Ocean Breeze

by Laura Conway

  “Thanks...”

  Andrea met her eyes. She might as well keep going. “I mean it. You look beautiful.”

  Carley laughed softly. “Thank you... I’m not used to getting this dressed up.”

  “How do you feel about getting dressed up again tomorrow night?”

  “For your friend’s birthday party?”

  Andrea nodded. “You don’t have to. I just thought you might like to join me. You wouldn’t be working.”

  “I probably would go, you know... Except for the usual problems. I’m going to guess that since this woman’s celebrating her birthday on her yacht, that it’s probably a pretty fancy event. I wouldn’t have anything to wear to something like that... And I know what you’re going to say, but since it’s not a work thing, I really wouldn’t feel comfortable letting you buy me a dress.”

  “Right,” Andrea said, taking a sip of whiskey. She was just about to suggest that. “What about borrowing a dress?”

  “From where?”

  “From me... We’re about the same size,” Andrea said, her eyes moving across Carley. “I’m just an inch or two taller, but I think you could wear any of my dresses... If you wanted.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Have a look around my closet when we get back tomorrow. Pick whatever you want.”

  “Thank you,” Carley said softly. “I appreciate that... So, who’s this friend, anyway?”

  “Stephanie Dixon... And friend is a bit of a stretch. We’re more like competitors than friends.”

  “But she invited you to her birthday party.”

  Andrea smiled. “It’s a pretty tight knit community, us real estate investors. There’s only so many of us making such big moves. We’ve gotten to know each other over the years, but of course, we do end up trying to buy a lot of the same properties. It’s a fine line, but Stephanie has always played fair, so I like her. Plus, it’s nice to see other powerful women at the table. It’s mostly men in this business.”

  “How did you even get started?” Carley asked, a smile on her lips. “It just seems so... Unbelievable, really. You’re young, and you’ve already created so much wealth.”

  Andrea smirked. “I’m not sure about the ‘young’ part. I’m forty-two, but I did get started when I was young. I guess I saw my dad struggling with the pub, and I didn’t want that. Even my mother, who had a great career, she worried about money. She never knew if the movie she was working on was going to be her last. It’s hard to get roles as you get older, and I think she realized that and started thinking about the future. She came to me and partnered up with me for some of my earliest investments. Without her help, I’d be years away from where I’m at now.”

  “Are you close to your dad?”

  Andrea sighed. “Yes and no. I love him, and I spent a lot of time with him when I was younger, but we always clashed when it came to business. And he’s had his heart set on me taking over the pub and restaurant. I don’t know how many times I’ve told him that I don’t have time for them. I’m buying apartment buildings with hundreds of doors, and he wants me to buy a pub with a restaurant next door. It’s just not by scene anymore. The margins are low. I do own several restaurants, but they’re very different from my dad’s place.”

  “For a different clientele?”

  “Yeah,” Andrea said, suddenly feeling like a snob. Before she hired Carley, she couldn’t even think of someone she’d spent time with from outside her social and business circles. Everyone had money, and everything was extravagant. Carley reminded her that there was more to life than all of that. She didn’t seem to need any of those things to be happy. She’d been traveling with just a backpack and a camera.

  Andrea couldn’t imagine doing something like that. The idea of staying in a hostel was horrific enough, never mind living out of a backpack. Even when her family had struggled when she was younger, they were never poor, not that Carley was poor. She seemed to prefer living frugally, something Andrea just couldn’t wrap her head around.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Carley strolled alongside Andrea as they made their way through the marina. Carley had been down here before, exploring Puerto Banus with her camera on her first day in Marbella. That was only two weeks ago, and now she was going to be getting on-board one of these yachts. She couldn’t believe it.

  She glanced over at Andrea who looked absolutely stunning in a halter neck emerald green dress. What she’d worn last night in London had been far more conservative. Tonight, her dress had a slit that ran up her right leg, revealing glowing, tanned skin.

