Pretending in Paradise

by M. Ullrich

  “This one’s on me,” Emma said. “I asked you to dinner, and I more than owe it to you. I’ve acted like a jerk.” She put her personal credit card into the leather folder and placed it on the edge of the table.

  “You owe me nothing, but thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Their eyes locked and Emma had no desire to look away until she overheard someone at the table beside them mention their evening plans. “The sunset,” she said abruptly as she stood up.

  “What?” Caroline followed Emma’s lead.

  “I wanted to get some pictures of the beach at sunset.” Emma handed her payment to the nearest waiter and asked them to run it as politely as she could while she rushed. “I don’t have my good camera with me, but I’ll make do.”

  “We’ll have more sunsets.”

  Emma turned back to Caroline and spoke seriously, “But no two sunsets are the same.” Emma signed her credit slip and escorted Caroline from the restaurant quickly. They started to head in opposite directions when Emma paused and called out to Caroline. “Would you like to join me?” The beach at sunset would undoubtedly be romantic and could send Caroline the wrong message, but Emma couldn’t bear the thought of Caroline spending another night alone in their room.

  Caroline stood still and quiet. People stepped around her and rushed past as they eagerly started their evening. Her lips slowly rose into a smile. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter Nine

  Caroline stared at the ceiling as the early sunlight painted it a delicate blue. Something about staring at a beautiful sunset the night before made her crave a sunrise. She quietly got off the cot, stretched her aching back, and tiptoed to the balcony. She stole a glance at Emma and nearly laughed at the pile of unkempt hair hiding her eyes. Caroline tripped over the small lip of the threshold and grabbed on to the railing to save herself from falling. She checked over her shoulder to make sure Emma was still sleeping soundly. Surely enough, not a wrinkle in the sheets had shifted.

  Caroline turned back to the awakening sky and watched as the sea turned from an ominous navy to a brilliant blue. Florida, Miami specifically, was a marvel to Caroline. She was a Tri State girl through and through, but the view and tropical breeze whipping around her—sure, she could get used to it.

  “You’re up early.” Emma’s sleepy voice was deep, gravelly, and surprisingly sexy.

  “I couldn’t stay asleep,” Caroline said. The explanation was the simple truth, but it felt much more complicated than that. How could Caroline explain the way she felt after sitting silently on the beach with Emma for an hour, and walking for another forty-five minutes? She was energized and optimistic for the first time since Ann drove her from her home and her job. Good feelings kept Caroline’s body fidgety and her eyelids light.

  Emma stepped out on the balcony beside Caroline and yawned. Her hair was a mess, and the negligee she slept in left little to the imagination. Her nipples strained against the thin material. Caroline looked away.

  “Is everything okay? Do you feel all right?” Emma leaned against the railing and threw her head back. She smiled at the sky with her eyes closed.

  “I’m fine, great actually. I felt rested and decided to take a page out of your book.”

  “Early bird gets the worm,” Emma said with a small smile. “I’m going to hit the gym before breakfast. Want to come?”

  Caroline was delighted by the invitation but had a better idea. “I did a little research on the gym last night, and they offer yoga classes three times a day. Did you know that?”

  “I do not do yoga, so no, I didn’t know.”

  “Would you like to take a class with me today?”

  Emma pulled a pained face. “Moving slowly and doing a lot of unnatural bending isn’t really my thing.”

  “Have you ever tried?”

  “No.”

  “You should. With me. Today. It’s refreshing, and I promise you’ll feel amazing afterward.”

  “That’s a pretty serious promise.”

  “I’m pretty serious about yoga.” Caroline held back a gasp when Emma locked her eyes on her. The delicate morning sun made Emma’s skin look as if it was glowing. No matter how uncomfortable the intense eye contact made her feel, Caroline couldn’t bring herself to look away.

  Emma broke away first. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  Emma shrugged. “Yeah. I’m doing a lot of things I wouldn’t normally do while on this trip.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Caroline awkwardly tapped her fist on Emma’s shoulder. “The class is in a half hour.”

