This house is a little bizarre. From the outside, it looks like the house was cut in half down the middle, separated, and then a two-story extension put in the middle. Inside, the first and second floor are normal, but on the third floor, you can’t get from my bedroom to the one Van and Zayne are staying in. It’s great for privacy, but overall, strange.
And the windows.
So many windows.
The views are freaking fantastic, but I nearly sag with relief when I see my bedroom has blinds and curtains.
“Thank God,” I murmur as I unpack.
Not only do I have my own bedroom with a king-size bed, but I have my own bathroom too. So while I won’t be having sex on this trip, I am certainly the one with the most privacy.
Oddly though, it doesn’t really matter. I spend so much time on my own when I travel for work that I am genuinely only going to be up here while I sleep. The rest of the time I plan on getting up early and making the most of every single day. I haven’t been to a beach in probably fifteen years. My family likes to tell me I was always an “indoor cat” when I was growing up. Something about me always being inside and sitting in front of a computer, so I guess I’m going to try to make up for it now.
Cape Breeze isn’t a touristy town, so there are no major attractions nearby. However, Mike’s going to teach me how to surf if the conditions are right, Zayne mentioned us doing some surf fishing—even though he doesn’t know how—and they both mentioned how competitive they get at playing frisbee. I’m totally pumped to start right now, but by the way the guys both ushered their girlfriends away, I have a feeling it’s going to be awhile before they come out of their rooms.
But I refuse to let that stop me. I toss my empty suitcase into the closet and head down to the main level. There’s no one around, so I opt to go out onto the deck and check out the pool and see what the layout of everything is—like where the hot tub is, the grill, seating areas—and then find the beach access point.
The deck is massive, and the pool is completely centered in it. Off to the right is a row of lounges with the hot tub tucked away in the corner, and to the left is the grilling area with a table that easily sits eight. It’s also on that side where the walkway is out to the sand. It’s a long pier made of the same material as the deck and midway down, there are two benches built into it.
That’s where I stumble upon Olivia. She’s lying on one of them, and I can’t tell if she’s awake or asleep.
“You’re in my sun,” she says, so…awake.
“Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
Shading her eyes, I can tell she’s trying to see me. “I wasn’t ready to get covered in sand, so I strolled out this far and sat down. These benches are long enough, though, that I figured why not, and really made myself comfortable.” Sitting up, she smiles.
“Don’t get uncomfortable on my count. I was just exploring a bit. I figured everyone was going to be occupied for a while and thought I’d take advantage of the time and check things out.” I glance around. “Where’s Roxie?”
“She took the dogs and went right out onto the beach. Apparently they all love the water, so I’m guessing she is going to be gone for a while. At least, that’s what she told me. I think she was hinting for me to go with her, but I’m feeling a little lazy and definitely don’t have the energy to keep up with three dogs living their best lives.”
That makes me laugh because I totally would have gone with her if she asked. Roxie’s a very nice woman. We’ve hung out plenty of times and I consider her a good friend. There’s no attraction there, and I know she’s had a rough time since her divorce. Still, I wouldn’t have minded running along the beach with the dogs and maybe playing a little fetch with them.
“You could probably catch up with her if jogging is your thing,” she says, interrupting my thoughts. “They headed in that direction.”
That direction being to the right.
“Nah, but I’ll let her know I don’t mind helping with the dogs when she gets back.”
We sit in companionable silence as Olivia closes her eyes and tilts her head back to let the afternoon sun hit her face. I do the same because I’m not ready to get up and move yet.
“You know, I’m super jealous of your real estate,” she says.
My head snaps up. “Um…what?”
“Your real estate. Your room on the third floor.” She’s not looking at me and her lips barely moved.
“Yeah, the guys said I had the sweetest deal but then changed their minds since they’ll be having sex.”
Ugh. Why would I say that?
Luckily, she laughs at that. “Honestly, you all have it better than me. I think the girls are getting even with me because I bailed on the last few trips I was supposed to take. Well, I didn’t actually bail because it was all out of my control, but it feels like I’m still being punished. I’m in a twin bed and I’m sharing the room with Roxie and the dogs. I’m not sure how that’s going to go.”
I don’t have an option for her since this isn’t my house and I don’t know all the particulars of it yet, but I don’t think suggesting one of the sofas is much of an upgrade for her. Before I can even say anything, though, she continues.
“Of course, I’m probably just looking for problems that aren’t there because all the details were thrown at me. It’s my own fault for building this trip up in my mind with no actual information to go on. If Roxie says the dogs aren’t going to be an issue, then I believe her.”
“Really?” I ask with amusement, and this time she does look at me.
