Until I Met You

Travel Blog

Tentative Title: The Group Chat

[Note to Self: Maybe… Maybe not…]

Draft Entry #7: The BFF Maintenance Plan

My friends and I mainly keep in touch via group chat. I live in England and they are dispersed across North America. The chat is often aggravating, yet it keeps our connection fresh. It’s a constant stream, yet sometimes I worry it will dry out. When we talk in person, there’s a special kind of chemistry. We’re more open and honest, more generous, too. We’ve widened the circle to include new members. I get to see sides of them I hadn’t guessed at. I want to make the most of this time together. I’ve devised an action plan:

Work on making the Princess Bride’s path to the altar a smooth one and resist cluttering it with my insecurities and doubts. Fight anyone who gets in her way.

Get to know California Girl. She’s going through a tough time and needs support.

Hang out with the original Vegas Squad. Who knows when we’ll all be together again?

Talk to the American.2 Let him know that I have more than enough friends. I want more.

2More on him later.

Chapter Seventeen

Pigeon Point beach fulfilled the promise Tobago made to its visitors in postcards and ads. A stretch of white sand faded into deep turquoise waters. After the cancelled snorkelling trip and much drama, the beach day they deserved finally arrived.

Naomi rented out a covered cabana that served as home base. Right away, though, Anthony, Hugo, Chris, Jason and Jen took off paddleboarding.

Samantha took that to heart. Tomorrow marked the official start of the wedding weekend. Anthony’s family was expected to arrive in the morning. The rehearsal was scheduled in the afternoon. Afterwards, Amelia was hosting an elegant dinner for Anthony’s parents and uncles. The rest of them would set out to No Man’s Land for a sunset barbecue. They would be expected to show up on time for these scheduled events, well dressed and well behaved, or suffer Amelia’s wrath. This was their last opportunity to just hang out and have fun.

While the others enjoyed watersports, Samantha, Naomi, Jasmine, Maya and friends lounged under lime-green umbrellas, sipped coconut water straight from coconuts, raced along the shore, their bare feet sinking into the soft sand, clear water lapping around their ankles, and posed for a million photos that would later be posted on social media. This was their idea of a fun beach day, and they would not be judged for it.

Samantha missed Roman. She couldn’t help checking the time or glancing around to catch his arrival. Eventually, she asked Naomi if she’d heard from him and she said only that he was on his way. ‘Since his grandmother had the stroke, she needs more help at home.’

Naomi said it as if it were common knowledge. Samantha assumed he’d stayed behind to help out at the shop, like last time. ‘I didn’t know. He never talks about his grandparents.’

Naomi didn’t think it was a big deal. ‘Did you tell him about your nana and her last hip replacement?’

Somehow that wasn’t the same thing. Her nana was having a grand time in her assisted living facility. This painted Roman in a new light. He’d left Wall Street to help out his ageing grandparents in their time of need. He could have been anywhere, doing anything, yet he chose to be here.

‘Speaking of Roman, there’s something I’d like to say.’

Samantha’s heart rate ticked up. All this time, she was holding her breath, waiting for some startling revelation that would pull her out of her dream. Roman was too perfect, absolutely too good to be true. Something had to be wrong with him and Naomi was going to reveal it now. Only she didn’t want to know. What good would it do? They had a few days together. She wanted to enjoy it.

‘Anthony thinks I’ve been pushing you too hard. He asked me to back off and give you two space.’

Oh? Samantha hadn’t expected that. ‘Anthony said that?’

‘He did.’

‘And you’re going to do it?’

‘What can I say?’ She wiggled her toes in the sand. ‘He makes me a better person.’

‘Anthony’s a miracle worker? Can he turn water into wine?’

‘Shut up. He’s going to ease up on Roman, too.’

Roman would no doubt appreciate that, but it made no difference in the end. Samantha wondered if she should tell Naomi that neither she nor her perfect fiancé had anything to do with her and Roman getting together. They’d found each other on their own and didn’t need a hype team to get them across the finish line. In the end, she decided against it. It was easier to let Naomi be Naomi, rather than rein her in. Anthony would figure that out soon enough.

Anthony and the others returned in time for lunch. They were about to sit down to grilled fresh fish and chips when Roman arrived. He’d checked three restaurants before tracking them down. Samantha had expected him to show up looking worn out, run down, stressed or any combination of the above. One third of his obligations would have worn her thin. Caring for ageing grandparents was no joke. But he arrived looking better than he had a right to be under any circumstances. He looked fresh in his usual tight, white T-shirt, standard sunglasses and sexy smile. His grandmother had nothing to do with him being late. His uncle’s truck had rolled over into a ditch. He entertained the guys with all the details of the truck rescue. But first, he came around to hug Samantha, fluff her hair, and steal one of her chips. After lunch, he stole her away.