out to catch up with Seth and Kendra.
SIX
Sienna
He’s not coming.
God, I feel like an idiot—I really wanted to see him again.
Pushing down that uncomfortable feeling of being stood up, I rise to my feet and take my beach towel with me, tossing it over my arm without even shaking out the sand. Clumsily I step into my flip-flops and then shoulder my beach bag. I feel like I can’t get away fast enough, as if everyone on the island is looking right at me, whispering about the dumb girl who got stood up by the hot surfer; my stomach swims with embarrassment. And utter disappointment.
There’s a small group of people on the beach learning to surf, but this time Luke’s not among them. Maybe he got sick and couldn’t come today. Or maybe he’s just running late.
It doesn’t matter. I have to get ready to catch my plane.
Without looking back, I leave the beach in a very dry bikini covered by a pair of white shorts and head toward the hotel.
It’s for the best anyway. After today I’ll be back at home in San Diego and there’s not one good thing I can think of that I’d get out of spending an hour with Luke. If anything, I’d end up liking him enough to want to spend more time with him and I’d have to leave Hawaii more disappointed than I already am.
I saved the wedding from Veronica, Destroyer of Weddings. The caterer showed up as planned. The original band was a no-go when I finally contacted them. They said they’d already booked that time slot with someone else. But the guy took pity on me—after I’d apologized profusely for what Veronica had done—and made some calls. Turns out Veronica decided to fire them because they said they might be ten minutes late—unbelievable. At the last minute, just when I thought Mrs. Dennings’s angry gaze was actually going to set me on fire this time, I got the call. The new band showed up with just minutes to spare and everything else went smoothly the rest of the evening.
Mrs. Dennings never actually said thank you, but she didn’t call Cassandra and manage to get me fired, and I figured that was the best she was willing to offer.
Paige comes around the side of the building just as I’m walking up, a relieved expression settled over her features. Her pink-tinged cheeks blow up with air before letting it all out slowly like pinching the opening of a balloon.
“I’m so glad that’s over,” she says.
I don’t agree or disagree, but instead I look beyond her, afraid to meet her eyes. Because I’m not particularly good at this boss thing, especially when it comes to my best friend—another lesson learned.
“Are you ready to pack up and hitch a ride off this rock?” she asks, smiling now, having no clue about what’s plaguing my thoughts that have everything—well, mostly—to do with her. Luke is still kinda there, floating around in the back in my subconscious, uninvited.
I sigh, looking down at my feet.
“Paige, I need to talk to you.”
Her expression goes slack in an instant.
“Yeah, what’s up?” She waits impatiently and then softens her features when I look back at her, almost as if trying to help me out. My shoulders fall into a slump and I let out a deep breath, dropping my beach bag and towel on the concrete as I sit down on the low brick border surrounding the landscaping. Moments later, she sits beside me; I can smell her fruity passion perfume.
“Paige,” I begin, gazing out ahead at the palm trees on the side of the building, “you’re great at what you do and you help me tremendously, but—”
“You’re firing me?” Strangely enough, her face softens even more, when I most expected it to shrivel up and make me feel awful.
“What—no!”
She smiles. “Don’t worry about it.” Her hand touches my shoulder. “I was actually going to put in my resignation.” She gestures her free hand and adds suddenly, “It has nothing to do with you, girl, so don’t think that for a second.”
“Wait—you’re quitting?” Blindsided, it takes me a second to get anything out. “Paige, I wasn’t going to fire you. I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you—it’s not as easy being your boss as I thought it’d be.”
Paige chuckles. “I can tell,” she says, and then lays her head on my shoulder for a brief second. “But I meant what I said about never putting you in a