I was glad to see that our company had splurged on this nice suite at the hotel. The Flamingo was dressed to impress and I imagined it was all part of Albertson’s grand scheme to make her comfortable so he could better slide in for the kill. Complacency bred mistakes and this suite screamed relaxation. I wasn’t quite expecting to see her in the honeymoon suite, but it must have been the only upscale room available.
The suite boasted an opulent living room bathed in hues of gold much like her unique eyes, a separate kitchen area, and a luxurious bedroom with a massive bathroom attached, complete with Jacuzzi tub. I’d been in the suite previously when Albertson’s daughter had been married in the lush gardens. There’d been a little pre-reception party held here for the bridal party. Albertson’s son-in-law had become a good friend over the years.
Ashton made an impromptu vase from the coffee pot and arranged the flowers inside. Crap, I didn’t think she wouldn’t have a place to put them. Maybe chocolates would’ve been a better idea. I’d just felt the need to offer something. A gift.
“So what’s this dinner really about?” Ashton asked as she stuffed some small items in a black handbag.
I raised an eyebrow and answered carefully. Ashton was on a fishing expedition just like I’d be if the roles were reversed. “Albertson just wants to see the plans. I think it will put his mind at ease once he knows for certain that Henri’s going to put that land to good use.”
Ashton laughed. It was nice to see her in a happy, playful mood. “Are you sure that’s all?”
“Well, no.” Why lie about his intentions now?
She raised one eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
I tried honesty to see how far the new tactic would bring me. “Albertson isn’t stupid. He wants to see us mend fences.”
Ashton froze. “He knows about us?”
“He knows that we grew up together,” I admitted. “He knows that I had a massive crush on you growing up. The tension between us this morning was so thick, he called it out. I can’t lie to a man I respect that much. So, I withheld in order to protect you.”
“Wait a minute,” she’d stopped listening after his second admission. “You had a crush on me?”
“Wasn’t it obvious?”
“Not really,” she sighed and spun away to futz with the flowers again. I could relate, I had to fist my hands to keep from taking her in my arms. “I had a crush on you.”
“Well, I guess it went both ways,” I admitted softly.
“But I was the annoying little sister who followed you and Griffin around,” she argued, like doing so would take away the words that had just revealed my true feelings. Then, she could continue to ignore them. Ignore me. “I was the one who drew hearts on my notebook and wrote our initials inside them. I was the one who made the move on you the night we finally hooked up.” Ashton slipped on a black jacket and sat down on the couch beside me.
“Ashton, is that how you think I saw you? As Griffin’s annoying little sister? A hook up, for the love of God?”
“Well, yeah. Kinda,” she looked down at the fingers twined in her lap. “I always figured that you were just drunk and used me all those years ago.”
“Ashton, I saw you as the prettiest girl in school. Probably the entire Universe. You were the one I always dreamed about at night. But you were untouchable. I couldn’t make a move without a large shot of liquid courage. In spite of what I wanted.”
“Because of Griffin?” she asked, lifting her turbulent eyes to mine.
I nodded because I couldn’t speak past the sudden lump in my throat.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” she whispered. “Before now. It would have meant so much to me to know. It would have meant everything.”
“I wanted to…” I started but the words stalled. Every rational explanation I came up with on the fly sounded trite and uninspired. I had planned on telling Ashton that night. I wanted her to be my girlfriend, but Griffin had ruined it all. Kind of like he’d ruined my whole life.
“But you didn’t because…?” Ashton clutched the sides of the couch.
Scotch. Neat. Four fingers burning a trail down the back of my throat. I glanced past her towards the mini-bar. I hadn’t planned on telling her this side of the story until after dinner. Obviously, the fates had other plans.
“Other things happened that were out of my control,” I said weakly. It was the best answer I could give her at the moment.
“Something happened between you and Griffin, didn’t it?” she pressed. “After that night, you weren’t around anymore and no one would tell me what happened. I know my mom was hiding something. So was my brother. You missed graduation. You were gone the entire summer. All I knew is that you went to the beach with your grandparents, and you never returned.”
I looked at my watch. Now was not the time for this conversation. “It’s almost seven. We need to leave now if we’re going to meet Albertson on time. He always impresses upon me the importance of punctuality in business.”
Ashton grabbed my arm. “What are you hiding from me? Please tell me the truth, Quinn. Don’t keep shutting me out.”
