We join the others and make introductions all around. I don’t know who any of these people are. Kevin met them last night while I was with Daisy. Thankfully, no one has mentioned my absence. I hope they’re just acting polite because they don’t know whose face was behind the masks last night.
We pass the usual “get to know you” questions around the group in general conversation starters. Daisy mentions she’s also from Georgia, but doesn’t name a city. Just as well, though. That’ll keep me from making a colossal mistake and hunting her down when we return home.
“What do you do for a living, Tracy?”
“I’m in public relations.” She purposely avoids naming her employer and only gives a vague job title. “Public relations” is one of those ambiguous terms that can mean so many things. I recognize the tactics and ploys used to maintain anonymity. I’ve used them all myself.
Much like the maneuver I’m using by not giving my last name nor asking for Daisy’s. That just makes a clean break all the easier in the end. There’s no way to social media stalk someone without a full name. A minor part of me occasionally wishes I could be different, but I know this is the best way.
Others may describe me as a douche, among other things, but at least remaining a bachelor ensures I’ll never be the man who abandons my family.
“Rod, what kind of job do you have?” One of our unnamed party crashers attempts to invade my privacy.
“I’m a hacker. I ruin people’s lives for fun.”
Everyone laughs, knowing I’m exaggerating and kidding at the same time, and we move on to other topics. The conversation flows smoothly between all of us from that point on.
We finish our excursion with more drinks, food, and dancing than should be allowed in one day, but every minute is worth it. Daisy smiles, laughs, and is more animated than ever. Seeing her come to life is a beautiful thing, almost as enticing as seeing her in that tiny bathing suit.
When we’re back on the resort grounds, she turns to me and stops. “Will I see you at dinner this evening?”
“Absolutely.”
And… you’ll hopefully see me eat until my heart’s content for many, many hours after dinner, too.
Old habits die hard.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Daisy
Tracy and I are on our fourth day of our trip and becoming more spoiled than we care to admit. Today, she and I had a girls’ day out on the island and picked a couple of activities we’ve always wanted to do, such as swimming with dolphins and feeding the stingrays. When we returned to the hotel, we took our place by the pool and basked in the sun.
Though I have to admit, it felt strange not having Rod and Kevin with us on our day trip. I found myself looking for Rod and hoping he’d show up out of the blue, wanting to spend time with me. I also couldn’t help but wonder if he’d found someone else at the resort today, since I’ve repeatedly shot down his previous advances. So many women have had him in their sights, and I’ve been ready to scrap with them every single time. Nothing in my head makes sense where he’s concerned. I have spent an enormous amount of willpower biting my tongue to avoid a catfight confrontation.
Now that we’re back on the resort grounds, I look forward to seeing him again.
“Did you ladies have fun today?” Rod moves an empty lounge chair next to Tracy and motions for her to move to it. She jumps at the chance to sit next to Kevin, and I try to hide my eagerness to be close to Rod.
“Yes, we did. It was definitely unforgettable.” I smile up at him as he stands at the end of Tracy’s vacated seat.
“Would you like a drink before I get comfortable? I’m going to grab a beer.”
“Sure. A piña colada would hit the spot. Thank you.”
“I won’t end up wearing it again, will I? Because I almost lost my favorite parts of my body from frostbite last time.”
I can’t help but laugh. “No, I promise not to waste this one.”
When Rod walks away to stand in line at the outdoor bar, I glance over at Kevin and Tracy. There’s no doubt they’re completely into each other. I’m a little envious, for a few reasons. I wish I could be as carefree and throw caution to the wind the way she does. Part of me wants to believe Rod is more than the ladies’ man he seems, but that’s wishful thinking. I’ve met too many men exactly like him, and it never ends well.
But, as far as the rest of the trip is concerned, I suppose I could find worse company.
Over the past few days of being here, I’ve noticed several people have already paired off into couples, finding the one they want to spend the rest of the trip with and making the most of the time we have left. I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel and agree to be a late night booty call, just because we’re on vacation at a singles resort, with buff guys all around us. Every minute spent with Rod chips away at my self-control, though. Every night when he walks me to my door, I’m tempted to invite him into my room.
“Hi there, gorgeous. I’ve watched you nearly all day because I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from you. I also couldn’t help but notice you’re still single and you’ve been alone most of the day. On behalf of the entire male population in this place, I’d like to rectify that appalling lapse in judgment. You, my beautiful new friend, should’ve been the first lady who updated her relationship status on social media.”
A strange man appears from out of nowhere, his face right beside my ear when he speaks, startling me and making me jump nearly out of my seat. I didn’t hear him walk up behind me because
