Page 13 of The Wrong Fiancée

I didn't respond to her mendacity because I didn't want to embarrass her or create a scene. While she and Theo got into it, with Cristin fanning the flames, I watched Elika. She both made cocktails and served them as the tiki lounge, like so many other restaurants and bars, appeared to be short-staffed.

She knew people here, and every so often, someone would stop her for a chat. She'd smile and talk to them while working.

A large Hawaiian man, broad and towering, came to our table. "Eh Theo, howzit! How you been?"

Theo embraced the man and introduced him to all of us.Keoni owned the tiki lounge and knew Theo as they surfed together.

"Come join us," Theo insisted, and Keoni did.

He was a charming and handsome man who flirted relentlessly with Felicity and Cristin, who flushed at his attention.

As our drinks emptied, Keoni waved at Elika. "Got another round for table four when you're ready, Doll!"

She flashed him a smile—small but genuine. "On it, Keoni."

"She's one real angel," Keoni said to all of us, and I saw Felicity's face tighten at the comment. "Eh, Fee, you still mad at her 'cause Grant was one jerk?"

Obviously, Kauai was a small island because everyone seemed to know everyone's business.

Felicity waved a hand. "Of course not. How are things with you? How's the wife?"

Keoni launched into talking about his wife, who was pregnant.

Elika brought our drinks then, a smile that didn't reach her eyes pasted on her face.

"Doll, you take such good care of me," Keoni's voice boomed over the music.

"You say that to all the servers," she teased as she placed refills of our drinks in front of each one of us.

"Elika, it's real nice to see you." Theo toasted her with his drink. "How're you doing? How's Noe?"

"All good, Theo. Noe is getting better. Ka Pono has been great for her."

What the fuck was Ka Pono? I filed that away to look up later.

Keoni told us our drinks were on the house and walked back to the bar with Elika.

"Ugh, look at her," Cristin's voice was sharp. She took a sip of her Mai Tai, her lips curling in disdain. "It's always been the same with Elika. She makes people feel sorry for her, and then they act like she's some kind of saint."

"You're just jealous that Ryan Dillon was her boyfriend in high school and not yours," Theo mocked.

His girlfriend stared at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? Ryan took me to prom, not her."

"Only because you spread a rumor about Elika being pregnant." Theo obviously did not like his girlfriend.

Cristin and Felicity both gasped.

"We all grew up together," Theo told me because I obviously looked confused. "We went to Iolani School together; it's a college prep school close to Waikiki."

"And we all left the island for university," Cristin added, "Excepther."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Hawaii is in her blood; she likes it here."

"Her SAT scores sucked, so she went to the University of Hawaii," Cristin quipped, and I was taken aback by the venom in her voice.

"U of H is a great school," Theo commented.

"Didn't Elika drop out after the first year?" Cristin wondered.

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