I looked into her sweet hazel eyes, afire with sparkly gold flecks. “I promise after dinner we’ll talk. Okay?”
To my relief, she nodded and dropped the subject, even though she worried her lower lip with her teeth and her brow furrowed into tense lines.
Outside, I guided her to my car, a luxury Mercedes ‘S’ class. My first splurge when I’d gotten the high-paying gig with Albertson. I wished the buttery leather seats would swallow me whole. I hated disappointing her again. Knowing I’d crush her later with the sordid truth. First, I had to power through this dinner. I glanced to my right and drank in her stunning beauty. I’d fortify myself on her scent.
“Wow, nice car,” she said as I pushed the start button while stepping on the brake so I could back out of the parking space. “I’ve always wanted to drive an S series. Do the headlights really have their own wipers?”
I handed her the keys. “Let’s institute the Chinese Fire Drill.”
“Really?” She looked like a kid in a candy store, dangling the keys and practically salivating.
“Sure,” I said, with a nudge and a smile. “I’ll be the navigator.”
She got out, trotted around and slid into the driver’s seat that I’d vacated. “I never would have expected this from you, Quinn.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked, a little affronted. It was just a car. A metal box on four rubber tires.
“Remember when you had that Jeep?” she asked with a teasing punch to my forearm.
She had a point. “The one that you wrecked?” I laughed outright, thinking back to that day. I’d thought it was the end of my teenage boy world.
“But it wasn’t my fault!” she exclaimed playfully. She slid her hand down my arm to my hand in a light caress and I swore my heart stopped.
“I know. I was just teasing you,” I assured her.
I remembered Ashton wrecking my Jeep like it was yesterday. She’d come over to my house looking for her brother after he’d spent the night at my house. We were both sound asleep and she was upset that she was going to miss cheer practice. Her parents were gone and Griffin was supposed to take her, but we were both a little hung-over.
She woke me up and I threw her my keys after I extorted her solemn promise that she would be careful with my metal baby. She’d just received her driver’s license and didn’t have a lot of experience on the road. I should have known better.
An hour later I got a call from a frantic Ashton. She said that someone had rear-ended her at a stop sign. Griffin and I rushed to the scene of the accident. My throat was practically in my stomach because I was so worried about her. She turned up with minor bumps and bruises, but the Jeep was a total loss.
“You were mad at me for a long time,” Ashton said, cranking up the Mercedes.
“No, I wasn’t. I was concerned about you,” I countered, feeling the loss as
soon as her warm hand left mine to grip the steering wheel. “I thought you had been hurt.”
“You didn’t talk to me for weeks afterwards.”
That was true. I hadn’t talked to her for a while after the accident, but it wasn’t because I was mad. “After your accident, I realized how much I really cared for you and it pissed me off that I had to hide it. I made the stupid mistake of telling Griffin. Luckily, he didn’t beat the shit out of me. But he did make me promise that I would never make a move on you. I broke my promise.”
Ashton had almost pulled out of the parking lot of the hotel when she suddenly hit the brakes and slammed the gear back in park. She looked shocked. “Are you serious?”
I used my fingers to make a cross. “Cross my heart.”
“Wow…” She trailed off in thought. She put the car back in gear and focused her attention on the road.
But I didn’t miss the huge smile on her face. The one I hadn’t seen in years.
During the ride to the restaurant, Ashton filled me in on the last ten years of her life. She’d enjoyed her time at Stanford, moved to Atlanta, and landed her dream job working for Henri as his main real estate negotiator.
Hearing her talk, I realized how much I’d missed her these last ten years. I missed everything about her. The way she crinkled her nose when she laughed, her unabashed love for Adam Sandler movies, her funny commentary during weird commercials for male enhancement drugs, and her soft heart for abused animals.
I tried my hardest not to stare at her too much while she drove but with her eyes on the road, mine could wander over her body and drink her in. All of her. Every subtle nuance and plane of her face. She was so beautiful that it was hard not to touch her. I loved the way she kept running her hands over the buttery leather of the steering wheel. I was actually jealous of the steering wheel, wishing it were me being caressed so gently. I could almost feel her soft hands running over my hard chest. And lower.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Oh yeah.” I forgot that I was supposed to be navigating. “Take a right at the next light. Seven Palms will be three miles down on your right after you turn. It’s on the beach.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what things would’ve been like for us if I hadn’t gone away that night. Would we have become a couple? Dated throughout college? Married by now with a couple of kids and the white picket fence? It was hard to comprehend.
