by A. Anders
Cara chuckled. “No, I think we should wait.”
“Why?” Mars said slipping out of his playful mood.
“Because…” Cara genuinely didn’t know what to say, but there was something in her telling her that she shouldn’t do it. “Because, honestly, I don’t know. I want to. Believe me, I really want to.”
“Then let’s go. I wanted to as well,” he emphasized.
Without an explanation to offer him, she just remained silent and stared at him apologetically.
Mars tightened his lips as frustration overtook him. “Fine.”
With him pulling away from her, she tightened her grip on his hand. “Did you have a good time?” She asked desperate to reconnect with him.
Mars looked back at Cara saddened. “I think I had one of the best times of my life,” he said before slipping his hand from within hers and walking away.
Cara stood watching him go. She didn’t understand it. Why wasn’t she on her way back to his place with him? What had been stopping her? Was this just how screwed up she was, that she couldn’t stand to be with an incredible guy who wanted to be with her?
For the rest of the night, Cara thought about why she had decided what she had. The best that she could come up with was that it had to do with Brik. Was it simply his request that they not sleep together, or was it something more? Certainly, Brik was beginning to grow on her, but Mars was unquestionably becoming someone special to her.
The next morning Cara woke up early, grabbed two coffees and headed to the studio in hopes of smoothing things over with Mars. More than anything, she wanted to make sure that things between them were still good. She wasn’t sure if she had done the right thing by slowing things down, but that was what happened. It didn’t mean that she didn’t like him, it just meant that they might have to wait until her job was done.
Approaching the door of the studio, Cara noticed something hanging from it. It looked to be a handwritten sign. It read, ‘Busy at work. Do not disturb.’
What did that mean? Clearly it didn’t just mean that he was busy at work. Didn’t it mean that he didn’t want to see her? Was there any other way of interpreting that?
Staring at the sign with two coffees in her hand, Cara stood trying to figure out what to do. Did she knock? Did she leave the coffee by the door, text him about it, and then walk away? Or, did she pretend like she was never there in the first place?
Sure that the last option would be the least humiliating, Cara swallowed her pride, turned on her heels, and then walked away. Had she ruined everything between the two of them forever? Would the sign be gone in an hour? She didn’t know.
But after the incredible day they had yesterday, she could hardly believe that their relationship had come to this. Doing her best not to take it personally, Cara decided that instead of obsessing about it, she would grab some breakfast and make the most of her free morning. Knowing that everything would be comped, she headed to the most expensive breakfast place at the resort.
Still feeling a little tired from yesterday’s excitement, she ordered herself a meal that would make her feel whole. She had seen it on other people’s plates. It was a crab cake Benedict served on a biscuit with a side of fruit salad. It had looked amazing. And when it was placed in front of her, she learned that it lived up to its billing.
Stuffed from breakfast, Cara considered whether or not she should head back to the studio. She didn’t know, he could’ve really been busy at that moment. But that didn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t want to be disturbed for the rest the day, did it?
Taking as much time as she could heading back, eventually she arrived again standing face-to-face with the sign. Getting concerned, she placed her ear on the door. She couldn’t hear anything. Was he even in there? Or, more importantly, was the sign even meant for her?
Cara balled her fist about to knock when she stopped. If it wasn’t meant for her, wouldn’t making a sign be a job for his assistant? Wouldn’t he have informed her that he wanted some alone time to work on stuff?
No, this was in direct response to her not going back to his room with him. Didn’t he understand that she had really wanted to join him? Was he really pissed about that? And if he was going to act in this childish way, should she even care that he didn’t want her there?
She decided that she shouldn’t. Screw him. If he was going to act like that, then she could as well. She hadn’t had a day off since she came to the island and if he didn’t want her around, then she was going to have the best damn day possible.
Going back to her room, Cara changed into tourist attire and headed to the lobby. She knew that the taxi drivers offered tours and she just happened to have the phone number of one that she could call.
Monty had given her his card when he had dropped her at the lobby. Giving him a call, he was only too happy to oblige. And considering he was the only person she had met not associated with the hotel, she was looking forward to an outside perspective.
“It’s good to see you, ma’am,” Monty said getting out of his van.
“Please don’t call me ma’am. My name is Cara,” she told him. “Now, how about you give me a tour of the island.”
“Well, there are a couple of tours you can choose from,” he explained in his British island accent
“Just give me the best tour you have. I have nothing to do all day,” she told him with a hint of pride.
“You got it,” he said opening his van door and ushering her in.
Cara’s day ended up being amazing. First, she went to the local zoo and walked with pink flamingos. She then went to a museum and then later had lunch at a place called ‘Travelers Rest’ which overlooked a deserted beach.
Having an amazing dish called cracked conch, Cara got back into Monty’s van for a driving tour of the island. They went to the places that tourists usually didn’t go. It was exciting. When that was done, they crossed the bridge going to a place called ‘Paradise Island’. It was an island with a resort on it similar to where she was staying. At that stop, she grabbed a mojito, sat on the dock and she stared at the million dollar yachts.
