Page 10 of Once Upon a Holiday Vacation
The crew member beamed at us. “Enjoy your stay, lovebirds! And congratulations again on your nuptials! If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.” With a wink, she closed the door behind her, leaving us alone in the romantic paradise.
Easton stood silently; his eyes fixed on the bed. “Well, at least we won't have to fight over who gets the good pillow,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He slowly turned to face me and the expression on his face told me I’d failed miserably. “This isn’t funny, Weston! We could get in serious trouble if anyone finds out.”
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of his disapproval. “Look, I know this isn't ideal, but think about it. We've got this amazing suite, all these perks. It would be a shame to give it up now.”
Easton's eyes narrowed. “A shame? West, this is fraud. We could get kicked off the ship!”
“Come on, East,” I pleaded, taking a step closer to him. “No one’s going to find out. We've been best friends for years. We know each other better than anyone. We can totally pull this off.”
He shook his head, but I could see the resolve weakening in his eyes. “I don't know...”
“It'll be an adventure,” I said, grinning. “What do you say?”
“You're impossible, that’s what I say.”
“True, but that's why you love me,” I teased, throwing him a wink.
To my surprise, a faint blush colored his cheeks. His gaze darted from the plush king-sized bed to the champagne chilling in an ice bucket, then back to my face. I could see the conflict in his eyes, his brow furrowed as he weighed the options. The tension in the room was palpable, and I held my breath, waiting for his decision.
“I... I guess we could give it a shot,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But West, if it gets too weird or uncomfortable?—”
“We'll call it off and I’ll explain to everyone that this was all my fault,” I finished for him, unable to contain the grin spreading across my face.
“You won’t have to because if we get caught, I'm throwing you overboard,” he informed me jauntily as he moved toward a set of curtains and pulled them aside, revealing a private balcony with an incredible view of the ocean.
I laughed, flopping onto the bed. “Deal. Now come on, hubby. Let's pop that champagne and start our fake honeymoon right!”
Relief flooded through me, mixing with a surge of excitement that made my heart race. I couldn't believe he'd actually agreed. A whole week of pretending to be married to my best friend? It was going to be interesting, to say the least.
“So, uh, what now?” he asked, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as he turned to face me. “Do we need to... practice or something?”
I laughed, the sound breaking the lingering tension in the room. “Practice being married? Come on, we've practically been an old married couple since we were kids. Remember when your mom used to joke about us bickering like we'd been together for fifty years?”
A small smile tugged at Easton's lips. “Yeah, I remember. She always said we'd end up together someday.”
My breath caught in my throat at his words, and for a moment, I imagined what that might be like—not just pretending, but actually being with Easton. The thought sent a warmth spreading through my chest that I wasn't quite ready to examine.
“Well, looks like she was right,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “Even if it's just for a week.”
I clapped my hands together, eager to move past the sudden flicker of awkwardness. “Alright, Mr. Holt-Beckett, let's get unpacked and settled in. I bet you brought half your library with you, didn't you?”
Easton's cheeks flushed adorably as he unzipped his suitcase. “Only a quarter, thank you very much. I had to leave room for actual clothes this time.”
I chuckled, pulling out my own haphazardly folded t-shirts. “Unlike that camping trip where you packed nothing but books and I had to lend you my clothes all weekend?”
“Hey, I was prepared for intellectual emergencies,” he retorted, carefully arranging his neatly folded clothes in a drawer.
As we bantered back and forth, I found my gaze continually drawn to Easton. The way his brow furrowed in concentration as he organized his belongings, the soft curve of his smile when he laughed at one of my jokes—it was all suddenly captivating in a way I'd never noticed before.
“Earth to West,” Easton's voice broke through my reverie. “You okay? You've been folding that same shirt for like five minutes.”
I blinked, realizing I'd been staring. “Oh, uh, yeah. Just... thinking about all the fun we're gonna have this week. So, what do you say? Should we go explore this floating palace?”
“Absolutely!” His enthusiasm was infectious. “I can't believe we're actually here.”
“Me either. You know,” I said as we stepped into the hallway, the scent of sea salt and pine garlands mingling in the air, “I have a feeling this is going to be a holiday we'll never forget.”
