Page 84 of Beneath the Blindfold

His wife’s mouth dropped wide open. “Oh my God, that’s Anna Douglas!”

Why don’t you shout it a little louder? I don’t think the folks back in coach heard you.

Her gaze was laser focused, darting furiously between Anna and me.

“Who’s that?” the guy asked.

“She was in that movie. I’m sure you remember, Mark. She was naked, and you couldn’t stop talking about it.”

“Oh.” He turned beet red.

At this point, I decided I was okay with letting him continue to shake my hand all the way off the plane. I felt a little bad for him.

The wife’s attention landed on the bag I’d pulled down and zeroed in on the floral scarf knotted through a zipper pull. “Are you two together?”

“No, no,” I said quickly. “We’re not together, we’re just friends.”

Wait. Shit!

In my attempt to make it clear we weren’t ‘together’together, I’d overcompensated. I’d made it sound like the idea of Anna and I dating was silly. Like I didn’t want that to happen, when it wasexactlywhat I wanted.

Maybe I’d gotten lucky and Anna hadn’t picked up the mixed signal I’d just sent—

A vacant smile was frozen on her pretty face.

Awesome.

I’d just friend-zoned myself.

FIVE

Jamie

Anna stood in the spacious living room, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the villa. If it were daylight outside, she’d be able to see beyond the deck and the amazing view of the ocean, but it was late, and the moon was hidden behind clouds. The beach was just down the grassy slope, and with the windows cracked, we could hear the waves crashing against the shore.

The villa was traditional Hawaii plantation style. The pitched ceiling in the open living room and kitchen had warm wood and exposed beams, reminding me of a sophisticated thatched roof. Some of the decor was beachy and tropical, but the couch was modern with oversized and squared off armrests.

The pictures online of this place were good but hadn’t done it justice. The house was seductive and romantic. It wasperfect.

The manager of the villa spent the last ten minutes giving us a tour, showing us where the snorkel gear was stored in the garage and how to work the outdoor shower to rinse off after coming back from the beach. She didn’t get starstruck around Anna—maybe celebrities stayed here a lot, and the woman was used to it. The gated, luxury community meant we’d have privacy.

There’d been an awkward moment when the manager opened the master bedroom door and announced it was the better of the two rooms, so we should stay there. Anna didn’t say anything, but I got the impression it was easier to stay quiet rather than correct the woman’s assumption.

“Mahalo,” the manager called out as a goodbye before she left.

As soon as she pulled the front door closed behind her, I grabbed Anna’s bag and hauled it toward the master bedroom, the wheels clacking over the grout lines in the tile floor.

“Where are you going?” Anna hurried after me.

“You get the big room.”

“No, that’s fine. You can have it.”

I ignored her and rolled the suitcase through the doorway, parking it beside the dresser. I turned and shot her a smile. “Too late. Your bag’s already in here.”

She frowned. “We’re splitting this trip fifty-fifty. It’s not fair if I get the nicer room.”

The other room had a queen-sized bed instead of a king, a smaller bathroom, and no beach view, but I didn’t mind. “It doesn’t matter to me, but if bothers you, we can switch halfway through the week.”

---