Chapter 144: Picnic in the Sunset
** Eli ** The resort had done a good job preparing the picnic on his behalf, Eli decided once the two of them took their seats on the oversized beach towel. There was tropical fruit salad, a variety of cheese, mini sliders with kalua pork, sushi, and an assortment of bite-sized Hawaiian sweets just as he requested. Somewhat unsurprisingly, he noticed that Harper’s eyes had snapped to the dessert tray as soon as she sat down, training on the coconut and taro puddings laid out on a bed of pandan leaves.
She didn’t dig straight into it though, perhaps to avoid ruining the atmosphere by acting "uncultured". Instead, she folded her legs prettily under her skirt, watching him with a glittery gaze as he poured them each a glass of wine.
"I’m hoping this is not an attempt to outdo my room order last night," she commented. "Because if it is, I think you’ve just obliterated me."
Eli chuckled, pleased with such a high praise. "It’s not comparable. Dinner last night was good for the soul, like you said. And this is good for—"
He paused, trying to come up with a suitable word to emphasize the difference. The body? No ... it seemed to carry a connotation that he wasn’t thinking about at the moment. The flesh? Ugh, even worse. The—
"The flesh?" Harper was clearly thinking the same, and she had no qualms uttering the word out loud with a slanted smile. "I like that. Though there are a few other things I can think of that are even better for the flesh ... Maybe we should give my version a try for our next date."
Oh. He’d like that very much.
Eli gave her a look that promised an absolute "Yes". In an exchange of ogles and knowing grins, they clinked their glasses, sipped their wine, and started sampling the artfully arranged trays of appetizers.