# Chapter 9: The Sunset Question
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I’ll walk beside you through Chapter 9 of *The girl of his dreams*, where a sun-soaked holiday romance begins to tilt toward something far more dangerous than desire: hope. Aubrey has spent days telling herself that Jordan Reeves is just a vacation fling, a delicious mistake with an expiration date. But in this chapter, the clock keeps ticking, the questions get braver, and Jordan says something that changes everything.
The chapter opens with Ruby teasing Aubrey about San Francisco. Ruby suggests it slyly, almost as if she can already see the romantic disaster forming on the horizon. San Francisco has beautiful scenery, incredible restaurants, mild weather, and apparently hot doctors who know their way around the female body. Aubrey grins and admits Jordan is an OB/GYN, which means he is indeed very familiar with female anatomy. But she immediately shuts down the fantasy. San Francisco is expensive, their profession does not pay well, and Jordan is almost certainly only interested in a vacation fling.
Ruby, ever practical and ever blunt, points out that maybe Jordan will invite Aubrey to visit. Maybe she could stay with him, avoid rent, and even find a concierge job at a big hotel. Aubrey admits that is what she really wants to do someday, but she remains noncommittal. Jordan is thirty-nine, never married, gorgeous, flirty, and rich. In Aubrey’s mind, all those pieces add up to one thing: a player. She refuses to think past the next week and a half. She plans to enjoy every minute, collect as many orgasms as possible, and accept that it will probably be a very long time before she meets anyone as capable as Jordan in that department.
But the truth is far more painful than the cool attitude she shows Ruby. Aubrey has thought about little else except how devastated she will be when Jordan leaves. In less than a handful of days, she has become obsessed with him. She spends every free moment by his side, cherishes every second, and suspects she is falling in love with him. That thought thrills her and terrifies her in equal measure.
They have not discussed what happens after his vacation ends. Both seem content to live in the moment. Yet Aubrey can predict the ending with brutal clarity. Jordan will tell her what a great girl she is, how much he enjoyed being with her, and then wish her a great life. He will return to his carefree bachelor life in San Francisco, pick up where he left off, and probably keep a revolving door of women moving through his world. He might think of Aubrey fondly once in a while, but that will be all. He is not the kind of man who goes in for commitments or long-term relationships.
Aubrey suspects she knows why. Jordan’s parents had a tumultuous marriage. They clearly disliked and despised each other, yet stayed together for years. Jordan grew up witnessing hostility and probably learned far too young that his mother and father had other lovers. The damage was done. Aubrey has little doubt that Jordan’s continued bachelorhood is largely because of the poor example he was given of a happy marriage. He might never admit it out loud, but it does not take a trained therapist to see it. Still, he does not seem like the sort of man who would ever confess to being negatively impacted by his parents’ toxic relationship, and Aubrey does not have the nerve to broach such a sensitive subject. Not yet.
She wonders if he has any close friends back in San Francisco, or if he keeps everyone at arm’s distance. She feels sorry for him, sad even, because he seems so alone and lonely. There is a saying she once read about being surrounded by people and yet still feeling alone, and she is pretty sure those words describe Jordan’s life perfectly.
When her shift finally ends, Aubrey ducks into the employee restroom and changes out of her practical khaki cargo shorts and navy blue polo shirt. She pulls on a short white cotton skirt with a flared hem, a black-and-white striped cropped T-shirt that bares the lower half of her midriff, and black flip-flops with faux stones. It is a simple outfit, one of her favorites for a night out, and it makes her feel sexy and free.
As five-thirty arrives, Aubrey decides it is useless to worry about whether Jordan is lonely or surrounded by friends. Whatever happens between them during his two-week vacation cannot really be called a relationship. It is a torrid affair, an all-too-brief holiday fling. Once he returns to San Francisco, that will be the end. Men like Jordan Reeves do not have female friends. They have lovers, one-night stands, or, in rare cases like Aubrey’s, a short-lived tryst. That is all a man like him can offer her, and the sooner she accepts it, the better.
