Page 43 of The Summer Arrangement
Great. Just great. That’s the last thing I need.
When the waitress arrives with our drinks, all thoughts of Dad and Mable disappear. Before I know it, Raven and Finn join us from the dance floor, and drinks are passed around the table—somehow, mine finds me last.
Just as mine is placed in front of me, my family lifts their glasses in the air, as if on cue. Not wanting to be left out, I do the same.
“Cheers, Lizzy! Happy Birthday!” Lanie starts, and my family joins with various toasts of “Happy Birthday, To the birthday girl, and Here here,” but the one that registers when most settle is, “Drink up.”
This may be my twenty-first birthday, but it’s not my first cocktail.
Bringing the salty rim to my lips, I quickly get some on my tongue before sipping my margarita through the straw.
Damn, this tastes incredible!It’s the perfect blend of sweet and sour.
Cheers erupt, and they burst out singingHappy Birthdayto me.
Scratch that. Apparently, our commotion stopped the band, and now, the entire bar is singing to me.
Holy shit, it’s loud.
When the song comes to an end, I swear my ears feel hot as fiery coals in a campfire. I typically avoid attention like this, but—it’s my birthday. I shouldn’t expect otherwise.
As the band resumes, thankfully, the chaos around me settles. Now that I’m no longer the center of attention, my body relaxes onto my stool.
Resting my elbows on the high-top table in front of me, I do one of my favorite things in public—watch the crowd. The band is on fire, and couples are living it up on the dance floor in front of us. My family animatedly talks with one another about something that happened the last time they went out, and I’m just sitting here, taking it all in. Pop’s is busy, and I finally get what the hype is all about.
God, I love my family. It’s rare that we’re all in one place. As the youngest, I’ve witnessed them all go off and find their own lives. I’m happy for them, I truly am. But watching from the sidelines doesn’t mean I haven’t missed them like crazy. Who knew Seaside would be the place to reconnect us? If Nana hadn’t made this feel so much like home, I’m not sure where we’d all be.
When I finish student teaching and graduate next spring, I could end up anywhere. Hopefully, my next adventure won’t take me far from my sisters.
Speaking of adventure—I wonder what Cameron’s up to tonight.
A smile plays at my lips as flashes from our one and only date fly through my thoughts. Being with Cameron was hands-down the hottest night of my life. If given the chance to go back in time, even knowing our current connections, I swear I’d do it all over again. No questions asked.
I have zero regrets.
Hell, I’m certain that one night with him has ruined me for all others.
Sure, he’s my boss, and nothing can happen again, but a girl can daydream, right?
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Jax stands and walks around the table, greeting someone behind me, but I don’t pay any attention. He’s often recognized, especially being a local in Seaside.
However, when Ryan stands, grabs a chair from another table, then places it beside me, I finally pay attention. “Have a seat. Have you eaten?”
“I could eat,” a sexy familiar voice replies, and my eyes practically pop out of their sockets, as it registers who’s standing next to me.
“Cameron?” His name comes out as a question because my brain can’t process the fact he’s here.
His sexy smirk makes my belly flip and a shiver runs up my spine.
God, this man is gorgeous.
Leaning in, he pulls me in for a side hug and kisses me on the cheek. “Happy Birthday, Beautiful,” he whispers so only I can hear. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you.”
All I can do is stare with a dopey smile on my face as three things hit me at once.
First, the man I wasjustthinking about is here.
Did I conjure him? How is this even possible?
