Page 62 of Hula Girl

I’m left wondering whether I was premature in shutting down any possibility of us beyond this week. In the end, I just don’t see what opening my heart up to someone I can never really be with will get me. It can only lead to disappointment. Better to pull back now and get into protective mode before it’s too late.

With a nod to myself, I start to get ready for work.

24

Ford

Yes, my ego was a bit bruised when Ava said we should back off, but I’m good now. I’ve spent the morning at the firm, sourcing everything I can find to help me with my shares dilemma. In the back of my mind, I’ve also been thinking of how she shut me down this morning. She was right to remind us both that we don’t have a chance of lasting. Admittedly, I got carried away. There’s something about her that keeps drawing me further and further in. But, now that I’ve been reminded that there’s no point in pursuing anything meaningful with her, I’m good with this hands-off approach.

Not that that stopped me from buying her a ten-thousand-dollar ring. We have appearances to keep up, and even though I’ve ditched all my high-priced lawyer trappings for the simple life in Maui, I still have a good deal of money in the bank. It wouldn’t do to grab some small, temporary ring. I selected a four carat, emerald cut solitaire surrounded by pavé diamonds on a platinum band with more diamonds lining the band three-quarters of the way around. It’s beautiful, elegant, and a little flashy all at the same time, and I think it perfectly suits Ava. I did my best with the guess on the size and hope it’s not too far off, and in any case, it only needs to last for a week.

I’ve never proposed to a woman before. Never even got close. In both high school and college, I dated widely, had a few long-ish relationships, but nothing ever really stuck. I was always so ambitious, so eager to accomplish the next step that would get me closer to becoming a part of my father’s firm. And I got what I wanted, only to discover within a few short years that it had all been one bad decision after another. I’m just grateful that I didn’t let my whole life go by before rectifying the situation.

And now I’ve got a beautiful fiancée; a fake one, but a beautiful one, nonetheless. I guess I won’t be formally proposing to her in any case. But now that I think of it, I like the idea of making some grand show of it just to bug her.

Guess I’m not entirely over how quick she was to say that we areincompatible. I mean, I get what she’s saying. I get that this game we’re playing will only be trickier if we allow real emotion into it, but how about just going along for the ride to see where it takes us?

Clearly, she’s not a roll-with-it kind of woman. Though, isn’t that what she told her mother she should do? Just roll with it. Seems like she might want to take her own advice.

Especially this afternoon. I’ve just arrived at the offices of Miller, Newell & Kahn to pick her up.

The receptionist, a bright young thing who probably took the job in the hope of gaining real world experience while studying for the bar exam, looks up as I approach. Her eyes widen as she takes in my less than professional attire. I’m back to my beach standard: Well-worn T-shirt (this time a Billabong), hybrid shorts that can pass for regular wear and that can also work in the water, and flip-flops. My sunglasses are up on my head, helping keep back my hair.

I give her my most charming smile. “I’m here for Ava Ruiz.”

“Oh,” she says, her surprise escaping her before she can contain it.

“Don’t worry. She’s expecting me.”

“Uh huh. I mean, no problem. Have a seat, and I’ll call her office. “

“Great. My name is Ford McAvoy. In case you needed it.”

She blushes bright red. “Thank you, Mr. Ford. I mean, Mr. McAvoy.”

When I give her a wink, her blush only deepens. I step away from the reception desk, not wanting to further fluster her. I’m much more interested in seeing Ava. In seeing her reaction when I slip the ring on her finger.

I feel that familiar invisible pull when Ava pushes through the glass door toward the lobby. She’s wearing a white skirt that stops well short of her knees with a white and black patterned silk top. The black heels she wears accentuate those gorgeous legs of hers, and like Pavlov’s dog, I feel myself salivate at the sight of them.

“Hi, babe,” she says with a big smile. She greets me with a hug and a quick kiss.

It takes me a second to recover from her calling mebabe. This is now the second time she’s used that term of endearment. The first was when we were playing off our engagement with my father and her boss.

“Hi, honey,” I say, forcing the stiffness out of the greeting. “Ready to go?”

She looks back at the glass door, and I see a man standing there. He’s towheaded with bright blue eyes that are wide as he watches us, mouth agape.

“Yeah, but first, I want to introduce you to my good friend Tyler.” She waves the man over, and he joins us eagerly.

Ava laces her fingers through mine, playing the part of happily engaged girlfriend beautifully as she makes the introductions.

“And here I was telling her last night,” Tyler says, “thatIwas going to introduceyouto her. What a poker face you have, Ava.”

The look on Tyler’s face is pure skepticism, telling me he’s not quite buying this whole story.

“Well, it’s good to meet you in any event,” I say, shaking Tyler’s hand.

“I’ve been apologizing to him all day about the fact that we kept our engagement secret, even from him,” she says with a laugh.

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