“Oh, were you?” He pulled me closer.
“Mmhmm. And I was thinking about what a badass you are.”
He laughed. “Said the badass.”
“When you guys go, can I come with?”
One of his brows rose. “Any chance I might get you on a board? Because that would fulfill so many fantasies.”
I drew a little circle on his chest with the pad of my finger. “Only if you promise to surf shirtless. I think it might be worth getting eaten by a shark to see that once before I die.”
When he chuckled and kissed me, I thought I might melt right there in his arms.
“Have we waited long enough?” I asked when he broke the kiss like a tyrant.
“That was the question I came over here to ask. Are you ready to go?”
My heart thumped, and my lips smiled. “Only since you got here.”
We said our goodbyes and headed out, hand in hand, then with our arms around each other as we walked to his apartment.
I thought about what Ramona had said, thought about Bodie and how easy it was to be with him. Even having been with him all night, he was never needy, always independent. In fact, I had been the needy one, seeking him out to touch him, kiss him.
I had no idea what had gotten into me, but when I actually thought about it, it freaked me out.
Were we dating? Was I his girlfriend? I couldn’t even say the word in my head without my insides shriveling up.
But when I thought about how I felt about Bodie, those shriveled up insides bloomed and filled up again. He’d told me it could be easy, and now … well, now I was on a date with him, one I’d set up without even realizing I was doing it.
If that wasn’t going with the flow, I couldn’t imagine what was.
He hadn’t put any demands on me, hadn’t pushed the boundaries of what I was comfortable with. He hadn’t done anything but let me breathe, let me be, and somehow that was exactly what I needed. And he knew it.
We’d been on a date, and I hadn’t felt trapped or uncomfortable or cagey at all. I felt good. I felt happy.
So I took that as a sign that I was on the right track. And if we could keep on being easy, then I could stay put — for a little while at least. Ride the wave. Enjoy the scenery. Get high off of Bodie.
I did my best not to think about what would happen when I came down.
Steak at Stake
The next afternoon, I took a sip of my champagne, facing the mirrors in the bridal shop, but I turned as Ramona came out from the dressing room, cheeks pink and eyes shining.
She looked stunning and stunned and absolutely gorgeous.
She was a rustling of lace and silk chiffon as she spanned the room and stepped up onto the platform, pressing her palm to her stomach.
The dress itself was simple and beautiful with beadwork that looked Edwardian — structured and flowing all at once in draping designs. Her waist was waspish from the corset underneath the soft fabric, and the sweeping neckline cut the slightest V between her breasts, framing her chest and neck tattoos like they had been made for each other.
“It’s happening. This is it,” she whispered with a shaky breath. “I … for a long time, I didn’t think it would. He never asked, you know? He couldn’t leave Joel, but Joel finding Annika changed everything. I should buy that woman an island.”
Veronica and I laughed and moved to her side, turning to look at our trio in the wide-angled mirrors. But Ramona was looking down at us, smiling and crying.
“Thank you. Both of you. I couldn’t do this without you, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to share this with me the way you two have.”
Tears filled my eyes too, and Veronica and I stepped up onto the platform to hug. The three of us hung onto each other for a long moment.
When we turned back to the mirror, I looked us over. “Damn, we look good.”
We laughed. It was our final fitting, and everything was perfect. Our bridesmaid dresses were dove-gray chiffon, soft and flowing and long, each a little different. Mine tied around the waist with a deep V and flowing skirt that made me feel like a goddess. Veronica’s was strapless, the top corseted and the skirt the same as mine.
I reached for the small table next to the platform where Ramona’s champagne stood, bubbling and waiting for her, raising my glass as I placed hers in her hand.
“To your next beginning,” I said simply.
And we touched our champagne flutes together with the sweetest of tings before taking a sip.
I’d barely noticed the camera crew until they began to pack up. One of the cameramen nodded to me with a smile as they disappeared.