Page 63 of Nothing to Do

Zane parked up and led her to a table set up on the isolated deck at the top of the beach, separate from the masses and the bonfire on the sand.

“I’m going to say hello to Alessia,” she said, resting a hand on his arm to boost up and kiss his cheek.

Stairs at the side of the curved deck led onto the sand. A security guard stood there, and there was one at the gap they’d entered by at the back. Zane probably had to be careful about who got too close. If people were harassing him all night, he’d never get peace to eat.

With musicians in the sand and the scent of the grill merging with the sea salt, it was impossible not to feel festive.

Alessia was in a group of half a dozen, all crowded around her. Her sister wasn’t shy, and it was just like her to find a team no matter the location. She touched her sister’s arm to get her attention.

“Thea!” Drink in hand, she threw both arms around her to hug her tight. “I’m so happy you’re here! Everyone, this is my sister, Thea!”

Okay, how many drinks had she imbibed? People knew her, she was the same her she’d been at the first dinner. Though, checking out the group, there may be a few more people close to her sister than there had been before.

“Are you drunk?” she asked, guiding her away from the others. “Should I be worried about you?”

Or people taking advantage.

Alessia’s broad grin inspired enthusiasm all of its own. “No! This is the best time I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

And if anyone could get high on life, it would be her sister. They got about twenty feet from the other partygoers, it was chillier further from the bonfire.

“How have you been? Are you still okay in the suite?”

Her sister leaned in closer. “Everyone’s curious about you, you know.”

“Curious about me? What do I have to do with anything?”

Alessia nodded beyond her. She turned to follow her line of sight to Zane, now talking to Tripp Breckenridge, at least he wasn’t alone.

“You mean they’re curious about Zane,” she said, looking back to her sister. “There’s nothing to be curious about. He’s a man. An incredible, amazing man, but just a regular guy.”

Alessia scoffed. “Zane Dyce is not a regular man. You know there’s Dyce tech in every purse and pocket the wholeworld over. Anything worth having in the last twenty years was invented by him.”

Which was weird, now that she thought about it. She saw him on laptops and with paperwork, she’d never seen him fiddle with any new device or anything.

“We don’t talk about that.”

“What do you talk about?”

She sighed. “Alessia.”

Her sister laughed. “Okay, okay! Is Roman coming?”

“I have no idea.”

Hopefully not, but that wouldn’t be her sister’s preference.

“Did you hear we’re going to party in Honolulu?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Of course you did,” Alessia said and squealed. “We’re going to party with Roman Lowe! Well, not you but—”

“I am, actually, coming.”

Alarm lit Alessia. “You’re breaking up with Zane?”

Sometimes her sister took the obvious too far. “We don’t have to be on the same landmass to be together. I’m part of the contest group, right? Of course I’ll be there.”

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