The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Author:Danica Nava [Nava, Danica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Workplace, Indigenous, Romantic Comedy
ISBN: 9780593642610
Google: S5ThEAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B0CLKZBSDW
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2024-08-05T22:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Santa Barbara was beautiful. I let Danuwoa hold my hand as we flew over the Pacific Ocean and a tiny island right off the coast before we landed. It was strictly platonic, and it did not make my frazzled mind even more confused. I did not like the way his hand encompassed mine. I was totally not lying…

The day was clear and sunny—that stereotypical California weather I’d grown up hearing about. The sea air was light, and a warm reprieve from Oklahoma’s humid summer.

A black SUV was waiting for us outside the hangar. Right then, the soundtrack to my biopic would have been “We Fly High,” because it was obvious and cheesy. The shot would be slo-mo and dramatic, the wind would catch my hair just right, and I would look at something by lowering my sunglasses a tad down my nose. In reality, no music played. Mr. Stevenson had a fire under his butt or something, because he snapped, “Hurry up,” and sped down the stairs.

I forgot my sunglasses, so I squinted in the bright sun, trying to hold on to the rail with one hand and shield my eyes with the other. I could feel Danuwoa’s hand hovering behind me, making sure I didn’t eat shit down the stairs and onto the tarmac.

Safely on the ground, I walked to get my pink duffel bag, but Danuwoa quickly looped it over the handle of his luggage and rolled it away to the car. We were relegated to the very back again, and this time I attempted a crab crawl to get in sideways without sticking my butt in Danuwoa’s face. Was it more dignified? Either way, I felt more embarrassed, since the way my thighs opened and closed as I moved over shimmied the fabric higher than what was polite. What could I say? I was a train wreck.

Danuwoa snickered and gave me a look that said, Really?

My eyes zeroed in on my kill: Come hither. For good measure, I snapped my hand like a crab claw.

He shook his head and laughed as he climbed in after me.

We drove away from the hangar along a field toward the freeway. The resort was only a few minutes away, and I was soaking it all in from my window. Mr. Stevenson was barking orders to someone on the phone, and I was grateful I wasn’t needed for small talk to keep him entertained.

The driver turned in to a cobblestone driveway and slowed around a huge three-tiered fountain full of succulents, not water. I guessed the drought really was bad here. It was breathtaking nonetheless. The Spanish hacienda–style facade was grand and elegant. The valets in their red vests came up to help with our luggage. I grabbed my duffel—I knew our contract included porter fees, but this looked like the kind of place you tipped for everything. Did the concierge send you in the right direction? Cash tip. Did the valet smile? Cash tip. I was low on funds, so I could handle getting my duffel to my own room for free.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.