“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?”
“Maybe. It certainly brings on panic attacks and late-night anxiety. I admire you for not allowing yours to rule your present. I’m not prying, just making an observation when I say this.” She pauses for a moment. “Your story must be a hard one if it made you as strong as I think you are.”
“Yeah, well, we all have our crosses to bear, right? Mine is no better and no worse than anyone else’s story. The details may differ, but the tale is still the same. We live, we die, and we repeatedly mutter ‘what the fuck is this shit’ in between.”
She lightly chuckles, but my feeble attempt to bring a little humor into the discussion is clumsy and obvious. “Your story is what makes you different from everyone else, Rod. The details of the past, how you view the tale, and the way you respond to adversity shape your personality. Under that detached playboy exterior beats the heart of a caring man.”
“Playboy? Who said I’m a playboy?” I pretend to be offended, but I can’t keep the smile off my face or out of my voice.
“You did the first day we met. No one else had to say a word.”
“That was someone else, not me. Someone who looked exactly like me.”
“You have an evil twin running around the island? That’s a scary thought.”
“Isn’t it? What if you’d mistaken him for me? I’d have to kick his ass. You wouldn’t know which one of us to root for, causing even more chaos. That would not end well at all. Knowing there’s someone out there pretending to be me, I think it’s best you just stay with me all the time. You know, just to be on the safe side so he doesn’t trick you again.”
“Hmm, I suppose that applies to sleeping in your bed all night too, huh?”
“We wouldn’t want to risk him showing up at your door and confusing you. I should probably keep an eye on you all night.”
“Maybe you’re right. It would be a shame if he stole me away from you after all the time we’ve spent together this week. By the way, that was a very subtle way to change the subject. If you don’t want to talk about your personal life, I’m not one to force you into it. But thank you for changing my focus, anyway. It’s too easy to get drawn into the awful memories and let them overshadow the amazing ones.”
“Like I said, I’m more concerned you’ll leap over your balcony railing to get away from me. It’s not that I’m trying to hide any of it from you. But I don’t enjoy remembering the past, much less talking about it. The bright spots of my life are my sister and my niece. What about your family? Tell me about them.” I hope I didn’t just open an old wound in my attempt to distract her from my own.
“My parents are still happily married, sickeningly in love, and live in Florida. Daddy is in real estate and Mom is a pediatrician. I have one sister, Marlee, and she’s three years older than me. And you already know Tracy. She isn’t my sister by blood, but she might as well be considering how close we are.”
“Are you close to Marlee too?”
“Yes, she and I are very close. We don’t spend as much time together as I’d like, but that’s for no other reason than life gets hectic and she lives in a different city. We keep in touch and see each other when we can.”
“No brothers?” Focusing on her family keeps mine off the topic menu.
“No, but I always wanted a little brother. My mom said having two girls was more than enough for any mother to handle.” She chuckles, but the affection in her voice is plain. “I suppose she was right. Marlee and I kept her busy enough.”
“I’ll bet you were both Daddy’s girls too, weren’t you?”
She nods. “Most little girls are, aren’t they? We definitely were—still are, actually. Daddy has the best heart of any man I know, and my mom is the love of his life. He doesn’t hide how much he loves her from anyone anywhere. They have the perfect relationship. If I ever get married, that’s exactly what I’d want. They’re best friends first, and they do everything together.”
“Then you’re looking for marriage, kids, the whole little neat package?” Insert cold feet here. That’s just not in my cards.
“Not necessarily. If it happens, it happens. If not, I don’t need a man for my life to be happy and complete. I came on this trip with Tracy as a favor, not to find my future husband. You can stop sweating bullets now. I promise not to hunt you down after our brief vacation is over.”
“That’s exactly what a stalker would say.”
“You caught me. I only said that to hide my real plans. Thwarted again, damn it.”
“Don’t even try to pull the wool over these eyes.” Not that I’d admit this to her, but I enjoy how easily our conversations flow and the way we banter and laugh with each other. Maybe a little too much. “Any other family to speak of?”
“We actually have an extensive family. My grandparents are still going strong. They had nine kids, so I have plenty of aunts, uncles, and cousins to go around. Do you need to borrow some? I’ll send a few your way and let them pry into your business for a change.”
“That’s a hard pass from me, beautiful. Few people are privy to my personal business and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’m afraid you’re stuck with the nosy interlopers.”
“Who said chivalry is dead? They clearly have no idea what they’re talking about.”
“Right? I don’t know why anyone would think something like that. It’s obvious you have found the ultimate prize of a man right here. You’ll be the envy of
