Page 29 of It Could Happen
Ever since we ran into Tyler at Party Tacos, Parker has brought him up at least once in every conversation we’ve had.
“Yeah, Leslie will love that. I’ll be lucky if I make it back without her attempting to throw me overboard or get me arrested in the Bahamas.”
I have no doubt Leslie has big plans for herself and Tyler this weekend. These plans certainly don’t include me hanging around.
“Oh, please—I’m sure she doesn’t dislike you that much.”
I grab my sunscreen and drop it in my bag.
“I wouldn’t put anything past her and moving in on her man would definitely add to her negative feelings about me.”
“But Tyler’s not her man, right?” Parker asks pointedly.
“Well, no.”
“So then he’s free game, and you should go for it.”
I laugh. “Parker, you make it sound like he’s a toy.”
“Well …”
Typical Parker.
“Anyway, I’m looking forward to a nice weekend of lying by the pool, good food, and bingo.”
“Oh, no,” she wails. “You can’t spend your weekend in paradise playing bingo!”
“Why not?” I ask. “You can win tons of money. The jackpot is huge.”
“You’re not going to meet a man hanging with old—”
“Whoa. People of all ages play bingo,” I interrupt.
“Please promise me you’ll have an open mind,” Parker begs. “Get out of your comfort zone a little.”
“Don’t I always?”
She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. “You know what I mean.”
I sigh. “Yes. And just so you know, I’m very open to meeting a handsome stranger who will sweep me off my feet and want to spend the next three days enjoying the magic of the islands.”
She giggles. “That’s the spirit.”
I finally manage to get Parker off the phone without any more lectures about making a move on Tyler or playing bingo. The time has come to meet up with the wedding crew. It was Erica’s idea for us all to ride over to the port so we could get on the ship together. Everyone was in agreement on the group text, except Rachel who said she was taking an Uber because she gets car sick in vans. Her excuse didn’t make any sense to me, but Caroline stepped in and finally convinced her to ride with the rest of us by telling her she could sit in the front seat. It wouldn’t surprise me if she still gets her own transportation.
The plan is to meet up at Clint’s house, which turns out to be a sprawling lake-front estate. Who knew Clint was such a baller? He seems so laid back, quiet, and down to earth. Almost every time I’ve seen him, other than the kickoff party, he’s worn a T-shirt with fish on it and cargo shorts.
He waves to me and points to the long driveway. I pull in and park behind a red BMW. I’m not surprised when Leslie walks to the car and opens the trunk. The sassy red car fits with her fiery red hair and personality.
“Tori, you’re here,” Erica calls from outside the van. She waves excitedly. I wave back to her. She’s obviously in a great mood, although I’ve never seen her not in a good mood.
“Hi, Leslie,” I say as pull my bag out of the back seat.
“Good morning, Tori,” she says formally.
“This weekend will be so fun,” I say. “A much needed getaway.”
“Absolutely.”