  Carley felt better tonight than she had last night. She’d spent almost an hour standing in the middle of Andrea’s massive walk-in closet, her eyes scanning the dozens of hangers and taking in row after row of shoes. Andrea had left her alone to find something to wear. She was having lunch with her mother, so Carley took her time and tried on several dresses, but as soon as she had this one on, she knew it was the perfect fit.

  She was wearing a gold colored dress that was almost translucent. The beading had drawn her to it, but she wasn’t sure when she lifted the hanger off the rail and noticed that it was a long-sleeved dress with a high neckline. She wasn’t quite sure she could pull that off. She’d stood in front of the wide full-length mirror and turned, liking the way the dress fit her so snugly in the hips but then fanned out as it went to the floor, covering her feet.

  Carley had never been one for dressing up. She’d skipped her prom. She didn’t like the idea of finding a girl to bring, but she really didn’t want to get dressed up. It had never appealed to her, but when she stood in front of the mirror about an hour ago, with her hair down and straight but full of volume, she felt empowered. Andrea had offered to let her borrow any jewelry she wanted too, so Carley found a pair of dramatic earrings, something she would never have purchased for herself, and a simple ring.

  Carley had a good feeling about tonight. She wasn’t working, so she didn’t feel the same pressure that she did last night to fit in and make sure Andrea had everything she needed. This would be relaxing, and she’d have a few drinks and mingle as best she could with the other guests.

  It dawned on her when she was getting ready that she did have something in common with these people. Travel. Carley had been to South America as part of a high school trip. She’d spent time on the west coast of the U.S. when she graduated high school, and she was in the middle of a tour of Europe when she’d been robbed. She could always talk about the places she’d been and where she wanted to go next. If the people at this party were anything like Andrea, they’d probably traveled the world. Somehow that put Carley’s mind at ease as Andrea leaned closer to say that they were almost there.

  “It’s the one on the right.”

  “Dixon’s Escape,” Carley said, reading the cursive writing on the back of the yacht.

  “That’s it... Come on,” Andrea said, her hand lightly resting on the small of Carley’s back as they approached and gave their names to a man in a black suit who appeared to be doing security.

  They stepped onto the yacht with the sun setting behind them, and the water gently lapping against the hull of the boat. Andrea had said that they’d get out on the water once everyone had arrived.

  Carley was going to make a conscious effort not to hang around Andrea too much. She’d have her own friends to talk to, and Carley didn’t want to be tagging along. She’d make her own conversations, but for now Andrea seemed happy enough to have her beside her.

  “There’s Stephanie,” Andrea said, lifting two glasses of champagne off of a waiter’s tray and handing her one. “I’ll introduce you.”

  Carley took a sip and followed her. There were three levels, and Stephanie was probably staying on the lowest level to greet her guests. She watched Andrea kiss her on both cheeks, and Carley did the same, the woman’s long blond hair tickling her cheek. She looked good for fifty.

  “Carley, this is Stephanie Dixon.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Carley
said with a smile. “And happy birthday.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you too,” Stephanie said in an accent similar to Andrea’s. “Andrea usually comes to these things alone, so you’ve peaked my curiosity. I’ll talk to you properly later on, but right now I have to play hostess,” she said with a smile as an older couple joined them, and Andrea led them over to the steps that led up to the next deck.

  “What was that about?” Carley asked when they’d climbed the stairs and stood beside the railing.

  “She likes to stir the pot. Don’t worry about her though. She’s harmless,” Andrea said, bringing her glass to her lips. “Oh, there’s James. I want to introduce you to him. You’ll be seeing plenty of him in the next few months. We’ve just agreed to work together on a new project.”

  Carley met James, then Pierre, and a bunch of people whose names she’d already forgotten. She excused herself to find the bathroom and when she returned, Andrea wasn’t there. She got a glass of wine this time from a passing waitress and looked back at the marina that was fading into the distance.

