Page 49 of It Could Happen
A crew member takes his card and checks the numbers.
“We have a winner.”
I jump up and cheer. Tyler immediately lifts me off the ground and spins me around. His toned arms tighten around me, making my heart race. In the middle of the excitement, our faces come inches from each other as he slowly lowers me back to the floor. My arms are still around his neck, and neither of us lets go of the other. His eyes lock on mine and my heart begins to pound against the walls of my chest.
“Congrats on winning the mega jackpot,” the announcer continues.
Instantly Tyler and I pull away, and he starts clapping his hands over his head. I’m also clapping, but my mind is replaying the moment we just had. Was he about to kiss me? Clearly we were both caught up in the moment. He won a lot of money and wanted to celebrate.
“I can’t believe you won,” I repeat.
“We won.”
I shake my head. “Oh, come on. You don’t have to go through with the bet.”
He smiles. “Of course I do. You get thirty percent of the money, and I get to name your car. We had an agreement.”
I lean my head to the side. “That’s not a great deal for you.”
Tyler follows the crew member over to a table near the door, and I sit down on the bench to collect my thoughts. I guess my car will soon have a name. I’m not sure what to think about that.
One thing is for sure—Tyler is following through on his efforts to win me over. Of course fifteen hundred dollars helps. Honestly, I have no intention of taking that money. He won the game fair and square.
“All right, Tori, let’s spend the evening celebrating our winnings.”
“The evening? What about dinner with the group?”
He gives me a mischievous grin. “We could skip it.”
“Are you sure about that? What would people say?”
He frowns. “I don’t care what anyone says. But you’re probably right. It’s the last dinner, and we should be there for Andy and Caroline.”
“Exactly.”
I try to hide my disappointment. I can’t believe I’m actually bummed about not hanging with Tyler. What’s come over me?
“But we could go grab a drink and make a toast,” he suggests.
I nod. “Sure.”
Tyler and I head to the main bar in the ship’s large atrium. There’s a live band playing music, and a photographer is snapping pictures of the guests. The energy is light and fun, a perfect way to end this short getaway. We both order glasses of wine and chat about the game.
“I still can’t believe you beat me. I was ahead of you the whole time.”
He chuckles. “I told you I have a way of bringing good things wherever I go. I’ve worked hard to live my life with intention.”
I sip my wine. “That’s a great outlook to have.”
He swirls his wine glass. “Listen, I know I can come across as a little over-confident.”
“A little?” I tease.
“Very funny, “he says. “I’m really a decent guy, once you get to know me.”
I’m realizing this, but I don’t say it out loud.
“Anyway, we have an important matter to discuss. Naming your car.”
