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I shake my head. Lying is easier right now.
‘Lolo kanapapiki!’ she spurts with hate.
Uh-oh. I didn’t even tell the truth, and she’s pissed enough that she’s swearing in Hawaiian. That’s never a good sign.
‘What did I do?’ Adam turns, questioning her, assuming she’s swearing at him because that’s what these two do. They insult one another (jokingly) in languages I don’t speak.
‘Not you,’ she jeers, then turns to me, planting both hands on my shoulders. ‘Dump. Him,’ she insists. ‘Seriously, this isn’t how love works.’
‘Kai… I want to give him a chance. He proposed. I feel like that’s a big deal.’
She grabs my left hand and holds it in front of my face. ‘But are you really engaged? Has he said one word about this wedding since he left?’
‘No.’
‘Any discussions about rings you might like?’
‘No.’
‘Does he even know you’ve already got your entire honeymoon planned out and have since you were twelve?’
She’s right. I’ve been dreaming of the Bahamas since I was a kid, and I’ve done so much research I’ve got an itinerary that I update yearly. My love of everything tropical is why I love my job so much.
‘No…’ I say timidly.
‘Yeeooowww!’ A hand slaps the bar counter behind us as a catcall fills the room. ‘Look at this hottie!’ a male voice says. A voice I recognize but am not thrilled to hear. I turn, and it’s confirmed – Declan, one of Conner’s local buddies. I haven’t seen any of his friends since he left. In fact, I’ve only met this guy a couple of times because Conner didn’t really hang with his friends when I was around. We spent too much time in my bed, giggling at ridiculous things to include his friends in our world often.
‘Is every guy he’s friends with douchey?’ Kai asks.
I only nod because so far, to my knowledge, the answer is yes.
‘Hey, Dec.’
‘Big Dec,’ he corrects me with a laugh. A couple of buddies on either side of him laugh too. I forgot they have ‘bro names’. It’s so stupid.
‘I’m never calling you that, so give up now.’
He frowns as if he’s disappointed and hops onto a free stool beside him. ‘How’s our doctor boy?’
‘She wouldn’t know because doctor boy is also a real buttpipe,’ Kai answers for me, sidling up to me and grabbing what she assumes they’ll order. PBR in the can. There are some people who we just know what their order will be, and usually, that’s it.
Declan has a head full of curly hair, but only on top because he shaves the sides, so he looks a little like an eighties movie villain.
‘That’s a little harsh,’ he says, defending his friend. He looks at me. ‘You two are engaged; how don’t you know how he is?’
I lift my shoulders. ‘Seems he’s not a big talker while he’s away.’
‘Big Dec’ looks confused. ‘He doesn’t call you?’
‘Not often. Does he call you?’
‘Hell yeah, he calls me. I’m his PDX bestie. Mostly it’s to tell me about the hotties at the club’s he’s—’ Right then, mid-sentence, he groans as one of his friends elbows him in the ribs.
‘What are you doing?’ the nameless friend asks. ‘That was supposed to be on the downlow.’ He attempts to say this ventriloquist style, but he doesn’t have the talent, so both Kai and I hear the words plainly.
‘My God, drunk men are idiots,’ Kai mumbles, setting the three PBRs on the counter. ‘Go away. Preferably to the bar down the block.’
Declan grimaces as she walks away to help someone else. ‘She’s kinda bitchy.’
