by E. L. Todd
Derek immediately thought of Paola. He wished he could take her out.
“What’s wrong?” Ren asked.
Derek flinched. He hated how sensitive women were. They could pick up his emotions easily. “I’m just irritated that I finally found the girl that I really want and I can’t have her.”
Henry stared at him. “You’ll find someone better. I speak from personal experience.”
Derek sighed. “I guess you do understand. But I actually went for it. I still got rejected.”
“Maybe she has a boyfriend,” Ren said. “She does have a nice ass.”
Henry smiled at her.
“No, she doesn’t,” Derek said. “I asked.”
“Why don’t you just ask her why she said no?” Henry asked.
“That sounds desperate,” Derek said. “I don’t want to bug her to go out with me.”
“Well, if you really want this girl you may have to fight for her,” Henry said.
“I do really want her.”
“Well, then you don’t take no for an answer,” he said. “I fought for Sydney when it was too late. If I had been a man about it instead of waiting for her to turn to me, I probably could have had her. Not that I regret the way everything worked out at all.”
“I know,” Ren whispered.
Derek nodded. Paola was enigmatic. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking or feeling. But he wanted her nonetheless. Perhaps it was her striking beauty that immediately stole his heart, but as soon as he had a short conversation with her, he fell even harder, wanting her more than anything in his life. That feeling was novel to him. He loved Nancy even though it took a while to get there, but this feeling for Paola was immediate and innate. It was as true as the sun rising every morning. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way, but he knew he did. That was all that mattered. “I’ll see you later.
After Derek finished his classes, he went to Thatcher’s and walked through the front entrance.
A secretary was sitting behind the desk. “How may I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Nancy. Tell her it’s Derek.”
“She only accepts people by appointment, but I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“Oh, I’m a friend,” he said quickly.
“One moment,” she said as she disappeared down the hallway.
Nancy emerged a moment later. “Just call me next time.”
He smiled. “I forgot that you’re famous now.”
“So what’s up?”
“What did Paola say the other day?”
Nancy glanced at her secretary then nodded toward the hallway. They walked to the stairs but Nancy stopped Derek before they walked into the living room. “Baby, Derek is here.”
“Give me one moment,” he said calmly.
Nancy smirked. “He usually walks around naked.”
“Lucky you,” he said with a smile.
“I make him.”
“Ooh. I doubt he minds.”
“He definitely doesn’t.”
“I’m ready,” Thatcher said.
“Let’s go,” Nancy said. They walked into the living room then moved into the kitchen. “Want some coffee?”
“Sure,” he said.
“Cappuccino?”
“I don’t care.”
She placed the mugs on the table and sat across from him.
Thatcher walked in. “Hey, what’s up?”
Derek nodded. “I came to talk to Nancy.”
“Oh,” Thatcher said. “Do you need some privacy?”
“No,” Derek said quickly. “Not at all.”
Thatcher sat next to Nancy and placed his hand on her thigh. “Sorry about that.”
Derek shook his head. “It’s your house, man. You can walk around naked if you want.”
Thatcher looked at Nancy. “You told him?”
“What else was I supposed to say? You were jacking off?”
“If I were, you’d probably tell him.”
“And everyone else we know,” Nancy said smugly.
“So, does that make it okay for me to tell the guys how much I enjoy fucking you?”
“I don’t care what you tell them.”
His eyes narrowed. “And I can talk about your tits?”
“They’re yours, right?”
Derek shifted his weight. “Maybe I should come back later...”
Nancy laughed. “Sorry. So what’s up?”
“What did you and Paola say the other day?”
“Oh. I told her you were a really sweet guy, you’re my best friend, you’re really hot…stuff like that.”
“And what did she say?”
“Nothing, really,” Nancy said. “I couldn’t read her expression.”
“That’s it? What else happened?”
Nancy rubbed Thatcher’s arm. “She talked about school and surfing, nothing interesting.”
He sighed. “Did she say anything about me?”
“She said you were a good surfer.”
Thatcher leaned toward her. “Derek wants to know if she’s interested, Nancy.”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell. I didn’t want to push it and make it really obvious. That would have been worse.”
“You’re right,” Derek said. “Thanks for trying. I asked her out last night but she rejected me.”
Thatcher cringed. “Sorry, man.”
“It’s okay,” he said with a sigh. “I’m spending the weekend with her so hopefully I can change her mind.”
Thatcher nodded. “Baby, can you excuse us for a moment?”
“Sure.” She kissed his cheek before she left. When she was gone, Thatcher spoke.
“I’m not telling you this to piss you off. I’m really just trying to help you.”
Derek knew what this was about. “I won’t get mad. It was my fault Nancy and I broke up. I don’t blame you. And no matter how it ended, I’m glad it did. Nancy is really happy with you, way happier than she ever with me. I meant what I said. I love her and want what’s best for her.”
