Page 45 of This Could be Love

“Changed my mind,” Vince mumbled.

I frowned. Hadn’t he said he was going to the party anyway? But before I could think about it any further, Chip’s eyes landed on me.

“Aloha! I’d expected you even less than this dude here.”

“Laurie wanted to come, but she’s not feeling well,” I explained as Chip’s eyes darted back and forth between Vince and me.

“Well, welcome to my humble home.” He extended a welcoming gesture with his arms. “Go ahead and put your feet up.”

Chapter 19

We got ourselves something to drink and ran into Pili, who reacted to Vince’s presence in much the same way as Chip had. “You? Here?” Her eyes zipped to me and seemed to say, “With her?!” There wasn’t any condescension in her look, just fascination, and yet I felt like some kind of zoo animal all the same.

“Everyone else here?” Vince asked, ignoring her question.

“I came with Milo.” She scanned the room, and I took the opportunity to give her a quick once-over. She’d tied her long hair into a ponytail and was wearing shorts with a floral print and a tank top that saidSun-kissed. An outfit that was more suited to the party than mine surely.

“Brody’s got to be around here somewhere.” Her eyes came back to us. To me. “Sorry. I didn’t even say hi!”

I made a dismissive gesture and smiled.

“Your dress is awesome!” she said, and looked me up and down appreciatively.

“Oh, thanks. Sadly, just a loaner.”

“You definitely should think about not giving it back.” She smirked. “Where did you all leave Laurie?”

“She had a headache,” Vince replied. He hadn’t said anything in a while.

“That’s why Vince brought me,” I added.

“Gotcha,” Pili purred with a smile I couldn’t quite read.

Shortly thereafter Milo and Brody, both of whom I’d met at the barbecue, made their way over. It didn’t even take a minute for all four to fall into surfer slang and start talking about waves, swells, flood tides, and wind conditions.

“Hey, y’all, maybe we should change the topic before we bore poor Louisa here to death.” Pili looked at me apologetically. “Sorry, that just happens automatically sometimes when surfers get together.”

“I get it,” I answered with a smile. “No different with tennis players.”

“Right. Vince mentioned you played professionally,” Milo said.

I would have loved to have asked him when. What the context had been. His tone of voice and…

“Isn’t the US Open coming up soon?” Brody asked.

Pili raised her brows. “You like tennis?”

“Sure,” he replied, shrugging. “I mainly watch guys’ tennis though.”

“Do you have a favorite?”

He thought for a moment. “Tiafoe. You?”

“Dimitrov, I’d say. I love his game. He’s so…graceful. And he’s a really nice guy.”

“Right,” Pili drawled. “Now you all are boringus.”

We laughed and changed to a more general topic. I learned that Pili waitressed at a hotel in Turtle Bay and that she, Milo, and Brody taught tourists how to surf. That all three had grown up around Haleiwa but only Pili wasKanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian.