Chapter 6

Lisa's POV

"Hey, Cupcake!" Selena waves at me. "Get over here. I was beginning to think you'd hole up in your room all night."

I see her fiery hair in the midst of the flower-and-grass-skirt-wearing dancing crowd, and make my way towards her. She is flanked by three brunettes, one of whom I recognize as Yvette. The others are sizing me up, sweeping glances from the top of my wavy ponytail to my polished passion pink toes. Selena grins, and adjusts the halo of flowers on top of her head. She is wearing an ivory dress with a spaghetti strap that hugged her body like a second skin, a plunging neckline, and three heart shaped cutouts all the way down the front of the dress that barely covered her bum, from her bust to her waist. She looks like a femme fatale on a mission to steal all hearts before sunrise. And with this phenomenal dress, she definitely will.

"I came over as soon as I took Willow to the sitters. Great dress, Selena. You look amazing."

"Thanks," Selena smiles. "You don't look so bad yourself." Her gaze skims down the little bra top with green palm tree motifs on a white background and the matching, form fitting maxi skirt with a slit that begins at the top of my thigh.

I shrug. "I didn't know what to wear. This is a beach dress I've had, like, forever."

"Good choice," Selena asserts with a nod. "By the way, meet my friends. And bridesmaids." She sweeps an arm around, gesturing to the surrounding women. "You already know Yvette. This is Leigh," she touches the arm of the woman on her right. "And Tiffany." She refers to the woman on her right that reminds me of Jenna Gonzalez back at Oakenville. Both have huge breasts, and are not ashamed to flaunt it. Tiffany's lilac chiffon romper is flirty and deep V-necked, ripe globes mounding to form a delectable cleavage. Like Selena, all her bridesmaids are wearing flower garlands. "Tiffany, Leigh, this is my niece, Lisa."

"Hi there," Tiffany and Leigh chorus with a little wave.

"Hello," I respond, a smile tugging at my lips.

"So there's news flying around the resort about you," Tiffany starts.

"Tiffany!" Leigh cautions. Unlike Tiffany, she isn't endowed with an ample bosom. I suspect the flounces on the bodice of her mini dress is an attempt to hide a flat chest. But her arms are enviably toned and muscled. Models would kill to achieve the size of her tiny waistline. Add that to the wide hips and long, long legs, and you are sure to get an exquisite figure.

Tiffany ignores her and goes on to whip out her iPhone from a pocket I didn't even know existed on her romper and taps rapidly on it. "We can't hide it forever. She'll eventually find out sooner or later. It's not that much of a big deal but then, people will always be people. Especially in a beach whose main inhabitants are retirees. Really conservative ones."

My heart is already thumping out a beat of fear. "What happened? What news?"

Tiffany hands me her phone. I am staring at a picture of myself with my back to the camera (though anyone who sees it will definitely know it's me), and Damien, with his hands clamped over my mouth and him leaning slightly into me, his torso purely naked. But from this angle, it looks like more than that is happening. Damien's lower body is hidden away in front of mine, so anyone can assume he's buck naked. And that we're making out. So this is the reason I received so many odd stares on my way here. I thought I imagined it, but even one of the resort's babysitters sneered at me as she took Willow from my arms.

"Someone published this on the beach's public site. It's been taken down, of course. But I bet most people have already gotten their hands on the photo."

My hands quake slightly as I give Tiffany back her phone, a maelstrom of emotions and thoughts swirling around in my head. I am scared, amused, angry and very much disturbed all at once. The hallway was empty. At least I did not see anyone when I walked up to the door. That photo was taken with malicious intent, or so I believe. Taken by someone who might be hoping I'm so gonna get slut shamed for it. Someone who was invited by Selena to stay at the villa. What a lovely way to start the evening.

"Relax." Leigh comes over to slap a hand on my back, while pinning on Tiffany a reproachful glare. "Aside from the oldies, no one else really gives a shit. Getting caught in the same room with a hot-as-fuck naked guy is practically every girl's dream. Well, every girl interested in hot-as-fuck naked guys."

