Page 41 of The Suite Life
‘For the wedding, I’m on the lookout for someone impressive,’ I explain. ‘Someone who will turn the head of everyone in the room.’
‘What a normal thing to say about your sister’s wedding day,’ he teases.
‘Yeah, I realise that sounds a little strange – not like that, obviously,’ I insist. ‘But someone who outshines the other guests, at least.’
‘That kind of thing is important to you?’ he asks, interested, but without judgement.
‘Oh, no, not at all,’ I insist. ‘Not usually, anyway. Nathan, my ex, has brought his new girlfriend. I know you said you didn’t recognise her, and I don’t know if you were just being polite, but she’s Sunshine Greene, the influencer, the one who was onWelcome to Singledom.’
‘The reality show?’ Donnie checks. ‘No, I don’t really watch stuff like that.’
‘Ah, well, needless to say, Sunshine is a big deal, and absolutely traumatising to be replaced by, because I’m never going to be able to compete with her,’ I explain. ‘But maybe my date could. That’s the only reason I’m looking for someone to take, to save face, because the last thing I want is to seem like a tragic spinster and have everyone feel sorry for me.’
Donnie rubs his chin as he thinks for a moment.
‘Okay, that makes sense,’ he replies. ‘I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that you don’t need to do that, obviously, and that me telling you won’t stop you, so I may as well help you out.’
‘Thanks,’ I reply. ‘I know, it’s tragic, and it makes me look bad. If I were looking for an actual partner, impressive would be pretty low down the list – or, at the very least, I would judge it differently.’
‘You don’t owe me an explanation,’ he reassures me.
‘I know but, even so,’ I say with a smile. ‘I like things to be simple. I just want to find someone who loves me for who I am, unconditionally. Someone who enjoys the simple pleasures in life too, like fun Friday nights and sleeping in on Saturday mornings. Someone to go for long walks with, to share Sunday dinners, and, you know, eventually start a family with, even if it’s just the two of us. A rich, impressive person is the last thing I want, to be honest. After the ones I’ve met so far, I would say that kind of person is the kind of person I definitely don’t want to be with, long term.’
Donnie nods thoughtfully.
‘I agree,’ he says. ‘I want the same things.’
I smile at him.
‘And if I can find someone with a big family then even better,’ he continues. ‘My parents are no longer around, and I didn’t have any siblings or cousins growing up, so I always feel a little alone in the world.’
I feel his words in my chest.
‘I’m so sorry to hear that,’ I tell him sincerely.
‘Ah, it’s okay, I’m used to it,’ he replies. ‘And I have friends – great friends – of course. Friends are the family you choose, right?’
‘Yep, and family are the family you’re stuck with,’ I point out with a smile.
God, I am lucky to have them, though.
He laughs.
‘It would be nice to find a partner, one for keeps, who loves me for who I am,’ he tells me. ‘So we’re similar, in that respect.’
The air inside the beach hut changes as our conversation shifts to more serious matters. Suddenly it feels harder to breathe and, I can’t explain why, but it’s not necessarily in a bad way. I find myself moving in closer to him, as he edges closer to me too, as an undefinable unspoken connection builds between us. The rhythmic crash of the waves around us almost hypnotises me, making this random little beach hut feel like the most romantic place on earth and, for a moment, Donnie seems completely irresistible.
We both seem to jolt to our senses at the same time, Donnie moving up suddenly, while I head over to the door, walking it off like nothing happened. Well, nothing did happen, but it felt like it was about to.
‘We should head back towards the hotel,’ I babble, my voice vaguely panicky.
‘Yeah, absolutely,’ he replies.
I reach for the handle but nothing happens. The door won’t open. I try and I try, using more force with each attempt, but it isn’t budging.
‘The door won’t open,’ I tell him, full-blown panic in my words now.
‘Don’t worry,’ Donnie reassures me, coming over to lend a hand. He tries once, then twice, but it resists stubbornly, almostas though it’s determined to keep the two of us in here until we give it what it wants.
