Love After All
Page 74
She pulled her attention from the water and onto him. “It’s more than decent. It’s spectacular. I could sit out here the entire week and be perfectly content.”
He laughed. “I’m glad you like it. Want to see the rest of the place?”
“Sure.”
They went inside and he grabbed their bags, leading her down the hall. “Both the bedrooms face the water. Want to flip for it?” he asked Carter, who was coming down the hall behind him.
“Hey, you invited us to come along. We’re happy no matter where we stay. Take your pick of bedrooms.”
He nodded at Carter and pushed into the bedroom on the left.
Chelsea walked in and immediately went to the sliding glass door. “There’s a balcony here as well?”
“Yes.”
“Amazing.” She opened that door and stepped outside while he laid their bags on the bed. Then he walked outside with her.
“You like it, huh?” he asked.
“I’m telling you, Bash. I’m never going to be inside. Except maybe to take a shower.”
“So, no sleeping these next few days?”
She eyed the cushioned chairs on the balcony. “These will do.”
He put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “And you said you didn’t like camping.”
She laughed. “This is my idea of camping.”
“I can see how rough it’s going to be for you this week.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
She relaxed against him and sighed. “I’m willing to make that sacrifice to spend the week with you.”
“You’re such a trouper, Chelsea.”
She laughed, then they went into the bedroom and unpacked. When he saw the hot blue bikini she pulled out of her suitcase, he grinned.
“I definitely want to see you in that.”
She dangled the bottom by its strings. “What you’re trying to tell me is that you’re ready for the beach?”
“Hell yes.”
“You’ll see me in the bikini tomorrow. Right now I’m hungry, and it’s too late for the beach anyway.”
They finished unpacking and changed clothes. Chelsea put on a sundress, after she apparently consulted with Molly about what they were going to wear for dinner.
Bash chose shorts and a T-shirt, which was pretty much what he was going to wear all week. He didn’t consult with Carter about what to wear, because guys didn’t give a shit.
Chelsea looked like a knockout as always, with a flowered sundress and sandals.
“No killer heels?” he asked.
“No. We might end up on the beach, and my heels are not beach ready.”
“Yes, we had to modify her shoe attire for this vacation,” Molly said, equally gorgeous in a red sundress. “Though I’m certain she’s got heels secreted away in there somewhere.”
Chelsea shrugged. “Of course I do. I don’t go anywhere without them.”
Bash laughed, then slid his arm around her waist. “You wouldn’t be you without those heels, babe.”
Chelsea slanted a smug grin in Molly’s direction. “See?”
Molly shook her head.
Bash held Chelsea’s hand as they rode down in the elevator, not letting go of it as they walked out onto the street.
They found a little bar and bistro on the beach that served an eclectic mix of food, so they agreed to stop in there. Bash gave his name to the hostess, who told them there’d be a wait, so they headed to the bar.
“It’s crowded in here,” Molly said.
“Not a problem.” Carter pointed out a table outside where a group of four was just getting up. They hustled over there and grabbed the table, which had a perfect view of the water.
“This is a breathtaking view,” Chelsea said, turning her chair to face the gulf.
“Isn’t it?” Molly pulled her chair next to Chelsea’s. “I’m so glad we’re here with you and Bash.”
“Me, too. This is going to be fun.”
Their waitress came by, cleaned up the remnants from the previous table occupants, and took their drink order.
The guys were talking car stuff, so she turned her attention to Molly.
“Tell me how things are going with you and Carter.”
“Good. Busy with work stuff, but I’m having a great time. He gives me free rein to work the sales and marketing angle, which is a lot of fun. And then we get to go home together at night. What’s not to love about that?”
“I’m glad the two of you reconnected after so many years apart.”
“So am I.”
Their waitress brought their drinks. Chelsea sipped her wine, already feeling herself relax into vacation mode.
“How is the wedding planning going?”
Molly sighed. “It’s intense. I can’t believe it’s only a few short months away. I’m so glad Carter suggested we take a few days off. Who knew planning a wedding would be so stressful?”
“It is a lot of work, isn’t it?”
“Oh my God, Chelsea. The guest list and the venue, and then catering, cake, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen. His family and my family and … ugh.” She waved her hands in the air. “I’m over it. We should have eloped.”
Chelsea laughed.
“Seriously. Sometimes I think we planned this too soon, you know? But then we figured we were apart for so long, we wanted to just be married, so why wait? But now, as everything is coming to a head, I’ve realized I could use another year just to plan.”
