“Have you finished exploring the resort?”
“Just about,” I nodded. “It’s massive.”
“It is.”
“The game room is crazy big,” I said. “Unfortunately, I can’t really play many games by myself. So I’m limited to swimming, reading, and exploring.”
Her expression turned sly. “You could always ask Mr. Dubois to accompany you,” she suggested coyly.
I snorted. “He’s way too busy to give me the time of day,” I said. “I haven’t seen him since the day I arrived.”
“Molly,” Alani said, leaning in towards me slightly.
“Yes?”
“You and I… We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“I think so, yes,” I smiled.
“Good, then can I ask you a personal question?”
I laughed. “I should have known that question was a trap. Okay, go ahead and ask me anything.”
She smiled. “Is there something between you and Mr. Dubois?”
I had been expecting the question, but I still paused to consider the possibility. “No,” I said, after a moment. “There definitely isn’t anything between Tristan and me.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding disappointed. “But…you like him, don’t you?”
“Well…”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Half the female staff here is in love with Mr. Dubois. He’s a very handsome man…and so young to be so successful.”
“Yup, that’s Tristan,” I said flatly. “Mr. Perfect.”
She laughed. “You do like him.”
“Or maybe I’m just annoyed with how perfect he is,” I pointed out.
“Love and hate aren’t too far apart, Molly,” Alani told me.
I groaned. “Fine, yes,” I admitted. “I do like him… I’ve liked him for a long, long time now.”
“Oh?” Alani asked, with interest. “Do tell.”
“He and my brother met during their college orientation,” I said. “They hit it off right away and became instant friends. They’re very similar, my brother and Tristan. I suppose they bonded over all the things they had in common. I had just turned fourteen the first time I met Tristan. Jason brought him home for Thanksgiving to spend the weekend with us.”
“You had a crush on him,” Alani smiled, as though she lived for stories like this.
“I fell in love with him,” I said, laughing at myself. “I took one look at him as he walked through those double doors and I thought, ‘that is the man I’m going to marry one day.’”
Alani laughed. “Aw, that’s a strong reaction.”
“It was,” I sighed. “I spent the whole weekend finding any excuse to be near him. By the end of the weekend, I was convinced that Tristan was the only man I would ever love.”
“And was he?”
I laughed. “I’ve still got the rest of my life to get through before I can answer that question. I don’t know if it was love or infatuation,” I admitted. “But I do know that I’ve never felt that way about anyone since then, except for Tristan.”