But when she spots him in the parking lot, leaning against his rented Porsche, her heart betrays her. He looks so handsome, so sexy, so impossibly hers in this moment. Jordan is casually dressed in lightweight gray slacks and a short-sleeved blue cotton shirt. He will still be the best-dressed man at the beachfront hangout she has chosen for dinner, but she does not care. She decides right then that it does not matter what he wears—swim trunks, a designer suit, casual clothes, or nothing at all—because every version of him turns her on equally.
She breaks into a little run and practically leaps into his arms. He grins and twirls her around, teasing her about being happy to see him. She gives him a loud smooch and tells him that if they were alone in his suite, she would show him exactly how happy she is. Jordan’s arms tighten around her, his eyes darkening to a stormy gray. He offers to cancel dinner and order room service for the third time that week. Aubrey blushes, remembering Tuesday’s erotic shower and the following evening when Jordan had practically flung her onto the bed and dominated her with an intensity that left her dazed. Dinner out had seemed impossible then, so he had ordered a lavish meal instead.
She fiddles with one of his shirt buttons and reminds him that tonight is supposed to be her treat. The place is not the Seven Palms, so he should not expect multiple courses. Jordan kisses her cheek and says he does not care about fancy food when he has her with him. He is still unhappy about her paying, but Aubrey insists. She wants to treat him just once. Jordan holds up a finger and declares that once is the operative word. For the rest of his stay, she will not pay for anything else.
Aubrey offers to cook for him one night—not at her place, since her stove is ancient and might explode, but at his hotel suite with its modern kitchen. She can manage spaghetti, grill steaks or fish, and anyone can make a salad. Jordan only says, “We’ll see,” and Aubrey wisely lets it go. She slides into the passenger seat as he holds the door open for her.
During the drive, Aubrey reflects on how Jordan has made her head spin with unaccustomed luxuries. She grew up in a comfortable but modest home in San Diego. Her parents were professors, and raising three children and sending them to college had sometimes been a struggle. Scholarships helped, but there was never much left for extravagant vacations, designer clothes, or expensive cars. Now she does not even own a car, just a used Vespa she will need to sell before leaving Maui next month.
She does not have much to pack. She likes to travel light. Mostly clothes, shoes, toiletries, photos, and mementoes. She still has belongings at her parents’ home, and she knows San Diego will always welcome her. Her old bedroom has barely changed since she left for college. Her parents will always let her stay as long as she needs between jobs. But compared to her brothers, who have been living entirely on their own since high school, Aubrey sometimes feels like a failure. She looks forward to seeing Josiah and Mateo again, but she keeps her feelings of inferiority strictly to herself.
Jordan interrupts her morose thoughts, hoping her serious expression is not because of something he said. She reassures him and admits she was thinking about packing and how much she will miss Hawaii and her roommates. Jordan nods and says he knows. He will be leaving sooner than he wants to think about, and it will not just be Maui he misses. He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses it before releasing it to shift gears.
Aubrey does not want to contemplate any deeper meaning behind his words. Instead, she steers the conversation to something lighter, teasing that he will miss Mai Tais or having a butler at his beck and call. Jordan grins and agrees those are wonderful, but says they both know exactly who he will miss most. Aubrey’s cheeks warm, but she keeps things from getting too serious.
She gives him directions. The road turns to gravel about a quarter mile ahead. Jordan jokes that he will not mention that to the rental car company. She tells him the place is off the beaten path but worth it. Jenna brought her there during her first week in town. The Surf’s Up Cantina is owned by one of Jenna’s numerous cousins. Calling it a restaurant might be stretching the definition, at least by Jordan’s standards.
Jordan protests that he is not a snob and that spending time with her is all that matters. Then he adds with a lascivious grin that he would prefer to spend as much of that time as possible between the sheets, in the shower, on the patio, or in any of a dozen other locations where he still plans to ravish her. Aubrey rolls her eyes. His hand falls to her bare thigh and squeezes. He tells her that all he has to do is look at her and he instantly starts thinking about sex, especially with so much bare skin showing. He asks if she has ever worn that outfit before, or at least not in the presence of other men.
