Page 37 of When Javi Dumped Mari

Mari

Now

Iasked for an ordinary bachelorette party, and they organized this instead.

A two-night rendezvous at Starfish Oasis, an all-inclusive adults-only resort in Belize.

One short nonstop flight away from each of us, Belize could easily dub itself paradise on earth, and I wouldn’t disagree.

I’m mentally kicking myself for not traveling here sooner.

The five of us—Sasha, Brittany, Chloe, Javi, and me—just dropped off our bags in our rooms (Javi, Chloe, and I are sharing a two-bedroom suite, while Sasha and Brittany are rooming together in a double), and now we’re touring the grounds to get a taste of what’s on offer.

Unlimited top-shelf liquor, butt cracks, and hedonism seem to be the specials of the day.

To the left, a group of guests have fashioned their own twerking competition as the resort staff look on with amusement.

To the right, an older gentleman with snow-white Fabioesque hair and an equally eye-catching Speedo is doing planks poolside.

Javi whistles when he spots the guy. “Damn, I want that kind of endurance when I’m his age.”

“Maybe you should be asking for his level of endurance at your current age,” I quip.

He smirks, then opens his mouth to respond but quickly closes it.

Yeah, wise move, Javi. Because although we’re in the best company, we’re also in mixed company.

Meaning, none of the women know that Javi and I hooked up in the past. Numerous times if we’re counting discrete sexual acts.

Now that I think about it, we shouldn’t be alluding to hookups at all.

Sasha will sniff out our dirty business quicker than she’d snatch a wig off someone who’s rude to her, and that’s real fucking fast. I’d prefer to not spend our time here answering questions or having our every interaction examined under a microscope.

“I’d settle for that man’s glorious hair,” Chloe says. “If there’s one thing I’d like to take into my golden years, it’s getting my hair pulled during sex.” Wearing a seductive smile, she glances at Javi. “Is that something you’re into?”

“You’re going to have to be more precise than that,” Sasha says to Chloe. “Which hairs are you asking about, exactly? I mean, depending on the time of year, I can lay the sleekest edges with my pubic hair.”

I screw up my face. “For the love of all that’s holy, Sasha.”

Brittany sighs. “It’s going to be a looong weekend.”

I pull Sasha along as she cackles her ass off. “You need a sitter.”

“And a muzzle,” Brittany adds.

We amble down the path to the private beach, a thick and lush canopy of palmettos providing much-needed shade, and I stumble to a stop when the breathtaking view of the sunlit sea appears. I look at my friends; they’re all in awe too.

“We’re not worthy,” Brittany says.

Sasha tsks. “Speak for yourself.” Sweeping her hands in an arc, she adds, “I deserve all this and more. Now, let’s get changed for dinner. I want to be the first in line at the buffet.”

“Because you think they’ll run out?” Chloe asks.

“No, because I don’t want anyone breathing on my food,” Sasha says.

I nod. “Precisely.”

“You know the people who make it also breathe on it, right?” Javi asks.

Sasha glares at him. “Go away, Satan.”

“Okay, children,” I say. “As the guest of honor, I’m requesting that we minimize the squabbling and maximize the debauchery.”

“The bride has spoken,” Chloe announces. “She’s marrying her Prince Charming in less than a month. What she says, goes.”

I glance at Javi, whose face is fixed in a wooden expression.

“You okay, J?”

“What? Oh. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“Well, get untired, my friend,” Sasha says, linking her arm with his. “Because tonight, we’re divulging all of our deepest, darkest secrets, and no one will be spared.”

Javi’s gaze darts to mine.

Well, aren’t we off to a promising start?

***

Sasha has secured a prime spot that’s close enough to the bar for us to easily replenish our drinks yet far enough away from the DJ that we can hear one another.

The latter isn’t necessarily ideal, because I have a feeling I’ll want to use hearing troubles as an excuse at some point tonight.

Still, the air is sticky and sweet, and I’m pleasantly languid, as if molasses is running through my body and forcing me to slow down.

“Okay,” Sasha says, a cocktail in hand, “here’s how this game works.”

Sasha, whose springy curls are piled high on her head, is wearing a burnt-orange maxi dress that skims her lush figure, and her dark skin is glowing in the firelight. I’m in awe of her personal style.

“Each of us draws a card,” she continues. “And each card poses a question. You can either answer the question or pass it on to a person of your choice. But, and there’s a big but , the person you pass to gets to ask you a true-or-false question of their own and you must answer it.”

“I can’t just drink a shot or something?” Chloe asks.

Sasha lifts her nose in the air. “Nope.”

“Point of clarification,” Brittany says, raising her index finger.

