Chapter Seven
Walking back to her cottage, Drea kept replaying the conversation in her head. His best girl? Do people really say that anymore? He knew she was hurt and she knew she’d never be able to hide that part from him, but he made it pretty clear in how he approached that hurt how she ranked in his life. She wasn’t worth running after in the moment—a check-in the next morning after he got laid was perfectly sufficient. Of course she wasn’t totally sure that he and “Candy” had hooked up. After all, it’s not like he shared any details about what he had been up to last night, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together from watching them.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream. Everything inside her just wanted to bust through her skin, and it was taking everything she had to not lose it. More than anything, she just wanted to feel less...stupid. Less like a stupid girl who let her feelings get in the way, like a stupid little girl who fell for someone who would never, ever return her affections. She knew she wasn’t completely unfortunate looking—she got hit on. Just look at Brig yesterday morning. There had to be something about her that resonated on some level if he was willing to sign up for the excursion just because she said she might go. Sure, she had the tomboy thing going on, but her lack of makeup on a daily basis was an occupational hazard more than anything else—all that work prettying herself up would just be wasted the second the wind and the water took over.
Drea slowed down as she approached her front door, suspiciously eyeing the little brown bag oddly hanging from her doorknob. Who would have left her something? Her uncles would have just brought whatever it was to breakfast, and other than them, only the staff knew that she lived in the little cottage that had been the home of the original resort caretaker. Had Brig asked one of the staff members where she lived? Would they have told him? The cottage, as well as the “big house” next to it, was set back on the property behind some trees, down a little trail that steered you away from the main part of the resort. The only real guest spaces over this way were the Villas, but even they ended on the other side of the trees before you reached the trailhead. Unless you knew that the trail led to those houses, then you’d never think to wander there. Even though the staff knew this is where the family lived, none of them ever ventured back this way. Leona, Kyle, and Dalton had come to hang out, but the staff dorm—which was originally a short tower of guest suites that were renovated a bunch of years back to include a kitchenette along with the bed, desk, couch, and en suite bathroom—was on the other side of the trees and could be seen from the guest beach if one looked in this direction. She looked over at the “big house” and it didn’t seem like her uncles or Simone had come back this way since breakfast. Cautiously taking the bag off the door handle, she saw a note poking out the top.
Drea~
Morning Sugar! Take off that one-piece and put this baby on. Today is the first day of the rest of your life...or some shit like that :) See you on the Run!
-D
Drea just shook her head as she reached into the bag and pulled out a royal-purple bikini. She shoved it back into the bag and quickly opened her door and scooted in. Once fully inside, she dumped the bag on her couch, picking up the bikini top again, turning it around in her hands. So many questions ran through her mind. Where did Dalton get it? How did he know her size? Just how exactly was she going to be able to function with only this little flimsy thing holding in her boobs?
After a quick shower, Drea towel dried her hair and went to get dressed for the day. She grabbed her usual one-piece that was hanging from the rack in the bathroom and stared at it. After a moment, she hung it back up and grabbed the bikini from the couch and shimmied into it. It took her a moment to properly adjust her breasts, but she finally got herself situated fully. Looking in the mirror, she was shocked to see just how well it fit her. The top was, thankfully, not just two small triangles like the one she wore out on her deck when she and Leona would sun themselves, but shaped more like an actual bra, complete with a little bit of underwire or something to give her at least some support while working the boat. She’d still have to be careful how she moved to not give any of the guests too much of an eyeful, but she couldn’t deny that she felt good in this suit. No, scratch that—she felt sexy.
Making her way down the pier toward the Runnin’ Down A Dream, Drea saw Kyle and Dalton standing at the front of the boat with her Uncle Gray. She hurried her steps, holding on to all the papers she had brought with her from the concierge desk, trying to not have any go flying into the water. As she approached, Dalton pulled away from the group to help her aboard.
“Morning, sugar,” he greeted her, reaching out a hand. “Find what I left you?”
“Sure did,” she answered as she stepped up into the boat. “And I am very confused on many levels. I mean, I have a lot of questions.”
“No questions, just trust the magic!”
She eyed him skeptically as they made their way back toward Kyle and her uncle. Just trust the magic? She had no idea what Dalton’s plan was or why she was going along with it, but since she was standing here with the swimsuit he gave her on underneath her tank and shorts, she guessed she was going along with it.
“Hey doll, how’s the day lookin’?” Grayson asked as she came to stand next to him.
“Good, we’re all sold out for this afternoon, so should be a busy day.”
“I like the sound of that. Guess that decides if I’m tagging along.” He clapped his hands together. “You set out at noon?”
“We can fit you on. If we’re gonna have a full boat, having an extra set of hands wouldn’t be a bad thing. Besides, when was the last time you and Drea went out?” Kyle interjected.
“Come on, Uncle Gray, it’ll be fun. Kyle’s right, we haven’t been out in forever. Plus, I recognize some names on today’s list from yesterday’s tour, some female names, so if nothing else, we can sit back and watch Dalton make a fool of himself with all the attention,” Drea added in.
“Whatever,” Dalton scoffed. “What you will witness is me at my best! My prowess knows no bounds!” He raised his hands in triumph as he backed away from the group. They all laughed as he turned stylishly and headed toward the front of the boat to check equipment.
“Well then, maybe I will.” Grayson put an arm around Drea’s shoulder and kissed her on the top of her head. “Let me see how the morning goes. But you’re right, it’d be a good time. Until then, look after my girl here, Kyle. I’m trusting you with her life.” He kissed the top of her head again and turned to disembark the boat.
“You got it, sir!” Kyle called after him, as Drea simply rolled her eyes.
“I can be trusted with my own life!” she added. Grayson simply held a thumbs-up high over his head as he headed down the pier.
“I know you can,” Kyle said, turning to face her head-on. “Dalton, on the other hand…”
“Drea’s life can be trusted with me. I’d never let anything happen to our princess,” Dalton hollered from the front of the boat.
Drea cut her eyes to Dalton. Princess? What was he getting at? She slid her eyes to Kyle, trying to see what his reaction had been to the new nickname, but his face didn’t seem to change. Okay, then.