37 - Joanna

37

Joanna

Nobody slipped a roofie into my drink that night. Not surprising since every single member of the wedding party was watching it like a hawk. It was sweet… at first. Eventually it started getting annoying.

The next morning, while the light was good, Marisa and Bradyn took photos on the beach. It was fun to watch them from my beach chair, except Danicka had hired a professional photographer who had to shout instructions at them in order to be heard over the crashing waves of low tide.

"We've got the photographer for another hour," Danicka said when Marisa and Bradyn were done. "Let's get some family photos!"

"I don't want to change," Landon complained.

Me neither , I thought, although I wasn't going to be the one to say it.

"You don't have to change. Come on, it'll be quick. CLARK! Clark come down here! We're taking PHOTOS!"

Landon winced at me, then sighed and got out of his chair.

They took photos of the new family: Marisa and Bradyn, both sets of parents, and the siblings Landon and Carol. As they all dispersed, Danicka came rushing over to me and grabbed my hand.

"You and Landon should take some now!"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Nonsense. Your hair looks amazing . It will only take a minute."

She shoved me at Landon, who gave me a wince of apology. I only shrugged. Photos would be quick, and it's not like it mattered that much. The photos would be worthless when we eventually had the fake-breakup for our fake-relationship.

We posed together, squinting into the sun. "Come on, lean together! Pretend like you like each other!" the photographer shouted.

"He doesn't know how accurate that is," Landon whispered.

I put my arms around him and rested my face against his chest. "Oh, I don't know. I don't dislike you now. Although I definitely did a few days ago. Do you know why?"

"Because I blackmailed you?"

"Because you blackmailed me," I agreed. "Don't worry. I've forgiven you."

"Only because of the DefTec job."

"Actually, it has nothing to do with the job," I said while the photographer snapped away. "I can see why you insisted I come to the rehearsal dinner. Your mom is kind of crazy."

"Right? Now imagine how insane she'd be if she was spending this entire trip trying to hook me up with every single woman at the resort."

"Now kiss," the photographer instructed.

We turned to face each other. Landon's eyes shone in the sunlight, and he smiled softly. "Guess we have to."

"I guess so."

Our faces came together in a gentle, respectable kiss.

"Come on!" Bradyn shouted. "You look like you're kissing your sister!"

"Hey, leave me out of it," Carol said with a laugh.

Danicka was nodding emphatically. "Your brother is right. Kiss her like you mean it!"

"Kiss her!" Clark added.

Soon everyone nearby was shouting at us to kiss.

So we did.

The first two times we'd kissed in front of his family, it was real. Both of us felt something, even if it was just a moment of chemistry from two people who otherwise didn't really like one another. But it was still just that: a kiss designed to deceive.

This kiss was different.

From the way he cocked his head and crushed his lips against mine, to the hand on my lower back pulling me in. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, and for a few seconds it was just the two of us on the beach. No photographer, no family.

Just me and my fake boyfriend, and the very real kiss that was sending very real vibrations through my lady-parts.

Oh, Landon…

"Get a room!" Marisa yelled, knocking me out of my kiss-induced daze.

Landon blinked, seemingly also recovering from the kiss. He gazed down into my eyes, and I stared back up at him. Something passed between us. An idea. An understanding.

What is he thinking right now?

"Great!" the photographer said. "Who's next?"

We stood around awkwardly while some other couples took photos. Then Marisa clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"I'm the bride, which means you all have to do what I want!" she announced. "And I want to do some honeymoon Olympics!"

"Olympics?" Landon asked.

"We'll have a bunch of activities to compete in," she explained. "A mile run on the beach, a swimming game in the pool…"

"Beer pong after dinner," Bradyn suggested.

"Yes! It will be so much fun!"

"This will be fun to watch," I told Landon. "You'd better make me a proud girlfriend."

"I really don't want to go for a run," Landon muttered.

"It's only a mile! Don't be a baby, sweetie," I told him.

Marisa started recruiting people to participate. Bradyn, Landon, Clark, two other groomsmen. Carol jumped in next, followed by Wanda.

"If my blisters weren't killing me, I'd gladly show y'all how it's done," Austin said. "I'll head up the beach to the turnaround spot."

"Go a quarter of a mile," Bradyn suggested. "Everyone has to run down and back twice."

Austin saluted, then started walking up the beach.

"Joanna!" Marisa called over to me. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, I'm not going to play," I said. "I hate running."

Marisa gave me a puzzled look. "I thought you were a runner. You said you qualified for Boston."

Oh no. I did say that, way back at the family dinner when I met everyone for the first time. Thanks a lot, past-Joanna.

"I'm trying to take it easy since I'm not training right now…" I said.

Landon put an arm around me and guided me forward. "It's only a mile! Don't be a baby, sweetie."

I glared at him. "I'm not very fast running on sand," I said.

"Great!" Marisa replied. "That means the rest of us will have a chance!"

We all lined up on the beach, Marisa and Bradyn included. Landon and his brother were exchanging trash talk, while I tried to think of a way to get out of this. Maybe a shark would jump out of the water and bite my leg off. Honestly, that sounded better than having to run a mile in front of the entire wedding party. Aside from chasing after a train, the last time I went for a run was high school gym class.

Danicka counted us down. "Three… two… one… GO!"

All of us took off across the beach, following the shoreline west. I let the faster guys get out in front while I casually jogged behind them. My fake persona was a marathoner, not a sprinter, after all.

It was immediately obvious how out-of-shape I was. The sun beat down on me oppressively, and the air was so thick with humidity that it was like trying to breathe soup. Austin stood in the distance. He seemed so much farther away than a quarter of a mile.

Everyone else except Clark and one of the groomsmen was faster than me. The group reached the turnaround spot and passed me going the opposite direction.

"You're such a sweetheart!" Marisa said as she passed me. "Giving everyone else a chance!"

Sure. That's totally what I was doing. I was already panting too hard to respond, so I flashed her a thumbs-up.

By the time I reached Austin, I was all alone, with Clark and the other guy walking a long way behind me. "You qualified for the Boston Marathon?" he asked.

"Landon's fake girlfriend Joanna did," I replied while making a U-turn around him.

"That was a dumb thing to brag about."

"Don't I know it."

Somehow, I got into a groove on the way back. It helped that I was running with the wind now; it felt like it was pushing me forward. I reached the starting point, wishing I could stop, but Danicka was jumping up and down and taking a video.

"Go Joanna! You're doing great!"

I gave her my best smile, which was replaced with a scowl as soon as my back was to her.

The start of the second lap was excruciating. My lungs burned and my thighs ached. My feet sank into the sand with every step, making it impossible to get some momentum. The rest of the pack passed me going home to the finish line, which was demotivating since I hadn't even reached Austin.

He clapped his hands as I drew near. "Almost done."

"They'll know I'm a fraud," I wheezed. "I'm so slow!"

"Aw, hell. Just blame it on the humidity. It's stickier than the devil's armpit out here. I'll back you up, if need be."

He winked at me.

It was such a small thing, but coming from the handsome Texan, it made my stomach flutter. Especially since he was shirtless, and absolutely chiseled with lean muscle. In spite of everything, I grinned at him.

And then stepped into an uneven section of sand, falling to the ground in a heap.