Page 55 of The Upgrade

“Can I make us some drinks?” Sybil heads off to the wet bar, tossing her tangle of curls. “I make a mean gin and tonic, or there’s the passionfruit seltzer they stock in each fridge.”

“G&T sounds good.” I don’t want to drink too much and risk dulling sensation, but a few sips should set me at ease. “Topher? You want anything?”

Check me out, getting his pseudonym right.

“I’ll have the same.” He grins like he’s reading my thoughts. “Nervous?”

“A little.” I wipe both palms on my skirt, which is already streaked with damp handprints. “Maybe a lot.”

“We’ve got plenty of time to ease into things.” He squeezes my hand, then pulls me along with him into the room. He walks past the bed without much of a glance, stroking the indigo throw on the back of the couch. “There’s no pressure to do anything other than talk.”

“Totally.” Sybil comes over with three drinks on a bamboo tray. “I’ve had plenty of guests decide they just want to flirt or make out for a while. No judgment, I promise.”

“Thanks.” I wave to the couch, which offers a view of the sea through the patio door. “Shall we sit?”

I settle first, with Kit claiming the spot to my right. Sybil kicks off her shoes and curls up on my left. Setting her drink on the end table, she tucks her bare feet beneath her.

“Tell me about yourself, Eve.”

The question strikes me as funny, given the circumstances. A nervous laugh ripples out of me before I can stop it.

“Feels awkward, huh?” Sybil smiles. “Totally normal.”

Normal.

I’m guessing that’s not what my stepfather meant, so I giggle again. Sybil’s silver-gray eyes and the casual ease of her posture help me relax just a little. She’s here to fulfill my bucket list fantasy, but she’s not making me feel weird about it.

“By the way, thanks for adding your name to the portal this morning,” she says. “I totally get why guests can be guarded about privacy, but it helps to make things more…personal.”

“Personal.” Another giggle slips out. “Makes sense when you’re getting naked with strangers.”

A chuckle rolls out of Kit. “Good point.”

His hand on my knee, the comfort of his voice, reminds me we’re not really strangers. That’s making this easier as I come back to Sybil’s question. “Um, well, I grew up in a suburb outside Portland.”

“Let me guess—Oregon, not Maine?” She smiles when I nod, brushing a wisp of hair behind my ear. “You’ve got that sexy, crunchy, free-spirited Pacific Northwest vibe going on.”

I think that’s a compliment. “I love it there. It’s a regular city but you can drive an hour and you’re in the mountains or wine country or even the coast.”

“Sounds beautiful.” There she goes, touching my hair again. Her fingers brush my ear and electric sparks rattle my spine. “You have family there?”

“Sorta.” I swallow a mouthful of my drink. “My mom and my stepdad and stepsister all live near Seattle. But my best friend and her sisters live in Portland. They kinda adopted me in high school. I lived my last year with them.”

“Found family,” Sybil says. “Mad respect for that.”

Tension buzzes off Kit on my right, so I deliberately don’t look at him. “They’re all more like sisters than friends. Camille especially. We basically grew up together.”

“I love friendships like that.” Sybil shifts on the sofa, grazing my knee with hers. “Do you mind sharing what you do for a living?”

“Public relations and marketing. I started a boutique firm a few years ago and I love it.”

“Good for you.” She smiles. “You like being your own boss?”

“I do.” I’m conscious of Kit watching, of the heat of his hand on my knee. “I can set my own schedule and pick clients whose businesses interest me instead of taking whatever lands in my lap.”

“Love it.” Her eyes are so silvery that I nearly get lost in them. “And how did you wind up vacationing at Crystal Bliss?”

I brace to feel awful about Brock, but I don’t. I’m getting used to discussing my failed engagement like it’s no big deal. “I was all set to marry a guy I’d dated for years. Turns out he had a small problem keeping his dick out of my cousin.”

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