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His words sparked an idea, and without hesitation, I said, “Why don’t you both join us?”
“That’s a great idea!” Caleb said.
Sabrina exchanged a look with Simon, her enthusiasm mixed with surprise and hesitation. “That is very kind of you, really, but we wouldn’t want to get in the way.”
Simon nodded in agreement, his face showing conflict. “She’s right. It’s your moment, August. We don’t want to overshadow it. Thank you, though.”
I pressed on, lightly, trying to break through their hesitation because I really enjoyed their company. “Come on, you mentioned that flying on a private jet was something you had always wanted to do. This could be a fun adventure for all of us, and it would be my way of thanking you for your help. Besides, Veronica and Daphne would be much more thrilled to see your faces than mine and Caleb’s. You could help break the ice for me.”
“Are you sure about this?” Simon asked.
“Absolutely,” I answered.
Sabrina bit her lip. “I will not lie—it certainly is very tempting.”
“Then just say yes,” I said.
She glanced at Simon, who shrugged, then a smile formed on her face. “How can we refuse an adventure like that?”
“You can’t,” I said with a grin. “Is that a yes?”
Finally, their initial reservations melted away, replaced by the adventurous spirit I knew was in them when Sabrina said, “Yes!”
Simon high-fived Caleb as his face lit up with excitement. “All right then! It looks like we’re going to Zanzibar!”
Chapter Nine
Princess Veronica
The outside deck of the Beach House Restaurant & Bar in Stone Town, Zanzibar was bathed in the warm, orange glow of the gorgeous sunset over the Indian Ocean as Daphne and I finished our cheesecake with mocha ice cream.
“This was such a great idea,” I said, scraping the last bit of ice cream from the plate with my spoon, then letting it slowly melt in my mouth. “Who knew running away could feel this spectacular?”
“We should do it again tomorrow,” Daphne joked, then licked her spoon. “A new location every day! I vote for Ibiza next.”
I laughed. “As tempting as that sounds, you’re going to have to suffer here for a while. It would be much harder to fly under the radar there.”
“The sacrifices one has to make for friends,” she said with a fake frown. “One thing for sure, the guys surely can’t be happy with us at the moment.”
“Leaving was very necessary, you know that, right?” I said. “After everything, I just needed this.” I gestured to the crashing waves and the sun disappearing before us. “Space. Relaxation. Time to think. No temptations.”
Daphne held up a finger. “Don’t forget the king prawns and grilled octopus.”
“I won’t—that was an amazing meal,” I said with a smile. “I seriously want to hire this chef and bring him back to the palace with us.” I took the last sip of my after-dinner espresso, then set the cup down. “Anyway, my point is, let’s just enjoy our time here.”
“I am perfectly fine with that, but don’t you feel a little guilty, though, the way we left like that?” Daphne asked. “August came such a long way to find you.”
“I don’t feel guilty in the least. I made it perfectly clear to him where I stood about our relationship … there is no chance of us getting back together.”
“Okay, but let me ask you this …”
I sighed. “Why can’t you let this go?”
Daphne ignored my question, then asked, “What’s the worst that could happen if you and August did actually get back together?”
I looked out at the horizon over the ocean as a couple of seagulls flew by, then turned back toward her. “The worst thing? Being the owner of a shattered heart beyond repair. Again.”
“Okay, then … what’s the best thing that could happen?” Daphne pressed.
