Allie looks up and scans the area. When her eyes land on mine, I swear she smiles but can’t be sure. I finally move toward her, walking briskly. When I reach her, my hand finds the back of her chair and I lean down to kiss her on the cheek, only once I’m this close to her, I inhale deeply and take in the sweet aroma of her suntan lotion. For whatever reason, the scent of coconut turns me the hell. I have stay bent over a bit longer than is deemed socially acceptable.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her as I place my lips to her cheek. The slight raise of her skin tells me she’s smiling, and I thank my lucky stars Stan, her camera guy and mine are chatting in the corner.
“Thank you,” she says quietly.
“So,” I say as I sit down and place my napkin in my lap. “After my shower this morning, I moisturized my new artwork.” Her mouth drops open, but it’s her eyes that tell me everything I need to know. They sparkle with delight. She’s happy with her masterpiece. I wink and reach for her hand as our waiter returns.
“Are you ready for your meal?” he asks.
Allie and I nod. I open my mouth to ask her how her night was, but Ryan approaches our table with the envelope that will tell us what our day will look like.
“Good morning, Allie and Hudson.”
“Morning,” I reply. The cameras are on, one on each side of us, so they can capture every angle.
“Good morning,” Allie says. She reaches for the envelope and holds it in her hand.
Ryan nods down at it. “As you know, the contents inside will tell you everything you need to know about your day. Have a great time you two.”
Ryan walks away, leaving me confused. “Am I missing something?”
“What do you mean?” Allie asks.
Shrugging, I say, “I’m not sure. Yesterday he was a chatty Cathy and today, he hands you the envelope and that’s it.”
Allie shrugs as well. “Maybe he just expects us to know how things work now.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I’m probably overthinking everything. I can’t help it because I want everything to be perfect for Allie. It’s what she deserves. “Well, are you going to open it?”
Allie slides her finger under the flap and pulls the card out. She waits until the waiter puts our breakfast down before she reads today’s itinerary.
Allie & Hudson,
Enjoy your time at Arikok National Park. Out front, a Jeep Wrangler is waiting for you, fully stocked and ready for the day. At 1 p.m. a representative will meet you with your lunch.
Don’t forget your camera—the views are breathtaking.
Watch your step though—you never know what might slither by.
All the color drains from Allie’s face as she says the last word. She doesn’t need to worry though. I’ll protect her.
“Do you have sunscreen in your bag?” I ask.
She nods. “I do, why?”
“We’re going to need it with the top down on the Wrangler. We should probably stop by the gift store and buy me a hat.”
Allie nods. “And I should probably get some hair ties. You don’t want to see the kind of tangled mess my hair can become.”
I wink and run a hand through my hair. “I don’t know what that’s like.”
We finish breakfast and stop by the gift shop to buy a hat. She puts a few on my head and laughs. I have no doubt I look like an old fuddy-duddy but whatever protects my head from getting burnt. The sun in Aruba is no joke. It’s not like it is back home. One hour in Aruba is like four in the states.
Just like the card said, there’s a Jeep Wrangler waiting for us when we step outside. There is actually four of them, each one marked with a couple’s name. Stan and Jean climb in the back and I hold Allison’s hand to help her get into the front. Once she’s settled, I close the door and make my way to the driver’s side.
“I wonder,” I say as I push the start button. “If they’ve preloaded the GPS for us.” As soon as the console comes to life, the navigation unit lights up and the green go button is ready for me to press. I glance at Allie, with my finger hovering over the button. “Are you ready for our next adventure?”
“I am.”
“Off we go.”
We pull out of the resort onto the main road. The traffic is bumper to bumper but as soon as we get off the main stretch and onto the less popular roads, it eases up. The whole island isn’t that big, only 19 miles long and five miles wide. If we were to travel from one end to the next it would take us less than forty-five minutes. When we reach the entrance to Arikok National Park, Allie and I walk inside to the visitor’s center, followed by Jean and Stan.
Allie grabs my arm. “I’m running to the restroom. I don’t think there are any once we get in the park.”
I shrug. “I’m sure you could squat somewhere.”
My lips pull back and she rolls her eyes, smacking my arm playfully. “Yeah right. I can see it now on TV. A video of me taking a piss with my ass blipped out. That wouldn’t embarrass me at all.”
Envisioning it makes me laugh. “I think it’d be pretty hilarious.”
Shaking her head, she walks
