Page 26 of Resorting to Romance

“Yeah. I already ate—at the inn.”

“Of course. Okay. Well …” He looks at the waitress. “Just coffee, black. And an avocado toast on whole grain bread. Make it an egg white scramble, please.”

I smile faintly, remembering how diligent Brad always was about his diet. In everything else he was very in-the-moment and easy-going, but when it came to fitness, he was determined and regimented.

“What is it you want now?” I ask, smoothing one of my hands over the other in my lap to still the trembling. “You can’t just introduce yourself as Noah’s dad. He has a life—routines. He’s used to the people around him. He doesn’t know you. You don’t know him.”

“I get all of that. I don’t know, Mila. I just … I want to get to know him. If you’ll let me.”

I look out toward the lobby. People are milling about, coming into the resort to get away from the heaviness and responsibility of life. Others are checking out, refreshed from a stay in paradise. Here we sit, a study in contrasts, two people who used to be in love, trying to navigate a situation that has no manual or guide book. The weight of our reality presses in on us despite our luxurious surroundings.

“I need to think about this,” I tell Brad.

“Of course. I expected you would.”

“And, you’re opening a business here? Why here?” Again, my tone sounds accusatory and defensive. It’s a foreign sound compared to my usual way of approaching people. Even during our breakup, I never yelled or raised my voice at Brad. It’s just not in me.

“I love Marbella. It was my childhood home. And the market is good here for watersports. People come here to the island for vacation. Others live here part-time or full-time. People need watersports equipment. There’s the shack at the resort, but what if someone wants to buy something—to have a stand up paddleboard to ride every day in the cove? What if they want to learn to surf, and they don’t want to pay lesson fees and rental fees everyday. I’m filling a need in a place I love. And … if you give me a chance, I’ll be closer to Noah. It will be easier for me to spend time with him.”

“And if I don’t?”

“If you don’t, I’ll hire a manager to run the shop here and I’ll spend more time on the mainland.”

“Just like that?”

“Yes. Just like that.”

I nod. My head is swimming and I don’t feel any closer to a decision than I did when I woke up this morning, but I do have more information.

Brad’s toast and coffee arrive. I sit with him while he finishes eating. He tries to make small talk, asking about the inn and about my three fairy godmothers. He even refers to my aunts that way, reminding me how deeply entrenched and entangled our lives were so many years ago—how well he knew me, better than anyone. I answer him politely. I don’t ask him any personal questions. When he’s finished eating, he pays the bill and we walk out into the lobby.

NINE

Kai

A lie leads a man from a grove into a jungle.

~ Marcelene Cox

I’m leaving my meeting with the other resort managers when I see someone out of the corner of my eye. At first, I think my mind is playing tricks on me. A second glance tells me I’m right. Mila’s standing in front of Horizons with … Brad?

Before I can think through my actions, my feet are moving in her direction.

I should probably turn and walk away, but I feel drawn to her—to make sure she’s okay. Maybe I’m also a little curious. Why would they be at breakfast together when Brad believes I’m Mila’s boyfriend? I’m not, but a strange rush of possessiveness fills me anyway. Mila’s my friend. I replay the way Brad disarmed her yesterday. Thoughts of how it felt to be the man who stood by Mila follow close on the heels of that flashback. She needed me then, maybe she needs me now.

“Kai?” Shaw, the manager of guest services, calls my name.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” I shout over my shoulder.

And then I’m across the lobby, standing in front of Mila and Brad.

“Hey,” Mila says, a look of confusion crossing her features.

“Hi. I was just in a meeting. Managers. All the resort managers. We meet once a week.”

“Oh, yes. Your meeting.”

Mila acts like she knows about it. Of course she does. We’re supposedly dating. She would know these things.

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