Before I can correct her, Rod is at my side with his arm draped over my shoulders. “As a matter of fact, we are. How could you tell?”
“I’ve been married for a very long time. My husband and I have three boys. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that a man only teases and laughs with a woman the way you are if he’s head over heels for her. You, my friend, are crazy about this one.” She nods her head toward me, her sweet smile still securely in place. Rod freezes in place. I’m not sure he’s even breathing anymore.
“Now you’ve embarrassed him. He hates showing his feelings. He’d prefer for everyone to believe he doesn’t actually have any. It’s okay, honey. Your secret is safe with us. It won’t go any further than the bottom of this bottle of banana rum.” I playfully jab him in the ribs with my elbow, partially to get him to breathe again before he passes out—and also to play along with the big fat fib he just told.
“Whew. That was a close one. You’re not recording this, are you?” I glance over at him in time to see him smile and wink at the store owner.
“No, of course not.” She swats her hand in his direction. “No need to do that. Everyone can see it anyway. You’re not fooling anyone but yourself, mister.”
Before this conversation turns more uncomfortable, and we dig ourselves deeper into a lie, I place the goods to the counter in a not-so-subtle move. “Looks like we have enough alcohol to hold us over until morning now.”
Rod insists on paying for our booty, so I back off and let him. I was fully prepared to pick up the tab for the entire bill. After all, Rod has done more than enough for me on this trip. But it seemed to be important to him, bordering on a matter of pride and dignity, even, so I let him have his way.
We say our goodbyes to the store workers and walk outside to our waiting taxi. The ride back to the hotel is quieter than usual.
I thought we already passed the awkward stage of our vacationship.
I’ll be damned if I let one offhanded comment ruin the four days we have left together. This is the most fun I’ve had in years and I’m not ready to let it end just yet. Check-out day will be here soon enough, and I’ve mentally prepared myself to say goodbye to him then.
But not one minute sooner.
“Rod? Is something wrong?” I finally just blurt out the question that’s on my mind. At least if he runs away from me now, it won’t be because of a simple misunderstanding.
“No. Why would you think something’s wrong?”
“You’re just too quiet. It’s not like you, so I thought maybe what that woman said spooked you beyond repair.”
“Why would she spook me?” He arches one eyebrow, trying to look cute. He succeeds.
“Because you’re in love with me, Rod. She knows it. I know it. Even you know it deep down. It’s embarrassing for me too, but I know you can’t help it. Can we just go back to pretending you’re not already fully attached to me, that you won’t be emotionally devastated when you have to let me go?”
A slow smile crawls across his face. “For you, my ho, I will do my best to act natural again.”
“Thank you. But we’re changing my name to something else. Anything else. Because I’m ninety-nine percent sure you said ‘my ho’—two separate words—on purpose just now.”
He exaggeratedly feigns his shock and bewilderment. “I can’t believe you’d accuse me of something so heinous. You’ll pay for that later.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. My hos don’t disrespect me like that and get away with it.”
The taxi driver sniggers from the front seat, causing Rod and me to burst out laughing. Any unease between us disappears, but it makes me wonder why Rod’s so averse to love. What happened in his past to make him run from his feelings? I wasn’t kidding when I said he hides any trace of emotion from others. I may be damaged, but I can spot a kindred soul.
“So, tell me about Daisy Nash. What do you like to do when you’re not working? What lights your fire?”
“You really want to know about me? Like, personal information?”
“Yes, I do.” His sincere expression nearly melts me on the spot. I wish he’d show this side of his personality more.
“Tracy and I have been best friends pretty much all our lives. We grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, so we had that in common from the start. Even still, our families were polar opposites. Hers was very cold and unloving while mine has always been the epitome of love. We were so poor back then. When I say we had nothing when I was growing up, I mean that literally.
“My parents are great, don’t get me wrong, but they did everything backward. Got married way too young, had kids right away, then Mom went to college. Attending undergraduate then medical school and residency with small kids at home was harder than it sounds. Dad worked all the time, but money was always tight, and it seemed we could never catch a break.
“The other kids relentlessly teased and bullied Tracy and me in school. For me, it was because of the holes in my clothes, my run-down home, or my parents’ old broken-down vehicle because we couldn’t afford a better one at that time. That takes a toll on kids in ways many people don’t understand. So, a few years ago, I started a summer camp for underprivileged kids. I love teaching, but extending the camp has become my mission in life.”
“That’s fascinating, Daisy. What kind of activities do you do at the camp?”
“We have a lot of fun things built in the program. But the primary focus is to teach them the life skills they don’t
