Page 3 of The Other Side of Paradise
I was going to pull my hair out. Did she think the names had pictures? That her name would light up when she was standing nearby?
Somebody else stepped in to my rescue, though—a woman with long, brown hair pulled back into a neat pony, all very sleek, put-together. All the things I wouldn’t be in a million years. She put a hand on the older woman’s arm, with a, “Grandma—it’s been so long,” and the grandma turned instantly into big smiles, turning to the woman with a hug.
“Oh, Ryan, honey, it’s so nice to see you. Did you and Shane have a nice flight? Check his bags for anything…special?”
Yeesh. Hoped beyond hope Grandma here was trying to wink-wink-nudge-nudge about an engagement ring and not a sex toy. Could have gone either way with that tone.
The two of them made small talk for a minute before the older woman gestured to me with a, “Speaking of trouble, the lady here has been saying my reward points don’t apply here, so I have to say, I’m not off to a good start here.”
I stiffened, but Ryan squeezed her arm and said, “Tell you what, I’ll see what I can figure out while Dad’s getting my and Shane’s stuff to our room, and you can go see Daniela and Nicole, okay? They just got here right before Shane and I did.”
I felt a breath of relief when Ryan sent her grandmother away, and I straightened, ready to try handling the situation, when Ryan gave me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry about that. Grandma’s just had a long trip and she doesn’t travel often… what was she trying to do?”
I shifted into a smile, but my stomach dropped at the sight across the lobby—a door opening and Stella stepping back inside, a drink in hand, together with a man who looked like her brother. Based on the ages… Ryan must have been Stella’s sister or cousin. I wasn’t going to put this wholesudden urge to be nice to Ryanunder a microscope. I wouldn’t have liked what I’d have seen. Still, my voice came out impossibly polite. “She was just trying to redeem her travel rewards for an upgrade,” I said, “but they’re with a company we don’t have any agreements with, so unfortunately we’re not able to accept the points.”
Ryan smiled dryly. “And you didn’t wave your hands and change the company policy? Unbelievable. Well, she just wants a little something nice to make the vacation special. I’ll get some chocolates and flowers delivered to her room and tell her it was upgraded. Do you know a good place for that in the area?”
I laughed awkwardly, suddenly feeling inadequate. “You’re kind of better at my job than I am. I can order that and credit itto your room if you want—you know, save yourself the trouble of running around and all.”
“That’d be perfect. Ryan Bell. My boyfriend Shane Austen and I are staying in suite 36. Is there somewhere I can put in a good word for your service?”
I thought I might cry. Turned out just one good guest was enough to turn the whole day around. Who knew? Maybe I would, if there ever were any good guests.
I gave her one of the check-in cards with thereview your staythat we were supposed to find a way to hand out but I never did, gave her my name, and gushed how I’d happily provide her with whatever little thing she might have needed and to ask for me by name—I wanted to pretend it was because I was grateful she’d helped me, but I knew full well it was because I was hyperaware of Stella’s presence in the room.
What, like being sweet to her family member would get me a date? Right. That seemed likely.
But I’d barely given Ryan her parting, “Enjoy your stay, Ms. Bell,” as she left, before I flicked my gaze across the lobby and had my heart stop at the sight of Stella, engaged in a conversation with someone who looked like a cousin, but it was right at the moment she’d looked at me, and our eyes locked, and I think my stomach fell out of my body.
She smiled. Just that—a quick flash of a smile and then back to the person she was talking to—but my god, it hit like a truck. Was that just what happened when you were hot? You could change the course of someone’s entire day just by smiling at them?
Ms. Bellbeing the last words out of my mouth suddenly felt different. Wished I could help a different Ms. Bell enjoy her stay.
Ugh—Jesus, I was fully off the deep end with this. I wasnotthirsting over the guest. Not me. Not now. Not like this. No way,no how. I’d walk into the ocean and drown before I did that. Not in a million years.
Chapter 2
Stella
I guess I was a hypocrite, because I’d complained about getting pulled away from my life to come to some random-ass island for abig family reunion, but sitting here on the beach with a piña colada and my toes wriggling in the warm sand, watching the waves roll over the beach as the sun dipped low on the horizon—well, I guess I didn’t hate it.
I adjusted my sunglasses when a shadow moved next to me, and I braced myself for Dad coming around to try making another point about something, but I relaxed when I looked up and saw my older brother Oscar dropping his towel on the sand beside mine and sitting down. “Cheers,” he said, clinking his glass to mine—a clear drink that was probably a gin and tonic. All he ever got, a crotchety seventy-year-old man stuck in the body of a twenty-six-year-old. “It’s quieter over here,” he said by way of explanation—he wasn’t exactly the type to approach you to have a conversation. He was nice enough—I know older siblings were supposed to bully you and all that, but he and my sister Ryan were twins and had always been preoccupied with bothering each other instead. Mostly I was just one of the people he disliked talking to the least.
“You could go swim or something if you want to get away from people,” I said, meeting his glass with mine and taking a sip, settling in. The cool breeze coming in off the water felt amazing against the heat, and the beach was suitably lively, families with their kids spread out across the sandbar. Oscar made a face at it all before sipping his drink.
“Swimming’s not my thing.”
“Do you even have athing,aside from standing off to the side absentmindedly judging people?”
He grinned. “What, am I supposed to have two things? I like the one I’ve got.”
“You and Ryan are both so boring.”
“What’s with the scowl, anyway? You’re sitting up here looking like youguessyou can enjoy a sunny beach vacation.”
I guess it made sense Mom and Dad had tried to contain my little hissy fit about not wanting to come out here. God forbid literally anything in this family looked like it was out of place. What did it matter if people hated it, as long as itlookedokay?
