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I hum to myself. People tend to be more excited to see who has been here. As we walk inside, he lowers his ball cap, so it’s difficult to see his eyes. I tilt my head, confused by his slight change in demeanor.
“Aspen,” Teva greets us when we walk in to the open-air restaurant. She stretches her arms out wide and wraps them around my shoulders. I pat her back. Someone’s being overfriendly today. Her face beams when her eyes land on Ryker. “This is a surprise seeing you. Usually you’re—”
“Teva, this is Ryker,” I say, interrupting her, with wide eyes and a slight shake of my head. “I’m his hired guide for the day.”
“Oh.” I plead with her with my eyes not to say anything. It’s not that I need to keep my actual job secret, I just don’t want to share that with him. It’s personal and close to my heart. The exact place he doesn’t need to be. She waves me off. “I can’t keep up with all your jobs, anyway. Ryker, welcome to Bloody Mary’s.”
I take a step back when they shake hands and mouth, “Thank you.” Teva is Mama Doe’s daughter and we’re almost the same age. She’s not a good friend. She’s had a crush on Dante since I can remember and she blames me that he has never shown interest. But her dislike for foreigners is stronger than her dislike for me, even gorgeous ones like Ryker.
She leads us to our table. After we sit, I notice Ryker’s flashing an arresting smile. I cross my legs as an ache builds. I wish he’d stop that. “Aspen, huh?”
I laugh, holding up the menu even though I know it by heart. “I didn’t even notice she said my name. I was more confused that she was hugging me. But yes, that is my name.”
“Did you know it’s a city in the United States?”
“It’s where I was born.” It’s the only piece of being an American I’ve held on to. Growing up here and learning about the rich culture, I’ve immersed myself as being a Tahitian. But I’m not, and there are few people that still remind me of that. It feels like my name is the only thing I have that is the real me.
“It’s one of my favorite cities.”
I drop the menu and lean forward on the table. “It is? Will you tell me about it?”
Hanging on to every word, I imagine myself there when he describes the mountains, hiking, and a town as unique as Bora Bora. My dad never talks about the States, but I’ve looked up pictures of Aspen. Although, hearing Ryker talk about it, there’s life in his words rather than just pictures.
“I like your necklace.”
I run my fingers over the tiny opal bead that always hangs from my neck. “Thanks.” The only thing my mom ever gave me. I’ve tried to take it off, but the guilt attached to it always changes my mind. She might have left me, and I don’t know why, but she wanted me to have it. In a way, it makes me feel closer to a woman I don’t remember.
The afternoon slips away from us. He’s easy to talk to. I catch myself telling him things no one knows except for Dante. Like when I dressed up like Cyndi Lauper and put on a concert for my dad and Dante.
Yeah, I regretted that word vomit.
“So, you’re a big eighties music fan?” he asks with humor in his voice. “‘Cause I have a vague memory of waking up to someone singing a song of hers.” I cover my flushed face with my hand. So much for him not hearing my horrible voice.
“Were you even asleep?” I choke out. For someone dead to the world, he sure does remember a lot about me being there. His deep laugh fills the room. People glance our way and he bites his lip to stop, lowering his face. When he lifts back up, mischief dances in his eyes. He wasn’t asleep at all. “I can’t believe you laid there naked. What exactly were you expecting?”
He shrugs. “Wasn’t expecting anything. I was hungover and wasn’t ready to get up yet.”
“You could have told me to come back later.”
Nodding, he says, “I could have. But what fun would that have been?”
“Don’t give me a reason to start not liking you. I thought you were different from the other assholes who come here.”
He leans across the table, his eyes hardening. “Whiskey, don’t confuse being nice with being a man with a dick. We all want the same thing, some of us just go about it differently.”
At least he’s honest. I cross my arms in front of me on the table and lean in too. Our faces inches apart, I say, “Are you saying you’re being nice because you’re expecting something from me?”
I swallow at the intensity in his eyes. “No. I’m being nice because… I’m a nice guy. I hired you with a stipulation of no shagging, so there’re no expectations other than you showing me the island. But I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not attracted to you.”
I would have rather he lied. It’d be easier for me to ignore the draw I feel knowing he didn’t have the same attraction.
Someone steps up to the table, breaking the trance I'd been in. “Can I get you two anything else?” I sit back and peek up at Reva, smiling from ear to ear. She’s thinking she has something to tell Dante. Except, there’s nothing to tell. And even if there was, Dante and I are just friends.
“Nope, we’re all done here,” I answer without asking Ryker if he’s ready to go. As we fight over who’s paying, I remind him he paid for a tour and this is part of the tour.
When we’re walking out, he rasps, “You have a habit of ending things abruptly.”
I wish that had always been the case. It would’ve saved me a lot of heartache. Not giving in to the attractive foreigners in hopes he’ll fall in love with me and take me with him. I internally groan. How foolish and naïve I was. But that’s not me anymore.
