Until I Met You

‘Damn.’ He pressed his forehead to hers. ‘And I should probably spend time with Anthony. Show him I care.’

That reminded her, she had some intel to share. ‘There’s been a development on that front. Anthony has vowed to butt out of our affairs.’

‘Oh, yeah?’ He pulled her tighter. She melted into his chest. ‘Anthony should focus on his wedding vows.’

‘I agree.’

He looked past her shoulder at the shoreline. ‘They’re watching, you know.’

‘I bet they are.’

‘Let’s give them something to see.’

Samantha rose onto her tiptoes. They shared another laugh before he kissed her. This kiss was different from the others, slow and sweet and full of promise. She ran her hands over his cropped hair, slid them down his back. She tasted him and breathed him in, all her senses awake. They were at the very edge of the jetty with the sea all around. She was faintly aware of swimmers splashing in the distance, seagulls crying overhead, and the tumble of the waves, but she was highly attuned to Roman’s heartbeat and every sound that escaped his throat. She couldn’t wait for them to be alone.

He pulled away and sought her eyes. ‘I’m weary of starting things that I can’t follow through. Does that make sense?’

It made all the sense in the world. ‘I’m the same,’ she said. ‘Naomi says I should just live in the moment.’

‘Those two can’t stay out of our business, can they?’

‘It’s embarrassing. Do you think they sit up all night talking about us?’

‘I’d bet money on it.’

She laughed, loving his uncanny ability to flip the mood with just a word or two.

Roman cupped her face. ‘So pretty,’ he whispered.

Adrian came running down the jetty, clapping to get their attention. ‘Wrap it up, you two! We’ve got snorkelling and steel drum lessons in five!’

Samantha did all right with the steel drums. Chris, the only other one of their clan to sign up for a lesson, did far better. It wasn’t her fault. Her thoughts were scattered. Her brain kept skipping ahead, she was eager to leave. She’d frolicked in the sun, skipped in the sand, bonded with her friends, and posed for one hundred photos. It was time to go. She and Roman would be driving back together. They were going to stop by the place he rented just blocks from his grandparents’ home. She would finally get a glimpse at his interior world.

After the lesson, she and Chris stopped to pick up fresh coconut water and made their way back to the cabana.

‘You did really well back there,’ Samantha said.

‘It’s just the way my mind works,’ Chris said. ‘I can pick up rhythm and patterns easily.’

She realized that he was apologizing for his proficiency. ‘That’s awesome. Do you play an instrument?’

‘I play a few.’

‘A few!’

‘How about you?’

‘Not even one,’ she said. ‘In school I got to bang the cymbals. That about sums it up.’

‘Still requires pacing and timing.’

‘You’re too kind.’

This was the most she’d talked to Chris this entire trip. They were a small group, yet rowdy. She’d catch him chatting or laughing with Jen or Roman, but for the most part he kept quiet and to himself. She hadn’t made much of an effort, either.

‘What do you do for a living?’ she asked.

‘I’m a mathematician.’