  “I guess I should get ready, then.” Emma waltzed back into the room, swaying her hips as she went.

  Caroline turned back to the calming roll of the ocean waves. Another day on the job was about to start, and she had no idea what she was in for.

  * * *

  “You underestimated yoga, didn’t you?”

  “No,” Emma said quickly and defensively. She walked gingerly beside Caroline as they walked back from breakfast.

  “Are you sore?” Caroline reached out to touch Emma’s shoulder but missed.

  Emma bent to touch her toes. “No, actually,” she said, her voice coming out as a groan. “I think sitting still right after was a mistake. I feel like I’m still being stretched.”

  Caroline laughed. Emma stood up straight and tossed her long, sandy hair over her shoulder. Caroline’s laughter died in her throat. “It takes some getting used to,” she croaked out.

  “I’m not used to bending like that.”

  Caroline snorted. “Even with your active lifestyle?” Emma stopped walking and Caroline did as well. Silence followed her joke and the realization she’d said it aloud hit her suddenly. She made a joke at the expense of another person about their sex life. Their very private moments. Caroline turned to Emma, apology on the tip of her tongue, but it never came out. Emma was grinning more broadly than Caroline had ever seen.

  Emma burst out in unrestrained laughter. “Oh,” she said, holding her side, “that was good. I’m going to be sore from laughing, not from yoga.”

  Caroline let her shoulders relax. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t very nice of me to say.”

  “Do not apologize for making a funny joke. What you should be apologizing for is holding out on your sense of humor. Funny is good, funny is cute.” Emma continued walking toward the elevators, but Caroline had yet to move.

  Emma had just come close to calling her cute, right?

  Caroline shook off her stupor and speed walked to catch up. She joined Emma on the elevator and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “We should get ready quickly. There’s another group exercise at eleven I want to go to.”

  Emma groaned.

  “You knew there would be more.” Caroline stepped off the elevator and started toward their room without looking back to Emma.

  Emma breezed past Caroline into the room. “Let’s make a deal.”

  Flashes of a memory with her parents in front of the television hit Caroline suddenly. “That’s one of my favorite game shows.”

  “Mine, too, but right now it’s a proposition.”

  Caroline was skeptical, to say the least. “Okay?”

  “I told you you’re right, and I’m willing to follow any itinerary you come up with. However, I think I should have some say.” Emma pulled off her tank top and stood before Caroline in an orange sports bra and navy yoga pants. “And it’ll be for your benefit, really.”

  Caroline pinched her brows together. “I’m not hearing a proposition.”

  “We alternate days. You pick the activity today, and I pick tomorrow. That’ll ensure I see what I need to see in the resort, and you’ll actually have some fun. For once.”

  “You just had to add ‘for once,’ didn’t you?”

  Emma nudged Caroline’s shoulder. “C’mon, you know I’m right. The only way for both of us to be happy and for me to write the best review is for us to work together and compromise.”

>   Caroline imagined all the ways the trip could go wrong when Emma took the reins. What would she suggest for them? Zip-lining? Swimming with sharks? Caroline knew Emma had a wildly different idea of what was fun. Also, compromise wasn’t exactly her strong suit. Ann had brought that to her attention more than once.

  “What do you think? Caroline?”

  “Oh, um, sure. I guess. What do you have planned for tomorrow?”

  “I’ll figure that out in the morning. We have to get ready for group.” Emma walked away and picked up her phone. She typed and typed, while Caroline stood still.

  “I’m surprised your phone isn’t permanently stuck to your hand.”

  “I’m my own brand. I have to keep the content fresh,” Emma said with a wink.

  Caroline wanted to ask what she meant, but Emma disappeared into the bathroom.

  At five minutes after eleven, Caroline and Emma rushed into the recreation room and grabbed the last two available chairs. Caroline was relieved to recognize all the couples immediately. “I’m so sorry we’re late,” she said, breathing heavily from rushing.

