Rick and I noticed how much you loved this piece, and when we heard you were in the market for a new place, we decided you absolutely needed to have this for your new digs. Don’t stress about the price. Rick wanted to do this for you and Walker gave us a good deal. Promise. Can’t wait to see you the next time you’re in New York. Tell Peter we say hi!
XOXO,
Kim & Rick
Grinning to myself, I put the card down and tore through the plastic wrap. Beneath it all lay the masterpiece I’d fallen in love with at Walker’s gallery. It was the picture of the naked dark-skinned woman wrapped up in red and copper fabrics. I ran my fingers over the foiled gold paint through her dark hair.
“Beautiful,” I whispered.
It was my first official piece of art I’d ever owned and I couldn’t wait to hang it up in my future home, wherever that home may be.
Chapter 37
Peter
Ginny shouldered her way through the crowds up to the bar, and I followed. When I’d said I wanted to order rounds for everyone, she’d jumped right on the offer but warned me that the bartenders responded quicker to women than to men. Based on how busy it was at Skip’s tonight, she doubted I’d be served for at least ten minutes.
So she came with me.
When we reached the bar, she slammed her hand down on the surface and bellowed the bartender’s name. I couldn’t tell if it was Alex or Allan, but he responded quickly, and within two minutes, we had four drinks in hand to bring back to Katie and Roman.
We skirted around the dance floor where people were busting moves to popular rock songs played by the live band. On the outer edge of the dance floor were dozens of standing tables where people could set their drinks down and have loud conversations over the music. As we passed people, I heard them talking about their favorite snorkeling spots on the island, how long they were here for, where they were from, and how badly they didn’t want to return to their regular life.
I couldn’t blame them.
I’d found paradise on this island and I didn’t want to leave, either. Sure, I had some reservations about abandoning my little brother in LA, and I had plans on flying back pretty shortly to check in on him and help with the sale of the house. Now that our father was gone, I knew he would need support, and we’d been talking on the phone a lot recently compared to how infrequently we used to talk. I think both of us realized that we were all we had left in terms of close family and neither of us wanted to ruin that by being petty.
Besides, Mike had grown up a little these last few weeks. And maybe I had as well.
Ginny and I found Roman and Katie at a low table in the far corner of the bar. They were talking animatedly, and the half-full drinks we’d left them with were now gone. I set down Katie’s new one. She looked up at me, smiled, and pursed her lips around her straw.
“Thank you,” she said.
I slid Roman his drink as Ginny and I took our seats on the outer edges of the booth. “Thank Ginny. She’s the one who was breaking necks trying to get to the bar.”
“You gotta do what you gotta do.” Ginny shrugged. “I didn’t want to waste ten minutes waiting for a drink. That’s rule number one for keeping a good buzz going.”
Roman scoffed. “Rule number one is not drinking water.”
“Hardcore,” I joked.
Roman flashed me a knowing smile. “Hey, when the drinks aren’t cheap, you gotta make every one count. And when you’re breaking each drink up with a cup of water, you’re doing the polar opposite.”
“I think that was my motto when I was in eleventh grade,” Ginny said.
“And what?” Roman asked sharply. “Drinking orange juice with raspberry vodka?”
Ginny’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe. What’s it to you?”
“I knew it.” Roman laughed.
Katie gave me a look that said I’m sorry about them.
I shrugged it off, raised my glass, and toasted to new friends. Roman and Ginny seemed to like this very much and added sentiments of their own.
“And to new beginnings,” Ginny said.
Roman eyed her over the rim of his glass as he tipped it to take a sip. “Are you toasting to Katie and Peter or