I held a squash in my hand, and then set it back down.
“What’s going on?” my mom asked and peered in the direction of the front door. “Where’s Vicki?”
I sighed, and then my dad showed up.
“Hey, Henry,” he greeted and clapped me on the shoulder. “Good to see you. I got a call from Durant. It was kind of interesting. He said he talked to you about being a drummer?” My dad paused and looked between Mom and me. “Wait, what’s going on here?”
Suddenly, Harmony showed up at this point.
“Hello?” she called out from the front door, and then she met the rest of us in the kitchen. “That kid Paul in my class has made major strides. I took him to---What’s going on? Why is everyone so quiet?”
“Ask your brother,” my mom said with a shrug.
“Henry?” Harmony asked as she turned to me with a frown. “What’s going on?”
“I’m going to Tahiti for the summer,” I told my family.
“A vacation?” my dad asked and smiled. “That sounds nice. You deserve it.”
“You’re going?” Harmony clarified. “Wait, what happened to Vicki? Did you guys break up?”
“On the contrary,” I grinned, “I’ve decided to get engaged.”
“What?” my mom gasped, and then her face lit up.
“Yeah,” I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “I actually came by to get grandma’s engagement ring.”
My whole family, minus the brother in South America, stood in the kitchen in shock for a moment. Then they all burst out into cheers and hugged me.
It was a far cry from how I had come to Sedona.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Epilogue
“I brought in fresh coconut,” Vicki said as she entered our hut.
She wore a black bikini that showed off her perfectly toned and sunkissed body, and had a white sheer cover up wrapped around her waist.
I sat on the bed and watched her move gracefully about the hut, every step with so much poise it was almost like she was a ballerina.
“The resort beach party crew cleared out a bunch, and they were giving it all away,” my girlfriend added as she moved to the kitchenette to cut the fruit open.
“Damn,” I whistled, but my eyes were glued to her chest. “Those are big.”
“Uh-huh,” she laughed. “The coconuts are over here, Henry.”
“Wait, there’s coconuts?” I teased.
The island breeze filtered through the hut from the open door and blew her dark hair. She was Korean, but here, in French Polynesia, she looked like an exotic island woman, all dark hair, dark eyes, and long silky legs glistening with sand and sun.
“Here,” she said.
She climbed on top of my lap, wrapped her legs around me, and stuck a piece of fruit in my mouth.
“Mmm, I like,” I moaned around a juicy bite of fresh coconut.
“Me or the fruit?” Vicki asked in a sultry tone.
“The fruit,” I chuckled. “You’re just a bonus.”
She smacked my arm, and we both laughed and then locked eyes. My heart leapt in my throat. I knew what I had come here to do, and every moment leading up to it felt magical and surreal. Even when we made love, there was something more real and vulnerable about it.
I had never felt like this about anyone, ever.
Later that evening, we laid in bed, with the moonlight coming in through the hut.
“What are we doing here, Henry?” she asked as she traced patterns across my chest with her fingers.
“What do you mean?” I replied.
“Why did you just whisk us off to Tahiti on the fly?” she questioned, and her eyes glinted as she tilted her head up to look at me.
“Jesus, Vic,” I laughed. “I told you on the plane. I have to do some business with Earnie Green. He wants to meet with me about the development with the kombucha plant, and then I thought it would be a good break for both of us.”
“Uh-huh,” she said and narrowed her eyes, “because Earnie Green has never heard of Skype. And nevermind we’ve been here a week and only talked to him once.”
“Vic,” I chuckled, “you were strangling roosters. Come on, just enjoy the break. AJ certainly is.”
“She went to Chicago,” Vicki said, “to kick Stona and Jemma’s asses. What’s not to enjoy?”
I laughed, and she snuggled up next to me with her head leaning against my bare chest.
“See,” I said as I twirled a lock of her hair in my fingers. “Aren’t you glad you don’t have to worry about that with me?”
“Mmm,” she answered softly.
“I’m right here,” I whispered.
“All the time,” she teased, and I laughed.
“All the time,” I echoed.
It was then we heard the music out on the beach, coming in through the hut.
“That’s the beach party,” Vicki said. “Reminds me of the film festival--”
“Oh, God,” I groaned. “Not the film festival. But do you wanna go to the beach party? It might be fun.”
“Sure,” she agreed with a mischievous smile, “as long as you tell me why we’re really here.”
“I’m serious,” I told her with a sigh. “I’m meeting with Earnie next week.”
“Uh-huh,” she muttered, unconvinced. “A work trip? You haven’t touched your laptop since we got here. I even had to remind you to bring it in the first place.”
“Why are you so full of questions?” I asked and tickled her side. “Seriously. And besides, I haven’t been working because I’ve been distracted.”
“Distracted?” She raised an eyebrow. “What ever might distract you, Irving?”
“It’s hard to say,” I mused as I rubbed my chin, “but I’d start with that itty bitty black bikini.”
“What’s wrong with my bikini?” she laughed.
“Nothing,” I
