Modern Girl's Guide To Vacation Flings

by DRAYER, GINA

  No use keeping it a secret, and maybe if he told Peter about Beth it would be like exercising his demons. Once he got everything off his chest, he might actually be able to move on. So Matt started with the plane ride.

  "Hmm." After almost an hour of listening and that was all Peter had to say.

  "So you can see why I'm pissed. She didn't even bother to say goodbye." Matt reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the leather strap with the carved charm that he'd been carrying around like an albatross. "All I have left is this fucking charm."

  He stared at the necklace and all he could see was Beth. The way she'd finger it when she was nervous. How she'd lay across the bed naked, except for the leather strap around her neck. The night at the reception was only time he could remember her not wearing the thing, and now it was the only piece of her he had left.

  "Screw it. I'm over the whole thing." With his anger finally focused on the right person, Matt tossed the offensive item across the room. Maybe he'd go to the roof tonight and set it on fire; cauterize the wound in his heart. "No use wanting something that isn't going to happen."

  "I know what it's like to want someone you can't have. I gave up ever being with the woman I wanted. I'd like to say it gets easier but I'd only be lying to you. You should fight for her."

  "That's a bit hypocritical," Matt said, the bitterness thick in his voice. "You say you know what it's like, but you don't seem broken up about this mystery woman of yours. Why should I fight for her? Wasn't your girl worth the fight?"

  "My situation isn't the same," Peter said wanly. He got up to leave, but paused at the door. "But I can tell you one thing, if I was in your situation and there was a chance I could have her, I'd be on the first flight to Spain."

  By five that day, Matt had failed to get anything but the most rudimentary work done and everyone in the office was still avoiding him. Something had to give.

  Peter's words stuck with him for the rest of the day. Matt couldn't decide if he was a genius or if he was crazy to even suggest going after Beth. After replaying all their conversations, it was obvious she'd left because she was scared of getting hurt. Hell, she'd left him the charm her father gave her from Africa. That had to mean something.

  Maybe Peter was right. Maybe Beth just needed that grand gesture to prove he was serious. At the very least, even if she rejected him, she'd have to say it to his face. He needed that because this 'what if' shit was killing him.

  Matt called the airline to book a flight back to Spain. However, that was easier said than done.

  "What dates did you need to travel?" the perky customer service agent asked.

  "I want the first flight available from Chicago to Barcelona."

  "Very good sir. Let me see what's available." After a few seconds the agent said, "There is a business class seat available leaving Monday at six thirty."

  Monday? That was four days away. There wasn't a chance in hell he could wait until Monday. He'd drive himself crazy home alone, obsessing about this over the weekend.

  "I need something right away. Isn't there anything leaving tomorrow? Check first class? I'll even take an economy seat or do a layover."

  "I'm sorry sir. Monday is the earliest I have. I could put you on standby, but there's no guarantee. July is one of our busiest travel months, and it is last minute."

  Here he was thinking he'd just go home and pack a bag tonight and leave this evening. Barcelona was a big port city, maybe he could fly into somewhere else and take a train. "Check another destination. Madrid? Hell it doesn't even have to be in Spain. I just need to get to Europe."

  "Yes, sir. Let me check," the woman said, all the cheer gone from her voice. He heard the sound of keys clicking in background, filling the long silence, until finally she returned to the phone. "I have a flight leaving Chicago tomorrow afternoon at one p.m. flying into Toulouse, France. Would that work for you?"

  "Yeah," he said, Googling the distance to Barcelona. A train would add another four hours to the trip, but that was doable. "I can work with that."

  "Very good. What's the return date?" When he didn't answer right away the agent prompted again. "Do you need a return ticket, or will this be one way?"

  He stopped looking up the train schedule, realizing he didn't know what the fuck he was doing. He wasn't exactly sure where Beth was staying. The only thing she'd said was her cousin had an apartment in the Sagrada Familia neighborhood. It wasn't as if he could just show up and in Spain and she'd be waiting for him at the train station. Barcelona had millions of people and the chances of him finding one apartment on a first name and neighborhood were slim to none. What the fuck was he thinking?

  "I've changed my mind. I don't think I'll need that ticket after all."

  Matt hung up the phone, feeling ridiculous. He wasn't that guy; the one that dropped everything and flew across the Atlantic to chase a woman. Peter was the one who'd put that stupid idea in his head. That wasn't Matt's style. He always been steady and focused. The planner of their group.

  He might not know where Beth was right now, but he did know where she was going to be in a week. So, instead of heading to the airport, Matt opened a new browser window and started searching for the wedding announcement of Glenn Archer's youngest step-daughter.

  Chapter 19

  Modern Girl Tip #19: After—You're back home and flipping through your photos when a friend request pops up in your email. You might want to keep your fling tucked away with your souvenir novelty hat and collection of sea shells, and that's fine. But don't be afraid to keep in touch if that's what you both want. You never know, that impulsive one week fling might turn into something more.

  Friday crawled at a snail's pace, but at least he was productive. Now that Matt wasn't obsessing about Beth, he was able to knock out the final drafts of the Abode Furniture's summer redesign by ten. That left him free to spend the rest of the day working on his own grand plan.

