Chapter 05.5

“Well played, Little girl,” I grinned at Susy. ”Who should I shake on it with?”

“With me, pretty boy,” Jenny stepped up and offered her hand.

“Where’d you get that from, Susy?” Daryl asked.

Jenny and Susy both held up their phones from their laps, and the girls burst out laughing.

“I only had to send her a hint for the last line,” Jenny teased. ”The rest was predictable—he’s easy to read.”

I was just about to compliment her when Brian interrupted.

“Jay, that’s enough,” he said, cutting me off.

“You’re the only one brave enough to say that,” I replied, half-joking. ”You’ve gotten bold while I was away.”

“Well, my friend,” Brian grinned, ”you don’t have to be away for that.”

“Let’s go,” Jenny cut in, ending the conversation a little too quickly and walking away with the girls. 

I glanced at Paul and saw it on his face too—this kind of topic made Jenny uncomfortable.

“Hey, man,” Brian said, falling into step beside me as we walked. ”You good?”

We’d always known each other well.

“Just thinking about what comes next,” I said, nodding toward the group walking ahead—toward the girl who used to be mine.

“If anyone can figure it out, it’s you,” Brian said with a smile. ”I don’t know a single girl who fits you better than she does.”

“We’ve met a few,” I laughed, trying to steer myself away from the topic.

“Exactly,” he grinned.

We arrived at the beach, rented jet skis, and received safety vests. The lifeguard was overly enthusiastic about helping Jenny put hers on. I wanted to rip his head off when she nodded at him gratefully.

“Everyone gets three runs. The target is the buoy,” Brian announced, forcing me to focus on him.

“Rules?” I asked. Jenny looked deep in thought, clearly strategizing.

“Best lap counts, and we tally the overall results,” she said. ”If we take first place but the rest of the top spots go to the guys, then you win—because the majority of your team had better times.”

“So it’s not just about first place,” I summarized. “Smart.”

“I try,” she smiled the way she always did—and it was ridiculously attractive.

“Everyone good with that?” I asked. Everyone nodded.

“Then let’s get started,” I said. Jenny kept her distance as we lined up.

Brian’s team went last. Jenny was too cautious—her time wasn’t even close to mine.

“Hani,” Brian said to Mayoko, ”you don’t have to win overall—just beat me, and you girls get your day.”

“Go, Mayoko!” Diane called out. ”One day in the woods with Jane, and we’d both die.”

“She’s good,” I said to Brian as Mayoko started her final lap. ”Almost beat your time.”

“Right?” Brian said proudly. ”Sooner or later, she’ll end up like Diane,” he added in a lower voice.

“Victory!” Paul cheered as Mayoko crossed the finish. ”Princess, Diane—this is happening.”

“Ladies,” I said smugly, ”we leave for the forest tomorrow morning.”

We headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.

“What’s the plan for tonight?” Diane asked over the meal.

“Whatever you want, darling,” Daryl said. ”We’re saving our energy for tomorrow.”

“Can we go dancing?” Jessica asked.

“Jess,” Aaron said, ”we can go, but you know I’m not big on dancing.”

“Then I’ll dance with the girls,” she replied, a little sharply.

“Who wants to go dancing?” Paul jumped in quickly before things escalated. Most of the group raised their hands.

“Perfect,” Jenny smiled. ”Then let’s party.”

After dinner, while the girls went to change, I caught Paul in our room for a quick word.

“Paul, I need a favor.”

“Go ahead.”

I told him about my plan for the end of summer.

“Whoa, man,” he grinned. ”If you go through with this, she’s going to jump into your arms. Of course you’re welcome to stay at my flat.”

“No one can know until I get the results,” I said quietly.

“I won’t say a word. But why not tell her?” he asked.

“Because if I fail, she’ll be really disappointed,” I admitted.

“I don’t think she would be,” he said calmly. ”She’d appreciate that you tried. Honestly, I’d be surprised if you didn’t make it. Either way, I’ll be waiting.”

“Have you noticed Susy’s starting to act a bit like Jenny?” I asked while we were getting dressed.

“They spend a lot of time together,” Paul laughed. ”And yeah, I’ve noticed. I’m proud of her.”