Page 61 of Beachside Kisses With My Enemy

To forget that wretched kiss from just over a week ago. The one I keep replaying in my mind. The one that I’m fairly certain will go down in history as the best kiss of my life despite its brevity and simplicity.

So, yeah. Thank the good Lord for distraction.

We all raise our glasses of whatever we are drinking—a bubbling Diet Coke in a fancy spa tumbler for me—and shout “hear hear” before taking sips and giggling. It’s nice to be all together and to be celebrating. Since we’re mostly all the same age (save April, who is two years younger and Chloe, who is a year older), I’ve celebrated every one of the twins’ birthdays with them since I moved here. We were friends in high school, though not as close as we are now, when we naturally formed bonds because we all stayed in town after graduation.

Of course, the twins stayed because their family owns a local business. Loveland Winery is a staple around Hallmark Beach, producing some of the best wines in the whole state and employing lots of seasonal workers. They’ve also started hosting events on site, and there’s talk of them building cabins on the property to have year-round guests as well—so long as Mrs. Loveland can get Mr. Loveland on board.

“What’s the latest and greatest with everyone?” April says, her eyes bright despite the dark circles underneath. “I know I’ve been back for a few months, but I still feel so out of the loop.” And it’s no wonder. Other than me and Kelsey—her best friend from childhood—she really didn’t keep in touch with any of us when she lived in San Francisco. She turns to Elisse. “You were working at Something Blue, right? But then you quit to work at the vineyard?”

“And I’ve convinced her to work with me again part time now that I’m running Something Blue.” Chloe winks at Elisse, who rolls her eyes and pushes a strand of bobbed brown hair behind her ear.

“Yes, and by convince, she means she strong-armed me.” She snatches up a food menu from the small circular table between her and Chloe and sends her a fake-as-all-get-out glare. “Don’t let the pretty accent fool you. This one is a royal pain in the rear until she gets what she wants.”

We all laugh, because if there’s anything Chloe isn’t, it’s a pain. But Elisse likes to pretend everything annoys her, even if she’d die for any one of us. (And I have a sneaking suspicion she feels the same way about her long-time neighbor Landon Bennett, who’s worked for her family for years. She never seems as ruthlessly alive as when she’s verbally sparring with him. But don’t dare say she’s flirting, or she’ll bite your head off and turn her wit on you instead.)

“For your information, I didn’t get what I wanted.” Chloe taps her manicured nail against her glass. “I wanted you to work for me full-time as an event planner, but you only agreed to be part-time coordinator for your family’s property and a few others. Though I do plan to make full use of it.” Her smiles shows she has no ill will toward anyone, least of all Elisse, whose loyalty to her family is one of the things we all love about her.

“Yeah, yeah.” Elisse waves down our personal spa attendant, who is standing near the door into the white, wooden building where we all received our massages and are scheduled for facials after lunch. “I’m starving. Let’s order.”

The willowy woman in a beige shirt tucked into her black pants rushes over with a notepad, and we all spend a few minutes perusing the menu and placing our orders. I almost never branch out but decide to try a plate of sushi when Chloe gushes over how good it was the last time she was here.

Elisse raises an eyebrow at her sister when she orders a double cheeseburger, onion rings, and an Oreo milkshake.

“What? You only turn twenty-nine once,” Kelsey says.

“That’s not true,” Marilee pipes up. “My mom turned twenty-nine like five times before finally admitting to us that she was really in her thirties.”

Laughter comes easily now, and I wonder why I’ve spent so much time working when I could have been surrounded by my people. Because this is what life’s about.

The attendant scurries away to give our orders to the kitchen, and we break into conversation about everything going on in our lives. About how Kelsey feels stuck in her job as assistant manager at The Purple Seashell, how she keeps thinking Aunt Janine will promote her to manager, but that Janine is waiting to hear whether my older cousin Garrett—her only child from her terribly abusive, former marriage—is going to come home and run it so she can retire.

About how April’s enjoying being back at the bookstore, because there’s something reassuring in the familiar.

About how Chloe’s itching for Freddy to ask her to marry him but doesn’t think he will until their families both get more comfortable with the new relationship status—and each other.

The food’s delivered and everything smells amazing, from April’s pepperoni flatbread to Chloe’s Caesar salad and my sushi.

Then my beloved friends turn their appraising eyes my direction, and I know I’m in trouble.

“Sooooo.” And of course that’s Elisse’s antagonistic voice filled with perverse pleasure at my squirming. “How are things, Luce?”

“Fine.” I slide my chopsticks from their wrapper and, unpracticed as I am, take a moment to orient my fingers. I’m like a baby with a fork for the first time. One chopstick slides from my hand, and I huff.

“Really? You seem…frustrated about something.” Elisse cackles, and a few other friends giggle.

Ignoring them, I finally get a hold of the chopsticks correctly and lift a spicy tuna roll to my lips. The rice, seaweed, fish, and sesame seeds make an interesting dance in my mouth. I feel way more sophisticated than I am when the freshness of the tuna, the tanginess of the rice, and the spicy sauce dip and balance each other out.

After allowing myself to enjoy the bite and then swallow, I face my accusers with a lifted chin. I’ve gotta give them something true, or they’ll never leave me alone. “If you must know, work has been all consuming lately.”

They listen as I bemoan the restaurant’s lackluster performance, my own attempts at making things better—that darn business plan, for one—and how I feel bad taking any time off or away. Thankfully, Tiny’s holding down the fort on his own today, and I trust that he’s going to do great even if we never did get back around to talking about what special he’s going to offer each day this week.

When I finish, I pop another tuna roll into my mouth and chew.

“And that’s all?” Oh no, not Kelsey too. She’s not quite as teasing as her twin, but the way her voice lilts up at the end is all kinds of sunshine and hope. Whereas I don’t mind giving Elisse a little grief, I hate to disappoint where Kels is concerned. “We were kind of hoping things might be happening on the guy front.”

“I think Thomas Montrose might like me.” And where in the world did that come from? I mean, sure, it’s the truth. The sweet guy stops by the Robin now and again just to chat, to “make sure all is well,” and I think it’s nice.

My friends all glance at each other with shifty eyes and questioning looks.

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