Page 44 of Meet Me in Tahiti

Her heart skipped a beat. If only he could be her date here tonight, amidst all of this. It was such a romantic setting, and it was on nights like these that her lack of a plus-one status came rushing back.

But she wasn’t alone anymore. She had Russell. Even if she had to hide it—they had a connection. She brushed away the feelings and directed her attention back to the girls.

Inside the resort, the staff welcomed them with flower leis and gently guided the guests toward apicturesque photo op before the dinner show. Just beyond the torch-lit garden, two oversized straw chairs were arranged to form a heart when viewed together, their woven patterns intricate and warm under the lantern light. A sigh came from Tessa.

“That’s so cute,” Jenna said as the staff placed a traditional flower crown on the head of each woman as the couples sat down for the photo.

“This is going on our holiday card,” Marin declared. Tessa nodded her approval for their sake but looked on with a gnawing sense of dread.

Her shoulders sank. Another perfectly romantic moment in which she could not truly partake. Another solo ride in the land of couples. Oh, well. Things could certainly be worse. At least she was here, in paradise, and the man she cared about wasn’t far away.

She watched as each couple took turns sitting together, hands entwined, posing under the evening sky and floral gardens, sometimes even kissing for the shot. One after another, the seats filled with smiling faces and clicking cameras.

Tessa stood in line behind the others, waiting her turn, almost ready to bolt and skip ahead to Avery and Nate, who’d already finished.

Marin and Jenna looked over, noticing.

“Want us to jump in with you?” Jenna offered. “Come on, we’ll do a girl’s pic.”

Avery had already joined Nate further ahead and out of earshot, so the picture wouldn’t include all of them.

Tessa smiled and shook her head.It was tempting, but it felt like pity. “No, it’s fine.” A photo by herself would be a friendly reminder, at least, that she’d had a great time coming on this trip on her own. And thank goodness she had come alone, because she never would’ve come to know Russ in the way that she had. Still, her throat tightened. This would be awkward, at best. Maybe she could still skip it entirely?

But the hostess waved her in, placing the flower crown on her head before she could say no. Tessa sat down in one of the seats, the other half of the heart-shaped arrangement ridiculously empty. She crossed her legs and straightened her shoulders. She could do this.

But they should really have a singles line—a singles photo chair—shouldn’t they? She might write an email to the management when she returned home about it. She held back an irritable sigh, feeling every bit the old maid, despite her best attempts.

But throngs of dinner guests waited their turn in line, watching. So, she smiled, and the photographer snapped.

Russ stoodoff to the side with Malik and Jules, watching the group finish up their pre-dinner photo ops. The couples were all laughing and affectionate, the flower crown and heart-shaped chairs making for picture-perfect memories of a Tahitian holiday. But it was Tessa who held his attention.

Alone. Again.

She was alluring in her thigh-high, form-fitting white dress and flower lei, those long, now fairly tanned legs in tall heels—he could hardly look away. She smiled bravely for the camera, but Russ could tell the moment she sat down on the throne-like seat that this was anything but pleasant for her. She was doing her best to play it cool, but she felt out of place, and it was driving a small knife right through his chest.

“She’s by herself again,” Jules murmured, crossing her arms. “Poor girl.” They’d all heard the story about Ethan.

Russ clenched his jaw. “I hate seeing her like this.”

Jules looked at him sidelong. “Sitting there alone would be torture after a breakup, if you ask me.”

Russ agreed. He knew she was over the breakup, but still. He needed to do something. So what if Malik and Jules thought he was out of line?

“Wait, Russ?” He heard Jules’ voice from behind him as he crossed the small patch of lawn that stood between them and stepped into the photo area just as Tessa was about to get up.

“Mind if I join you for a shot?” he asked.

Tessa’s head jutted back. She nodded, speechless, lowering herself back into the seat.

Russ shot her a look as her gaze softened, her eyes lighting with surprise.

He sat in the other seat and leaned in toward her, their shoulders touching, his arms crossed casually as if they were merely friends. At least she wasn’t alone, and that’s what mattered to him. They smiled.

The camera clicked.

From a distance, he caught the disapproving shake of Malik’s head and the surprise on Jules’ face.

But he didn’t care.

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