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“If my mom thinks I love you, then she’ll tolerate you for me, right?”
“That would be a disaster,” I remark with a smile. “I’ll do my best to ensure she dislikes me more than her tolerance level for you.”
“Good. That’s for the best. Even if she likes you, she can’t find out that you work for me. There are rules,” he whispers way too loudly.
Now the driver’s eyebrows shoot up.
“It’s a long story,” I tell him. “If you could just keep that comment to yourself…”
“I didn’t hear anything,” he says with a good-natured smile.
“Monty, if this is going to work then you need to be more careful with what you say. Think before speaking, okay? Or even better, don’t say anything until you sober up. Let me do all the talking.”
“Okay. You can talk. I need a nap.”
“After lunch,” I assure him, even though I’m certain he’ll be clearer headed and more alert after eating.
When the van pulls to a stop, Manny says, “This is the Veranda Café. Enjoy your lunch and your weekend.”
“Thank you for the ride. Time to go, Monty.” When my boss stands, I pull his money clip from his back pocket since I don’t carry cash.
“Hey! That tickled,” he exclaims.
“I’m just getting some cash out.” I peel off two twenties from his wad and stuff them in the driver’s tip jar on the way out, then head down the van steps with Monty following.
Once the van pulls away, my boss spins around in a slow circle and swears again.
“What now?” I ask him as he slips his briefcase strap over his shoulder.
“I think I lost my luggage again.”
“I bet it will turn up in our bungalow later.”
“What? Like magic?” he asks, then frowns. “I don’t trust magic.”
“Well, just trust me. Now, how do we find your mom…” I glance around, taking the resort in for the first time. “Holy crap. This place is beautiful!”
The resort looks like something out of a dream, with crystal-clear turquoise water, soft white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and luxurious white villas climbing the hillside beneath bursts of tropical flowers. Reggae music drifts through the warm ocean breeze, giving the entire place a carefree, laid-back feel. I bet the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking. Every inch of the resort feels designed for falling in love.
“You’re supposed to hate it,” Monty reminds me. “Hate everything about this weekend.”
“What’s to hate? It’s paradise.”
“Well, find something to dislike fast because my mom is headed this way.”
“Oh, crap,” I whisper as I adjust my sunhat lower to hide my hideous bump.
“Remember, your name is Vanessa.”
“Vanessa. Right. Love it.”
“No, you don’t,” Monty says as he continues to stare at me.
“I’m sure she was a lovely lady once you got to know her,” I remark. “Other than the awful things she planned to do to those poor Dalmatian puppies.”
“The what?”
“Monty! Vanessa! Aren’t you two the most beautiful couple,” an elegant woman in her sixties says as she approaches us in giant sunglasses and a tall, lean man following a few steps behind her. She opens her arms wide, bringing me and Monty in for a group hug at the same time.
