And then suddenly, there's Remy.
His eyes nearly pop out of their sockets when he spots me. I slide off the stool and grin stupidly. All around us, the others chatter at each other, ignoring the two of us.
He's wearing a white T-shirt, which makes his skin look deliciously bronze. It looks like he got a lot of sun while out on the water today.
His eyes rake slowly down my body. I'm in a blue and white striped romper. The shorts aren't too short, but the top stretches across my chest, exposing my shoulders. I'm not wearing a bra, and wish I had worn a strapless one. Or a different outfit. Of course, I hadn't planned any of this when I'd left my house.
I recall the last time I wore this romper around Remy. Things had gotten interesting fast. My face gets hot at the memory, and I grab a magazine on a nearby counter to fan my skin.
Remy stands in the doorway, not saying a word. Not smiling, not speaking, not moving a muscle to greet me.
Gah. Did I make a mistake by taking Natalia up on her offer to come to dinner?
FOURTEEN
Remy
I should probably move out of this doorway and say hi to Leilani, but I can't. And not just because Max and Dad are in my path, arguing over who caught the biggest fish today.
No, it's because Leilani is standing in my house (okay, my parents' house), smiling so sweetly and looking so stunning that I don't know what to do with myself.
She looks like she belongs here. The way she's fanning herself with Dad's Guitar World magazine. How one of her elbows is casually propped on the island kitchen counter. How she takes a sip of her wine like this is her kitchen.
My brain twists, trying to process it all. Namely, what's she doing here? And is she trying to get in good with my family?
And, most of all: I've been thinking about her all day, out on the water. Now she's here, in my parents' kitchen. That's kind of magical, actually.
Oh, right. Wait. We're just casual.Stop it, Remy.
Ma walks over and squeezes her shoulder. She whispers something in Leilani's ear. There's that gorgeous smile. Leilani nods, then her gaze slides back to me.
My heart pounding, I walk over. Better stuff my hands into the pockets of my shorts, because all I want is to hug her.
"Hey, you," I say, grinning.
"Hi," she says softly. My hands are itching to touch her hair. But I keep them in my pockets.
"Remy, do you want a beer?" my sister calls out.
"Uh, sure," I respond, not taking my eyes off Leilani. I study her face. "Fancy seeing you here."
"I didn't mean to surprise you like this. Sorry if it's awkward." All around us, my family is talking, laughing, and hopefully ignoring us. (But probably not, since they're… my family).
"Why are you apologizing?" Nat hands me a beer and I take a long pull. I don't like this sudden tension between me and Leilani. Don't understand it, either.
Her shoulders lift. "I ran into Natalia in the grocery store. She asked me to come over. I didn't want you to think that I was trying to weasel my way into meeting your parents or anything. I know about our arrangement."
The corners of my mouth lift into a smile. "Of course, I wouldn't think that. I know you're all about the arrangement."
"I'm pro-arrangement," she says, giggling.
"Long live the arrangement." I wink at her.
She waves her hand dismissively in the air. "I mean, why would I want to meet your parents? Not that I didn't want to, or have anything against them. But I wasn't planning to ever meet your parents. It's not like we're getting married or anything. Goodness."
"Right?" I guffaw loudly.
She takes a huge gulp of wine and I think I catch a glimpse of Ma snickering. When Leilani rests her hand on my bicep, it feels like I have a shower of fireworks in my body. "I thought I'd come because Natalia was so persuasive. You know how she can be." She squeezes and I nearly implode. "And because she made your mother's food sound so appealing. I can't resist lasagna and…"she flutters her small hand in the air, "and the other dish your mom's making. Smells delicious, doesn't it?"