Page 56 of Reel Love

“The yoga instructor that works for Alicante?”

“You know her?”

“Ben wanted to fix me up with her.”

“Hmmm. I could see that. You’d be the bedrock and she’d be the cloud.”

“So you think I should let him?”

“No. Not really.”

Why not? I don’t know.

I like the idea of Stevens being single, like me. I shake that thought off. He’s my water taxi driver for the week, I don’t get to vote on his relationship status.

He definitely made me feel comfortable and safe during some very hard days this week. And he’s easy on the eyes, as Mother would say. Easy, or hard? It’s almost difficult to look at him, he’s so rugged and yet, tender. He has the kind of face that keeps pulling your eyes toward him. There’s this severity to the lines of his bone structure, but then a contrasting softness to his eyes and lips. I glance away toward the shoreline ahead, where the mainland has not yet come into view.

“Okay, so. There’s Aria,” I say, veering from the subject of Stevens’ dating life. “Three drivers—two locals who work at Alicante, and the son of the owner of the Corner Market. There’s Marta. She prepares some meals for me weekly. I have a cleaning team. They all signed NDAs. A landscaping team of, I think it’s four guys, who takes care of keeping my land cleared for fire compliance. Harry had to sign one to teach me a single weekend of painting class. My hairdresser. You. Joel. I know I’m forgetting a few. Everywhere I go regularly for services, and anyone who steps foot onto my property has to sign one.”

I look over at Stevens. His brows are raised in either shock, awe, or judgment. I can’t tell which yet.

“Wow.” He shakes his head. “That’s … amazing.”

“Amazing good? Or amazing, what a spoiled brat?”

“I’ve never used the word amazing to describe a spoiled brat before,” he smiles that warm, assuring smile in my direction.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

“Yes. There is.”

His eyes scan the horizon. Then he looks over at me. “I mean, wow, it takes a lot to keep your life in motion. And having to have an NDA from all those people … is a lot. But you still came to the party at Summer’s. None of us signed anything. And … I think this was obvious, but I was completely caught off guard by you being there. I didn’t know you were coming. No one told me.”

“I was equally blindsided. But you pulled it off. No one would have guessed you’d already been seeing me all week long. Have you considered acting?”

He laughs, more than a little bit. “No.”

“No?”

“Definitely not. The spotlight is not my comfort zone.”

“I’m not sure it’s mine either,” I say more to myself than him.

He glances over at me. His lips form a thin line and his brows are drawn together.

“Don’t pity me,” I force a laugh to lighten the mood. “I’m reaping more than I’m sowing over here. I’ve got a good life.”

He nods.

“So, what are you reading these days?” I ask.

“The Fault in Our Stars.”

He seems to brace himself for my reaction.

“You have the reading habits of a nerdy high school girl. Do you know that?”

“I’m well aware. I also read biographies and memoirs. And at night, before I go to sleep, I’m currently readingThe Soul of an Octopus.”

---