panic, coldness, and finally outright hostility. Come down whenever you need a break from the rat race. Huh. If nothing else this whole fiasco would teach her not to impulsively accept an invitation that she knew damn well was only issued out of politeness.
Embarrassed or not, hurt or not, she was here now, and she was going to have fun even if it killed her.
She took another sip of her drink, surprised to see that she’d already finished half. Better slow down , she thought, and chased it with a sip of Pellegrino. The sun, combined with the alcohol lulled her into a dreamy, half-sleep state. Vaguely she heard the girls talking about some other guests who had just PrivateParty
arrived on the beach.
“I thought we’d have this place all to ourselves,” she heard Jen say.
The island had several beaches to choose from. Most guests, especially the couples, stayed close to their villas, where privacy was more easily found. Amy and her friends, in contrast, had chosen the main beach in front of the resort, preferring to be where the action was. So far the five of them were the only action to be found.
Julie cracked an eye open. Sure enough, it was the software mogul and his fiancée. They directed the attendant to pull their lounge chairs down the beach from the bachelorettes.
“So what’s up with you and Mike?”
Julie was silent a moment until she realized Jen was talking to her.
“Yeah, he’s hot,” said Chrissy, a short blonde who could have passed for Julie’s sister. “But so’s Dan, and since Mike seems otherwise occupied…”
“I just met Mike yesterday,” Julie said. “How could there be anything going on already?”
“Oh, give me a break,” Amy chided. “One day at a place like this is plenty of time.” She tilted her Versace shades down her nose and peered over the lenses at Jen. “Isn’t it, Jen?” Jen stretched luxuriously and said, “What can I say, time is short, resources are scarce, and I’ve gotta work fast.”
“Jen hooked up with Greg last night,” Kara said.
“He’s the guy with the dark hair and green eyes, right?” Julie asked, and finished her drink in one last sip. Almost magically, the waiter reappeared, and Amy ordered another round for all of them.
“No, that’s Dan,” Jen clarified. “Greg’s the one with blue eyes and dirty blond hair.”
“And then the other one’s Brad, right?” said Amy.
“You should know, you were sitting next to him at dinner,” chided Jen.
“Oh, like I would remember. I was so bombed by then, I’m lucky I remembered my own name,” Amy laughed. “Poor Brad, he probably thought he was going to get some bachelorette last-fling action.” She sighed. “Unfortunately for him, I am much too in love with Will to ever even look at another man.” PrivateParty
“Bullshit,” Kara said bluntly.
“Okay, fine, I’ll look, but I just won’t do anything about it,” Amy said.
Julie laughed and took her new drink from the waiter. She felt the slightest twinge of envy at the group’s familiar banter. Except for Wendy, Julie had lost touch with most of her girlfriends over the past two years, having spent most of the time with Brian’s friends and their wives. Although they were nice, they’d never stopped treating Julie with an unmistakable air of condescension, referring to her as Brian’s child bride. As a result, Julie had always been on her best, most mature behavior in front of them.
The girls promptly started telling other vacation stories, teasing one another about past exploits.
“Remember that guy in Jamaica, Amy—the one with the tongue piercing?” Jen asked.
Julie felt another stab of resentment. Thanks to Brian, she had missed out on making friends like this and having her own wild stories.
“Hey, I didn’t know that was allowed.”
Julie followed Jen’s gaze down the beach. The software mogul’s improbably endowed fiancée had taken off her top and was leisurely rubbing sunscreen over her
Embarrassed or not, hurt or not, she was here now, and she was going to have fun even if it killed her.
She took another sip of her drink, surprised to see that she’d already finished half. Better slow down , she thought, and chased it with a sip of Pellegrino. The sun, combined with the alcohol lulled her into a dreamy, half-sleep state. Vaguely she heard the girls talking about some other guests who had just PrivateParty
arrived on the beach.
“I thought we’d have this place all to ourselves,” she heard Jen say.
The island had several beaches to choose from. Most guests, especially the couples, stayed close to their villas, where privacy was more easily found. Amy and her friends, in contrast, had chosen the main beach in front of the resort, preferring to be where the action was. So far the five of them were the only action to be found.
Julie cracked an eye open. Sure enough, it was the software mogul and his fiancée. They directed the attendant to pull their lounge chairs down the beach from the bachelorettes.
“So what’s up with you and Mike?”
Julie was silent a moment until she realized Jen was talking to her.
“Yeah, he’s hot,” said Chrissy, a short blonde who could have passed for Julie’s sister. “But so’s Dan, and since Mike seems otherwise occupied…”
“I just met Mike yesterday,” Julie said. “How could there be anything going on already?”
“Oh, give me a break,” Amy chided. “One day at a place like this is plenty of time.” She tilted her Versace shades down her nose and peered over the lenses at Jen. “Isn’t it, Jen?” Jen stretched luxuriously and said, “What can I say, time is short, resources are scarce, and I’ve gotta work fast.”
“Jen hooked up with Greg last night,” Kara said.
“He’s the guy with the dark hair and green eyes, right?” Julie asked, and finished her drink in one last sip. Almost magically, the waiter reappeared, and Amy ordered another round for all of them.
“No, that’s Dan,” Jen clarified. “Greg’s the one with blue eyes and dirty blond hair.”
“And then the other one’s Brad, right?” said Amy.
“You should know, you were sitting next to him at dinner,” chided Jen.
“Oh, like I would remember. I was so bombed by then, I’m lucky I remembered my own name,” Amy laughed. “Poor Brad, he probably thought he was going to get some bachelorette last-fling action.” She sighed. “Unfortunately for him, I am much too in love with Will to ever even look at another man.” PrivateParty
“Bullshit,” Kara said bluntly.
“Okay, fine, I’ll look, but I just won’t do anything about it,” Amy said.
Julie laughed and took her new drink from the waiter. She felt the slightest twinge of envy at the group’s familiar banter. Except for Wendy, Julie had lost touch with most of her girlfriends over the past two years, having spent most of the time with Brian’s friends and their wives. Although they were nice, they’d never stopped treating Julie with an unmistakable air of condescension, referring to her as Brian’s child bride. As a result, Julie had always been on her best, most mature behavior in front of them.
The girls promptly started telling other vacation stories, teasing one another about past exploits.
“Remember that guy in Jamaica, Amy—the one with the tongue piercing?” Jen asked.
Julie felt another stab of resentment. Thanks to Brian, she had missed out on making friends like this and having her own wild stories.
“Hey, I didn’t know that was allowed.”
Julie followed Jen’s gaze down the beach. The software mogul’s improbably endowed fiancée had taken off her top and was leisurely rubbing sunscreen over her
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