Aubrey snorts and says she is probably overdressed for Surf’s Up. It is near the beach and only has outdoor seating. People will be walking around in bathing suits. This is Hawaii, where wearing as little clothing as possible is part of the lifestyle. Jordan’s eyes narrow on her exposed midriff. He tells her her skin is sexier than ninety-nine point nine percent of the female population’s. Even if other women are in bikinis, she will still be the one everyone watches. A little mystery only adds to the intrigue. His hand disappears under her skirt and cups her through her silky thong. He tells her he is lucky he will be the only one who gets to see for himself.
Aubrey squirms as he teases her. She warns him the road gets rougher, but he slips a finger under her thong and finds her clit. She arches into his touch. He adds a second finger and slides them inside her. She is already wet. Jordan purrs that he would rather keep both hands on her, then brings his fingers to his lips and licks them deliberately. He says that will have to wait until later, since he is currently trying to steer a two-hundred-thousand-dollar rental car over the worst road he has ever seen.
Aubrey sticks out her tongue and calls him evil for teasing her and stopping without warning. She expects him to finish what he started later. Jordan winks and says it will be his pleasure. He then suggests a much better use for her tongue and asks if she wants to hear his ideas. Aubrey decides two can play that game. She reaches over and begins stroking his semi-hard cock, saying that great minds think alike. Jordan yelps as she squeezes him, and he wrenches the wheel to avoid a road sign. He warns her that the rental insurance does not cover accidents caused by the driver receiving a hand job. He strongly suggests they continue later in the privacy and safety of his suite.
Aubrey considers teasing him longer, since he was mean to get her hot and bothered and leave her hanging. But then the thatched roof of the cantina comes into view. She removes her hand and crosses her arms, chin lifting defiantly. She tells him that not only will she expect him to finish what he started, but there had better be several orgasms in it for her. Jordan parks, cuts the engine, and leans over to claim her lips in a long, open-mouthed kiss. He murmurs that he was just about to say the same thing to her.
At the cantina, Jordan admits the adventure of getting there was worth it for the view. The fish tacos come in a close second. Aubrey squeezes his hand and says she is glad he likes it. It is nothing fancy, but it is one of the places she will miss most about Maui. She and her roommates had great times here. If he thinks the drive was an adventure, he should try it with Jenna behind the wheel of her duct-taped Ford Fiesta. Jordan dryly says he will pass, taking a swig of Corona. Aubrey knows beer is not his favorite, but it is the only thing they serve. She also senses he is a good sport, someone game for almost anything once, though she doubts he will ever make that drive again.
When the waiter takes their empty plates, Aubrey thanks him for coming. She knows it is not really his kind of place, but she wanted him to see the view at least once. Jordan takes her hand and interlocks their fingers. He tells her she does not need to thank him. The pleasure of her company is all the thanks he needs. The view is spectacular, the food was great, though he is still not happy about her paying. Aubrey blows him a flirty kiss and says he will get over it eventually. He laughs and does not argue.
For the next few minutes, they sit hand in hand, sipping beer and watching the colorful sunset. Aubrey cannot recall a time in recent years when she has felt this happy or content. Then she realizes she has probably never felt quite this way. Jordan is like no other man she has ever met, and it is highly unlikely she will ever meet anyone who compares. It is too bad, she thinks sadly, that he seems like such a commitment-phobe.
Maybe it is the beer. Maybe it is because he has asked her equally personal questions. Maybe she simply decides to hell with it. Whatever the reason, she asks him bluntly: Has he ever been engaged? Has he thought about getting married one day? Since he delivers babies for a living, has he ever thought about having a few of his own? She reminds him that he told her he did not have a current girlfriend, but has there ever been anyone serious?
Jordan’s gray eyes widen in shock. He clears his throat, and for the first time since she met him, he looks completely at a loss for words. He stammers that he is not exactly sure how to answer. He can answer the first question right off the bat: no, he has never been engaged or even had a long-term relationship. He has never lived with anyone either. That answers the last question, too. He realizes he is answering out of order, but there is a logic behind it.
He finishes his beer before continuing. He has never seriously considered having children of his own, even though he likes kids a lot. He is not sure he could take such joy in bringing them into the world if he did not like them. But he is old-fashioned enough—more of that Southern upbringing—to believe a child deserves two parents, whether it is a mother and father, two fathers, or two mothers. And those parents should be in a long-term, committed relationship, preferably marriage.
