“Yes, he has.”
Whitney frowned. “So you do know Alex?”
Tori was almost embarrassed to admit it. “No. I Googled him.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Checking him out, were you?”
“I might have been. Though he’s really too young for me.”
Whitney leaned back and looked her over. “Too young? Please. You’re hot.”
Getting a compliment from a guy was one thing. Getting one from another woman—and a young, beautiful one? That was an entirely different matter. “Thank you. I’ll live on that for the rest of my vacation.”
“What are you, maybe thirty or something?”
“Now I’m in love with you.”
Whitney laughed. “Come on. Age is only a number. The important thing is to live your life and enjoy the hell out of it. I know I’m young, but I live on the island, and while I might not have the job of my dreams, I get to surf every day. I have nothing to complain about.”
She liked Whitney. “And what is the job of your dreams?”
Whitney shrugged. “Not sure I’ve figured that out yet. I’m twenty-four and I realize I can’t hang out on the beach forever, but I can’t think of any other life that suits me better. I work customer service at the hotel part-time, and I’m finishing up my degree in business at night. Once I graduate, I’d like to work for one of the sports management companies that oversee the women’s surf teams. If there’s one thing I do know about, it’s surfing. If there’s another thing I’ve learned a lot about, it’s marketing and business.”
“I think you’re light-years ahead in terms of thinking like a grown-up.”
Whitney gave her a smile. “Thank you. Could you tell my parents that? They think I’m wasting my life because I don’t already have a master’s degree at twenty-four.”
“A little pushy, are they?”
“A little, but I know they want what’s best for me, so I take it in stride.”
“It sounds to me like you already know what you want for your future.”
“Maybe. I want to get away from my parents. Not that I don’t love them. I do. But I don’t want to be part of the family business. I need to make my own life.”
“I understand. You want to be independent. I was where you are once, needing to strike out on my own. It’s tough, but doable.”
Whitney shifted position to face Tori. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a sports agent.”
Whitney’s brows lifted. “Really? That must be an awesome career. Do you love it?”
“I do love it. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most fun, most rewarding job.”
“Not to mention all those hot and sexy sports players.”
Tori’s lips curved. “Those are the perks, honey.”
Whitney laughed. “I can only imagine. See, that’s the kind of thing I could see myself doing. I love every sport there is, and when I’m not working or studying or catching a wave, I’m glued to the television. The only drawback to living in Hawaii—and believe me, there aren’t many—is no professional sports. So I have to get my fix by watching them on TV.”
“I can’t imagine many drawbacks to living here. I love the islands.”
“Me, too, but I have a yen to go the mainland every now and then. If for nothing more than to catch a football or baseball game. Or hockey. Oh, God, I love hockey.”
“The grass-is-always-greener kind of thing.”
“Exactly.”
“I see you’ve found a friend.”
Tori looked up to see Alex standing at the foot of her chaise. Dripping wet, droplets sliding down his magnificent body, she could already envision him in his wet suit, just like that, gracing the cover of a sports magazine.
“What’s up, Alex,” Whitney said.
“Hey, Whitney. How’s it goin’?”
“Good. Tori and I were chatting about our careers.”
“Yeah?” Alex looked over at Tori, and she got lost in the sexy way he smiled at her. “You finding our girl here a new career?”
Tori laughed. “I think Whitney is doing fine on her own.”
“She is,” Whitney said, standing and brushing sand off her legs and butt. “And speaking of careers, I have an errand to run for the hotel, so I’ll catch you both later.”
Tori pulled her business card out of her bag and jotted down her personal cell number, then handed it to Whitney. “Call me when you have some free time and we’ll have lunch. I’m here for a while.”