I giggled again. I loved his frank way of speaking.
“I’ll admit I enjoy sex as much as the next person, maybe even more so,” he said pointedly giving me a devilish look that made my heart race. “But I hate golf. Beer disgusts me and I rarely have time to watch TV. Clearly, I don’t have much in common with my brother and his friends… most of whom are grown men determined to behave like frat boys this weekend. The whole idea of this island is ridiculous and borderline immoral. I can’t believe Richard pulled this off. One woman to meet your every need? I had to double check the legitimacy of the establishment before I agreed to come. I wouldn’t put it past my brother to try to arrange an escort for me as a joke.”
“Is that how this place is marketed? One woman to meet your every need?” I’d taken a women’s studies class during my freshman year of college and I knew my professor wouldn’t be pleased if she could see me now.
“Well, those were my brother’s words.”
“Yikes.”
“Tell me about it. I might not be a feminist, but I’m not misogynistic either. The premise behind this place is just creepy.”
“Yet, you came…”
“And yet, you work here…”
“Hey, I was hired to be an entertainment specialist.”
He laughed then and it caught me off-guard. His laugh was unselfconscious, deep and rich. And I found myself laughing along.
“I’m a glorified Hooters girl, aren’t I?”
“Bingo,” he said, and I shook my head in disbelief.
“Well, at least the pay is good.”
He smiled at me. “That’s good to know. I was afraid this whole thing might have been a front for human trafficking.”
I giggled. “Are you always this cynical?”
He shrugged. “It’s in my nature.”
“We’ll make quite a pair this week.”
“I’m looking forward to it. So how about that walk?”
I looked towards the dining room where everyone was gathering but us, but I didn’t feel like they would be even half as much fun as Griffin.
“I’d gladly take you up on that offer.”
He took my hand in his and I remembered the other day, how it felt to be comforted by him. Griffin was virtually a stranger to me and I was agreeing to join him on a walk in a strange place. I should have been afraid, or at the very least cautious. But I didn’t feel fear… just excitement.
The evening was turning out to be quite an adventure, I thought to myself, as we disappeared through a door and stepped out into paradise.
Chapter 3
Once we were down the stairs, he let go of my hand. We walked close to each other, not quite touching, but close enough to do so. I felt so unnerved. Reckless abandon wasn’t very me, but with Griffin, I was throwing caution to the wind.
“So, you wanted to talk… so let’s talk…” I said playfully, even though I was enjoying the silence in his presence.
“Why are you here?”
“It’s a job,” I said, shrugging. “And I needed a job.”
“So, you deliberately signed yourself up for this?”
“That day you saw me, I was actually coming back from my audition as a camp counselor… entertainment specialist… whatever you want to call it.”
“They made you audition in your swimsuit? Richard should be ashamed of himself.”
I groaned. “I don’t have the best of luck in general and the other day was no exception. I was attempting to go to a swimsuit model audition and instead ended up auditioning for this job before almost getting run over by your car.”
“You are unlucky.”
“Thanks, Griff.”
He laughed.
We were suddenly approaching a clearing and I could see the beach beyond the trees.
“Wow, this place is paradise.”
“Maybe if I weren’t here for a bachelor party I would be inclined to agree with you.”
“What’s your problem? It’s just a group of guys having fun, blowing off some steam before a wedding.”
“Sorry, crowds just aren’t my idea of a good time.”
“There are only about ten people in there.”
He grimaced. “That’s like a million.”
I laughed and he surprised me by sitting down suddenly in the sand and patting the space next to him.
“So, let me guess. You’re an introvert?” I said, crouching down next to him.
“I don’t like labels.”
I rolled my eyes.
“But if I had to be defined, then I guess introvert would be the right word.”
“So, what do you do in your free time? Stay inside and read books?”
“Pretty much. And work.”
“Fun times.”
“I enjoy it,” he said dryly.
I decided to change the subject. “Griffin’s an unusual name? Is it a family name?”
“It’s a nickname.”
“So, the G in G.L. Wallace doesn’t stand for Griffin?”
“Nope.”
“What does it stand for?”
He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Why do you want to know?”
I shrugged. “Just curious?”
“Are you going to stalk me on social media if I tell you?”
“Do you want me to stalk you on social media?”
He pretended to be pensive, scratching at a non-existent beard. “Maybe, if that’s what you’re into… don’t stop on my account.”
He was funny and I couldn’t help but laugh even if the joke was at my expense.
“I like your laugh.” He smiled down at me and it was then that I realized how close we actually were. I’d given him plenty of room, but unknowingly we’d migrated closer and closer together as we talked.
“Glad it meets your approval.”
He reached to touch my face, his hand trailing over into my hair. I rested my face against his palm, feeling close to him and comfortable in his presence. I didn’t readily take to most men. In fact, I was normally shy and rebuffed male attention. No matter how arrogant it sounded, being the prettiest girl in school had been more of a headache than anything else, so I tended to downplay my looks.
