Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
My eyes widened. “Now I look eighteen?”
“You could pass for it.”
“Well, if you knew I looked young, why did you meet me?”
“I guess I hoped your age was correct and you just had young genes or something.”
“But you said you noticed me when we first got here. Why were you checking me out if I’m too young for you?”
He shook his head. “You’re a real pill, you know that? And I wasn’t checking you out. But I did notice you ogling me.” His eyes fell to my chest.
“Like you’re doing right now?” I asked. “Looking down at my boobs?”
He gritted his teeth. “Have a good rest of your day, Delores.”
Then he walked away—again.
Oh my God. Did that just happen? And of course, he looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.
Not only did I feel like a fool for getting caught in a lie, but I had just blown a date with the hottest man I’d ever laid eyes on. Yes, I’m pathetic. Even after all that, I still wanted to sleep with him.
As I walked back toward the hotel, I called Taylor.
“Hey. How’s it going in paradise?” he said in greeting.
“I just did the dumbest thing.” I rolled my eyes.
“What?” he asked, though he was already laughing.
I told him the story of my app-date fuckup.
“Why the hell would you pick that name?”
“It rhymes with clitoris?” I chuckled. “Who the hell knows! You know I have problems making small decisions. It takes me forever to pick what I want to eat at restaurants. It was the first name that came to mind.”
“You figured the name would offset lying about your age?”
“It wasn’t even that calculated. Just a dumb, spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Well, I guess you live, you learn, right?”
“You’re not gonna scold me and warn me to be careful?”
“Hell no. You deserve to have some fun. But yes, be careful about who you’re dealing with. Don’t go anywhere alone with anyone. You made the right decision meeting that guy out by the pool.”
“Okay, but if you’re looking to hook up with someone, how do you do that in public? At some point, you have to be alone with them.”
“Well, at least get to know him first. Make sure he’s not a serial killer. Get a vibe for the type of person he is as best you can. Maybe run a background check or something. I don’t know. Just don’t rush into anything.”
“Pretty sure I won’t be meeting anyone else. It’s slim pickings here, and I won’t leave the resort. So no need to worry about any of that.” I sighed. “Anyway…what are you up to tonight?”
“Juliana and I are going to the movies.”
“Fun. Have a good time. I’m gonna see if I can jump on one of the excursions this afternoon or something. I need a distraction.”
“Good idea. The trip will be over before you know it, so you should make the best of it. Don’t turn into a mope because of one bad experience. That would defeat the whole purpose of my gift, which was to make sure you forget all about that clown ex of yours.”
“I know. Thank you. It’s been an amazing vacation so far, even if I’ve had my moments. It’s given me a lot of time to clear my head. I’ll never forget you gifting this experience to me.”
“Okay.” He sighed. “Be careful. Stop trolling older men. And call me if you need to.”
“Will do, my friend. Thanks for listening.”
After we hung up, I went to the front desk and inquired as to which excursions had open spots late this afternoon or early evening.
There was a spot open on the five o’clock helmet-diving adventure, so I signed up for that.
After returning to my room to freshen up, I walked down to the pier where the boat was located at a few minutes before five. I met the driver, Pete. He was really nice and told me there was only one other person signed up. So, we were just waiting on them before leaving the dock.
In the meantime, he and I got to talking about what to expect. I was a little nervous. The idea of being that far underwater, weighed down by a heavy helmet, got my catastrophic mind churning.
Just as Pete asked me where I was from, a deep voice called from behind me. “Don’t believe anything she says.”
I froze and turned to find my apparent diving partner: Tate.
Chapter 3
* * *
BLAIR
“Are you the other diver? I should leave.” I sighed.
Tate grinned. “No, by all means, stay.”
“Is this your daddy?” Pete chuckled.
“She fucking wishes,” Tate said.
I glared at him, and he smirked, seeming all too amused by this coincidence.
As awkward as it was, I had to appreciate the universe’s sense of humor. And secretly, I’d been regretting how things went earlier and welcomed the chance to prove to Tate that I wasn’t just some silly little liar. This was my opportunity to turn his impression of me around.