Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (novels for beginners txt) 📕

Victoria shuddered. ‘I can’t even bear hearing his name without my skin prickling.’

‘Prickling?’ Malie flipped. ‘I wanna punch him, right smack on that pointy nose of his, then knee him in the balls to get him down to my level so that I can face off his arrogant, over-charming, sleaze—’

‘Yeah, yeah, we get it, Malie!’ It was Victoria staring into the screen at her, her hand doing the whole slicing-of-the-throat action.

Oops. ‘Too much?’

Victoria nodded. ‘Just a—’

‘Nah,’ Lils said, her voice resigned. ‘In all honesty, I think I would have paid to see it.’

Lils gave a brave smile and Malie felt even more guilt. ‘Sorry, love.’

‘Are you guys kidding, he was a waste of space, I only wish I’d realized it before he’d raided our wedding fund and ran off with it.’

‘Well, I just hope he freezes to death up in Scotland, alone and penniless with icicles hanging from his nutsack…’ Malie grimaced, she’d been quite satisfied with the imagery until she’d got to his shrivelled meat and two veg. ‘Scratch that last bit!’

‘No… no,’ Lils said between fits of giggles, ‘I like it.’

‘Yup,’ Victoria agreed, raising her glass to the screen. ‘I say amen to that!’

‘Cheers!’ Malie said, pleased she’d got them all laughing again.

‘Truth be told, I’ve had enough of men to last me a lifetime. And anyway, I have my hands full helping with your wedding, V.’

‘Good job too since I’m going to need your knowledge to get it right.’

‘Have you suddenly added wedding planning to your repertoire, Lils?’ Malie asked, confused. Lily was a great organizer, knew her food and drink, but wedding planning?

‘No, but no one other than Blake knows the Hawkesbury Estate as well as her.’

‘The Hawkesbury Estate?’ Malie frowned.

‘That’s what I’m dying to tell you!’ Victoria practically squealed. ‘Blake has asked if he can host the wedding! We’re going back to our summer home, ladies, for my wedding!’

Malie felt her elation through the screen, her own heart dancing with it. ‘That’s amazing, V, I’m so happy for you.’

‘Thank you, and I just know you had something to do with it, Lils!’

Lily smiled, her own eyes glistening. ‘I may have mentioned in passing how special the place was to us as kids and how beautiful a wedding venue it made… all off the back of telling him you were engaged.’

They all laughed.

‘Well played, Lils!’ Malie toasted her drink to her but then her eyes fell on V and the way her smile dropped slightly.

‘It is the perfect venue,’ V said, but her voice was softer, more reflective and then she looked away from the screen.

‘What is it, V?’ Malie asked, her heart lurching a little. Why the sudden shift in mood?

‘V?’ Lils prompted too, leaning into the screen, her eyes narrowed.

Victoria looked back to them and gave a little grimace. ‘I have one teeny, tiny problem – Stella.’

Lily’s frown became even more pronounced. ‘You mean, Oliver’s mum?’

‘Yes.’ She looked away and then whispered loud enough for them to hear. ‘She wants the wedding to take place in their home village back in Norwich.’

‘And what about Ollie?’ asked Lils. ‘What does he want to do?’

‘He wants to do what makes me happy…’ Victoria shrugged and gave a guilty smile, ‘which is of course, Hawkesbury.’

‘Well, there you go, then,’ Malie said. ‘Simple. Let him tell her.’

‘I don’t want to upset her, especially with his father being so sick…’ Victoria started to fumble with the sleeve of her dressing gown, her happiness from seconds before dissipating.

‘How’s his father doing?’ Lils asked. They’d all known Oliver’s father, Eric, was ill, the whole country did. He was a bit of a British legend, an uber successful entrepreneur, and as such his illness was public knowledge, as was the experimental treatment he’d received recently.

V’s expression lifted. ‘Really well, against all the odds, even the specialists can’t believe how well he is doing.’

‘She’ll be so happy he’s doing so well, a simple decision over the wedding venue isn’t going to ruin her mood,’ Malie said jovially.

‘And it’s your wedding day, after all,’ Lils said, ever the romantic in spite of her own bitter experience. ‘They will want you both to be happy above all else.’

‘You think?’ Victoria said, hopeful.

‘Defo,’ Malie said.

Lily nodded. ‘Best you break the news sooner rather than later, though, else knowing you it will worry you sick and you won’t be able to enjoy anything until it is done.’

‘Well, we’re going for dinner today and it’s bound to come up.’

‘It’s as good a time as any,’ Lils said.

‘Regardless of what Oliver said, Dutch courage gets my vote.’ Malie threw back her drink to emphasize her point.

‘I agree.’ Lily grabbed up a water bottle and chugged back the contents. ‘I’m pretending it’s gin!’

They all laughed and Victoria’s attention was once again off-screen, her laugh morphing into a wicked grin. ‘Erm, I have to go, guys…’

Malie leaned into the laptop, trying even though she couldn’t to see around the screen. ‘Oh aye, what’s caught your eye?’

Lils laughed, her cheeks flushing pink. ‘I don’t think we want to know.’

Victoria snuck a look back at the screen, ‘Speak soon, yeah?’ and her eyes lifted over the laptop edge as she leaned back and the lid was closed for her.

‘I think you’re right, Lils,’ Malie said. ‘Only now my head is taunting me with the fact that V is getting some and we’re not.’

‘Speak for yourself. Like I said, I’m done with the male sex.’

‘Very wise, that makes the two of us!’ Malie poured more bubbles and took a considered sip.

‘Pardon me?’ Malie frowned at her friend’s disbelieving gaze. ‘Did you just say you’re done with the male sex?’

‘It’s overrated.’

‘Malie Pukui, since when have you gone off sex?’

‘I didn’t say I was off sex.’

‘Off males then…’ her eyes widened, ‘are you…?’

‘No… although there was this rather feisty ladies’ surf champion that paid us a visit a couple of months ago. I definitely considered it.’

‘Malie!’

‘OK, OK, I just meant…’ Hell, what did she mean? She wasn’t off