Page 17 of Love, Take Two

"Take your time," she manages, though her eyes drift south again before she seems to catch herself. "I mean—no rush. The coffee will keep warm.

"You're a lifesaver," I say, accepting the mug and trying not to notice how the ocean breeze catches her hair. "Please tell me you put something stronger than cream in this." I take a sip and place it on the table before stepping into the bathroom to slip on some shorts.

"I wish," she laughs, settling into one of the terrace chairs while very deliberately not looking in my direction. "But we've got wine tasting in an hour, so we should probably pace ourselves."

"About this morning," I start, settling into the chair across from her.

"The yoga was intense," she agrees quickly, like she's been thinking about it too.

"That's one way to put it," I say, studying her face for clues about what she's actually thinking. "Derek certainly had opinions about our 'obvious chemistry.'"

"You’ll see that Derek has opinions about everything," Vada says, but her cheeks pink slightly. "Though I have to admit, we were probably more synchronized than two people claiming to be casual friends should be."

"Definitely more synchronized," I agree. "The trust poses felt..."

"Yeah," she finishes.

We both know that's an understatement but neither of us seems ready to acknowledge what happened during partner yoga. Looking into her eyes felt like coming home. Catching her in my arms triggered every protective instinct I'd buried. Touching her again felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"So, wine tasting," I say, changing the subject before we wander into territory that our friendship agreement can't handle. "Any idea what we're in for?"

"Knowing Erika, it's going to be elaborate and perfectly curated for social media," Vada says, pulling out her phone. "She sent the details this morning. We're tasting five wines from different regions, paired with artisanal cheeses and 'locally sourced delicacies,' whatever that means."

"Sounds like content gold," I say, my influencer brain automatically cataloging the possibilities. "Though I should probably warn you, I've developed what some people call an embarrassingly sophisticated palate since college."

"Some people?"

"My sister Stella. She says I've become insufferably pretentious about wine."

Vada's smile is genuinely delighted. "That's hilarious, because I was about to confess the same thing. Event planning has forced me to learn way too much about wine and food pairings."

"We're going to be insufferable together," I realize.

"The sommelier won't know what hit them."

There's something exciting about showing off together. Combining our skills and creating killer content. Travel meets event planning, adventure lifestyle meets authentic coordination—it's a collaboration that could benefit both our brands.

"Want to create some content together?" I ask. "Behind-the-scenes prep, maybe some educational stuff about wine regions?"

"Now that you brought it up..." She's already pulling out her camera equipment. "My followers have been requesting more beverage content, and your audience would love the educational angle."

We spend thirty minutes creating preliminary content on the terrace, and it's obvious we work together seamlessly. Vada has an eye for composition that complements my technical skills, and our natural banter creates the kind of authentic chemistry that can't be manufactured.

"Okay, that was fun." She says when we've captured enough pre-content. "We should head down before Derek comes looking for us with more inappropriate commentary."

The wine tasting setup is more elegant than I expected. The resort transformed their glass pavilion into a tasting room. High-top tables face the ocean, and a sommelier station looks straight out of Napa Valley.

Other wedding guests are mingling with glasses of sparkling wine. I spot Derek holding court near the cheese display with what appears to be his second drink despite the fact that the tasting hasn't started.

"This is going to be interesting," Vada murmurs as we approach the group.

"EMORY! VADA!" Derek's voice carries across the pavilion like he's announcing a sporting event. "The yoga superstars! Everyone was talking about you guys this morning!"

Several heads turn in our direction, and I catch multiple people pulling out phones to discretely capture our arrival. Apparently, we're the entertainment for this event whether we want to be or not.

"How's the wine, Derek?" I ask, hoping to redirect his attention toward alcohol instead of our personal lives.

"Incredible!” Derek acknowledges, though his eyes are already glazing slightly from whatever he's been drinking. “Seriously, you guys have to try the Sauvignon Blanc. It's almost as crisp and refreshing as young love."

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