DANNY
I tell Lenka everything about my past with Harper, and I can see that she's afraid. I leave nothing out, divulging every nasty incident where Harper tried to hurt someone just because she thought they were too close to me.
"Do you still want to do this?" I ask when I'm done telling the story.
She hesitates before nodding, and relief sweeps through me. To be honest, I thought she might want to back out. And who could blame her? Now that she knows the full magnitude of what she's dealing with, it would be natural to want to run in the other direction.
"We should be seen together if you want people to think we're really engaged," she suggests.
“Here, this is the ring." I hand it over to her with a smile. "Remember, I proposed to you in the place we first met.”
She slides it onto her finger, taking a moment to admire it.
I sigh as I think about tonight. "I'm going to head out onto the deck. Get changed and join me when you're ready."
There’s only one way I’m going to find out if we can pull this off, and that’ll be up on deck. I take my leave, shutting the door behind me, then I head up to the deck with everyone else. Maybe after socializing for a bit, I’ll join Dad for some bourbon. I wish I could drink right now, but I need to have a clear head.
As I walk up the stairs, I find the party in full swing. Earlier, Candy didn’t want to give up her suitcase, but as I suspected, she’s managed to find a long black dress that’s stunning on her. She sings, and everyone starts to dance. She has a sultry voice, one that I'm sure has had many men begging for her number. There's a crowd of guys watching her, so I know I'm not far off the mark.
I bob my head to the beat, wondering if maybe I should have hopped in the shower before coming up on deck. I’ve managed to lose the jacket and tie, but I still feel stiff. The guys are wearing summer shirts. Dad’s in his usual polo and pants. And the ladies are leaving little to the imagination.
Mom starts to head towards me. I pick up a glass of champagne and get another one for her. She’s empty-handed and doesn’t seem as uptight as when she first saw Harper.
Harper’s in the middle of the dance floor tearing it up.
“She always was a good dancer,” Mom says as she catches me watching Harper.
I nod. “We have to be here for Adele.”
“Seeing as the groom couldn’t be bothered to do it. We really do need to be here for her. Did he call you?”
I shake my head. “He better turn up, Mom, otherwise I swear that I’ll…” I should have called him the second Adele informed me that he wasn't on board, but I was so caught up in protecting myself from Harper. If that bastard doesn't make it, I'm going to fucking kill him.
She takes my hand. “No need for violence, dear. We’ll just be there for Adele." She hesitates before speaking again. "I think something happened between them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Adele hasn't exactly been jovial.” Mom moves her silver bangs away from her eyes and then looks at me. “She hasn’t said anything to you lately?”
"No. But I’ve been so busy with this business deal that I’ve let everything slip.”
She chuckles. “That didn’t stop you from picking up a fake fiancée for the night.”
“Adele told you?”
“She did. She also said that she needs Harper here, though lord knows why.”
Harper winks at me from where she's now doing the limbo with my dad right behind her. Judging by the goofy smile on his face and his willingness to be anywhere near her, it's obvious that he's had a little too much to drink. Harper slips under the pole, it gets lowered, and then it's my father's turn. Mom rushes in to stop him before he breaks his back. Harper was barely able to make it under the pole. Dad has no chance in hell.
I find myself becoming antsy waiting for Lenka. I don’t know how long she’ll take to get up here. Then again, maybe she’s changed her mind and jumped overboard.
Just as I'm on the verge of going back downstairs to check on her, Lenka emerges from below deck in a gold shimmer dress with her hair in a bun. The dress is short, but with her long legs, it fits her perfectly. It's as if a light is shining on her, because not only has she taken my breath away but she’s gotten a few other people’s attention. I wait for her to approach me, feeling as if time’s standing still. She's absolutely breathtaking, and there's a surge of pride in knowing I'll have her by my side for the entire trip, even if it's only because I'm paying her.