Having joined her at every location, Monty joined her again at their final location. It was at a place that Monty called ‘The Fish Fry.’ It consisted of a stretch of colorfully painted restaurants on a wharf. It was said to have started when a fisherman pulled his motorboat up to an empty wharf and started selling something called conch salad made from the fresh conch he had caught.
It caught on quickly after that. And before anyone knew it, people were building increasingly larger shacks until each building grew into two-story native food restaurants. The atmosphere there was amazing. And the guava duff she had for dessert nearly blew her mind.
Riding back to her hotel, Cara knew that she had a day that Mars would regret missing out on. It served him right, though. She could have done this with him, but instead, he chose to be a jackass and post a sign on his door instead of just talking to her about it.
As much as she wanted to, when she was back at the resort, she didn’t go to the studio. She wanted to see if his sign was still up or if he had realized his error and had taken it down. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, though. It was too bad if he ended up needing her help in the middle of the day. She had had a great day without him. If he wanted to be a dick, she wasn’t going to let it bother her.
Having given it a lot of thought, Cara decided that the next morning she would stroll in a little late and pretend like she knew nothing about the sign being there the day before. That was her plan, but when she got there there was something she hadn’t anticipated. The sign was still there.
Was he serious with this? She asked herself. Was he really still upset about her not having sex with him? There was only so far he could take this, and this was the limit. Besides, she had a job to do. She was supposed to be his “assistant” and help him design his clothes. If he wanted to make things personal between them, then he was going to have to do it to
her face. It was with that attitude that she raised her fist and knocked on the door.
She knocked once, twice, three times. No response. Was he even in there? It was possible that the sign was from the day before and he still wasn’t in for the day.
Cara tried the knob. It was locked. She considered talking to Mr. Rhamming, the front desk manager, and having him unlock it. But, considering that he really might be in there, she changed her mind.
Fine. If he was going to be like that, then she was just going to entertain herself.
Finding something to do on the second day wasn’t quite as easy as the first. Having not gotten the opportunity to lounge on the resort’s beach, that was her day’s plan. A little bit of sun, and a little bit of that lava drink was what the doctor ordered.
Her day really was heavenly, though a little lonely. Sure, she could get used to it, but she would have much preferred if she had someone to do it with. Finishing off the second day with a great meal, Cara began to hope that the sign wouldn’t be up tomorrow. To Cara’s disappointment, it was.
Sitting outside the doorway with her back against the wall, Cara thought about everything that had happened. Had she really screwed everything up with Mars? Was him walking away going to be the last time she ever saw him? What if Brik was unhappy with what was going on? Would he blame her?
Deciding to stay there for an hour in case he was either arriving late or stepping out, she had a lot of time to think. It was so like her to screw up a good thing. She hated to admit it, but she was a real fuck up. Her family always made her feel like it and now, without her family around, she was doing a great job on her own.
Feeling like everything she had worked for was quickly coming to an end, Cara had a feeling that she couldn’t shake. She felt very alone. With nothing to occupy her time, there was no hiding from it. She felt this empty feeling inside herself and having been rejected by Mars with his sign, the emptiness was making her chest hurt.
Getting up to distract her thoughts, Cara headed towards her room. Even as she walked, she knew that being by herself wasn’t what she wanted. She needed human contact. She wanted to be with someone who wanted to be with her. Either that or she needed a drink.
Deciding to detour towards the bar, Cara past the lobby and had another thought. There was someone else in the hotel who she could talk to. Sure, it was the hotel’s owner who was probably as busy as hell, but he was receptive the last time.
“Can you see if Brik Evander is available for a meeting?” Cara asked the usually well-dressed Mr. Rhamming.
“One moment. I’ll check,” he said before picking up his phone.
Cara’s heart tightened as he watched him make the call. She wasn’t sure how she would handle being rejected by two different hot guys today. It was very unlike her, but she was feeling vulnerable. And just when it sounded like Brik was going to usher her away, Mr. Rhamming said, “I’ll send her right up.”
This time when Cara got off the elevator, it was Brik who was there to meet her. “Cara,” he said with a smile. “What’s going on? Is everything alright?”
Simply his welcoming tone made Cara feel better.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t spoken to him in three days,” she told the good looking man.
“You haven’t? What happened?”
Brik escorted Cara out to the gigantic balcony. Seated as to overlook the pools and beach, Brik’s assistant approached the two.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” The fair-skinned, petite woman asked.
Brik looked at Cara. She absolutely could use a drink but it wasn’t even 11 o’clock in the morning.
“I don’t know. I feel like I shouldn’t,” she said looking at Brik for permission.
“Seriously, have what you’d like,” he told her.
Cara thought for a moment. “What’s that drink with orange juice in it and champagne, I think?”
“You mean a mimosa?” He offered.
“Yes, that’s it. That’s kind of like a brunch drink, right? I’ll have one of those.”