  “Oh, there you are.”

  Carley turned when she heard that familiar British accent, but she knew it wasn’t Andrea. It was Stephanie. “Hi.”

  “How are you enjoying the party?”

  “It’s great, very relaxed,” Carley said, forcing herself to smile. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something about Stephanie made her nervous.

  “Good. I’m looking forward to opening your gift later.”

  Carley almost choked on her drink, but before she could say anything Stephanie was smiling at her, her hand on Carley’s arm.

  “I specifically said on the invite not to bring gifts,” Stephanie said as her hand slipped away. “But you probably didn’t see it. I sent it to Andrea.”

  “No. I didn’t... Should I not be here?”

  “That’s not what I meant at all... I guess I’m just surprised that she brought someone. Are you two together?” Stephanie asked as she took a drink from her champagne flute.

  “Andrea? No... No, we uh. We work together,” Carley said, figuring that she might as well leave out the bit about her being Andrea’s P.A.

  “I didn’t think so. You’re not really her type,” Stephanie said, meeting her eyes. There were faint lines around them, but Carley would have never guessed that she was fifty. Her skin was flawless, and she had an amazing figure. Her royal blue dress showed off her toned legs.

  “What kind of woman does she normally go for?”

  Carley wasn’t sure why she was asking Stephanie. Andrea said that they weren’t really friends, that they were more like competitors. She probably shouldn’t be having such a personal conversation with her, but Carley couldn’t resist. Andrea had pinged her gaydar, and when her mother had asked her if Carley was her girlfriend the night of the interview, that confirmed it for Carley. But there was no mention of exes.

  “Andrea usually goes for someone who understands her,” Stephanie said after taking a second to think about it. “She likes to be challenged, but also to be in control... I don’t think she’ll ever find someone who can match her intensity or put up with her work ethic.”

  Carley could get that. She hadn’t known her very long, but she worked non-stop. How could Andrea have time for a relationship?

  “And what about you?” Stephanie asked, a slight smile on her lips. “What’s your type?”

  “I don’t have a type,” Carley said, holding her gaze.

  Stephanie’s eyebrows rose. “What do your exes say about you then?”

  Carley looked out across the ocean. “I haven’t really had time for relationships. I came to Europe to travel, but I ended up spending more time than I’d planned in Spain. I’m from Connecticut, but it’s never felt like home. The few people I’ve been involved with... I made it clear that I was leaving, and that really isn’t something most people want to hear. I don’t know where I’m going to end up either.”

  Stephanie nodded. “Maybe you just haven’t met the right person yet.”

  Carley smiled. “I guess not.”

  Stephanie took a step closer and brushed a lock of Carley’s hair away from her eyes. “You’re beautiful.”

  Carley stopped breathing for a second. This is not where she thought this conversation was going. Could she kiss Stephanie if that was what she was planning to do? She wasn’t working tonight. She was here to enjoy herself, and Stephanie was a very attractive woman. She remembered Andrea joking with her yesterday about being into older women, but she wasn’t really, and she definitely wasn’t interested in Andrea’s mother, Vega Reyes.

  Carley’s eyes flickered down to her lips. They were so close. Stephanie cupped her cheek as she tilted her head, and Carley parted her lips against hers, giving into the kiss. It started out slow with Carley’s hand on Stephanie’s waist, the silky blue fabric smooth against her fingertips, but when Carley kissed her back, Stephanie deepened the kiss, finding her tongue.

  Carley’s hand moved to her neck, pushing aside her long blond hair. She was aware that there were people around them, not right next to them, but coming and going from the other decks. Carley pulled away, dropping her hand. She leaned against the railing as Stephanie took a step back.

  “I’d love to stay here all night with you,” Stephanie said, “But I have to get back to the party... I’d like to see you again,” she said. “I’m sure I can get your number from Andrea.”

