“She’s a pistol. She’ll do well in the family.” My father’s approval is more subtle than my grandfather’s, but I’m glad to hear it. Of course they like Danica. How could they not?
Our discussion doesn’t end for another hour. Danica and Troy leave. He has to half-carry her across the lawn. He’ll get her home safe. I scroll through some ideas on my phone before finally landing on one.
When it’s finally time to go, my father stops me in the hall. “Don’t fuck this up with the Aseyevs. We need this alliance, Edmund.”
I stare into his cold, blue eyes. “I won’t fuck it up.”
He strides away. I pick up my phone again, book ferry tickets and a hotel suite for Caperna, and send it all to Danica.
5
Danica
Couples and families exit the ferry. A buzz of excitement fills the air and I breathe in the scent of the ocean and the flowery-sweet scent of Caperna.
Leah grips my arm. “Am I dreaming? This place is magical.”
It really is. I can’t believe we’re here. Late last night, Edmund texted me with ferry tickets and booking information for a suite at Hotel Stellina—the height of luxury.
After several minutes of gawking at the travel info, I texted him. A trip to Caperna, huh?
He wrote back immediately. An early honeymoon, perhaps.
I had laughed to myself as I wrote, I was thinking bachelorette trip.
They’re your tickets. Everything is paid for. Bring whoever you want.
Smooth. He’s so fucking smooth sometimes, it’s infuriating. I try to piss him off and he just rolls with it. I thought about needling him and suggesting I bring Troy, but I was merciful in the end.
I roped in Leah, instead.
I’m so glad I did. Her excitement about everything is contagious. I’ve felt so off-kilter the past week, and she’s one-hundred-percent present, at my side, keeping me sane.
We gawk like the tourists we are as our shuttle takes us from the dock to the “Lane,” where most of the clubs and casinos are located, along with our hotel. The streets are crowded with tourists, mostly adults, but some children. Everyone’s pointing, looking around, snapping photos of the tall palms, the ornate casinos, and views of the ocean. I can see one of the other Capernian islands in the distance, but I have no sense of direction so I can’t tell which one.
“So he just gave you these tickets and the hotel?” Leah flings out her arms, nearly hitting another passenger on our shuttle bus. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
The passenger, an older lady, waves her off with a grin. Everyone is smiling. There must be something in the air. Or maybe, in crossing the little stretch of Pacific between Mirarosa and Caperna, cares and worries are left behind.
“Yes. For the tenth time, yes. He gave me the tickets and hotel. I think he wanted me to come here with him, but then he said I could bring whoever.”
Leah smirks. “And I’m whoever.”
We bump fists.
Our suite is gorgeous. We flop down on either side of the giant bed and pretend we can’t see or hear each other because we’re too far away. I make my voice faint. “Leah! Where are you?”
“Danica?” She pretends to search across the wide mattress. “If I squint, I think I see you!”
We collapse into giggles. I crack open the complimentary bottle of champagne, and we drink while trying on dresses to wear to the club tonight.
“Dani, you got a text.” Leah glances at my phone. “It’s from Edmund.”
I growl as I try to tug up the zipper on the back of my favorite white dress. “What does it say?”
“He wants to know if we’re having fun.” She holds up my phone and takes a picture of me. “There we go. A little zoom-in on your tits, and…sent. Let him see what he’s missing.”
“You’re evil. And now he’s going to think I want him to have pics of my tits.”