He laughed. “I’m glad you like it. Want to see the rest of the place?”
“Sure.”
They went inside and he grabbed their bags, leading her down the hall. “Both the bedrooms face the water. Want to flip for it?” he asked Carter, who was coming down the hall behind him.
“Hey, you invited us to come along. We’re happy no matter where we stay. Take your pick of bedrooms.”
He nodded at Carter and pushed into the bedroom on the left.
Chelsea walked in and immediately went to the sliding glass door. “There’s a balcony here as well?”
“Yes.”
“Amazing.” She opened that door and stepped outside while he laid their bags on the bed. Then he walked outside with her.
“You like it, huh?” he asked.
“I’m telling you, Bash. I’m never going to be inside. Except maybe to take a shower.”
“So, no sleeping these next few days?”
She eyed the cushioned chairs on the balcony. “These will do.”
He put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “And you said you didn’t like camping.”
She laughed. “This is my idea of camping.”
“I can see how rough it’s going to be for you this week.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
She relaxed against him and sighed. “I’m willing to make that sacrifice to spend the week with you.”
“You’re such a trouper, Chelsea.”
She laughed, then they went into the bedroom and unpacked. When he saw the hot blue bikini she pulled out of her suitcase, he grinned.
“I definitely want to see you in that.”
She dangled the bottom by its strings. “What you’re trying to tell me is that you’re ready for the beach?”
“Hell yes.”
“You’ll see me in the bikini tomorrow. Right now I’m hungry, and it’s too late for the beach anyway.”
They finished unpacking and changed clothes. Chelsea put on a sundress, after she apparently consulted with Molly about what they were going to wear for dinner.
Bash chose shorts and a T-shirt, which was pretty much what he was going to wear all week. He didn’t consult with Carter about what to wear, because guys didn’t give a shit.
Chelsea looked like a knockout as always, with a flowered sundress and sandals.
“No killer heels?” he asked.
“No. We might end up on the beach, and my heels are not beach ready.”
“Yes, we had to modify her shoe attire for this vacation,” Molly said, equally gorgeous in a red sundress. “Though I’m certain she’s got heels secreted away in there somewhere.”
Chelsea shrugged. “Of course I do. I don’t go anywhere without them.”
Bash laughed, then slid his arm around her waist. “You wouldn’t be you without those heels, babe.”
Chelsea slanted a smug grin in Molly’s direction. “See?”
Molly shook her head.
Bash held Chelsea’s hand as they rode down in the elevator, not letting go of it as they walked out onto the street.
They found a little bar and bistro on the beach that served an eclectic mix of food, so they agreed to stop in there. Bash gave his name to the hostess, who told them there’d be a wait, so they headed to the bar.
“It’s crowded in here,” Molly said.
“Not a problem.” Carter pointed out a table outside where a group of four was just getting up. They hustled over there and grabbed the table, which had a perfect view of the water.
“This is a breathtaking view,” Chelsea said, turning her chair to face the gulf.
“Isn’t it?” Molly pulled her chair next to Chelsea’s. “I’m so glad we’re here with you and Bash.”
“Me, too. This is going to be fun.”
Their waitress came by, cleaned up the remnants from the previous table occupants, and took their drink order.
The guys were talking car stuff, so she turned her attention to Molly.
“Tell me how things are going with you and Carter.”
“Good. Busy with work stuff, but I’m having a great time. He gives me free rein to work the sales and marketing angle, which is a lot of fun. And then we get to go home together at night. What’s not to love about that?”
“I’m glad the two of you reconnected after so many years apart.”
“So am I.”
Their waitress brought their drinks. Chelsea sipped her wine, already feeling herself relax into vacation mode.
“How is the wedding planning going?”
Molly sighed. “It’s intense. I can’t believe it’s only a few short months away. I’m so glad Carter suggested we take a few days off. Who knew planning a wedding would be so stressful?”
“It is a lot of work, isn’t it?”
“Oh my God, Chelsea. The guest list and the venue, and then catering, cake, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen. His family and my family and … ugh.” She waved her hands in the air. “I’m over it. We should have eloped.”
Chelsea laughed.
“Seriously. Sometimes I think we planned this too soon, you know? But then we figured we were apart for so long, we wanted to just be married, so why wait? But now, as everything is coming to a head, I’ve realized I could use another year just to plan.”
