One More Time

I watched as Tommy strolled out of the cabin and headed for the girls’ room. I didn’t want to tease him anymore about it because I knew this could be good for him. I’d never seen Tommy like this. With anyone. Picking women up for dates? He didn’t do that shit. He always met them somewhere and had him follow them. In his mind, it was easier to kick them out afterward if they were terrible in bed. If they weren’t, he’d keep them around, fuck them for breakfast, and then he’d kick them out.

But he never went back.

That was a rule of his. Until now, at least.

If I identified all the ways he was changing for Ana, it might scare him. Even though Tommy was confident in himself, deep down he was a commitment-phobe, scared he would end up like his father. Back in high school, his father was into some deep shit. Gambling. Drinking. The works. He saw the toll it had taken on his mother, both emotionally and financially. Tommy had to take two jobs while going through school to help his mom make ends meet. I knew the reason he never dated or settled down was that he’d watched his family spiral like that. I knew he feared turning into his dad and leaving behind a legacy that was shit. He was a perfectionist with a narcissistic streak, but he used those personality traits to leave behind a legacy he thought was worth something.

Being a ladies’ man.

He treated the women he was with wonderfully. He wasn’t mean or abusive. Gave into their every whim and paid for their shit, but he always kept boundaries he never crossed. He never wanted to give them the idea things could become anything more than a one-night stand. He wouldn’t pick them up, he wouldn’t cook them breakfast, and they wouldn’t stay more than one night. Other than that, he was a gentleman, an intentional one, like his father hadn’t been.

But he was throwing all that shit out the window for Ana.

Pointing that stuff out to win an argument would scare him, so I kept it to myself.

I walked out of the room as Chanel was coming out of hers. She smiled at me and my chest flooded with warmth. I watched Ana and Tommy walk down the hallway, arm in arm as the two of them talked about whatever the hell it was that entertained them.

“You look nice,” Chanel said.

“I look moldy compared to you,” I said.

“Moldy?” she asked.

“You know, like moldy bread?”

“Never heard anyone say that,” she said with a giggle.

I offered her my arm and she took it, her eyes twinkling up at me.

“Ready for dinner?” I asked.

“Oh yes. I’ve been hungry for an hour now.”

“Then let’s get the beautiful woman some food,” I said.

CHAPTER 25

CHANEL

Dinner was fabulous, as always. Connie Thomas had more things planned, like the band coming up to play again and another slideshow for us to reminisce over. Only this time, the slideshow had multiple pictures from our senior class trip. There was a picture of Tommy holding up a root beer like he was a hotshot, and Rhett was there, belly flopping into the ocean. There were several pictures from the bonfire that had happened on the beach. There were pictures of many people exploring the seaside town and walking around with ice cream cones. High school girls in their brightly-colored bikinis posing for the camera like they were awesome human beings. I smiled as the slideshow flipped through picture after picture, drawing memories from the banks of my mind I had long since forgotten.

After the festivities, the four of us went to get a late-night drink. We dipped into the piano bar and sat down, ordering drinks that had become signature to us. The boys ordered whiskeys neat while I settled for a glass of wine, and Ana stayed with her brightly-colored cocktails that came in glasses way too big for anyone to be drinking all at once. The piano music was soothing, and we talked amongst ourselves, trying not to disturb the pianist turning on the podium she was playing on.

But then, those same security guards from the prior evening walked in and beckoned to me.

“What the hell?” Ana asked.

“What’s all that about?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Rhett asked.

“No, no. I’ve got it. It can’t be that bad. Luke’s not on the ship, and we haven’t docked to pick him up yet,” I said.

“Are you sure? Because I’ll go with you,” Rhett said.

I looked up at him before I stood. I set my drink down on the small table in front of me before I smoothed out my dress. I drew in a deep breath as I looked toward Ana, and she nodded her head like she was transferring some of her strength to me.