Bliss by Shay Mitchell Page A

decided that the secret to her happiness was to make them her new best friends—and, if possible, get them to invite her to stay with them at their spacious villa so she could get out of this dump. Her mom and dad meant well, but they couldn’t comprehend Leandra’s vision of “the good life.” Her mom would take one look at the peeling paint in the hotel lobby at Sawasdee and say, “Cozy!”
    Leandra drank her beer and tried closing her eyes, too. But she was just too jacked up from sleeping on the plane and being in this splendid place with Sari and Nick. She decided to take a dip. She waded into the clear, warm ocean, and walked pretty far before the water reached her prominent hip bones. She thought, This is the first hour of my real life. I’ve arrived.
    Something big swum in the water near her, a dark shadow. Then Nick surfaced a few feet away. She splashed at him. “I thought you were a shark!”
    He laughed. “I just wanted to tell you that we’re going back to our villa now.”
    Leandra glanced toward the beach. Sari waved, and went about packing her book and hat into her Chanel tote. Leandra pouted. She barely had a chance to get to know them and now they were leaving? Before she could subtly hint that she had no plans for later, Nick said, “We’d like to invite you to dinner … if you’re not too jet-lagged.”
    â€œI love dinner!” she blurted, way too eager.
    Nick laughed. “I love dinner, too.” He gave her the details about how to find their hotel, and instructions to meet in the lobby at seven. Then Nick swam back to the beach, his crawl seamless and speedy as a dolphin. Sari waited for him on shore. When he reached her, she gave him a towel and waved again at Leandra. The most glamorous siblings she’d ever seen strolled down the beach, looking like a travel poster for paradise. Leandra watched them until they were too small to see, then she raced back to the beach and up to her room. Her plan: a shower, nap, and then blow away the Singaporeans with her wholesome white-girl sexiness. Honestly, she didn’t care which one of them she ended up with—or both. A sibling threesome? How Asian Game of Thrones could she get?
    *   *   *
    Walking into the Baray Hotel lobby was like going back in time to the Siam of The King and I with its draped, sumptuous, shining gold silk, blue and green ceramic tiles, the dazzling mosaic floor, and the intricately carved tables and chairs covered in red cushions. The lobby building was round, with a high domed ceiling, also painted gold, with murals of Buddha riding a tortoise across the sea, jumping orange fish, and a white monkey riding a white elephant through a dense bamboo and banana forest. Built into the floor in the center of the lobby, directly under the high point of the dome, was a reflecting pool lined with smooth gray rocks and dotted with pink water lilies. Fragrant orchids and lilies filled waist-high ceramic urns.
    Leandra beheld the wonders. She decided that she would never leave the beautiful lobby. The private villas must be fit for an emperor. She couldn’t wait to see one. A Thai woman in a red dress approached her. Leandra was about to say she was waiting for someone when Nick came into the domed lobby from another door.
    â€œRight on time,” he said. “Sari wasn’t feeling well. Too much sun, I think. She asked me to apologize.” Nick looked hot in jeans, a white shirt, and black Pumas.
    â€œToo bad. I was looking forward to having both of you. I mean, having dinner with both of you.”
    Nick’s eyebrows went up. “You look lovely,” he said. “I’m glad Sari decided to stay in. I get you all to myself.”
    â€œWe’ll see about that,” she said.
    He grinned wolfishly. “We could eat here,” he said. Yes, please! Leandra asked the Sawasdee concierge about the Baray just to know