Aubrey realizes she has been holding her breath. She exhales as Jordan pauses, carefully considering his next words. Their hands are still entwined, and she winces when his grip suddenly tightens. He murmurs that he always figured he would be a bachelor for life. Given the rotten example his parents set, he thought he would be a terrible husband. He does not know the first thing about commitment and rarely takes anything seriously. Then he says he is going to be honest with her because he knows that is what she is all about. He has been with a lot of women, too many to count, and never once considered having an actual relationship with any of them. At least, not until he met her on Monday. Now, for the first time in his life, he is actually wondering what it might be like.
He says that brings him to a question he has been wanting to ask her. Aubrey’s free hand is trembling, and she hopes she does not have to stand up anytime soon because her legs are shaking too. Jordan’s casually uttered admission has knocked her for a loop. It is the very last thing she expected him to say. She stares at him in a daze and mumbles, asking what question.
Jordan grins wickedly, takes her other hand in his, and asks: How would she like to spend a few weeks visiting San Francisco?
The scene shifts. Aubrey returns home, and Jenna greets her with sarcasm: “Hey, Mel, better call the cops because we’ve got some strange woman in our house. Oh, never mind. It’s just our missing roommate.” Aubrey rolls her eyes and retorts that she has not been missing. She sent a text a couple of days ago in response to Jenna’s shouty caps message asking if she was dead or alive and threatening an Amber Alert. Aubrey reminds Jenna that the Amber Alert system is only for minors, and she is well over seventeen.
Jenna grins and says she had to get a response one way or another. Her next threat was going to be contacting Aubrey’s parents. Aubrey waves that off. Unlike her nosy roommates, her parents know she can take care of herself. They always encouraged her to go on school-sponsored community service trips during spring break and summer—planting community gardens, protecting sea turtles, teaching little kids English. Jenna snorts and says that sounds like the most fun summer vacation ever, while she spent her vacations lazing around the beach trying to pick up hot guys. She asks which of them had a better time.
Aubrey admits she actually loved those trips. She felt like she was finally doing something worthwhile. Maybe she should join the Peace Corps once her contract here is up. Jenna slyly replies that she thought Aubrey was going to San Francisco instead. Aubrey shrugs and starts rummaging through dresser drawers for clothes. She admits she is still not sure Jordan was totally serious about the invitation. When she tried to quiz him further that night at Surf’s Up, he told her to think about it. He has not mentioned it since, and she did not want to be the one to bring it up.
Jenna demands to know why the hell not. She flops onto the narrow bed, causing the headboard to rattle precariously. Then she asks if Aubrey knew her headboard shakes this badly. And with that, the chapter leaves us hanging—Aubrey standing between the life she knows and a plane ticket to San Francisco, with Jordan’s question still echoing in the air.
Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating:
This chapter is a beautiful turning point. It takes the heat and flirtation of Aubrey and Jordan’s affair and deepens it with vulnerability, honesty, and the terrifying possibility of more. Jordan’s confession about never wanting a relationship until now is a gut-punch in the best way. It does not feel like a cheap line. It feels like a man who has spent his whole life protecting himself from exactly what Aubrey makes him want. Aubrey, meanwhile, is torn between self-protection and hope, and her blunt question at sunset is brave, necessary, and deeply human. The chapter balances steamy banter with emotional risk, and the ending with Jenna keeps the story grounded in Aubrey’s real life. I loved the contrast between the dreamlike sunset and the messy uncertainty waiting back at home.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
Next Chapter Prediction:
Aubrey will struggle to decide whether Jordan’s invitation is real or just another holiday impulse. She may finally admit to her roommates—or to herself—that she is falling in love with him. The next chapter will likely bring a conversation where Aubrey asks Jordan directly what she would mean to him in San Francisco, and Jordan may have to confront whether he is truly ready to break his lifelong pattern. There may also be tension from Aubrey’s practical fears: money, housing, her upcoming job search, and the risk of being just another woman passing through his life. Expect either a bold leap toward San Francisco or a heartbreaking attempt to protect her heart before it is too late.
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