Page 23 of Here for a Good Time
Zwe shoots me a glance, and knowing him, he’s on the verge of saying no (two beers have become his limit, even on holiday, but maybe I could nudge him into a third). Before he can reply, I stretch and fake a large yawn. “I’m going to turn in, but Zwe, you should stay.”
I’m expecting him to throw me a sarcasticThat was subtleexpression, but instead, he tilts his head, his dark brows furrowing like he’s confused. “I… will… head back, too,” he says slowly. I frown at him to telepathically askWhat the hell are you doing?but he either doesn’t catch it, or ignores it altogether. “Today wiped me out,” he tells Leila.
“That’s fair,” she says. She cracks her knuckles and then her neck. “You two need to rest up for snorkeling tomorrow anyway.”
“You sure you don’t wanna stay out? Don’t feel like you have to come back on account of me,” I offer. “I’m notsodrunk that I can’t make my way back on my own.”
“I can call a buggy for you if you’d like?” Leila asks.
I’m about to take her up on that if it will put Zwe’s mind at ease while he stays behind, but he beats me to a response. “I think the exercise and fresh air from walking back will do us good.”
The way the night ended is still nagging me even by the time we’re in bed, and at last, I decide I’m not going to be able to fall asleep if I don’t ask. “Hey, why didn’t you stay behind with Leila? She sounded like she was down to hang out with you.”
We’re sleeping with our backs to each other, so I can’t see his reaction. “Why are you so obsessed with me hooking up with Leila?” Zwe asks.
“I’m notobsessed,” I scoff. “I just… want you to be happy.”
There’s a soft laugh from his side of the bed, followed by a long, elastic silence, the kind that could be filled with any interpretation of your choosing. “Poe” is all he finally says, alcohol and sleepiness smoothing out the edges of his words.
“What?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything else.
“I’m on what is probablythemost beautiful island on this planet, and more importantly, I’m here with my best friend. Iamhappy.”
SIX
“So I have to put mywholeface in the water?”
“Yes.” Zwe’s hand makes a circular motion in front of his own face. “The whole thing.”
I eye the snorkeling mask in my hand. “But what if I accidentally breathe in water?”
“Well… don’t.”
I glare at him. Behind me, Antonio and Leila let out inadvertent snorts that they scramble to cough away. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. City girl isn’t born to be the next Moana—shocker.” I wave my mask around at all three of them. Antonio and Leila grin, and I’m glad they feel comfortable enough around us now to toe that line between “friend” and “guest.” Pointing out that there were literallyno other guestsat the resort, Zwe and I had convinced them to join us at snorkeling, partly because we would’ve feltsoawkward knowing they were sitting on the shore just waiting for us, and partly because I feel much safer knowing there’ll be three other people inthe water around me at all times should I find myself in some freak snorkeling accident, like a sudden attack by a school of jellyfish.
“Ms. Poe, how about this?” Antonio pushes the snorkeling mask hanging around his neck to the back so that the pipe bit is behind him. “If you’re comfortable with it, I can hold you from underneath while you paddle out. You can practice breathing until your body relaxes and gets used to it, and I’ll be right beside you if something goes wrong.”
I consider it. “Only if you stop calling meMs.Poe.”
He chuckles. “Deal, Poe.”
“And you’ll carry me and run if a shark approaches me?” I ask.
Antonio puts a palm on his heart. “With my bare hands. Iamyour porter after all. Carrying is literally my job.”
Since he was the one who mentioned them, I take this opportunity to check out his bare, muscular, strong, large hands, tracing them up to his equally muscular, strong, large biceps and shoulders. He smiles when we make eye contact. Suddenly, my turquoise bikini set feels too skimpy and exposing, my own bare skin warming up like the sun’s been dialed up a few notches.
“Ican hold you while you get used to breathing with the mask,” Zwe offers out of the blue.
I frown at him. Zwe has a protective nature, but I thought if anything, he’d be thrilled that Antonio has offered to look after me so that he can go off on his own with Leila. “I’ll… be okay,” I say. I nod at Antonio. “I’m certain I’ll be in good hands.”
“You sure?” Zwe doesn’t so much look at Antonio as he does survey him, like he doesn’t think Antoniowouldbe able to save me in the event of an emergency. If this were anyone else, I’d almost swear it looks like jealousy. Almost.
“I’m sure,” I say. “You two kids go have fun.” I make a shooingmotion at him and Leila. “Don’t let me hold you back. I’ll come join you and your new fish friends in a bit.”
“Okay,” Zwe says, but doesn’t move.
I roll my eyes and give him a push. “Go, I mean it. I’ll be too self-conscious if I know all three of you are watching me.”
