"You respond like this to all types of food, or is it just junkfood, like chips and cookies?" I laughed.
Beth closed her eyes and slowly placed a chip on her tongue then closed her mouth and started chewing. Who the hell ate chips like that?
"All food," she said, still chewing. "I love salt."
Well, that explained the weird chip placement. She reached for another chip and did it again. I swore and looked away. What the hell was my problem?
I lifted the rum punch to my lips and took a sip. The liquid was cold and sweet, but not too sweet. It had a hint of ginger and basically tasted like heaven after that flight.
"It's pretty." Beth sighed, drinking her punch.
"What is?"
"The sky. The hotels. The water." Beth pointed to the shoreline as all the hotels of Waikiki Beach lit up the dusk night sky. "I've only been here once. I promised myself I'd come back after graduation, but then I got a job, and you know how that goes. Ten years later you wonder why you haven't ever taken a vacation."
I snorted. "Know what that's like."
"Anyway." Beth cleared her throat., "I've been thinking."
"That can get you into trouble."
"I know." She played with the half-empty cup in her hands, twirling it around a few times before leaning back against her seat. "I know this situation isn't ideal. I know you have a lot going on. But, I think this is what I needed. A vacation. To get away for a bit. I'm just sorry that you got drug into it."
I threw my head back and laughed. "Honey, it was my own damn fault. I actually said yes to Grandma." Shrugging, I continued. "I was, uh, supposed to hit on your sister and get her to like me. There was a certain wager going on between Grandma, Kacey, and Travis. They wanted someone good for Char, and Grandma wanted to win the wager. Clearly, Grandma succeeded. Jake and Char seem happy."
"So you are still a white knight, sweeping in just in time to save the day." Beth sighed.
I, in turn, panicked. "What do you mean? White knight?"
"I remember." She broke a chip in her hand and popped it in her mouth. "Senior year. You were at prom with your cousin."
My palms got sweaty all over again as I rubbed them on my pants and waited for what was next.
"You swept in and danced with me when I was pouting all by myself."
I laughed. "Believe me when I say, there was nothing white-knightish about your rescue."
Her face fell. "What do you mean?"
"Truth?"
She nodded. "I thought you were really hot."
The sound of Beth's laughter filling the crisp night air may as well have been a damn explosion inside my chest — I would have been happy to listen to her laugh all night.
"Thanks." She smiled. "That made my night."
"That's a shame." The word were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Because as far as compliments go, it was pretty shitty. I hope that you've been told that you're more than hot. I hope guys use the big words with you. You're a big words type of girl."
Beth's smile tightened; she shrugged and looked away. "Char says Jake gives good compliments. It's sweet."
With a frown, I set down the cup. "You don't seem convinced that it's sweet at all. If anything, your entire body just slumped further into your chair, and your shoulders fell forward. Don't you like Jake?" Personally I thought he was a spoiled ass, but he was working on it, and I respected him for that.
"It's not that."
Beth shook her head and stared down at the damn cup in her hands. Irritated, I grabbed the cup, forcing her to look up.
"It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud."
"What does?"
Beth rolled her eyes. "I don't even know you. I'm not going to get all emotional on you."
"Lies," I smirked. "I've danced with you for at least three minutes and shared a few hours in bed with you. And if Grandma has her say about anything, we're most likely engaging in some sort of Hawaiian wedding tradition where sharing rum punch means we're married."
"Valid point."
"Tell you what. This is a free pass. Besides, we're on the ocean. Nobody can hear us, no cell phones are going off, and there's no media. It's just you and me. You want to howl at the damn moon, just say the word. I've officially made the ocean Switzerland."
Her mouth curved into a smile. "Neutral? Hmm, can senators do that?"
I paused then snapped my fingers. "Just did."
Beth laughed.
I held my breath. It was that beautiful. I didn't want to ruin it by making any noise at all.
"Fine." She chewed her lower lip, tilting her head to the side. "I think it's jealousy."
"Jealousy?" I leaned forward so our knees were touching. "How so?"
"Travis was in love with Kacey since he was little. Char was in love with Jake. Each of them had their past, their own story, and a Cinderella ending with a fairy godmother in the form of a lipstick-wielding grandmother."
I chuckled. "And?"
"And," Beth leaned forward and sighed, "I have science."
"Rock on." I nodded encouragingly.
She smacked me in the arm. "I'm serious!"
"I thought you liked your job."
"I do! I just…" She started twirling a piece of her hair. "I just… sometimes, I just wish for the Cinderella story. I want the happy ending, I just want… more."