  It was simple. The hard part would be convincing her that they could make things work, something he was more and more convinced could happen. All he needed was some time and a place where he'd have Beth's undivided attention.

  The first part of his plan required some digging and social manipulation. He knew the wedding had put a strain on their relationship, but Matt could tell by the way Beth talked about her sister, they were close. So after a couple of hours of calling around to various friends and business contacts, he was able to track down the home number for one Doctor Robert Banner, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It may have helped that Matt had been a major donor for the pediatric wing and his mother sat on a fundraising board.

  He was betting that Robert and Sophia were like so many modern couples and living together. So when a woman picked up the phone, Matt hoped it was Sophia.

  "Hi, you don't know me, but I'm friends with your sister Beth. Well, I'm not sure I'd call us friends, more like—"

  "I'm not giving interviews about the wedding," she said, interrupting him. "Although, I have to give your points for bringing up my sister. Very original. Now, would you please stop calling. I'm getting married in less than a week and I have more important thing to do."

  "Wait," he shouted. "I'm not a reporter. My name is Matt Carver and I need your help."

  "Matt Carver?" she asked, and Matt could have sworn he heard recognition in that utterance.

  "Yes, like I was saying, you don't know me, but I know your sister and I was hoping you could help me."

  "Oh, I know you," she said on a laugh. "You and Beth made Sun Times Society page. Mom was pissed that Beth didn't tell her about you. She was, and I'm quoting here, mortified to have to find out from the gossip column. Turns out she's served on the Horticultural Society Women's Board with your mother for years, and she had no idea you two were dating."

  "Yeah, about that…"

  Matt wasn't sure how much to tell her. He needed an invitation to the wedding for his plan to work. If he told the truth, there was a good chance she'd prote
ct her sister and he wouldn't get the chance to plead his case. On the other hand, if he went with the same story he'd given his family, there was a good chance she'd see right through the lie. Instead, he opted for something in between.

  "This is all kind of new. We haven't known each other very long. And things recently got serious. That's why I'm calling. Beth's not getting back from Spain for several more days, and she wouldn't ask, so I thought I'd take a chance and ask you myself."

  "Ask what?" she said, cautiously.

  "Is there any way you can add me to the guest list? I know it's last minute," he rushed to add, "but I'd really like to be there for Beth."

  There was a long silence, and Matt was beginning to think she'd hung up on him. What if Beth had already talked to her about the cruise and him? Had he just ruined his only chance at getting Sophia's help?

  "I don't know what's going on with you two," Sophia started, "but I know Beth. If she wanted you there, she wouldn't have hesitated to ask."

  "I—"

  "No, wait. That doesn't mean I won't invite you. My sister and I haven't really talked since my engagement, but I love her and would do anything to help her out. And if there's one thing I know about Beth," she said, lowering her voice as if imparting a secret, "she makes terrible decisions when it comes to her personal life. I saw the photos of you guys at that party. I don't think I've ever seen her look at a guy like that before."

  "Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

  "I was hoping as much. I'm not sure she'll thank me for inviting you. If she didn't call to have you added as her plus one, I'm certain you're the last person she'll expect to see at my wedding, but I'm willing to help you out."

  "Thank you. I just need a chance to talk to her."

  "Promise me you won't cause a scene at my wedding."

  "You don't have anything to worry about from me. Now Beth on the other hand…"

  She laughed over the line. "I can't wait to meet you, Matt. Somehow I think you're just what Beth needs. It takes a lot of nerve to call up a woman eight days before her wedding and ask to be added to the guest list. Now don't screw it up."

  That was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Now he needed to talk to Simon. Meeting Beth at the wedding was just the first step. As a bridesmaid, she had to be there, and that would give him the opportunity to convince her to spend more time with him.

  While he didn't agree with the way she'd handled it, Beth had been right about one thing. Judging if a relationship was working based solely on the experiences they had while on vacation was foolish. They both needed to see that they worked in the real world. So after the wedding, he planned on showing her just how well they could fit together.

  Unfortunately, he wouldn't have the time to prove it, not with her leaving on another assignment so soon. That's why, until she left for Costa Rica, Matt planned on spending as much time with her as possible. He was going to need a lighter load at work while he worked things out with Beth. They had to start somewhere, and there was no way he'd let her leave the country again without convincing her he'd be waiting when she got back.

  He didn't care if she traveled. Hell, with the technology at their disposal, Beth could easily keep in touch via sat-phone or even video chat if her location permitted. He just wanted to be the one she came home to, no matter how much time she had for him.

  He knocked on his friend's door before walking in. Simon was on the phone and waved him to an empty seat.

  "… I'm glad everything worked out. I was confident that my team would pull through. We'll send over an analysis of the traffic at the end of the month to gauge how your customers feel about the redesign and tweak it from there."

  After ending the call, Simon came around the desk and flopped on the sofa in the corner. "God. Remind me to kick Peter's ass. I don't know how you pulled it off, but Cynthia from Abode loved the changes. She especially liked the colors you picked, claiming something about the cool color palette being exactly what they were looking for. I can't believe you picked that up from the vague request to change the blues to better match the new furniture line. I'm glad you know all that design shit because one blue is the same as the next to me."

