“Like other drinks, maybe?” continues Chase.
“I think you may be onto something,” I reply.
“But...what other drinks could those be? Something popular around here maybe, something that suits Hawaii, one would think.” Chase is drawing this out, but I know where it’s leading, and I’m going to get wetter than the fucking ocean before we get there.
“Like a Sex on the Beach, perhaps?” asks Eric.
“Oh, maybe.” Yeah, I’m just trying not to drool on the sand. “That could be it.”
“It does suit Hawaii,” Chase imparts, “but would it, as Kara puts it, improve on perfection?”
“I’ll field that one,” I offer. “Yes. Yes, it would. But it’s already perfect. I mean right here, right now, Hawaii, modeling for Protein Plus—I wouldn’t trade this for Hollywood, New York, Milan, Oprah money or anything else in the fucking world.”
I let that sink in as we stroll quietly along the beach, the sunset painting the sky in front of us.
After a few lovely minutes, Eric speaks up.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think anybody could do a better job than you’re doing with it.”
“Anyone, huh?” I inquire.
“No one could do what you do,” Chase asserts, “just like nobody could do what Holly-Anne does.”
That’s the right thing to say, especially since Holly-Anne’s going to be one of my bridesmaids in three days.
You read that right. I’m fucking marrying these guys—both of them.
In three days.
Yeah, I can hardly fucking believe it either.
We’re doing it here in Hawaii, in a small ceremony right here on this beach that I’m walking on with my fiancée and my other fiancée. No, it won’t be a legal marriage, but we can still have a ceremony.
“And just like no one can do what Miss Japan or Miss Ireland does.” That’s also the right thing for Chase to say, since they’re also my bridesmaids.
“Speaking of perfection, they’re all working out fucking perfect for Protein Plus.” Eric’s genuinely happy with the decision to bring them aboard as models.
“I know it’s working out perfect for them, too,” I say, “because as far as modeling goes, this is the way to do it—thousands of fucking miles from the horrid, stressful bullshit that comes with it anywhere else.”
“That’s another reason I’m glad there’s still a Protein Plus. It’s a good thing we finally smoothed out that goddamn formula so women aren’t going batshit for us anymore.”
“That’s all well and good for them,” I said with a mischievous grin. “But it must be too late for me because, baby, I’m batshit. I’m as batshit for you both as ever.”
“You know, I could go for that drink now,” Chase declares. “Sex on the Beach, maybe.”
“I like where your head’s at,” Eric agrees. “Thoughts, Kara?”
The air’s getting cooler as the sun sets, but I’m suddenly starting to get really fucking hot.
It’s probably from anticipating Sex on the Beach...you know, the drink.
“That sounds splendi?”
My fucking phone, tucked deep inside my canvas tote with my swimsuits for the photo shoot, starts beeping.
“One minute—then I want to hear more about this sex on the beach idea,” I announce, breaking away from Chase and Eric’s arms.
As much as I wanted to spend every minute with them, I knew I need to take the call, since it might be one of my bridesmaids.