Page 39 of The Girl with No Name

“Hey,” he says. “This is a crazy idea, but have you ever been to Hawaii?”

“No. Always wanted to go.”

“I’ve got some PTO I need to use. Want to go?”

My eyes widened. “Like right now?”

“Like in a couple of weeks.” He laughs.

“Well, I do love dolphins, as you know. I think you can swim with them out there.”

“Seriously? I thought that was an environmental no-no.” He googles it on his phone and then nods. “Seems like it can be done responsibly. Let’s go. Can you get off work?”

“I mean, maybe. But I make a lot of money bartending in the summer.”

“My treat,” he assures me.

Nerves crop up, and an alarm bell sounds somewhere inside me. I’m not the type to get wrapped up in a relationship so quickly.Don’t be a fool.

But I’ve also heard somewhere that only fools get to fall in love. Why not give myself a chance to live the dream? Don’t I deserve that?

“Okay.” I grin. “I’ll go. I can’t wait!”

A month later,we board a plane together to Hawaii.

When we arrive, we swim with the dolphins and then get wine-drunk at our Airbnb as we watch the sun set on the west side of the Big Island.

Once the sun dips below the horizon, Gatsby takes me by the hand. “Come on.”

Inside, we get into bed and make out.

“You looked so fucking perfect today,” he says. “You’re the hottest girl I’ve ever seen in a bikini.”

I feel myself blush, my body warming as he slides his hand up my thigh.

“I know you’re protective of your body, but I love you. Let’s have sex.”

My breath stills in my throat. “You love me?”

“Yes.”

I’m awestruck.

He whispers in my ear. “And I have a huge dick, FYI.”

High on adrenaline, on swimming with dolphins, on sun and the newness of traveling together, we make love that night. It’s perfect. He’s handsome, athletic, wealthy, organized. He says all the right things at all the right times.

I make coffee the next morning, then get back into bed with a book and sit up next to him while he sleeps.This is so easy. We just fit together.

A song from a band I like, the Red Lemons, plays on my mix that morning:

I always thought true love was a fantasy

My friends get shot by Cupid’s arrow but that’s just not me

What would you do if I were you and you were me?

It’s never this easy, baby, can’t you see?

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