Page 14 of See You Next Month

“I’ve got you, babe. Don’t forget, we’re a couple,” Isabella said with a wink.

Kelsey laughed and slid off her bar stool. She held out her arm. “Come on, other half, let’s go.”

Isabella giggled and put her arm through Kelsey’s as they started back to their bungalows.

“I can tell you’re unsure about this,” Isabella said as they walked past the pool. “Give me the afternoon to convince you.”

“You seem to be quite sure we’re up to this and that people will want to see what we do here,” Kelsey said. “Coral Bay isn’t one of the big resorts. You know they’re counting on us to make them a better fit than the larger and more popular destinations.”

“I realize that,” Isabella said.

Kelsey stopped outside her bungalow and looked at Isabella. “Don’t you have a friend you’d rather do this with?”

Isabella smiled. “Go change and I’ll meet you at the chairs and umbrella outside our back doors.”

Kelsey sighed.

“I’ll explain to you why I’d rather do this with you than anyone else.”

“Okay,” Kelsey said and went inside her bungalow.

So many thoughts were flowing through her mind. The idea of coming back to Coral Bay every month was a bit daunting. However, Kelsey traveled for work from time to time, so that wasn’t a problem. Carmen was right that they would have the opportunity to secure new clients and that was good for her business.

She opened the drawer where she’d stored her swimsuits and selected a sapphire blue one piece swimsuit with a long sleeve oversized sheer cover-up. Once she’d changed, she found the canvas tote bag she’d packed to take on the beach. Inside she threw sunscreen, a towel, and a hat. Kelsey had brought along all her electronics on the trip, including her laptop and her tablet.

She chuckled to herself. At one point she had envisioned sitting on the beach and reading a book or two on her tablet. “I’m not sure I’ll have time to do that now,” she mumbled. Kelsey still put the tablet in her bag in case she needed to take notes or look something up while she and Isabella discussed this crazy idea.

Did she want to come back every month and do something new with Isabella? The thought made her smile. She barely knew this woman, but they did have several things in common. This led her to ask the question: Was there anyone in her friend group she would want to take a trip with every month? Probably not.

Since she and Isabella were doing this for a client it gave them both a shared responsibility of working together and doing a job. They shared the same goal of showing the resort in the best light possible in order to gain new guests. These monthly adventures were more than just a vacation.

When Kelsey thought about the idea in this way it made sense for her and Isabella to be the ones to not only go on the excursions, but also to promote them. Potential guests would know they didn’t work directly for the resort or the companies providing the excursions, so their opinions would be more valuable.

Kelsey smiled. Maybe this could work. The idea of seeing the islands with Isabella could actually be fun. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase I love my job.

She chuckled again, slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed a bottle of water from her refrigerator, and opened the back door.

“Well, paradise. What do you have in store for me today?”

Kelsey put on her sunshades and walked out onto the sand with a smile on her face.

5

“Kelsey, look at you,” Isabella said, sitting in the lounge chair next to her. “That swimsuit. The color is perfect for you. How has some lesbian not snatched you up?”

Kelsey chuckled and took off her sunglasses. “What about you with that blond hair, those sparkling blue eyes, and that winning smile?”

Isabella gave her a cheesy smile. “But is this smile good enough to win you over to this grand idea?”

“We’ll see. What about my earlier question? Do you have a friend you’d rather do this with?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Isabella said seriously. She looked into Kelsey’s eyes and noticed they had a blue-green tint reflecting the nearby water. They were beautiful and serious, but she also saw a hint of amusement.

“I don’t have a friend I would want to come back here with every month. I only want you. What better way to get to know each other and make a new friend?” Isabella said honestly.

Kelsey smiled. “I thought about it, too, and you’re right. There’s no one I want to do this with but you.”

Isabella’s smile was brighter than the sun. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

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