As a result, I’d had few boyfriends. I had one boyfriend when I was 17 and needed someone to take me to prom and then another boyfriend in my brief time in college, which had been at least three years ago.
“You have such beautiful eyes. They’re so unusual,” he said.
“Most of the women in my family have eyes like mine.”
“Are most of the women in your family as beautiful as you?”
“Yes,” I said matter-of-factly. “So don’t get any ideas.”
“Trust me. I’ll try not to hit on your mother.”
My laugh was muffled by his lips as he caught me off guard by kissing me softly. He pulled away and said, “I hope this doesn’t violate your contract.”
“Who cares?” I said bringing his mouth back to mine, kissing him thoroughly.
We broke apart when we heard a strange noise approaching. It was a guy on a golf cart. He waved to us and kept on moving. I assumed he was a security guard of some sort.
“Take off your clothes.”
“What?”
“There’s a body of water, illuminated by the moonlight. We’re two attractive people with no inhibitions.”
“No inhibitions? Speak for yourself…” I mumbled.
“Let’s go skinny dipping. There’s no one here but me and you. Take a chance. Come on.”
I shook my head. “I’ve taken enough chances for one day. After all, I’m here with you, right? A complete stranger. Kissing under the moonlight.”
He seemed ready to try to cajole me when we heard voices.
“Looks like someone’s coming,” I said just before the group rounded the corner.
“There you are! Getting cozy already, I see,” said a guy who had clearly already had too much to drink.
Griff ignored him and stood up, offeri
ng a hand to help me up.
“Don’t leave on our account,” said the guy as he slung an arm around the girl next to him who giggled.
“Yeah, come on, Griffin. It’s a bachelor party. We’re supposed to stay out late, get drunk…”
Griffin didn’t even bother to respond. He just coldly regarded the guys until they shut up. Clearly, they were intimidated by Griff.
“Cool it, guys. That’s just my big brother for you. He defines his own form of fun.” The guy talking now was just as tall as Griff but had sandy blonde hair and a big smile. His eyes were playful as he extended his hand to mine. I shook it as he introduced himself.
“I’m Jackson. Griffin’s brother, by the way. We haven’t formally met. This is Tim, Gunner, Scott, and Spencer.”
I nodded in acknowledgment and smiled a little. The guys were staring at me and Griffin as if trying to figure out what we’d just been up to. The girls looked at me as if they were bored. Apparently, I wasn’t too interesting to them.
They were carrying champagne bottles. I guess they intended to continue the party on the beach. I didn’t feel like being part of that party…
“I’m going to call it a night. It was a pleasure meeting you all. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I glanced at Griffin who looked mildly annoyed. “I’ll walk you back to the building.”
“No,” I said, needing a little distance from him, feeling a little overwhelmed and uncomfortable by the apparent interest in us. “You enjoy the party. I’m going to call it a night.”
As I walked through the clearing, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jackson being egged on by his buddies. Griffin stood away from them all.
Everyone was stripping and Griffin looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there.
I muffled a giggle and happily made my way to my room.
*
Even though I’d had an eventful evening, I was up early the next day. Too excited to sleep, I’d had some racy thoughts about Griffin that had made sleeping a little difficult.
I took a shower and found another set of clothes waiting for me in front of my door. It was another dress and it was white…. again. Maybe that sorority girl was right. I was starting to feel like some sort of virginal sacrifice.
This dress was pretty plain, white crochet and sheer, and that’s when I realized it was a beach cover-up. Underneath it was a plain white bikini bathing suit. Nothing too racy, so I slid it on.
I found my way to the dining room, which was already set for breakfast. None of the other guests had arrived yet, but that was fine by me. I enjoyed the sound of my own thoughts and I knew I didn’t have much in common with the other ladies who I found out were finance majors and seniors in college. I also figured now was as good a time as any to practice my Spanish as I chatted with the hostess.
Griffin took that moment to round the corner. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but still found a way to make it look like the sexiest outfit a man could wear. I was starting to understand, it wasn’t the clothes, it was him. He could be wearing a tutu and a fur coat and I would probably still find him the sexiest man in the room. He surprised me by greeting me with a kiss on the forehead. And then he too started chatting with the workers, much more articulate in Spanish than I had been.
Something he said made them laugh and I found myself wishing I’d not dropped my college Spanish class in the middle of the semester.
“Want to join me on the balcony?” I asked him when he was done talking.
“Lead the way,” he said, helping himself to more pastries than I thought one person could handle.
When we settled outside I looked pointedly at his plate and said, “Are you seriously going to eat all that?”
“Yes…” he looked up at me and smiled. “Jealous?”
“Very.”
He chuckled and said, “I have a sweet tooth… always have.”
“Lucky for you, you must also have a high metabolism.”
He didn’t respond, but instead reached for his phone. “Can you keep a secret?” he asked.
Curious, I nodded. He scrolled through a series of pictures and pulled one up on his phone. It was of a chubby teenager, dressed up in golf clothes, holding a golf club smiling brightly at the camera.
“Who’s that?”
“Me.”