  “Late start for the lovebirds this morning?”

  “Sydney,” Will said, gently elbowing his wife for the innuendo.

  Caroline remembered Sydney for her saucy attitude and openness during the first group meeting. She wasn’t shy to talk about her plans for Will during their stay at the resort. Caroline had left the conversation once Sydney had mentioned the two bottles of lube she packed.

  “Caroline dragged me to yoga,” Emma offered up. A round of groans, mostly male, rung out in the room.

  “You must really love her,” Ted said with a chuckle. His round belly bounced along with his laughter.

  Emma turned to Caroline with a warm smile. “Compromise is easy with this one.”

  Maria clapped at the center of the room. “I think we’re ready to get started. Last time we got together was all about introductions, and this time will be about ice breakers. We’re going to start with a little friendly competition. Around this room,” she said, sweeping her arms, “I’ve hidden ribbons of various colors and lengths. When I say go, you have two minutes to collect as many as you possibly can. You will regroup with your partner and have another three minutes to tie them all together. The couple with the longest ribbon gets two free drink tokens.” Maria took a moment to look around at each person with a serious expression before adding, “With no limitations to what kind of drink you can order.”

  “Rum buckets, rum buckets, rum buckets,” Ramona chanted.

  Caroline laughed freely with the rest of the group.

  “Does anyone have any questions?” Maria gave everyone a moment to come forward, but after some silence, she raised her right hand and checked the watch on her left wrist. “Ready. Set. Go.”

  Emma was the first and fastest to jump up and start her search. Caroline scoured the couch, chairs, and under the tablecloth on the refreshments table. At one point, Chanel grabbed her by the waist and moved her out of the way. Jovial, genuine, and childish laughter filled the room as adults tapped into their forgotten youth for the game.

  “Stop searching and get to tying,” Maria announced.

  Caroline rushed to meet Emma in the center of the room, and they both reached for each other’s ribbons.

  Emma put out her hand. “I tie fast, give them to me.”

  “It makes no sense for me to stand here and do nothing.”

  “You’ll hand me your ribbons one at a time.”

  “It’ll take forever.”

  Emma took a deep breath. “What’s your suggestion?”

  Caroline scanned the room quickly and noted how every couple had one person tying and the other feeding their partner the ribbon. “Quick, tie four of the ribbons together.” Caroline watched Emma follow her instruction without argument and was impressed. When Emma was finished, Caroline grabbed one end and told Emma to hold the other. “Start tying your ribbons to that end, and I’ll work on this one.”

  Emma smiled brilliantly and nodded.

  They completed their ribbon the fastest and without one unexpected tangle.

  “Yes!” Emma said.

  Caroline raised her hands for a double high five, but Emma went in for a hug instead. Caroline grunted in the tight embrace and bit back a squeal when Emma lifted her from the ground and spun her around. The hug was short, but the contact would stick with Caroline for a while. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she was hugged for happy reasons.

  “I’m sorry,” Emma said while grinning. She continued in a whisper, “I know you’re not touchy, but I really like winning and kinda forgot.”

  “It’s okay.” And to Caroline’s surprise, she wasn’t lying.

  She let Emma claim their prize. She couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head as she watched Emma rub their winnings in everyone else’s face.

  “All right, all right, we get it. You won,” Justin said, motioning for Emma to sit down. “Go back to your seat, sore winner.”

  Emma plopped down next to Caroline with a triumphant sigh.

  “Congratulations to our winners, Caroline and Emma, in case she didn’t make it obvious enough,” Maria said with a laugh. “For the next game, we’ll separate the men from the women, which has also brought to my attention that we’ve planned too much for straight couples and not nearly enough for our same-sex couples.”

  Caroline’s cheeks warmed with a growing blush. “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about us.”

  “We’ll make it work,” Emma said as she jumped up. “Put me with the men. I’m more like a dude anyway.” She looked down at Caroline and shrugged.

