by Kaira Rouda
They spent the night at his cottage, and Jack slept a deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 15
Dorsey
The Kids Cottage was hopping. She’d had ten kids, aged four to twelve to entertain today and that was a challenge with the age gap. The group had walked the beach, albeit slowly and then taken a swim at the pool. Unfortunately, Jack wasn’t the lifeguard on duty, but she still enjoyed her daydreams about him. Just thinking about him made her insides clench with desire and something much, much more. She’d fallen in love. The day passed quickly and as she was seeing off the last camper, Steve appeared.
“Dorsey, we need to talk,” he said, hands on hips, walking past her into the cottage. She hated the way he burst in whenever he wanted to the stance he took, lurking over her, his turtle-like neck never bothered her more than at these moments. She took a deep breath and a step back, bumping into the wall. Did he know something, she wondered. They had been so careful, so sneaky.
“Why, sure, Steve,” she said, feeling suddenly small and very alone. And trapped. “You seem upset?”
“It’s more like disappointed. In you. Remember when you promised to follow club policy?” He’d pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead and had placed one hand on either side of her against the wall. Dorsey could smell his stinky cologne as if she’d sprayed it on her own neck.
She quickly ducked and made it out from under his left arm and hurried to the other side of the room. “Yes, I know all the rules,” she answered, feeling the blush start on her face despite herself. “I’ve been the model employee. I got four new stars this week.”
“The guests do like you, Dorsey, but you are not making me happy. And that’s your problem. You see, I’m the only one who matters, ultimately. I told you not to date a coworker, didn’t I?”
Steve had stepped closer to her again. He had taken his glasses off of his head and twirled them in his right hand. Spittle was forming at the corners of his mouth. “But yet, you’re fucking the lifeguard, aren’t you?”
Dorsey was shocked, and trapped. She didn’t know what to say to him. She didn’t know whether to deny everything, or to just tell him the truth and beg for mercy. Her heart raced. She looked out the window, praying Jack would appear, would show up and save her or at least tell her what to say.
“Don’t lie to me. I know everything that happens here.”
He was inches from her, leaning down into her personal space. Dorsey felt herself shaking; she was scared of Steve, but she couldn’t speak. But she was in love, and love was always OK, and before she could stop herself she blurted, “Yes, it’s true.”
“I knew it. Fucker,” Steve said, turning his back to her, shaking his head slowly, popping the knuckles of his small right hand.
“Steve, sir, it’s my fault. I was lonely. Jack is innocent here. Fire me, transfer me. Or I’ll quit.”
Steve turned back around and stared at her, his tiny eyes dark. He shook his head, pointing his finger at her. “It stops now. Ends now. You will be summoned to the ethics committee. They will decide your fate. If you don’t see him again, they may allow you to stay.” Steve shook his head again, putting his glasses back on. He reached out and touched her hair, playing with it in his fingertips before dropping his hand to her shoulder. “You are such a disappointment,” he said, before walking out the door.
After he left, Dorsey sat down in one of the child-sized chairs, shaken. She’d made a terrible mistake in confessing the truth to Steve. Barbara had warned her, and she hadn’t listened. This was the moment when it mattered, this was when she needed to keep her love close. She felt in her pocket for her oogle but realized she’d left it at home. It would all be OK, she tried to tell herself. Jack didn’t need to know about this, Steve would calm down and everything would be fine.
She and Jack just needed to be low-key. They could do that. They would have to now, she realized. And it was all her fault.
Chapter 16
Jack
Three days later, Jack was furious. He was standing in the Kids Cottage holding a note summoning Dorsey to appear for ethics violations in front of the three-person management committee led by Steve. Fortunately the kids had all gone home, so he could yell at Dorsey in private.
