really stupid. He did that just so he could ruin it. Ruin her. He knew you’d be furious and hurt, but he also knew you would never marry her after that. He did it because he knew you shouldn’t marry her.”
“Blake’s been with women before. A lot of women …”
“Maybe so. But for a sexually-ambivalent man, you think he’d choose his brother’s fiancée on a whim? He did it on purpose. To get her out of your life.”
“That wasn’t his decision to make.”
Lia shrugged, looking exhausted. “Well, that’s a fight you’ll have to take up with him. But to hear even you tell it, he did you a favor.”
Unable to think of anything else to say, Kevin stood there. She was right about it being a favor. He had come to acknowledge that, a long time ago, but it was a complicated admission, all mixed up in his sense of anger and betrayal at what Blake had done.
“But here’s the thing,” Lia said, her voice weary. “Your family has lots of stuff to work out. It’s so convoluted it makes my head hurt just thinking about it. And then I realized this afternoon after talking to your mom, I don’t have to think about it. This thing between your stepfather and Blake, between you and Blake, between your mom and you, between you and your stepfather … you all have to work that out as a family. I don’t have to think about it. I’m just here to be the paid companion. And for the rest of the time on the island, that’s what I plan to do.”
And then she walked around him, heading toward the beach without even looking back.
~18~
Kingfisher Key, FL, Saturday 12:22 p.m.
“What is it about ‘call me every day’ that you didn’t understand, Lia?”
“I said I was sorry.”
“You are sorry. You know how close I came to calling someone?”
“Someone like who, Steph?” Lia said tiredly. “I think by now even you know that this is legit. No one’s about to dump me into Biscayne Bay, or anywhere else. And besides, I’ll be home in a few days.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line while Stephanie read in her tone, the last two words, she had barely stopped herself from saying: thank God. No one could read her like Steph could. Lia tried to think fast, anticipating the next question, and wanting to have a good answer for it.
“What’s the matter with you? Did something happen?”
Yes, something happened. She had stopped being someone who was watching the action unfold in the Morgan family and become someone who was truly participating in it. She was still shaken by her conversation with Jessica Morgan, the older woman straining to make a connection with her, just for the sake of cautioning her against playing with her sons’ hearts, and with their relationship as brothers.
Jessica Morgan had no idea how much of a farce the whole thing was—what she saw, what Lia had participated in making her see, was one son in a new, and apparently happy relationship, and the other, perhaps threatening that relationship.
While she had remained dignified, and stopped just short of warning, or begging, it hadn’t been that far short. Kevin and Blake have a unique closeness, she’d said. And a unique sense of competition between them as well, born of … well … Anyway, you know what I mean, that push-and-pull that boys and men have with each other.
She spoke to Lia like she was a member of a secret club, where women understood the men in their lives better than the men understood themselves. Lia was not a member of that club, because she had no man in her life. Her father had died a long time ago, and Cal had been … well, he was barely a man at all.
When Jessica Morgan had shared—with some reluctance and embarrassment—the story of Christina, Kevin’s former fiancée, Lia almost choked on the reassurance she offered her. Because it was a bald-faced lie, balder even than the lie of her being there are Blake’s latest paramour.
I understand you being concerned, Mrs. Morgan, she said, but Kevin and I are just friends. We share a love for art, that’s all. Nothing could ever happen between me and him.
And when the other woman had only looked more embarrassed, and briefly hugged her, saying, Of course. I know I’m being silly. And I apologize for the insult of even worrying that … Well, that was it; Lia felt like a total and complete piece of shit.
“How many more days are you there again?”
“On the island till Monday, and then back to Miami and back in DC by Tuesday.”
“Do you want to leave now?” Steph asked gently. “Lia, there’s no reason for you to be there if you don’t want to be. Maybe just ask if they can prorate your compensation.”
Lia supposed she could do that. Tell Blake that he had made his point with his parents—assuming it was a point he still intended to make—and she was no longer adding anything to the façade. She could accept a smaller check. Hell, she was feeling conflicted about accepting a check at all. But either way, she could fly back to her uncomplicated life.
But the price of that decision was that she might never see Kevin again.
“I guess I could,” she said, her tone noncommittal.
“But why though? What happened?” Stephanie asked again.
“I’m just getting sick of pretending all the time, that’s all,” Lia said.
“I never thought of that,” Stephanie said. “How tiring that could get. But no one still suspects anything?”
“No.”
Now that was a lie. People suspected all kinds of things. But just the wrong things.
Then the door of the cabana opened and Nicki came sailing in. Lia sat upright from where she’d been reclining on the bed.
“Look, Steph, I have to go. But I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“You’d better. I’m serious, L …”
“Bye,” Lia hung up on her best friend and turned to offer Nicki a smile. “What’s up?”
