"That was a wonderful evening." I tried not to let my voice quiver. "I thought we had something. You asked for my number…and disappeared. Why didn't you call?"
He turned to me with a stunned expression. "Didn't call? You gave me the wrong number. I called every combination of it I could think of, trying to reach you. Looked like a real douche, and made a complete fool out of myself with way too many wrong numbers. I just couldn't let myself believe you'd blown me off by intentionally giving me a fake number."
I went cold. "I'd never—"
He shrugged. "I don't give up easily. I went crazy trying to find out who you were. I only knew your first name, so I couldn't stalk you on social media. I hung out at the pub hoping I'd run into you again. Until it just became too damn embarrassing and made me look like a pathetic loser."
My heart melted. I swallowed a lump in my throat. At the same time, I was totally confused. "No, I couldn't have. I didn't. Not on purpose."
He pulled his phone from his pocket and brought up the number.
"You still have it?"
He nodded, looking sheepish.
I took the phone and frowned. "This isn't my number." I slapped my forehead. "I was drunk that night. I can't believe I typed my number into your phone wrong. I transposed two of the numbers. I've never done that before." I looked him in the eye. "I'm so sorry."
He smiled softly. "Honest mistake. At least I know now you weren't just jacking me around."
I shook my head and tried not to laugh with happiness. "And I know you didn't suddenly chalk up our attraction to the power of beer goggles. I thought you'd sobered up and realized I wasn't as hot as you thought."
I paused. "Speaking of Hott, why won't you give me a chance to work a deal with you and Flash? Why wouldn't you return my calls? And don't tell me you won't talk business. This is important to us now."
He looked almost embarrassed again. "I recognized your voice on the phone the first time you called. Your first name was the same. It didn't take rocket science to figure out you were the girl from the bar. You didn't seem to recognize me. It was damned awkward. So I assigned someone from my team to handle it and went on vacation."
"Did you also order that person to stonewall me with unreasonable terms? Terms we don't give any vendor."
He frowned. "Unreasonable terms? I told Jerry to make a deal."
"He didn't get the memo." I put my hand on his knee. "You didn't take my calls this past week."
"Like I've been saying, I'm on vacation. I don't deal with work on vacation. Not unless it's a dire emergency."
"It was dire." I bumped him with my shoulder. "To my career."
"We'll make it happen." He took the hand I'd rested on his knee. "When we get back to Seattle."
"Can I take that as a verbally contracted promise?"
He squeezed my hand.
I sighed. "It seems we've been victims of misperception and lack of communication."
"And alcohol." He laughed.
"Yeah. And that." I paused, thinking of Kayla and her desire to set me up with Eli. "Do you smell a setup, too?"
"What?" He laughed. "You think so, too?"
"Who do you suspect?" we asked in unison.
"Justin," he said at the same time I said, "Kayla!"
"Justin asked me to meet you at the dock. He knew our mutual buddy was out of town and I was down here on vacation. He only gave me your first name. But I hoped…"
I sighed happily. "Kayla convinced me to come when I wanted to cancel after my friend couldn't make it."
He raised an eyebrow. "We've both been duped."
I laughed. "Forgive them. Kayla just wants me to be as happy as she is. She's been talking you up for months.
"I never had the heart to tell her about our first failed meeting in the pub and how you didn't call. I mean, I told her about the douche who never called, but I didn't use your name. There was no reason for her to make the connection. She knew about you putting me off business-wise, though."
"Friends." He shook his head. "What would we do without them?"
"End up all alone?" I snuggled into him.
"Enough about them." He turned my face to his. "What do you want to do on our last night together here?" His voice was husky and full of promise.
"It's on my bucket list to make love in the tropics beneath the stars." I leaned my forehead against his.
"What a coincidence—it's on mine, too."
Seven
Day Four
The boat arrived for us just after noon. We sat in the back, side by side, hand in hand, facing the wake, as we watched the beach house disappear.
Eli handed me a brown cardboard package that had been sitting next to him.
"What's this?" I asked as I took it from him.
"Open it and find out." His eyes danced. He was up to something.
I tore open the seal to find a boxful of Hott's Socks in a variety of patterns and colors. "Men's socks. Just what I always wanted."
"Samples for you to pick from for our event with Flash. As I promised, I'm handing you my account."
I kissed him and looked through the box. His socks really were hot. I actually picked a pair and tried them on. "Comfy. We have a deal."