“What the hell did you admit to? What did he ask you? And when?” he yelled, “Why didn’t you tell me you’d done this?” He was pacing the bright blue carpet and Dorsey, face drained of color, was standing by the door as if she was considering making a run for it. He knew he was yelling, knew he was scaring her but he hadn’t been this mad since he could remember. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
“It just came out, I swear, Jack,” she said, voice quivering. She looked like she was going to cry, but Jack couldn’t feel any sympathy. She had ruined everything.
“He walked in here three days ago and asked me point blank if we were having sex. And we are,” Dorsey said. She crossed the room reaching out for him, trying to give him a hug to calm him down.
“Don’t,” he said, brushing past her and continuing to pace back and forth across the bright blue carpet. He knew Dorsey had never seen him this angry, although she could probably tell he had some pent-up anger issues. Usually, he could keep it under control, keep it under the surface. But not this. This ruined everything.
He read the summons again, it had become crumpled as he’d held it in his hands. He stopped walking and tried to calm down. “Look, I don’t like it, not at all. I don’t even think this is legal. I mean, we had an ethics council in college. But that was for cheating. He works for a large corporation. HR people deal with stuff like this, not tribunals. He’s just trying to force one of us to leave. Probably me. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this happened.” He looked up and Dorsey was sobbing. She had dropped into the window seat.
He had made her cry. He hated himself for that. Dammit. He needed to make a plan, to fix this. He’d have to get to Steve’s bosses before Steve could get to them.
He sat down next to Dorsey, and pulled her against him. “Shh, it’s going to work out,” he said, as she wiped her tears on his shirt. “I’ve got a plan. But first we have the stupid oyster roast tonight. You still up for helping?”
“Yes,” she answered quietly, a catch in her voice from all the tears.
“Ok, stop crying and let’s get our game faces on. We can’t let him know he got to us, no matter what. So, throw this thing away, or actually I will,” he said, ripping up the piece of paper and scrunching it into a tiny ball of waste. “And I’ll see you at the pool complex in about an hour. Good?”
Dorsey nodded, and attempted a smile.
“I still love you, even if you spilled the beans,” he said, kissing her on the forehead before heading out the door.
Jack headed back to the pool. He was overseeing the oyster roast setup for the evening since it was taking place at the pool complex. Steve had assigned him to the task, explaining it would be like a management position. Jack had said it was more like event-planning, but Steve had insisted. All of the prep work was completed, and Jack saw Dorsey as she walked up the path looking happier than she had an hour ago. He forced a big smile on his face, attempting to hide the worry he still felt deep inside.
“Goody, the two people I’ve been dying to see,” Steve said, coming up behind Jack, putting his arm around Jack’s shoulder as Dorsey joined them. Her face had gone white again. “So, how goes life on our fair island, Jack?” he asked, as Jack shook free of his arm. Steve grabbed Dorsey’s elbow preventing her from backing away.
“It’s fine, thanks,” Jack said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
Steve pulled Dorsey close to him as he spoke to Jack.
“Jack, my boy, I’ve given you fair warning. I told you the policy and you signed it when you began working here last year and this year. If you can’t keep it in your pants, you know where to get some. Not the summer staff, and not this one,” he said, jerking Dorsey’s arm. “You are supposed to fuck the tou
rists. That’s who. You did it all last year. But now, you’re messing up, star boy. Once Dorsey talks to the committee it’ll be one of you who will leave. You can guess who that will be, can’t you?” Steve asked, his tongue flicking the sides of his mouth.
“You’re all class,” Jack said, balling his hands into fists, ready to swing.
Steve grabbed Jack’s shoulder: “Hey, boy. Don’t act too uppity, you know, because I’m in charge around here. I’m the one who hired you, and I can take it all away. And where are you going to get the money to pay me back, huh?”
Jack knew he should be helping Dorsey as she tried to pull free from Steve’s hand on her elbow. But he was stunned. He couldn’t believe Steve brought up the money in front of Dorsey. He couldn’t believe everything he’d just heard. It was now, officially, war.
“Are you finished, sir?” Jack asked, his jaw clenched, eyes flashing.