“That’s kind of what I was wondering,” Nicki said, sitting on her own bed opposite Lia’s. She was barefoot, wearing a yellow swimsuit and a white sarong, with her hair pulled back away from her face by a pair of stylishly large sunglasses.
“What do you mean?” Lia leaned down to look for her sandals, avoiding Nicki’s gaze.
“You’ve been avoiding all of us for the past day, except for Blake.”
“Well, I’m here to be his girlfriend, so …”
“Did Kim or Tanya say something, or …? Wait. Was it my Mom? Did she say something?”
“Your mom was fine, Nicki.” Lia fastened one sandal, and then reached for the other.
“Kevin?” The pitch of Nicki’s voice raised to a disbelieving high note.
Lia sat up and looked her in the eyes, smiling. “Kevin hasn’t done anything to me either.”
“Have I done something to …?”
“Nicki. No. No one. You’ve all been great.”
She sighed. “Well you’re not the same. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I mean, I’ve been yo
ur roomie for a week now. And,” she hesitated. “I think we’re becoming friends, too. Right?”
The uncertainty in Nicki’s voice was heartbreaking.
“Of course, we’re friends,” Lia said, offering her a reassuring smile.
“You mean it?” Nicki asked, still with the tiny voice and puppy-dog eyes.
“Of course I mean it.”
“Okay so then, as a friend, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure. Whatever you want.”
“Great. So … tell me what the fuck happened with Kevin!” Nicki erupted unexpectedly.
Lia’s eyes widened in surprise and Nicki began laughing, laughing so hard she doubled over at the waist and it was a minute or so before she could speak comprehensibly.
“Oh my god, your face!” she said, ducking the pillow Nicki tossed at her. “You fell for the Sad Face. I get my brothers like that, too. Never fails. That’s it. You’re one of us now, Lia.”
At that, the smile faded from Lia’s face and she shook her head. “Is that what’s happening? I’m becoming one of you?” Despite the laughter, she knew that only part of Nicki’s so-called Sad Face was an act. The underlying uncertainty was real.
“Tell me what happened with Kevin,” Nicki said again, sobering up. “He’s been just as sour-faced as you for the past day and a half, so don’t tell me it’s nothing. Even though that’s been his line as well.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That doesn’t tell me very much.”
“And that’s the way I want it,” Lia sang, trying to lighten the mood once again.
“How about we take the night off and go into the city?” Nicki suggested. “You and me, having a girls’ night on the town in Miami. We’ll dance with hot Argentinian men and drink too much, and crash at Blake’s condo and then come back tomorrow.”
“That isn’t the way this is supposed to work,” Lia said smiling. “I’m here to do a job, and if I run off to go clubbing with you, I won’t be doing it.”
“Oh, forget about the job,” Nicki said making a pfft noise. “I think we’re all past that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Blake’s pretty much decided to resolve his situation with our father, so …”
“He has?”
“More or less. And so, I’m guessing you know about his situation?”
Lia nodded.
Nicki shook her head. “That’s pretty amazing.”
“Why?”
“Because Blake is the most closed-off person you’ll ever meet. Except somehow you managed to get him to tell you something he’s been hiding all his life.”
“I did sign a non-disclosure agreement. There wasn’t a whole lot of risk attached to talking to me about it,” Lia said, repeating the rationalization she’d given to Kevin.
“Lia, just about everyone who works for us signs an NDA. But that didn’t make him comfortable announcing it to any of them.” Nicki pushed herself up and stood. “Now change into your swimsuit and let’s go spend some time on the beach. And then tonight it’s you and me, in Miami, on a hunt for a couple guys who are hot, tan, and don’t speak much English.”
“I’m going to tell Gabe on you!” Lia called after her.
Nicki turned, sticking a tongue out at Lia as she left.
South Beach, FL, Saturday 10:53 p.m.
“See? This is what we needed.”
They had just stepped out of their hired car, outside a nightclub called Flamingo that bore all the hallmarks signs of Miami nightlife: neon-lit signage, women of all sizes in too-short skirts, and beefy Latin men in linen pants, standing next to flashy sports cars.
Lia allowed Nicki to drag her toward the door where they skipped the line and Nicki got on her toes and whispered something into the bouncer’s ear. Moments later, he pulled the velvet rope aside and they were in. The music was a bass-laden reggaetón beat, and despite herself, Lia smiled and mimicked Nicki’s motions, her shoulders shaking as she moved them through the crowd and directly onto the dance floor.
Within minutes, Lia had forgotten her self-consciousness at being one of the women wearing a too-short dress, forgotten the vague ache of her feet in the ridiculously-high platform heels Nicki had loaned her, and most of all forgotten the tangled mess of multi-layered deception she and Nicki had left behind on the island.
She closed her eyes and danced, and kept them shut, even when she felt unfamiliar hands on her waist, and the subtle grind of an unfamiliar man’s pelvis, occasionally making contact with her butt. Satisfied that the contact was occasional and not entirely intentional, Lia let herself dance with the stranger, whomever he might be, and surrendered every coherent thought to the music.
