Erika smiled as Julia approached. She tipped her glass from her chair. “Coming for a refill?” she asked. Her cheery expression implied life couldn’t be more perfect.
Julia put on a happy face as she plopped herself down on a stump that doubled as a seat. “No, just coming to say hi. Such a beautiful night.”
She directed her gaze skyward and drank in the air, inhaling that unique lakeside fragrance, while Erika savored a sip of her syrupy blue concoction.
“I can’t tell you how much I needed this,” Erika said. She stretched her legs out long, dug her bare feet into the soft earth. Even her ubiquitous phone was powered down and put away.
This is simple,Julia decided.Just be like Erika and let go. Vacationing is supposed to be easy. That’s the point, isn’t it?She sipped her drink, and to her surprise, it tasted better.See? It’s all in the mind.Julia allowed her shoulders to soften, and her whole body followed suit.
“Rick, how have you been?” she asked, aware that small talk worked best with him.
“Better now that I’m not teaching city boys how to tie a uni knot.”
Erika laughed on cue, whereas Julia’s reaction was delayed as she pieced together that he’d made a fly-fishing reference. Julia and Erika were regular chatterboxes, but she always found herself at a loss for words when conversing with Rick. Mostly she avoided it. It was better to let him boast about his ammo-making skills to Christian, not to her.
Speak of the devil.Julia felt Christian’s strong hands press down on her shoulders. He kissed her on the ear in a way that sent a shiver of desire racing up her spine.
“Happy to report, this city boy can tie that uni knot with his eyes closed, thanks to you,” Christian said to Rick as he dragged over a chair.
He leaned into Julia. “Maybe later,” he whispered.
When their eyes met, she knew what was on his mind. A teasing smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
Julia perked up. He looked sexy as hell in his white linen shirt. The creditors could take a back seat for a while. They needed this time together, just to be a couple.
Fiona (who had topped off her drink—again) and David soon joined them. He sat next to Julia, their legs nearly touching. Julia felt a pulse of anxiety at being so close to him, and it wasn’t just because of the house. She let the feeling pass through her like a breeze. The power of compartmentalization never ceased to amaze her.
And look at that. One little shift in her perspective, and it was like old times again. No more Debbie Downer!This life lesson should go on Instagram.Julia could see the clever captionsin her head, earning her new followers as though she were an influencer:Be in the moment. Relax and enjoy. Don’t try to control, just let it roll.
David, never at a loss for words, jumped into the conversation. “It’s funny, I was just telling Fiona about our last hunting trip with Rick,” he said. Clearly he’d overheard them talking. A satisfied gleam entered his eyes. “I had a good kill, but nothing like our fearless leader.”
“Personally, I think it’s cruel,” said Fiona. “Animals have families, too. It’s just mean to shoot them for a stupid trophy. Sorry, not sorry.” She was on the cusp of slurring, but that didn’t dampen her impassioned plea.
Julia was all smiles. Perhaps she’d misread Fiona. Add another life lesson to her influencer feed:The only way to tell if it’s a chocolate-covered raisin or a truffle is to look on the inside.Not bad, but definitely not her best work.
Rick waved off the criticism. “We certainly don’t need more hunters with poor aim, so the fewer the merrier.” He offered a barrel-chested laugh, but then turned serious. “And just so you know, we eat what we kill. That’s code. Also, we help with population control, not to mention the wildlife conservation efforts our hunting licenses fund.”
“Great,” Fiona answered with sarcasm. “Save the animals so you can shoot them later. How noble of you.”
“The animals aren’t going to kill themselves to prevent overpopulation,” said Rick with another laugh before downing the rest of his Miller Lite. No more blue goo for him.
Fiona stiffened. Julia caught her reaction, which was more than perturbed. She was downright incensed.
“You shouldn’t joke about suicide, notever,” Fiona said bitingly.
Nobody was sure how to respond.
“Forgive him, Rick doesn’t mean to be an ass—it just comes naturally,” Erika said, sending her husband a chiding look.
A brief, awkward silence ensued before the song on Christian’s playlist changed to a T-Swift tune.
Fiona’s mood shifted instantly. She shrieked in delight. “Oh my god, this song is awesome!” she exclaimed.
Her fast reset was jarring, but lightened the atmosphere instantly. It was impossible to look away as she bebopped over to the firepit, a spring in her steps, her face beaming. Not a drop of her drink spilled as she twirled in front of the roaring blaze. She tilted her head back, singing with drunken ebullience about leaving with some hunky criminal in a getaway car.
“I love this song soooo much!” Fiona howled, spinning around three times as her skirt billowed out from her dancer’s legs, catching the breeze. Eventually she lost her balance, but to Julia’s astonishment, Fiona kept herself upright. She didn’t miss a step as she resumed her song and dance routine.
Sweat glistened on Fiona’s body as the fire heated her golden skin. She swayed her hips provocatively, everyone entranced with her movements. She shook her head to the beat of the music, flipping her hair like a coquettish minx at a casting call for a 1980s music video.