  “I’d like that,” Carley said, taking a drink as she watched Stephanie head down the steps. She watched the lights from the marina as she traced her lips with her finger, wondering if that had just happened. She wouldn’t mind going on a date with Stephanie, but she knew it was a bad idea.

  Stephanie wouldn’t be interested in her if she knew she was Andrea’s P.A. She looked like the kind of woman who appreciated status and wealth. She had this massive yacht. Carley couldn’t compete with that, and she didn’t want to.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Andrea poured herself a generous helping of whiskey and brought the tumbler outside with her. She took a seat on the sofa, kicking off her flip-flops and stretching out. This week had dragged on. Normally, being busy and having meetings and lunch dates with potential investors would have made for a great week, but Andrea couldn’t shake the bad mood she’d been in.

  Her mother had commented on it Monday, but she’d said it was a hangover from the yacht party the night before. Carley definitely caught her frostiness Tuesday but didn’t comment on it. Andrea knew what was bothering her. She just thought she’d be over it by now.

  Seeing Carley kiss Stephanie had floored her. She’d nearly dropped the two cocktails she’d been holding. When she hadn’t seen Carley in a while, she decided to get her a drink and see how she was doing. Andrea stopped short when she turned the corner and saw Carley leaning in to kiss her.

  She thought she’d seen Stephanie eyeing her up when they’d arrived, but Andrea dismissed it. Stephanie had a thing for beautiful, young blonds, but a part of her hoped that Stephanie would think Carley was her girlfriend. She must not have because Stephanie had cornered her that night. Andrea knew it wasn’t any of her business who either Stephanie or Carley dated, but she couldn’t stomach the two of them together.

  “Is it okay if I join you?” Carley asked, standing beside the white outdoor furniture.

  Andrea pushed herself into a seated position. “Sure.”

  Andrea wasn’t really in the mood for company, but she was pretty sure she’d been difficult to be around all week. She had to start acting normal again.

  “I know this is going to sound weird,” Carley said, tucking her legs underneath her as she got comfortable beside her. “But did I do something wrong?”

  Andrea looked away, bringing her tumbler to her lips. She’d gotten to know Carley bit by bit since she’d hired her, and Carley had asked her questions too, but Andrea had to decide how much she was going to share with her personal assistant.

  “No,” Andrea said,
meeting her blue eyes. “Not really. It’s me. I uh... I was just surprised to see you kissing Stephanie the other night.”

  “Oh,” Carley said softly. “She approached me. She actually thought we were together, but I told her that I just worked with you... I know I lied, but I didn’t feel like announcing that I was just a P.A.”

  “Of course, she did,” Andrea said, shaking her head.

  “She wanted to see me again, but I haven’t heard from her...”

  “That’s probably for the best.”

  “Is she really that awful?” Carley asked. “She seemed nice.”

  “I just know her... Well,” Andrea finished, bringing her tumbler to her lips.

  “Through business?”

  “We dated.”

  If Carley was surprised, she hid it well. She didn’t say anything right away. “And you were joking with me about being into older women,” Carley said, a slight smile on her lips.

  “She’s only eight years older than me, and you can’t talk. You were the one kissing her.”

  “I had no idea you two had that sort of history... I won’t see her again.”

  “I don’t want to tell you who you can and can’t see,” Andrea said, resting her arm on the back of the couch. “That’s not fair.”

  “It’s my decision. She’s an attractive woman, but I don’t think we would work. I think she was only up for a bit of fun anyway, and I’m not that kind of girl. Not anymore anyway... If I’m going to date someone, there has to be the potential for it to be serious.”

  Andrea nodded. “Fair enough.”

  “Were you together long?”

  “About a year. We were too much alike.”

  “She did say something about how you liked to be in control,” Carley said, tousling her hair. “And I can see Stephanie being the same.”

  “What else did she say?” Andrea asked, not quite believing that she was having this conversation with Carley. She rarely thought about that year she spent with Stephanie.