Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Dev squeezes my shoulder. “I’m having a great time.”
I believe him. I can see it in his enthusiasm.
“No place I’d rather be,” Ledger seconds.
“Thank you, but what I’m trying to say is…what if we went somewhere else? What if we did the things you wanted for the rest of the trip?”
“Like fucking you every second of the day?” Dev asks.
Ledger shoots a hand in the air. “Sold.”
“Seriously. Do you want to pick the agenda? This was the trip I was supposed to take with someone else, and I’d really like to make new memories. Where do you like to go?” I ask, determined to get an answer.
With a twinkle in his eyes, Dev says, “I love Vancouver. The food is amazing.”
“Supposedly the nightlife is too,” Ledger says. “Last time we were there we were pretty beat from this youth hockey camp we did with Sanchez on the Vancouver team.”
Before I can even ask, Dev grabs his phone, opening Google. “Let’s take you there and take you out.”
With a glow inside and out, I sink back into him as Ledger massages my calves. “Yes,” I say.
It’s a new honeymoon, and it’s a good thing we packed our passports.
In the morning, we pack up and leave.
37
NEW HONEYMOON
Aubrey
“We got you a surprise.”
We’ve just pulled up in our rental car. They insisted on handling the hotel reservation, which didn’t surprise me, given Dev’s earlier insistence on the jet. They even handled any potential awkward hotel staff observations by booking two rooms this time, even though we only plan to use one. The hotel is renowned for its opulent rooms—but also the discretion of its staff. Better safe than sorry though.
Still, they’re doing so much, and I feel the imbalance, even as I feel the glee of their generosity. I’m standing in front of this bustling luxury, high-rise hotel, with its sleek, mirrored facade, next to these men who look so satisfied with whatever this surprise is for me. But I can’t burst their bubble by asking why are you doing this for me?
Instead, I go with the moment. “Well, what did you guys do?”
The corner of Dev’s lips quirk in a grin. “Let’s just say…we got a nice room.”
Nice is the understatement of my entire life. This room is a palace. “It’s bigger than my apartment,” I say, before I backtrack. “Well, actually everything is bigger than my apartment. It’s pretty much just a studio. So of course it’s bigger than my tiny place,” I say, and then I’m a little embarrassed. Why did I just bring up my apartment and how small it is? Oh, maybe because I feel like Cinderella with them. Well, Cinderella and her two princes. “What I’m trying to say is that this is incredible, and I seriously appreciate it.”
“It suits you,” Dev says, and I’m not sure I’m a penthouse gal, but I’ll take the compliment.
The place is sun-drenched in the late afternoon. There’s a gorgeous sunken living room and a huge bedroom suite off to the side.
Dev walks to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, and he looks so outrageously pleased. So does Ledger when I find him a minute later, checking out the bedroom.
The bed is bigger than any I’ve ever seen. “This is so much more amazing than the honeymoon suite at the Blackberry Inn,” I say in an awed sort of whisper as I stare at the bed.
It’s covered in a thick white duvet with mountains of pillows in sapphire and dove gray, and a quilted headboard that begs to be banged against. Everything smells fresh, like clean linen and springtime.
“Check out the bathroom,” Ledger says, and I follow him in there, drinking in the marble vanity, the plush towels, the sunken tub.
“It’s big enough for a party,” I quip, because I don’t know what else to do but joke. This is overwhelmingly incredible. There’s a huge rainfall shower with five showerheads.
Dev comes up behind me, moves me in front of the mirror, presses a kiss to my neck. “What do you think?”
He sounds hopeful. I’m confused but thrilled.
“Is that even a real question?” I ask, incredulous as Ledger joins him, sliding a hand down my back, curling it over my ass.
But when I look at Dev, then at Ledger, I see nerves flickering in their eyes. What is going on? They’re normally so steady, so strong, so confident. But I can tell it’s truly important to them that I like this. As if I could do anything but love it madly.
I exhale, breathing out the surrealism of this moment in my life. I’m just a hairstylist, living in a tiny studio in the Mission District, sending birthday greetings to clients, going to book club, grabbing mango smoothies and lattes with my girls, and seeing concerts with them, too, way up in the nosebleed seats.