Page 23 of Sunburned

“I know, right?” It truly was hard, watching my sweet boys turn into surly teenagers before my very eyes, but I was also aware that bonding with her over our similarities would make her more comfortable with me. “It kills me. They won’t even let me hug them in public anymore.”

“It’s the worst,” she agreed, then wrinkled her nose. “And he’s starting to smell like a teenager too.”

I laughed as Laurent approached, touching me lightly on the back and gesturing to the thick oak dining table, which was big enough for twelve but set for only seven, leaving an awkward amount of space between the settings. “Dinner will be served shortly.”

And then he was gone, my skin tingling where his fingers had grazed.Too bad he works for Tyson,I thought, realizing with embarrassment that Laurent had likely already told him all the questions I’d asked in the car. No wonder Tyson had been so smug.

“How incredible is he?” Jennifer whispered, her gaze tracing the curve of Laurent’s ass in his fitted black pants as he returned to the kitchen.

“He is very helpful,” I agreed.

“Oh yes, I’d love his help with all kinds of things,” she insinuated.

Normally, insta-friend oversharer types struck me as ungenuine and gave me anxiety, but in this scenario, I realized Jennifer could turn out to be quite useful. I laughed again and threw her a wink as we made our way to the table, where she took a seat next to Cody and I settled myself across from her.

Allison emerged from her suite on the other side of the living room, typing madly on her phone as she slid into the seat between me and Gisèle, an arm’s length away. The server filled her glass with white wine, and she locked eyes with Cody, saluting him with her glass before she took a sip. I could feel the tension radiating off her, and as she set her phone facedown on the table without so much as a glance in my direction, I had the distinct feeling that whatever shit she was mired in, Cody was in it with her.

Tyson was yet to appear, but no one commented on his absence as Laurent went over the menu for the evening while a waiter whisked away my champagne flute, which I was surprised to find was empty, then filled my wineglass with a chilled white that was crisp and dry on my tongue.

Across the table, I noted that Jennifer covered her wineglass with her hand when the waiter approached.

“Is Tyson coming to dinner?” I asked as small plates of ahi crudo were placed before us.

“He’ll be here,” Cody said, spearing a chunk of fish with his fork. “But we don’t wait for him.”

“He’s on a liquid diet,” Jennifer divulged. “Stirs this nasty green mix some health guru gave him into alkaline water morning, noon, and night.”

I nodded, remembering the green sludge he’d been drinking earlier. “But he still drinks Coors Light?”

Allison’s sheath of glossy black hair gleamed in the candlelight as she turned to me with a wry smile. “I guess by comparison the green shit tastes good.”

Cody chortled, catching my eye. “One man’s piss—”

“—is another man’s wine,” I finished, raising my glass to him.

The shared humor at Tyson’s expense elevated the mood at the table enough that Jennifer took a stab at interrogating Samira and Gisèle about the paddleboard yoga class they’d taken earlier. She didn’t get much out of them beyond giggles, but I had to admire her moxie as I swallowed a delicious bite of ahi and took another sip of my wine. This was not my usual twelve-dollar bottle from Publix. No, this was the good stuff. The sunshine-in-a-glass stuff, and I would have had no trouble drinking the entire serving in one gulp. Which would be ill-advised, seeing as I was already starting to feel lighter in my seat.

Allison was again typing at her phone while Jennifer complained about how crowded the spa at Eden Roc had been today when the table quieted and eyes shifted toward the stairwell behind me. The giddiness of the wine soured in my stomach at Tyson’s approach, his presence pulling at the fabric of the room like dark matter as he took the seat next to me at the head of the table.

Laurent placed a can of Coors Light in front of him, and he sipped it calmly while the table seemed to hold its breath. I didn’t dare meet anyone’s eyes for fear my internal smirk at the Coors Light would mar my face, drawing Tyson’s ire.

After what felt like ages, Tyson spoke. “How are Alexander and Benjamin?” he asked, flashing his most charming smile at me, as though he hadn’t just threatened to ruin their lives half an hour ago.

I sensed the others relax as they registered Tyson’s mood as nonthreatening, but like a mother bear sniffing out danger, I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck at the mention of my boys. “Good,” I said, returning his smile without elaboration.

“Oh, come on, you can do better than that,” he said with a laugh. “Show us some pictures! I’m sure Cody would love to see them as well.”

Cody nodded as he looked from Tyson to me, but I could see the unease behind his smile.

Mechanically, I raised my phone and showed Tyson the lock screen.

“They surf,” he commented, taking it from me to study the picture of the boys standing on the beach, surfboards under their arms. “Like you. I bet they’re smart, too, aren’t they?”

I nodded as he returned the phone. “They are. They’re hard workers.”

Jennifer reached for the phone. “Oh, they’re so cute!” she gushed.

“What are their favorite subjects?” Tyson pressed.

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