The way she’s looking at me indicates she can tell I’m not doing so hot, but I shrug and nod. “It was awesome, for the most part. Beaches. Palm trees. The ocean. Hawaiian barbecue.”
She lifts a brow, bracing her hands on the bar. “Maybe a lovely young lady?”
I lift the pint to my lips. “There was.”
The depressed emphasis I put on was hangs in the air. I like Devin a hell of a lot, but I just don’t feel like talking right now. I’m heartsick—and half of the reason why is my fault. I want to call Lyla, speak to her . . . but I never got her number. It completely slipped my mind, and we were together the entire time after we met until we weren’t. I knocked on her hotel room door late that night after our disastrous dinner and again before I left for the airport, desperate to make amends, but she never answered.
I’m meeting up with some of the guys to catch up. I don’t really feel like it, but I also don’t really feel like being alone, either.
Soon, Raine, Knight, and Diego troop in. Cameron Kang, Joshua Hopper, and Brian Murphy must still be working. It is Tuesday afternoon, after all, even though I’m still on leave until the end of the week. I glance at my watch and rub my eyes. I’m still on island time. My plane landed late last night, but I couldn’t sleep.
“Pints!” Diego yells, grinning at Devin.
“Just water for me,” Knight says quietly to Devin.
She holds his gaze for a beat, nods, then turns away.
I watch them curiously. I don’t know what their story is, but they act weird around each other—and there’s so much combustible tension between them, I feel like they’d both go up if someone struck a match near them.
The fellas grab their beers, and we all sprawl around a table on the other side of the room. The place is empty for now because Devin keeps the sign to Closed until five, and it’s three now. She always serves us during off-hours, though.
I tell the guys about the trip, leaving Lyla out until Knight narrows his gaze at me. “What’re you not saying, Tony?”
“Yeah,” Raine says, leaning forward. He’s nursing a Guinness. “You were beyond obnoxious before you left, and now you’re acting like you lost your best friend.”
“It was a girl, huh?” Diego says knowingly.
I roll my eyes. He can be such a little pipsqueak sometimes, but I can’t take away from the fact that . . . he’s right.
I proceed to tell them about Lyla. Well, not everything. I keep the private parts private—pun intended. The guys are surprisingly sympathetic.
While I’m telling the story, a young woman shows up at the bar. She’s pretty, with long, straight hair the same color of dimensional dark brown as the bar she leans over to talk to Devin.
“Holy Mother of God,” Raine mutters.
“See something you like?” Diego jokes.
“I think I just fell in love,” Raine says, clutching his chest.
I pause the story, amused, as we all glance at the young lady again. She is lovely, but no one can compare to Lyla.
My Lyla.
Devin and the young lady disappear into the back. I continue my story. I continue feeling sorry for myself.
“Just call her,” Knight says. “It’s a crappy situation, but I think you’re letting your previous relationship get in the way here, Tony. I’ve never known you not to be practical.”
“I want to,” I say earnestly, “but I never got her number. We were together the whole time.”
“Even at night?” Diego blurts.
“Shut up,” Knight mutters at him, then looks at me. “Well, I guess that does complicate things, doesn’t it?”
“That’s putting it lightly,” I say.
“Call her job,” Raine offers. “You know where she works.”
I sigh and nod. “I didn’t want to bother her there, but I think that’s my best shot.”
A few minutes later, Devin and the young lady walk back out. They’re both smiling and shake hands. Devin’s talking and the young lady nods rapidly, then with a wave, heads out.
“Wait,” Raine calls in a theatrical whisper.
Devin heads over to refill our beers, looking amused. “What’s wrong with you, Matty?”
Raine points at the door. “Who was that? Besides my future wife.”
She smirks, amused. “That’s my new bartender. You all know how Joseph quit a few weeks ago. I needed a replacement, bad.”
Raine gapes at her. “She works here now?”
Devin points at him. “Her name is Olivia. She’s very nice but very Southern. That means she knows how to verbally kick your ass and sound sweet doing it.”
“You’re only making her sound more appealing.” Raine shrugs.
“Anyway.” Devin takes our empty glasses. “She starts this weekend.”
The door opens again, and we all glance over, Raine at a break-neck speed, as if it might be his new crush. But it’s not Olivia standing in the doorway.
I’m on my feet before I know it, shock coursing through me. “Lyla.”
She walks toward me. “Anthony, I need to say something to you.”
“Ooh,” Diego says quietly behind me.
“Shut up,” Raine and Knight tell him.
“Why don’t you use my office, Tony?” Devin says with a kind smile for me and a dirty look at my hecklers.
I nod gratefully and lead Lyla back to her neat-as-a-pin office and shut the door. “Lyla, what’re you doing here?”
She draws a deep breath. “I remember you told me this was the place you and the guys liked to hang out. My friend Olivia got laid off her job a couple of days ago, and she heard the owner here needed some help. I came here with Liv to ask the owner if she knew how I might be able to get in touch with you . . . and here you are.”
“I . . . wanted to talk to you too,” I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my neck. “I tried going by your room that night, and again in the morning before I left, but you didn’t answer.”
“I walked on the beach for a long time that night,” she says. “And then I fell asleep outside on the balcony. It was hard to be in the room, because . . .” Lyla takes a step closer. “Because you weren’t there, Anthony. I must not have heard you knock. I wish I had. But I need you to know that I’m sorry for not telling you the whole story and that I don’t want what we started to end.”
I smile, reaching for her hand. “I’m sorry for being an emotional dick that night. I shouldn’t have walked away from you. I just—my last relationship ended badly. You’re the first woman I’ve wanted to be with since it ended. And I guess I’m just afraid of getting my heart broken again.”
She reaches up to cup my cheek. “I would never do that to you,” she says softly. “I want us to have a chance.”
“Start over?” I cover her hand with mine. “Aloha, Lyla.”
Lyla grins. “Aloha, Anthony.”
I pull her closer. “I don’t mean to be forward, but I’m madly in love with you.”
Her lips meet mine. “What a coincidence. I’m madly in love with you.”
Epilogue