Lia had no idea how long she’d been dancing, or with whom, but she soon heard Nicki’s voice in her ear, and then her hand in hers, tugging her away, again through the sea of people. For a few moments, Lia felt a sensation like light vertigo, and struggled to regain her bearings after having had her eyes shut for so long. The strobes bounced, multicolor across the walls and overhead, and the sound of hundreds of voices, conversing, dancing, and shouting in many different languages was overwhelming.
“We need drinks,” Nicki turned to yell at her, and Lia nodded her understanding.
She followed her friend over to the bar, lit in blue and pink, and waited while Nicki hollered something at the bartender that came to serve them. After a minute or so, he returned with two tall frosted glasses containing a pinkish-orange liquid.
“Hurricanes!” Nicki said, handing a glass to Lia.
She took it and ignored the tiny straw, instead taking a long, deep swallow. It was sweet and tart, and loaded with rum. Grinning, she nodded at Nicki. “I like it!” she yelled.
“Never had it before?”
“Not much of a drinker!”
“Well, we’re getting you drunk tonight, girl!”
Lia grinned back at Nicki. Sounded like a plan to her.
They stayed at the bar a while and Lia had two more Hurricanes. Nicki only had one more, and then they were dancing again. A new partner appeared out of nowhere, and this time Lia kept her eyes open, taking in the beautiful man dancing with her. He had dark silky hair; long, damp locks of it rakishly falling into his eyes as he moved. He flipped it out of the way without removing his hands from her hips, or his gaze from her face. He flirted without words, and smiled with perfect teeth and snaked his tongue over near-perfect lips.
He didn’t even come close to making her forget about Kevin.
And so, she shut her eyes to try again.
Three more Hurricanes later, and Lia was good and properly drunk. Not the stumbling-around kind, but the kind where her judgment was just a little bit blurred around the edges. When she allowed her dance-partner to touch her on the ass, she heard Nicki’s voice, high-pitched and outraged, and felt her hand, slapping the groper’s hand away. Lia laughed and turned to face Nicki.
“Are you my protector, now?”
“Trying to be. And as your protector, I think it’s time we went home!”
Lia nodded a little drunkenly. She was fine with going home. She’d had enough. She’d danced, and perspired and been admired by handsome men she had no intention of ever seeing again. Mission accomplished.
They rode back to Blake’s in silence in the back of their car, and Lia rested on Nicki’s shoulder, feeling fuzzy-headed but content. When they pulled up to the condo, she had to be helped out of the car, and the bright lights in the lobby made her want to shield her eyes. Instead, she closed them altogether and allowed herself to be led like a blind woman, into the elevator and then again, down the hall to Blake’s condo.
“You really are drunk,” she heard Nicki murmur, before there was the sound of the clicking of the lock and she was dragged inside.
“Jesus, Kevin! One night? You couldn’t give us one night?”
At that, Lia’s eyes flew open. Kevin was sitting on Blake’s couch, legs apart and leaning backward, arms spread along
the width of it. He looked like he was occupying the entire room.
“Chill out,” Kevin said calmly. “Your boyfriend couldn’t get ahold of you and when I told him you came to the mainland on your own, he lost his mind and said he was coming back down here. I told there was no need, and that I was pretty sure you’d come here tonight. I’m just here to save him the trip.”
Nicki sighed. “He’s just … ridiculous. Where’s my phone?” She dug around in her little clutch and pulled out her cell phone, glancing at the face of it and making an impatient noise as she headed in the direction of the kitchen.
And Lia stood where she was. Kevin sat where he was.
It had only been a day. Well, maybe technically two, since it was now well past midnight. Just two days and she’d missed him.
“We’re not on the island,” Kevin said.
“What?”
He stood, and took two steps toward her. “Yesterday, you said that if we want to do this, we should do it when we’re not on the island. Well we’re not. On the island. And I most definitely want to do this.”
South Beach, FL, Sunday, 7:06 a.m.
Her eyes were still shut and her chest rose and fell in an even rhythm that almost lulled Kevin back to sleep himself. His late-night mission to find Nicki before Gabe took matters into his own hands had been an excuse more than it was a reason. His sister was sometimes naïve but she wasn’t foolish. He was sure if she and Lia went out, they wouldn’t wind up staggering inebriated through the streets of South Beach, but would probably just take a cab back to Blake’s place. And so that’s where he’d gone to wait for them when his own calls, and Gabe’s had gone unanswered.
When he told Gabriel that the reason for the calls not being picked up was that Nicki and Lia were probably in a nightclub, the man had almost lost his mind, and started in on a lecture about how noisy and crowded public places were sometimes the least secure. Though Kevin had no doubt that was true, he also thought a big part of it was that the brother just wasn’t feeling the idea that his woman was out there in a club without him nearby to fend off other men.
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