Page 41 of It Could Happen
I definitely didn’t expect Tyler to have a response like that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him not be sarcastic or arrogant.
“You’re probably right,” Caroline says. “I always say you’re one of the good ones, Tyler Robinson.”
He smiles. “I sure am.”
Ah, now there’s the Tyler I know.
“You should tell your friend Tori that I’m not Satan himself,” he adds.
Caroline laughs.
“I never called you that,” I reply.
Not even five seconds later, Rachel returns to the table looking a bit calmer than when she left. Maybe it helped to open up to someone, or maybe all the alcohol is doing its thing. Caroline rushes over to greet her. I watch as Christian looks a bit more uncomfortable all of a sudden. I’ve been so busy paying attention to Rachel’s behavior, I haven’t been watching him. He moves his body more toward Erica after Rachel sits down. I wonder how no one else is picking up on the tension between them.
“Why do you look stressed out?” Tyler asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I’m not stressed out.”
He gives me a questioning look.
“Why would I be stressed? I’m on a gorgeous ship on the Atlantic Ocean. Tomorrow I’m going Jet Skiing and have a spa treatment. Things could be worse.”
My thoughts immediately go to poor Erica who has no idea her life could completely crumble at any moment. The way she’s been talking, she’s probably expecting a proposal soon.
“Look at you, being so positive. I’m impressed,” he replies.
“You two have been very chatty tonight,” Leslie interrupts, smiling.
Hmm … I wonder if behind her forced smile she’s planning to cut off all my hair while I sleep tonight. That’s probably rather dramatic, but I wouldn’t put anything past her. Although Rachel is the one who hooked up with her friend’s boyfriend—so I could be completely wrong about everyone’s true colors.
“I’m just here to make friends and enjoy my vacation,” I tell her, giving her an equally sweet and sincere smile.
The food starts coming out, and we all dive in. Leslie boldly steps in and resumes giving Tyler all her attention, while Matt and I chat about traveling. Admittedly, I’m fascinated by all the places he’s been. He tells me he has a goal to visit at least one new destination every year.
“That’s amazing,” I say. “I’d love to travel more. I grew up going to the same places with my parents. My dad has always been a creature of habit.”
“Well, let me know if you need any tips. I have some great itineraries already set up and tons of contacts.”
“I’ll probably take you up on that offer.”
Matt and I continue to chat throughout dinner. And every so often, Tyler chimes in.
As soon as dinner is finished, we all head to one of the dance clubs, except Rachel, which no one is surprised about. Even Caroline doesn’t try to talk her into staying. I guess she’s following Tyler’s advice after all.
As soon as we walk into the club, “22” by Taylor Swift comes on and Caroline cheers. She grabs my hand and Erica’s with the other and drags us onto the dance floor. Erica grabs Leslie and the four of us move to the middle of the floor. Everyone in the room is singing along with Taylor. The vibe is fun and happy, and we’re ready to celebrate our journey to the Bahamas. The guys have also joined us, and before I know what’s happening, Matt is by my side. Without a word, he starts spinning me around, and we’re moving like we did earlier in the day. Tyler and Leslie are also dancing together, but I try to ignore it. After a few more songs, we leave the floor and sit on some nearby couches. It doesn’t take me long to start yawning. I’ve always been more of a morning person than a night owl.
“I think I’m going to bed,” I tell Caroline. “We have to be up early for our excursion.”
She nods. “Me too.”
I say goodnight to everyone else and leave the club. Another reason cruising is so fabulous is because you can be dancing with your friends one minute and then crawling into bed the next.
Just as the elevator doors start to close, Tyler dashes inside.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, before I know what I’m saying.
“Ouch.”