Thatcher breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, when I saw Nancy, I wanted her. I knew I was going to have her, plain and simple. It reminds me of your feelings for Paola. You don’t know her, but you know you want to. It’s just a natural occurrence.”
“Exactly,” Derek said.
“When I found out Nancy was dating you, that didn’t stop me. Not to be rude, but you were…”
“An ass.”
“Yeah…Anyway, I went after her with everything I had. I can’t tell you the number of times she pushed me away. I touched her, I hit on her, I complimented her constantly, I got into her personal bubble. I kept colliding into her walls until they finally broke. Then I engaged her, convincing her she should be with me. I didn’t give up until she was mine. I suggest you do the same and don’t take no for answer. Obviously, understand her boundaries. All girls are different. Some don’t want to be touched for any reason, some don’t want you to come to their house, just make sure you aren’t harassing her. That would be counterproductive.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
“So…you have the whole weekend with her. I suggest you take advantage of it.”
“I will.”
8
Derek packed his bags then headed to the airport. After he checked in and placed his luggage on the boarding dock, he walked into the lobby. Paola was sitting in a chair, looking out the huge window that showed the planes coming and going. She wore a white halter dress with brown sandals. Her hair was pulled back and her face was free of makeup. Derek stopped and stared at her, enjoying the view until she noticed him.
“Hey,” he said as he sat next to her.
“Good morning.” She smiled at him and Derek felt weak again. “How are you?”
“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to this trip, especially with you.”
She stared at him, her eyes focusing. “And what do you mean by that?”
He shrugged. “I just like spending time
with you.” He knew he was being very forward but he knew he had to be. She was going to be his. Derek looked away to make the moment less tense.
Paola crossed her legs then looked out the window.
“Are you afraid of flying?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Don’t be scared. You are more lucky to get struck by lightning seven times than get in a plane accident.”
“And you are more likely to be killed in a plane crash than getting stuck by lightning.”
He reached out and patted her hand lightly. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
She didn’t move her hand away and he thought that was a good sign.
“So, tell me something about yourself.”
“Like what?”
“Something funny.”
Paola thought for a moment. “I brush my teeth in the shower.”
He smiled. “How is that funny?”
She shrugged. “It’s odd. Tell me something about you.”
“When I was little, I thought chunky peanut butter had ants in it. Whenever my mom would buy the wrong kind, I would eat it and start crying, feeling bad for eating the poor ants.”
She laughed. “That’s adorable.”
He smiled, loving the sound of her laugh. “I was a cute kid. My parents said I was cuter than my sister. She still gets mad about it.”
“Is your sister older or younger?”
“Older. And believe me, if a pedophile saw me, they’d kidnap me. I was damn cute.”
She laughed again. “I wish I could see for myself.”
“I’ll show you when we get back home. But watch out. Your ovaries will scream.”
“Why would my ovaries scream?”
“Because you’d want to have my babies. If I was cute, our babies would be cute. It’s logical reasoning.” He knew he was flirting excessively but he wasn’t going to let it up until she asked him to stop.
She chuckled but didn’t comment to his statement about having kids together. “I heard our hotel is nice.”
“I’m excited to see San Diego. Have you ever been?”
“Yeah.”
“You should show me around. The competition is on Saturday. We have today and Sunday to explore.”
“There’s this taco shop that’s awesome.”
“Ooh. I love tacos.”
“And it’s called Surf Taco.”
“That’s even better!”
She laughed. “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”
“Want to grab some lunch?” he asked.
“No,” she said as she looked at the time. “We’re boarding soon.”
“You’re right.”
The gate opened and the clerk started taking the tickets. Paola stood up and grabbed her bags. Derek reached for the heaviest one and put it over his shoulder.
“I can carry my own stuff,’ she said.
“I know. You’re the strongest person I know.”
The comment seemed to dull the annoyance in her eyes.
“I just wanted to be a gentleman.”
They walked to the counter and handed their tickets over before they boarded. Their seats were near the window.
Derek looked at his ticket and realized he had the window seat. “Take it.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Come on. I insist.”
She smiled then moved into the seat.
Derek shoved their bags in the overhead compartment then sat beside her. After everyone was boarded, the plane started to move toward the runway. Derek could see the obvious fear in her eyes. She tried to hide it and act calm, but Derek felt her emotions. The plane started to move faster as it prepared to take off.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Look at me.”
She did.
“Now stare at my chest.”
“What?”
Derek grabbed her other hand and placed it over his pectorals as he flexed. “Breathe with me.”
She gripped his hand while she synched her breathing with his.
“Just concentrate.”
The plane took off and lifted into the air. It shook as they gained altitude then leveled off after a minute. She kept her hand on his chest and closed her eyes.