“For now, yeah, I’m finished,” Steve said, finally releasing Dorsey who backed away quickly. “Dorsey, if you’re planning on helping out here tonight, you’ll need your evening uniform.”
“I’ll drive you back,” Jack said, starting to follow her.
“Oh please, allow me,” Steve said, reaching for Dorsey again.
“No, I can run faster. See you in a few,” Dorsey said to Jack before she darted off.
Jack still couldn’t believe what she’d done. Admitting that they were lovers? To their boss? How could she be so stupid? But it was done. He had to fix it.
Steve smiled at Jack and walked away.
The oyster roast was a success, with a country western band and happy tourists two-stepping, wearing the straw cowboy hats supplied by Top Club, most of them drunk, and laughing under the starlit night. Jack kept an eye on Dorsey whenever he could. He liked it when she was behind the bar, he could keep track of her as she helped the overwhelmed bartenders serve beer and wine. Otherwise, she was lost in the crowd of tourists and staff. Meanwhile Jack had been busy. Helping tourists learn to shuck oysters, restocking the bars, even tying bandannas around the necks of little kids who wanted to be cowboys and cowgirls. By the end of the evening, he was exhausted and sticky, covered with beer and oyster sauce and who knew what else.
“Howdy, cowboy. Great shindig!” Dorsey said, wrapping her arms around him from behind as he cleared a plate of oysters. She was warm and smelled like beer. “You need a shower, too. Join me? Come to my cottage tonight? Unless you’re still mad at me?” Her arms felt so good around his waist. It had been so nice to not feel alone. But, it was over. He should have known it wouldn’t work out. Nothing ever did, not for him.
“Sure,” he said, turning around and giving her what he hoped looked like a genuine smile. The stars were bright in the sky and her eyes were impossibly green, her lips red and perfect. Jack looked at her innocent warm smile and didn’t have the heart to tell her, couldn’t tell her right then that it was over. Had to be over. He couldn’t be fired. He had to keep this job because he’d already taken the money. She would have to lie to whatever committee Steve had concocted, say there was nothing between them, and then together they would have to agree that there never would be. It was the only solution he could come up with, even as it broke his heart.
“OK, great. See you soon,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.
As he watched her walk away, Jack swallowed hard and reminded himself it was the only choice he had. They were over. He would tell her tonight after he finished cleaning up from the oyster roast. He took off the stupid bandanna he had around his neck and threw it to the ground.
“Dammit Dorsey,” he said as he dropped his head in his hands.
Chapter 17
Dorsey
The uplights shining on the decorative palms in the courtyard in front of the inn made the fronds appear to dance ghoulishly as Dorsey ran by. I need to stop scaring myself. She reached into her pocket for the oogle, but she’d left it back at her cottage.
She had to force herself to keep running past Jack’s cottage, even though she would have been able to shower there but she needed a change of clothes.
Jack had seemed less angry with her by the end of the oyster roast and she knew a night in bed would be just the kind of release he needed. His temper was fiery, but so was his passion. She’d learn to take the good with the bad. That’s what love meant. They would stand up to Steve together and everything would be fine.
She cut through the dark passageway between her cottage and the one next door, and had just caught a glimpse of her porch when she tripped, falling hard on her left hip and shoulder. Her entire left side began to throb as she lay in the wet dirt trying to catch her breath. She imagined all the bugs crawling on the ground and she got the chills. The earth smelled like pine and mold. As she carefully sat up and began to try to stand, someone grabbed her from behind. A gloved hand covered her mouth and a solid arm under her arms lifted her off the ground, holding her tightly against him. She tried to scream, but his hand smashed her mouth, crushing her voice.
In her terror, time stood still. Every step he took, carrying her, played out in her mind as if it took an hour. All she could feel was his solid presence behind her. In front of her was the ocean. She was sure she was going to die, her heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to kick backwards but the man’s grip grew tighter and his hand covered her nose and her mouth. She couldn’t scream; she couldn’t breathe. When she stopped trying to struggle, he uncovered her nose and she sucked in a huge breath of air. Her captor smelled like smoke, or maybe that was her own skin, from the oyster roast.