  “What do you mean by that?” Caroline watched a few others around the room nod and knew she wasn’t the only curious one.

  “Yeah,” Justin said, crossing his arms. “What do you mean by that?”

  A worried look crossed over Emma’s features as she stuttered. “I, uh, I just do more of the guy things in the relationship. Like watching sports and killing the bugs.”

  “Ramona kills the bugs in our house,” Ted said. He shivered. “Damn things give me the creepy crawlies.”

  Ramona placed her hand on her husband’s forearm. “I’ve already had to save him several times during this trip.”

  Ted covered Ramona’s hand with his own. “They’re prehistoric-sized around here.”

  “I don’t watch sports,” Will said with a raised hand.

  Caroline clucked her tongue. “What did I tell you about assuming gender roles, babe?”

  Emma shot her a look, and the sparkle in her eye told Caroline she was impressed by the sudden swell of playfulness. “You told me never to assume anything. But I’m still going with the guys.”

  Maria pointed for Emma to step to the left side of the room. “Men to my left, women to my right.” She paused to allow everyone to get in place. “I have another set of drink vouchers for this game, so get ready.”

  “We’re drinking good tonight, Caroline,” Emma said with a wink.

  Cameron nudged Caroline with her shoulder. “She’s cocky. That’s a sexy trait.”

  Caroline kept her eyes on Emma and watched as her supposed girlfriend licked her lips and watched Cameron intently. “It’s actually one of her less attractive traits,” Caroline said dryly.

  Emma pouted.

  “Everyone take a blindfold.” Maria walked around the room and handed out satin blindfolds. “Put them on and make sure your vision is completely obstructed. No cheating.”

  “Yeah, Emma, no cheating,” someone in the room said. Caroline wasn’t sure if it was Will or Robert.

  Emma let out a gasp that morphed into giggles.

  “I’ll do some shuffling once everyone’s blindfold is in place. The object of this game is to find your partner by touch and scent alone. You’re all adults, so I don’t think I need to say this, but keep your touching appropriate.”

  “This game definitely sucks for Caroline and Emma.” Caroline recognized Ramo
na’s New York accent that time.

  “Again, I apologize. But maybe that’ll increase the level of difficulty. If anything, it’ll be harder for Emma to win and rub it in all of your faces.”

  Laughter rung out in the room, but Caroline didn’t even smile. She had to touch people to find someone she had barely ever touched, to win. She didn’t want to lose and disappoint Emma, but the couples who’d been together for years had a clear advantage. And Caroline was supposed to let strange hands touch her for longer than a brief graze? This game would be a true test. Caroline jolted to attention when she felt chilly hands on her elbows. Maria whispered for her to move. She followed dutifully, even though all she wanted to do was run out the door.

  “Okay. Ready, set, find your partner!”

  Caroline listened as everyone ran off. She stood completely still and willed herself to move. She could do this; she had to do it. Winning was everything to Emma.

  “Go ahead,” Maria said from an uncomfortably close proximity. She pushed Caroline’s shoulder gently. “Go find your girl.”

  Caroline stepped forward with her hands in front of her in hopes of avoiding a collision, but failed the moment her shoulder clipped a hard body. She raised her hand to apologize and hit a face. She placed her hands on the victim’s and gave a gentle squeeze. She continued her search, praying the next person she touched was Emma, and hopefully that touch would be in an appropriate place. Laughter surrounded her. She could make out soft, feminine giggles from the more masculine and deep chuckles.

  She followed the sounds closely, hoping they’d lead her to Emma. Someone grabbed her shoulders suddenly and then disappeared. A few strands of Caroline’s hair became untucked when someone ran a finger through her hair. She felt the goose bumps raise and run along her skin. She palmed a man’s shoulders and moved on to the next person. Caroline fingered the ends of soft hair, but Emma was wearing her hair up that day. Caroline knew to feel for bare shoulders and tank top straps.