Derek leaned close to her. “You did good.”
She took a deep breath then pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry about that.”
“No need for apology.” He held her other hand on the arm rest, not moving. If she wanted to end the touch, she had to make the move.
Derek leaned back in his chair but didn’t move his hand.
Finally, she pulled it away, much to his disappointment.
A movie was playing on the front screen but Derek wasn’t watching. He wanted to stare at Paola but he didn’t want to gawk.
She sighed as she leaned back. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
He moved closer to her. “Why not?”
“Because I was nervous about the flight.”
“You look tired,” he said.
She yawned. “I’m sorry I’m not pleasant company.”
“You’re always pleasant.” He reached for the blanket in the back end of the seat in front of him then pulled it over her. He was disappointed to cover the legs he fantasized about. Then he touched her neck gently and pulled her head to his shoulder. She didn’t fight it and let him guide her. Derek smiled when he realized his success. Thatcher’s advice was working. He was taking the lead, not letting her back down, and as a result, they were going somewhere. If she really didn’t like him or thought he was a creep, she would pull away.
Paola closed her eyes then sighed. Derek patiently waited for her to go sleep before he leaned his head forward and looked at her. He took out his phone and took a few pictures, wanting to treasure her face forever. When he looked at the pictures, he was in awe. Somehow in sleep, she looked even more breathtaking. Succumbing to his desires, he grabbed her hand and held it. He leaned his head against hers and smelled her hair. It was a mix of the ocean and flowers. Now he was in heaven. He was holding Paola’s hand and touching her. She wasn’t aware of it, but he was. That was enough for him. He’d never been so interested in such juvenile affection. Normally, he just wanted to have sex. And the sooner it happened, the better. With Paola it was nothing like that, although he desperately wanted to be inside her.
When the plane landed, he pulled his hand away and moved his head. Paola woke up and stretched. She pulled the blanket off her, and Derek caught the sight of her upper thighs. Her dress had been pulled up and he could almost see her underwear. His erection immediately formed and he looked away, not wanting to embarrass her when she noticed.
Paola adjusted herself then ran her fingers through her hair, untangling it.
“You look beautiful without makeup,” he blurted. He stared at her, giving her the same confidence she gave him.
She flinched at his words. “Thank you.”
“Natural beauty is hard to come by.”
Paola stared at him but said nothing.
Derek grabbed their bags then carried them out of the plane. After they grabbed their belongings, they got into the cab and drove to the hotel. When they arrived at Hotel Del Coronado, Derek’s eyes widened. The hotel was huge. It had white walls with a red roof, and a majority of the rooms faced the ocean. The taxi dropped them off and they walked inside.
After Derek checked them in, they walked to their room.
“We have ocean view rooms,” Derek said happily. “That’s awesome.”
“I know,” she said. “This place is really nice.”
Derek opened her door then carried her luggage inside. She helped him then looked around. “Let’s go out to dinner,” he said. “And we’ll get some wine and watch the ocean from the balcony.”
That seemed to make her uncomfortable. “Derek, you’re a really nice guy, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
He felt the knife slide in his throat. It was a pain he hadn’t felt since
his parents passed away. He couldn’t believe how much it hurt. Paola was a dream that he fantasized about. Now it was getting away.
“What?” he asked.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m just not interested in you that way.”
This was getting worse. “Um, I just thought we would go out together since we are both here and have nothing to do...I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.” Derek decided feigning innocence was better.
“Oh…I’m sorry. I—I guess I misunderstood.”
Derek put his hands in his pockets. “Well, I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait. Of course we can have dinner together.”
He turned back to her. “Great. Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” She checked her dress in the mirror even though she already looked perfect then they left. When they reached the street, there were people eating at the restaurant, hanging at the bars, and walking toward the beach.
“How about pizza?” Derek asked.
“I love pizza.”
They walked to the restaurant then took their seats outside.
“What do you like?” Derek asked. “I eat anything. We can split a pizza.”
“Let’s get a combination.”
Derek smiled. “You’re my kind of woman.”
She took a sip of her water then looked away.
“You usually eat really healthy. I’m surprised you agreed to pizza.”
She shrugged. “I’m on vacation. You have to splurge once in a while.”
Now he liked her even more. “And your body is beautiful.”
She looked at him but said nothing.
“When did you get you belly button pierced?”
“A few years ago.”
“It’s lovely.”
“When did you see it?”
“When we met,” he said. He grabbed his beer and took a drink.
She stared at him suspiciously before she looked away.
“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
“I have an older brother.”
“Does he live on the island?”
“No, he lives in Oregon.”
“Why Oregon?”
“He went to college there.”
“Are you close?”
“Yes, but we’ve drifted apart over the years.”
“I have an older sister. We’re a year apart.”