Sweat trickled down her back and she was getting dizzy from a lack of oxygen. Her side throbbed from where she’d fallen. As if she were a child, the man carried her away from the cottages toward the darkness of the ocean. She could hear the waves pounding against the seawall as he dropped her face down on the grass and pressed her face into the ground. She imagined being found dead—grass, dirt and worms ground into her face, between her teeth.
“Excellence isn’t an option, it’s an expectation,” he whispered. “You will not be warned again. Remember the policies.”
His words swirled through her brain individually and collided, breaking into pieces. She needed air but couldn’t lift her head. Her nose was filled with dirt, her eyes were streaming tears, and suddenly everything went black.
Sputtering and spitting dirt, she sat up. She was alone, soaking wet from the ocean spray cascading over the seawall. It was still night, she realized, slowly remembering what had happened. A chill spread throughout her body. She hoped she could stand up. Her face hurt all over and her left side, especially her hip, was sore and throbbing from when she had landed on it when she fell—or rather, when he had tripped her.
Dorsey wiped her face with her forearm and pushed herself up. Standing up made her head spin, and her left wrist started to throb too. She looked around but couldn’t see anything or anyone. When she started to walk toward her cottage, she could feel the blood pumping through her heart. Little sparks of pain shot through her with each step.
One step at a time. One step at a time. When she finally made it to her cottage, she had never felt more relieved. She bolted the door behind her for the first time since she had arrived on Indigo Island.
Leaning against the door, she started shaking so hard she had to slide down to the hardwood floor, where she sat hugging herself, hoping the trembling would stop. She slept somehow, sitting up by the front door, but awoke just as the sun rose and hobbled into her room as she realized with a start, Jack never came over.
Her reflection in the bathroom mirror told the story of the attack. She had a bruise on her forehead and a split lip from where her front tooth had been pushed into her lip. Her neck was stiff, but the only marks were fingertip-sized bruises on both sides of her neck below her ears. Her left elbow hurt and her hip was scraped and raw. She worried a little that her wrist was broken, but when she could pick up her toothbrush, she figured it must be fine. Her teeth and gum
s were covered in dirt and grass. In the back of her mind, something told her she had been attacked by Steve. But was that possible? Was he capable of delivering a warning so fierce, so out of bounds? He’d already had her where he wanted her, didn’t he? What more did he want from her?
When she was finished cleaning up, she decided to pull on her uniform meant for cool weather – long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and hobbled back to the bathroom to apply more makeup than she had in her life. Dorsey wondered what a broken rib felt like.
She needed to find Jack. She realized he must be mad about the ethics committee, even though he had seemed better by the end of the oyster roast. He must have been exhausted and fallen asleep at his cottage. It had been their first night apart since they’d gotten serious. She’d tell him she would fix everything. She had decided she’d lie to the committee, of course. Protect him and his career. She could find another Kids Club position, she knew she could. She had learned so much here. She wrapped her arms around herself, knowing that the most important lesson she’d learned so far on Indigo Island was to open herself up to love. And she did love Jack, she knew. She loved him enough to take the blame. From the beach, she scanned the pool for him, but didn’t see him.
“Where would you like it, ma’am?” asked the muscle-bound, tanned teenager carrying an umbrella and lounge chair down to the ocean for the mom of one of the little campers in her Kids Club. Fortunately, it was an overcast day so Dorsey could get away with her attire: long khaki uniform pants, long-sleeved button down. She was hot, but fairly well covered up. Her left knee had bled through her pants, but no one had mentioned her lip or her neck. The mom looked around and pointed to a spot. As the campers started building their sandcastles and the mom settled into her lounge chair, Dorsey asked the cabana boy to send Jack down during his break.