Sasha peers at her. “Yes, my love. What is it?”

“Is this an actual game, or did you make these cards yourself?”

“I made them myself,” Sasha says.

“God help us,” Javi mutters.

“Hey,” Sasha says, flicking a napkin at him. “Be appreciative of my efforts. I got these custom made.” She leans over and presses her face into my neck. “Because nothing’s too good for Mari.”

“And you’re already tipsy,” I observe.

“Indeed,” she replies. “Why aren’t you?”

I take a sip of my espresso martini, the perfect after-dinner drink. “I’m pacing myself.”

She squints and points toward the beach. “If you stand just over there, you’d be a literal stick in the mud.”

“Sand isn’t dirt,” Brittany notes.

“Oh my fucking God, let’s get back to the game,” Sasha bellows, digging into her purse.

She pulls out some sort of vial and pops three pills into her mouth.

“What are those?” I ask, frowning.

“Magnesium.” She gestures at her head. “For migraines.”

“Ah,” I say.

“I’ll volunteer to go first,” Chloe says as she gathers her long dark hair in a messy topknot.

“All right, all right,” Sasha says, shimmying her shoulders. “Now we’re talking.” She picks up the stack of cards and places it in front of Chloe, who draws from the middle.

“Read it out loud,” Sasha prompts.

Chloe reads the card in her head, then smiles. “This is easy. The question is, ‘Have you ever participated in a threesome?’ And the answer is yes, and also a foursome and a fivesome. Men and women.”

“I suspect much of this game will be a cakewalk for Chloe,” Brittany says.

Chloe smirks. “What can I say? I went through a period of deep introspection and exploration in my early twenties.”

“Sounds like you went through a period of deep penetration in your early twenties,” Sasha says.

Chloe grins. “That too.”

We all laugh, and then Sasha declares, “Your turn, Brittany!”

Brittany jumps up, her caramel-brown shoulder-length bob swinging with the movement. She gingerly plucks a card from Sasha’s hand, then reads it aloud. “What’s the hottest sex you’ve ever had?” She bites her lip, then peers at Javi. “I’m passing this question to Javi.”

He groans. “Fine. True or false: You’ve never had sex in public.”

“True,” Brittany says, puffing her chest. “One hundred percent true.”

Chloe traces the rim of her cocktail glass with her finger. “Okay, Javi, now spill. And don’t lie.”

I brace myself for whatever he’s going to say. I don’t want to interrogate my brain, but I can’t deny that hearing about Javi’s sexual exploits makes me uncomfortable. It probably shouldn’t, but it does. I make a mental note to discuss it with my therapist.

He swallows. “The hottest sex I ever had happened against a hotel door.”

My heart gallops in my chest. Is he…?

“Get it, Javi,” Sasha whoops. “Tell us more.”

“And don’t leave out a single detail,” Chloe adds.

“It was just…frantic and all-encompassing. You know the kind of sex where walking even a few feet to a bed is impossible. The kind where you’re not completely unclothed because you can’t wait to sink into someone.

Like you need it almost as much as you need your next breath.

” He looks up and notices everyone’s rapt expressions. “Shit, I’ve said too much.”

“No, no,” Chloe argues. “You haven’t said enough.”

He shrugs and takes a sip of water. “Well, that’s all you’re going to get.”

It’s a superhuman feat to keep my expression bland, to pretend I’m unaffected by Javi’s description of the hottest sex he’s ever had—sex that I’m almost certain happened between us .

A swath of heat engulfs my body, making me squirm.

I don’t like this game; it’s putting me in an entirely unproductive headspace.

I’m getting married next month, and I should not be thinking about sex with someone else.

I clear my throat. “I’m going to say something, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. ”

“Uh-oh,” Sasha says. “Sounds like I’m about to take it the wrong way.”

I turn to her. “If you knew me, really knew me, you’d know that I wouldn’t want to spend this time together talking about the bullshit we did when we were younger.”

Sasha’s eyes go wide. “I thought we were having some harmless fun?”

She looks as confused as I feel.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s just…” I stand up. “I don’t want to do this. It’s not you, guys. It’s me. I’m going to take a walk.” I take a step and put up a hand when Javi rises to join me. “Alone.”

No one says a word, and honestly, I feel like shit for ruining the mood, but I can’t help how I feel. That was uncomfortable for me, and I could just murder Javi for messing with my head.

I make my way to the beach and slip out of my sandals when I get there. Several couples pass me, strolling hand in hand and reveling in their love. I want what they have, but while the literal goal is within my grasp, I’m not sure the depth of emotion I’m striving for will develop soon enough.