“But the mosquitoes will eat you alive.”
“Well, in that case, maybe that tiny couch turns into a bed,” he said, pointing to the love seat in the middle of the room. “I can sleep there.”
Fixing his gaze on me, I could tell what he was thinking. From the look in his eyes, he was thinking of the previous night.
“Although we seemed to do okay last night sharing a bed,” his eyes wandering over to the king-sized bed. “I think there's enough room for both of us.”
I nodded slowly, feeling my face flush. I walked over to the window and looked out through the trees to the blue ocean waters. As a gentle breeze blew through my hair, I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with the fresh sea air.
Moments later, I felt David approach me from behind. With his hands running over my shoulders and down my back, he then wrapped his arms around my waist, whispering in my ear.
“We have five nights here before we head back home. Let’s make the most of it.”
It was a relaxing week and I spent every day lounging on the beach. David worked from the room in the mornings, making phone calls and typing on his laptop. He would join me for lunch and we’d hang out for a few hours before dinner. We did yoga, went horseback riding, and hiked to see the waterfalls, traversing though the rainforest.
On our last night, David had a surprise for me. We went out to eat at a romantic beachfront restaurant, and he ordered a bottle of champagne.
“What are we celebrating?” I asked.
“I want you to know that I've had one of the best weeks I’ve ever had. I like being with you, our conversation flows, and I’m comfortable around you.” He took a quick sip of his drink, studying me. “I was thinking since you lost your job and mentioned you were interested in moving to California…” his voice trailed off.
I leaned in, reaching for my champagne and took a long sip.
“As I was saying, I think you should move. You should come live with me.”
Gripping the glass, I took another sip and swallowed. “You can't be serious?”
“Why not? What do we have to lose? If you don't like it, you can always move back.”
“But we hardly know each other.”
“I’d say we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well over the past week,” he winked.
The tiny alarm bell inside me was quelled with my overwhelming attraction to him. I questioned how I could have felt so strongly for someone so soon. I was always one to follow my gut feelings, and at that very moment, my stomach was sending me mixed messages. Was it nerves? Was it butterflies from the crush I had developed on him? Or was it a warning?
The champagne wasn't helping matters; it was clouding my thoughts. My head was telling me to go slow but my heart was telling me otherwise. I had developed genuine feelings for him.
“What do you say, Val?”
“I appreciate the offer but wasn't expecting it.”
“I’ll sweeten the deal and throw in a bonus.”
“Oh,” I giggled. “A bonus, huh?
“Sure. Moving in with me will include frequent free trips to Costa Rica.”
“You don’t say.”
“If everything works out the way I hope it will, maybe someday we'll live here.”
“Here, in Costa Rica?” I glanced up and all around. “I’d say that's getting a little ahead of yourself.”
“It's something I've been planning for a while now. But I'm willing to take baby steps with you if that's what you need.”
Leaning back in my chair, I took in my surroundings while pondering David's offer. I wasn't happy living in Vegas and had just been fired partly because of him. But it wasn't his entire fault; it was mine for accepting his invitation to dinner. And then there was Nicole with her big mouth ratting on me. I figured I could find another job, maybe waitressing or bartending in California. I couldn't deny that the trips to Costa Rica sounded inviting. However, Costa Rica was somewhat different from the Caribbean Islands I had visited. While it was still a tropical destination, it seemed rougher around the edges.
When the bubbly blonde waitress set our dessert on the table, Cindy's face popped into my mind. I couldn’t desert my roommate on a whim. We were only able to afford our rental house with both of our incomes. I couldn't just up and leave her because I met someone. Although it was something she would do to me, being the carefree party girl that she was. But it wasn’t something I could do; it wasn’t my style to leave someone in a lurch.
“Care for a bite?” David asked, holding out a forkful of cream-topped white cake.
I eagerly took a bite as he slid the fork from my mouth. “Wow, that's yummy,” I said, over a mouthful of sweet milky sponge cake.
“Tres leches, it’s my second favorite dessert after flan,” he said, quickly scooping up two forkfuls himself.
After dinner, we strolled barefoot, hand-in-hand, along the shore. White string lights and hanging lanterns illuminated the trees, lighting our path. As we walked a bit farther, David paused for a moment and tilted his head back.
“Look at all the stars.”
I gazed up at the midnight sky, the water gently lapping around our feet, our toes sinking in the sand.
“Quick, make a wish.”
“A wish?"
“Yes, right there, a shooting star,” he pointed above, his finger gliding to the right.
“Are you sure?” I searched the sky, trying to see what had aroused his attention. “Maybe it was a satellite or something?”
“No, it was a shooting star; I’m sure of it.” He turned to me, cupping my chin in his hand. “Care to know what I wished for?” he asked, staring into my eyes.
12
David
As I walk around the spare room, making sure everything’s in order, I find myself singing the song, ‘When You Wish Upon a Star.’ Trailing my fingers along
