“She’d mentioned this place had ube cheesecake, but I noticed a couple of other ube items as well. Which one is her favorite?”
“She loves them all, trust me.”
“But which one is the most amazing? The one that will…make her ditch my friends with me?”
I didn’t imagine Diya’s smile could get any wider, but it had. “Ah! Now that’s an entire mood! Let me see what I can do.”
I went to our table and dropped my backpack on the floor, taking a seat beside Bane, somewhat proud of myself for creating a hopeful escape. I enjoyed my friends, I truly did. But I saw them often, and this lunch wasn’t a mandate like the excursions. Right now, I just wanted to be with Bane in this bubble of pleasantness we had before it broke.
“What was that about?” she asked me.
“You’ll see.”
“Hmm. Very suspicious, you talking to my sister alone and her wicked little devilish expression. I saw that.”
Draping an arm around the back of her chair, I promised, “I think you’ll thank me for what’s coming.”
I watched her get quiet as conversations rose around the table. She imperceptibly glanced at the others, who were busy perusing the menu and recapping the boat adventure. Bane had seemed a bit drained since we left the marina, quiet. Even now, she stared into the distance, uninterested in the untouched menu in front of her. I’d seen these signs in my mother to know that maybe she needed a recharge.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, why?”
“You seem bored.”
“Being ‘on’ for so long wears me out.”
We’d been with my friends for hours now, and even I was tired. “Do you want to get out of here?” I whispered.
She ran a hand down her neck, letting her arm hang, and nodded.
“Okay. Give me a few minutes?”
The waitress arrived and took drink and appetizer orders from everyone except us.
“Are you not eating?” April asked.
“No. I think I’m okay for now,” Bane said right on beat, patting her stomach over her cover-up. She’d crossed her legs and my knee tilted to touch hers. Magnetic. Automatic.
“Are you sure?” Sam asked, and I nodded.
Right as the drinks arrived, Diya appeared at the bar. I told Bane, “Be right back.”
“On the house,” Diya said with a wink as she handed me a drink.
“I appreciate it.”
“Just so you know…I won’t be back to the villa until late evening. Or…not come back at all?”
Heat flushed my face. “Um. That’s okay. It’s really not…it’s fine.”
She raised her brows and lowered her chin as if saying, “Yeah, right. I got you anyway.”
I took the tall to-go cup of light purple drink topped with whipped cream and a cherry with a pineapple wedge on the lip. I returned to the group, but I hadn’t even made it to my seat when Bane’s look of wide-eyed surprise, perhaps awe, stunned the others in our group into silence.
Standing over Bane, who had been eyeing April’s tray of sampler mai tais like she wanted to try them, I asked, “What are you doing?”
Bane stuttered, fixated on the drink in my hand.
“Babe, I already got the good stuff.”
She squealed! “You brought the ube?”
Bane jumped to her feet like a kid on the last day of class and took the drink, slurping up sweet, purple goodness.
“What’s ube?” one person after another asked.
“If you gotta ask…” Bane said around muffled slurps, waving them off. “You don’t even know. You’re not ready.”
I grinned triumphantly.
“Oh!” Bane offered me the drink, looking up at me with those big brown eyes, so willing to share. “Did you want to try it? You have to try it!”
“It’s for you.”
“You already tried it!” She held up the drink, noting the lowered quantity.
“How could I give you something that I already drank? That’s all you.”