My cheeks flame at the way she described Damien. "He…he wasn't naked," I splutter. "He had a towel around his waist."

"Okay, make that a hot-as-fuck shirtless guy," Leigh amends.

"Oh, and I hear he is your brother-in-law…"

"I have never been to a luau party before," I interrupt Tiffany, glancing around the arena serenaded by live music. A dancing group dressed in grass skirts are executing steps that match the lively beats. I see some people standing around and eating chicken from little plates. My mouth waters as the spicy aroma wafts towards me. All of a sudden I miss being in a kitchen, with an apron over my clothes, marinating, cooking, sampling. Watching the smiles on my patrons' faces as they try foods put together with my own hands.

"Now you have," Selena says. "I wanted a little get-together with my friends before my wedding. Like a mini vacation. A few days of fun as a single woman. And though we're not all here, my Maid of Honor, Nicole, is still absent, let's have fun!"

"Yay!" Tiffany screams jubilantly. "Let's go try some chicken, or Pina colada."

"I hear the luau coconut drinks here are really nice," Leigh says as Tiffany tugs her along.

"Yvette?" Selena calls, drawing my attention to the only one in the group who hasn't said a word ever since I arrived. Yvette looks up from her phone, her pin-straight brown hair almost obscuring her round face. In the tiki torches and bright lights that illuminated everywhere, her tresses are the most beautiful I've ever seen, silky, glistening, and flowing past her waist. Her eyes are turquoise like the Gulf on a clear day, and huge on her face, and her small pale pink mouth is parted, giving her a slightly astonished expression. She is cute. As adorable as a cherub can be. She can easily pass for Debby Ryan's long lost cousin. "Swooning over Mafia heroes and cowboys, are we?"

Yvette sighs like she has explained this over a hundred times to a Selena that just does not want to get it. "That's impossible. I won't be interested in men like that. There are too perfect for me."

"Have a little confidence in yourself, Yvette Jones." Selena slings an arm over her shoulder and steers her along, as we move to catch up with Tiffany and Leigh, who are already wielding coconut cocktails, with a straw and little paper parasols sticking out of them. We get ours from the makeshift food bar, complementing our own drinks with roast ham and grilled chicken.

"Selena, look!" Tiffany calls everyone's attention to a group of men seated by a cluster of large rocks. "That's Wade and… the groomsmen?"

"Correct." A suggestive smile plays on Selena's features. "Come on girls, let's go say hello."

"What…?" I am hauled along against my will in the direction of the figures clutching red plastic cups. I'm sure Damien is right there amongst them. I scan the men for a cap of blond hair, and sure enough I find him, head thrown back, laughing at whatever joke that was shared among the group. I'm averse to meeting Damien this night, especially after the news Tiffany delivered today. How many more times do I have to face him after being involved in an embarrassing situation together with him?

Heads turn as we breeze past, and all of the male gaze are fixed on Selena's seductive form, Tiffany's showstopping boobs, Leigh's toned legs. I duck my own head and avert my eyes. They might possibly be seeing a slut.

"Yoo-hoo boys!" Selena coos, hips swaying from side to side as each step brings us closer to the groomsmen.

"Boys?" Glenn pantomimes a grimace. "Do I look like a boy to you?" He runs a hand through his messy coal black hair and tips his head to the side, assuming a cocky pose that reveals his six-packs from an unbuttoned shirt.

"Shut up, Glenn," Wade rises from where he's seated on the rocks, tall with glowing bronze skin, and stalks over to his fiancee with a toothy grin. Selena hurls herself at him, and he catches her by the waist, his mouth swooping down on her waiting lips for a kiss. Her hands skim the breath of his massive shoulders, slide into his mop of dark curls. He squeezes her ass through the little ivory dress, and pulls her deeper into him.

"Can you believe these two?" Glenn turns to Damien, who happened to be at his side. Who happened to be staring straight at me. I quickly look away.