“You know what? I’ll have one of those, too,” Brik added.
Brik’s assistant walked away leaving the two of them alone. “So, what’s the matter?” Brik asked sympathetically.
“Well, I thought everything was going well. After I spoke to you, I took your advice and went to the spa. Thank you, by the way. It was exactly what I needed.”
“You’re welcome,” Brik said with a smile.
“And afterwards I realized that Mars could probably use the same thing.”
“You took him to the spa?”
Cara smiled. “Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I took him on a powerboat to Exuma and we went snorkeling with sharks.”
“So, pretty much the same as the spa,” Brik said humorously.
“Yeah, pretty much the same,” Cara said sharing a laugh.
“And, did that work?”
Cara considered what she should tell him next. Did she mention the electricity popping between them and how she had left him with blue balls at the end of the night?
“I don’t know. I guess we kind of ended the night in a weird place. I asked him, though, and he said that it was one of the most exciting days of his life.”
Brik looked delighted. “That’s good!”
“Yeah. Except, the next morning when I went to the studio, he had a sign on the door saying, ‘Busy at work. Do not disturb.’”
“Then, he’s working. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Brik asked confused.
“Yeah, I guess. It’s just that he’s had the sign on the door for the past three days. It almost feels like he’s mad at me, or something.”
“I don’t think he is. He is a creative type. He’s probably just locked away in there lost in his own world. Honestly, I wouldn’t take it personally.”
“That’s really hard to do,” Cara said with a smile.
“Well, is there something to the story that you’re not telling me?” Brik asked casually.
Cara thought for a moment wondering whether or not she should tell him about her rejecting him. “No, nothing.”
“Then, I wouldn’t worry about it. You did good! You have him working again. Do you know how big that is? You should feel proud,” Brik said enthusiastically.
“I guess.”
“What are you talking about, you guess? You did something that no one else was able to do, not even Mars himself. You should celebrate.”
“Yeah,” she said softly shifting her attention towards the beach.
Brik watched her closely. “Okay, out with it. What’s the matter?”
Cara looked back at Brik and then diverted her eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just bored. How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Stay up here all day and work by yourself?”
Brik leaned back uncomfortably. “I’m not up here all the time. I have meetings. Sometimes I go check in on Mars.”
“And then what do you do? You come back here and be by yourself. I mean, don’t you ever get lonely.”
Brik looked around like Cara had hit a nerve. Luckily for him, it was then that his assistant returned with two champagne flutes filled with mimosa. “Thank you,” he said allowing her exit.
Brik picked up his glass and stopped Cara before she took a sip. “We should toast.”
Cara smiled liking the idea. “Okay.”
“To you getting Mars working again.”
“Cheers me,” Cara said with a smile.
Clinking glasses, both took a sip and then shifted their attention to the exquisitely beautiful landscaping which led to the beach. Seconds went by before either of them spoke. Brik was the one to break the silence.
“Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?”
Cara looked at Brik surprised. What was the invitation? Did he mean it as a date or like an employer inviting out an employee? “Umm…” She muttered unsure of how to respond.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I have to admit that I am a little bored sometimes too. So we’ll be going out and celebrating together. We’ll do it up. We’ll have some fun.”
As Cara stared at him trying to figure out what was going on, she was reminded of how incredibly good looking he was. He was fit and his bulging chest couldn’t be hidden under his loose-fitting, white cotton dress shirt.
As she stared at him, Cara felt a rush. The feeling was unmistakable. It was exactly what she felt when she saw a boy she liked. Realizing that, Cara swallowed.
“Yeah. Sure. Let’s celebrate,” Cara said realizing another reason why she might not have gone back to Mars’ room. It was possible that she liked Brik.
How could she like Brik? She wondered. Okay, he was hot as all hell and a gazillionaire. But, other than that, he wasn’t her type at all. Brik was uptight and always so contained. He was like a china shop and she felt like the giant, sexy bull running through it.
Cara dumped the contents of her mimosa down her throat and then shook the glass to get the remaining drops. “These glasses are small, aren’t they?”
Brik laughed. “They are meant to be sipped.”
“If people are supposed to sip it, then maybe they shouldn’t make it taste so good.”
“Yes, maybe you’re right.” Brik looked back through the glass door. Getting his assistant’s attention, he signaled for two more. Afterwards, he downed the contents of his glass and put it on the side table next to them.
“You’re right, they’re good,” he said with a smile. Once he did, his eyes lingered on Cara. In a moment, eyes connected.
Cara was sure that she could feel the energy popping between them. It was making her nervous. She didn’t know how this could be happening. Okay, yeah, he was hot as hell. But… Well, when you look like Brik, maybe there is no but.
Cara and Brik received their second glass and although Cara was sure to make it last longer this time, her nerves were definitely making it hard. As they drank Brik told her about his many hotels. Although this one in the Bahamas was his crown jewel, he spent most of his time at his hotel in Los Angeles.