Page 72 of A Quick Stop in Paradise

“Isclimbinga metaphor?”

“I meant it literally, but whatever you like. I know what Allison would rather be climbing.”

She snorted, elbowing me. “Oh, god, stop.”

“What? You’ve apparently taken to asking me every question about all the times I’ve slept with Brooklyn, so the subject is clearly on the table.”

“Wait, so when did you two first get it on?”

“Day before yesterday.´”

She raised her eyebrows. “All the times you’ve slept with her, huh? In a couple days? Guess she is good in bed.”

I put a hand to my forehead. “I… won’t deny it.”

She laughed. “I love this for you. Brooklyn, huh…” She turned her gaze back across the gym. “You know? I can kind of see it.”

“Oh, you were expecting me to hook up with a hot bartender woman.”

“Um, no. But you know, just, this. You and her. She’s really just…out there.With who she is. You always did hate veiled things and people not saying what they really mean.”

I hadn’t realized Stella had even had a read on me like that. “She is… very nice to be around,” I said lightly, and she stopped, giving me a look.

“Are you hooking up with her, or are you… I don’t know, actually dating her?”

Oh, god, I hoped I wasn’t blushing. I hung my head. “I had a feeling you’d go straight togo be in love together forever…she lives here on the island, and I do not. No amount of enjoying what’s happening here would make me want to do a long-distance relationship.”

Her face fell, looking down at the floor. “Yeah… again with that. That sounds really lonely.”

I sighed. “It does. She seems generally happy, but whenever she’s talked about it, it seems like…”

“Like she wishes she had something serious with someone.”

“I think it just starts to feel aimless… arbitrary… after a time.”

She elbowed me. “You travel a lot for work,” she said.

“I amnotgetting into a serious relationship with this girl I met on Monday,” I laughed. “Go… go say hi to Allison or something. She’s looking like she never wants to touch a climbing wall again. I bet if you go around then she’ll be motivated again.”

She laughed, jumping up to her feet. “So, I’m guessing you and Brooklyn are busy tonight and just want to get back to her place after this.”

Oh, god. I put my hands up. “What would be the point in denying it?”

“Have fun, you two,” she said with the biggest grin. “I’ll take Allison to go look for cute people tonight.”

“She’s not going to notice any girls as long as you’re there with her,” I said, and she snorted.

“I’m not the only girl on the island. She’ll find someone else she thinks is cute. Someone artsy and romantic.”

Poor Allison. I was going to focus on my own prospects, though, which were looking brighter, as Brooklyn came over to join me on the bench not long after Stella left, and I pulled her water bottle from her gym bag next to me and held it out for her as she approached, taking it gratefully.

“All tapped out for the night?” she said before knocking back the water, and I stood up, compelled by some force to step in and press a kiss against her cheek. My heart ran wildly over it, and I smiled ridiculously as she set the water bottle back down.

“I think so,” I said. “Um… sorry about that.” I cleared my throat, looking past her. “I don’t know what got into me all of a sudden.”

She paused, glancing behind her at where Stella and Oscar were back at the wall. “I don’t think they saw.”

“I, er, told them…?” I folded my hands at my waist. “Well, Oscar got tired of dancing around it and just said it, and I confirmed it, so.”

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