Page 45 of The List
As my sisters bicker about dressing me, I settle back against the couch. Shoving a fresh handful of Cheetos in my mouth, I try not to think too much about Simon undressing me.
Or how little time we have left for him to do that.
Chapter 13
Simon
For the record, I wasn’t lying about winning the Ponderosa Resort gift basket. Everything I told Cassie is included—the limo ride, the mud bath, the two nights of deluxe lodging.
And I was lucky enough to be the winning bidder on the whole package.
Okay, luck may not be the right word. The auction was for charity, and I may have placed a bid high enough to not only ensure I’d get the package, but that the charity will be comfortably funded for the next five or six years.
What? It was for a good cause, and Cassie gets to cross item number ten off her list. It’s a win-win for everyone.
So why do I feel guilty?
“This feels amazing,” Cassie says, and I push my guilt aside to focus on feeling amazing right along with her.
It’s not hard to do.
I’m sitting in a massive brown tub filled with a thick, warm soup of muddy water. Cassie’s on the opposite end with her arms resting on the edges and a blissed-out look on her face. Her hair is piled on top of her head, and those perfect breasts bob on the surface like rosy apples. Her face is covered with a special volcanic mud mask, and I swear to God I’ve never seen anyone this beautiful in all my life.
I take a deep breath and order myself to stop ogling her.
“I was reading up on some of the different types of mud they use here,” Cassie says with her eyes still closed. “There’s a black mud they use for treating arthritis and rheumatism, and a white mud that’s shown to have healing properties for burns.”
“So, what about this stuff?” I scoop a gooey handful off the bottom of the tub and let it trickle through my fingers. It really does feel awesome. Silky would never be an adjective I’d use to describe mud, but that’s kind of what this is like.
“Exfoliation,” she says. “And relaxation. That’s the main thing. God, this feels wonderful.”
“It really does.” I’m not just talking about the mud. I’m talking about being here with Cassie in a double mud bath at a luxury spa, which ranks up there with the top experiences of my life.
“I love that you’re so passionate about mud,” I tell her.
“And I love that you won this package. Seriously, thank you for inviting me.”
“My pleasure. I’m glad you could come.”
Her eyes are still closed, and she gives a blissed-out sigh while swishing her fingers through the warm, earthy liquid. “A girl could get used to this kind of luxury.”
Something cold pools in the middle of my chest as those words ping around inside my eardrums.
A girl could get used to this kind of luxury.
Those are the same words Kaitlyn uttered when I took her to Paris to celebrate six months of dating. This was after I treated her to a shopping spree along la rue de Rennes, but before the ten-course dinner with wine pairings.
It was my own damn fault, I told myself later. I’m the one who set the expectation that I’d shower her with money. That life with me would be filled with that kind of extravagance.
Could I really blame her for not wanting to take on the other parts of my life? The less-glamorous ones that revolve around family and work and constant advocacy for my sister. It was hardly Kaitlyn’s fault for making assumptions. And she was far from the only girlfriend who decided to cut and run when she saw the big picture.
I take a deep breath and will myself back to the present. I’m here with Cassie, savoring this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I know it can’t be more than this, but I can enjoy it while it lasts.
“You sure you don’t want to have sex in here?”
She opens her eyes and grins. “Not unless you want dirt clods in some uncomfortable places.”
“I’ll pass.”
