Page 85 of Accidental Blind Date
“Tankless water heater,” he says.
“Of course.”
I get out and wrap myself in a towel, wiping off the mirror to fix my makeup and hair the best I can without any of my own things. My mind wanders to the thought of a woman being in this space. This was a shared bathroom at one point. And while there are no signs of that now, the idea of it lingers. There were two toothbrushes and probably another hand towel. The drawers most likely had makeup, moisturizers, and all the things women need to feel like women.
I pull my dress back on and look back at Dax in the reflection. He smiles at me as he gets dressed. “The girls need to be picked up soon. But you can take as much time as you need.”
“I’m good,” I tell him. “I can’t exactly go commando forever. I’ll let you do your thing and I’ll see you soon,” I smile.
He smiles back, kissing my shoulder and for a moment, we both stare in the reflection of us. Then he plants a kiss on my cheek. “Sounds good. Besides, you have packing to do,” he says.
Costa Rica.
How I almost forgot about that in the last hour, I don’t know.
As I drive home, the car is quiet, void of music or anything else so I can sort my brain. It’s not that I’m not excited about Costa Rica. I am. It’s not that our shower sex wasn’t beyond perfect. It was.
But it’s suddenly hitting me pretty hard. This is a man who has known real love at its truest, deepest form. A man who made two extraordinarily beautiful children from that love. A man with a family, a routine, a world that I have never known. And a man who knows loss. That part, I can relate to in my own way.
I’d be lying if I said it isn’t scary. Everything is happening very fast.
I’d also be lying if I said I’m not falling for him. And that’s the scariest part of it all.
Chapter 30
Libby
Pura Vida.
“This is ridiculous,” I say, as Dax and I get off the airport shuttle. It drops us off in front of the Garden Beaches Resort, which might as well be a castle. Immediately we are greeted by the two gentlemen who take our bags and load them onto a golf cart.
“Too much?” Dax asks as a girl with a tray of fruity cocktails approaches us. We each take one and I take a sip before Dax helps me onto the golf cart to shuttle us to our suite.
“I mean I don’t hate it,” I say.
“Good,” he says, looping an arm around me. “We are on vacation. Haven’t you ever been on vacation?”
I squawk out a laugh, nearly spitting out my drink. “I’ve been on vacation. It just looks a little different for me. You know, Vegas or New York City. Oh! We went to Niagara Falls once when I was little. I cried the whole time. But nothing like this. This is like…celebrity status. Are these drinks free?” I ask as I suck down the last of my berry rum goodness.
“Yep. All inclusive.”
“Okay,” I smack my lips. “But what does thatreallymean? What is included in all inclusive?”
“All of it,” he says and then laughs. “Just enjoy it. Hemingway partners with Hotels Unlimited because we make all the travel guides. Let’s just say I get perks at their hotels, resorts included.”
“God, at my job the biggest perk I get is a signed copy of Laura Linden’s latest rom-com. That and sometimes Spice Thai down the street gives me free gyoza since I work on the same street. That and I order from them at least twice a week.”
Dax laughs again. “Are you sure you need more of these?” he asks, taking my empty glass from me.
“Oh, hell yes. Keep them coming.” I smile at him, and he kisses me. Maybe it’s the rum talking. Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t had a day off from work in ages. Or maybe it’s the fact that being here with him is the most romantic thing I’ve ever done in my life. No matter what it is, I am happy. Elated even. And it’s enough to make me forget about everything else.
The resort is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. It’s made up of multiple buildings, each with about ten condo suites in it. Between every building are gardens and lush walkways. There are two pools, one that is more for wading and one that is the party pool, complete with a volleyball net and a swim up bar. There are also multiple restaurants– a Japanese place, an Italian place, a steakhouse, a seafood place, and in the middle of it all is an all-day buffet serving authentic local foods. Think tamales, plantains, and fruits. So much fruit.
Then there’s the room. Oh. My. God. The room.
“Wow,” I breathe out as we walk in. The bed is California king, complete with the softest, freshest white linen bedding I’ve ever touched. There’s a couch, a kitchenette, an actual walk-in closet, and a balcony with French doors. Then there’s the bathroom. The shower is similar to the one in Dax’s house. But there’s also a deep freestanding tub that I absolutely cannot wait to crawl into with a good book.
“Do you like it?” he asks, setting his things down and looking around.