I stared. And the longer I stared, the more I could see a younger version of Griffin. That teasing smile and the playful eyes confirmed it.
“I hit 13 and the fat just melted away… good for me….”
“I hit 13 and couldn’t keep the fat away.”
“I can’t picture you as a chubby teen.”
“Oh, I wasn’t, I just grew a butt that stopped fitting into certain pairs of jeans…”
“You have a great butt…. I would know… I checked it out when you walked away last night.”
I blushed and shook my head. He was too much.
“How did last night go, by the way?”
He looked pained. “Terrible. Everyone stripped down to their swimsuits and went swimming. Some people weren’t even wearing suits. Jackson definitely was. He knows his fiancée would kill him if she found out he was hanging out with some random girl naked. But anyway, then they started singing songs and telling jokes, just having fun.” He made a face as if fun was distasteful. “It was terrible. You’re lucky you left early.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like torture.”
“You have no idea.”
“So, in that picture you were playing golf. Why do you hate it now?”
He grew somber. “I used to play with my father. That was a long time ago. He passed a few months after that picture was taken.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged it off. “So am I. He was a great guy. But anyway, tell me about your family. Where are you from, by the way? Your Southern accent is noticeable.”
“Georgia… southern Georgia.”
“Really? I haven’t spent much time down south. I’ve been to Atlanta, but nowhere else in Georgia. How was it growing up out there?”
“Boring. Hence, why I practically ran to L.A. as soon as I got a chance.”
“How are you liking it?”
“It’s been a difficult transition. I’d never lived outside of Georgia, but it’s been exciting and exhausting. And kind of depressing when I look at prices.”
He laughed. “L.A. isn’t cheap.”
“Says the guy with a driver and a Bentley.”
“It comes with the territory,” he said.
“Really? And what’s the territory?”
Before he could answer, Jackson invited himself to our table. He sat down, tossed his feet in the chair next to me and crossed his arms behind his head.
“Look at you two, all cozy,” he said, winking at his brother.
He reached out and tried to take a pastry off Griffin’s plate. Griffin knocked his hand away in one smooth motion. Jackson tried again, his eyes twinkling like a bad little brother who found a way to taunt the oldest. This time when he reached out to take a pastry, Griffin kicked the chair out from under him, sending Jackson sprawling to the floor.
I gasped and expected Jackson to be angry, but he was laughing, deep belly chuckling.
“Now, see,” he said picking himself up from the ground, “if you hadn’t come along, you wouldn’t have gotten a chance to do that.”
“You’re just as annoying now as you were when you were seven.”
“Thanks, bro, love you too.”
I listened to their banter and found myself wondering what it would have been like to have a sibling. Kenny was the closest thing I had. He was my dad’s nephew, but his mom worked a lot so he’d spent most weekends and evenings at our house. And before he had moved out to L.A. to go live with his dad, we had pretty much talked to each other every day. He had been so excited to hear that I was moving to L.A. and had readily extended me an invitation to live in the small apartment complex that he owned. He’d inherited
it from his grandmother since he was the only grandchild on his father’s side of the family.
Finally, Jackson left, stealing a pastry off his brother’s plate and running away laughing.
“It’s like you guys are still kids.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll be acting the same way well into our 90s.”
“I think you’re right.”
“So, tell me more about yourself, Nina. We were rudely interrupted yesterday. You mentioned that you meant to audition for a swimsuit model position. Is that what you’re into? Modeling and acting?”
“I have no interest in being a model and frankly, we both know my butt is too big for that anyway.”
“But what a lovely butt it is.”
“Thanks, Griffin. You’re too kind.”
“I know.”
I playfully rolled my eyes at him. “So anyway, like I was saying—I’d love to be a professional actress. Drama club was the only thing that held my interest in school. I liked programming too, but I didn’t apply myself enough. At least, that’s what my teacher said before she sent me to detention for doing absolutely no homework.”
“Acting and programming? Those are two very different fields,” he commented.
“I know… they’re not very similar, but that’s what I liked in high school.”
“Where’d you go to college?”
That was a sore point for me, but I decided to just be honest. “I went to a state school not far from home. I was two semesters short of graduating but I didn’t have the focus for it. I decided to come out here to L.A. and try my hand at acting instead.”
“I hope it works out for you. I hope you get to see your name in lights or on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.”
“Maybe… maybe one day.”
“Have a little faith in yourself, Nina. If you don’t have faith in yourself, how are others expected to believe in you?”
I knew he was right. “Self-confidence has never been my strength.”
“Just fake it until you make it. Isn’t that L.A.’s motto?”
“I can’t believe I’m taking advice from a man who eats ten pastries for breakfast.”
“Don’t judge me,” he said jokingly and I laughed. I always found myself laughing in Griffin’s presence. I think I was starting to develop a little bit of a crush on him. To be honest, I think it was more than a crush. Not only was I very attracted to him, I liked who he was. I liked his anti-social tendencies. I liked his sense of family responsibility and the way he lived his life by his own set of rules. He had his quirks, but didn’t we all?
Billionaire Retreat Page 3