  Matt wouldn't admit that his color selection had less to do with Abode's request for a flexible design that would look good with their rich wood furnishings and more to do with an ebony eyed woman clothed in a seraphic blue dress. Instead he shrugged and said, "That's why you pay me the big bucks."

  "So I was thinking, now that we got this job wrapped up and you seem to be in better spirits, why don't we grab Peter and hit the bar. I've got a proposal for you guys."

  Simon had used those same words years ago when he'd proposed they start Millennial Design. Matt had just sold his software program. Simon and Peter had just finished degrees in business and marketing and they wanted to start their own company. A few beers later, they had a plan.

  And now Simon had that same hungry look in his eye.

  "I'm not sure I can make it tonight. What's this about?" Matt asked.

  "I've been contacted by a New York marketing house that wants to sell. They're old school, which means print, the one thing we haven't been able to leverage. I know we decided print wasn't going to be our focus, but think about it. With their name, and our forward thinking, we could really put ourselves on the map. Maybe capture a few larger clients."

  "That's a big step," Matt said, running a hand through his hair. They'd talked about doing more print work for their clients, but a New York firm, that was big time. And it wasn't Chicago. "When we started this, there was always the understanding we were going to stay local. Midwest. New York isn't local."

  "I know. But this offer just landed in my lap. I'm not saying we have to do it. You and Peter have just as much say as I do, but honestly, I think it would be stupid to dismiss it just because it's not here in Chicago. We could make it work. We could keep two offices."

  "Why don't you and Peter talk it over? If it can be worked out where we keep this office, as well as the New York one, I'm game. I'm not going to leave Chicago. My family is here, and I have something else to keep me here now. I was actually coming to talk to you about that. I'm going to take a few more weeks off."

  "This wouldn't have anything to do with that woman you met on the cruise? Peter said he talked to you yesterday. You go away for two weeks and it's like you're a different man." Simon got up and closed the door to give them more privacy. "You've always given a hundred percent to the business, more than Peter or myself, and if you want time off, you've earned it. But don't go chasing trouble. Peter told me what went down with that woman you met."

  "You guys gossip like old women. It's complicated."

  "Alright, but if you're looking for a date or someone to warm your bed, you know I can help you out," Simon said, reclining back in his chair. He rubbed the short growth of hair on his chin and hummed thoughtfully. "You know, Sarah asked about you last week. You remember, the busty blonde you took that hospital fundraiser. She said you guys had fun. I'm sure she'd be happy to help sooth your bruised ego."

  "I'm not looking for a date, and I'm definitely not looking for an easy fuck. Beth is different. Don't ask me to explain it. I'm not sure I understand it myself, but I need to see this thing through. Hell, she's probably going to tell me to fuck off. I mean, that's pretty much what she said when she left without saying goodbye. Isn't it?" Matt shrugged, feeling a little defensive. He'd been so sure before coming in here, but now that he was explaining his plan to Simon, things didn't seem as clear. "If that's the case, she's going to have to say it my face this time. So, I'm going to take some time. I'm either going to need time to spend with Beth so we can work our shit out, or time to forget her. Either way, I'll work from home. I can stop in at the office when you need me, but Kim can handle the day to day bullshit and keep me updated on what I need to handle personally."

  "You're serious? This girl has really got to you. You. The guy who's so focused on his work, you can't be both
ered to remember a woman's name, let alone call her for a second date. The guy who's never been serious about a woman." Simon shook his head and walked to the window, making a big show out of checking the sky before turning around. "Nope. No plague of locust. I had to check because I'm pretty sure you chasing a skirt is a sign of the apocalypse."

  "Fuck off. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I'm not asking you to understand."

  That was a lie. He wanted his friend to tell him he wasn't going to make a fool out of himself. He needed to hear, from someone other than Peter, that he wasn't about to make a terrible mistake.

  "Yeah. I know you. I'm sure you have everything planned down to the color shirt you're going to wear when you see her again."

  "Green," Matt just shook his head, trying to play it off as a joke. It wasn't quite that specific, but Simon knew Matt well enough to know he'd planned for everything, even her rejection. "I'm not sure all this planning is even going to work. Are you available next weekend if I need you?"

  With a sound slap on Matt's back, Simon said, "All you have to do is call, brother. But I don't think you have anything to worry about, you're like fucking Lex Luthor with all your plotting. Your girl doesn't stand a chance."

  Beth flipped through the magazine, not registering anything on the page as she watched the front doors. For the millionth time that day, she questioned her sanity. Tossing the magazine on the table in frustration, she was thinking about going when Matt walked through the doors.

  The evening outside was a dank and dreary. A gust of humid air followed him in, filling the small lobby with the smell of wet pavement and exhaust, a mix unique to the city. And maybe it was that, coupled with the suit and the more serious look he wore that had her questioning the wisdom of being there. The picture he painted was so out of sync with the memory of the casual man she'd known on the ship.