My mother always told me that things happen for a reason. If we had gotten together, maybe it wouldn’t have worked out back then. Maybe there was a good reason why we didn’t connect again until much later in life when our feet were firmly on the ground underneath us. When we both had something to offer.
No matter what, I wished I could take back how things had gone down between us. I liked to live my life with no regrets. This one I’d take to the grave. Because I’d broken Ashton’s heart. Probably changed who she was and how she moved forward in her life. And I was a major douche bag for doing it.
Ashton guided the car to the front of the restaurant where a valet parking attendant dressed in a Seven Palms wind suit waited.
“This looks very nice,” Ashton said. “Mr. Albertson must have good taste.”
“The best.” The college aged Valet took the keys from Ashton and slid behind the wheel. I held out my arm for her to take.
“Wow. You are quite the consummate gentleman tonight. Kind of like a new and improved elder version of Quinn Andrews.”
“I want you to have the best night possible,” I said. “I mean it, Ashton.”
“Well you’re starting off strong, Quinn,” she replied. “I loved the drive over. So much better than my stinky rental.”
She took my arm and, with weak knees, I led her inside restaurant. This woman could floor me with a single touch and she didn’t even know it. But that might be the best part of all.
I gave my name to the hostess and she checked the computer. “Ah, here we are.” She pressed a few buttons and then studied the screen. “Let’s see…” she started, “Mr. Albertson asked that we inform you that he won’t be able to make it for dinner this evening, but he wishes for you two to have a nice time in his absence.”
Could the elder gentlemen be any more obvious? Good grief. I smiled. Somehow I guess I expected this, especially after my talk with Albertson earlier. Now, I just had to keep Ashton from getting pissed about being hoodwinked and leave me.
“Follow me,” the hostess requested. “We have the best table in the house for you and the bill will be taken care of by Mr. Albertson.”
“I wonder what happened to Mr. Albertson.” Ashton whispered as we walked to our table.
Mr. Albertson wants me to have a shot with this perfect girl.
I wasn’t going to tell her that, though. “I’m sure he’s okay. I’ll call and check on him after dinner. He’s getting up there and he still runs five miles a day. He’s been complaining about his knees lately.”
We were led to a table taking up prime real estate in a quiet corner that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico. Lazy waves lapped at the shore as the moon lit a sparkled pathway from the sugary sands to the water’s horizon. Breathtaking. The view never got old, no matter how long I’d lived here. I pulled out the chair with the best view and offered it to Ashton.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. I wasn’t sure if she was thanking me for the chair or the view for its beauty. “This place is amazing.”
“How’s Griffin doing these days?” I asked. I already knew the answer, my mother kept my ear full of information about the goings-on back home. The small talk was just a selfish ruse used so I could hear her sing.
“He’s getting married in a couple weeks, but I’m sure you already know that.”
I nodded. “My mom’s mentioned it a few times. Do you like his fiancé?”
Before she could answer, the hostess returned with a basket of hot rolls, glasses of ice water, and a wine list. She went over the dinner specials and told us that our waiter would be with us shortly. I felt bad for being curt with her, but I could only focus my attention on Ashton. Everyone and everything else was an unwelcome interruption.
“He got engaged to a girl he met in college,” she explained, reading the wine list. “Her name is Sara. She’s sweet, I guess.”
“Do your parents like her as much as they did Caroline?” I asked.
Caroline and Griffin had been high school sweethearts. Everyone thought they would end up together, married with ten kids. However, the fateful night of the senior party, Caroline and Griffin broke up. I suspect I knew the reason why, but would never tell Ashton.
The waiter swung by and took our order. I requested a bottle of Spottswoode Cabernet for us to share, and Ashton ordered the scallop linguine. I got the dinner special of blackened grouper, but with how excited and nervous Ashton made me feel, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to enjoy it as much as usual. Being this close to the ocean afforded a spectacular selection of fresh fish.
“I guess they thought Griffin and Caroline would be together forever. But he seems happy with Sara.” She picked up a piece of roll and slathered it with butter. “She is a little more settled and family-minded than Griffin. I think she’ll be good for him though. In the long run.”
I let my eyes roam over her dress, appreciating the neckline and the way the lace skirted around her ample cleavage, lifting it as if it were on display for my hungry eyes. I imagined trailing a finger down the line of her collarbone, hooking it inside the fabric and pulling. Baring her perfect breasts for my eyes and tongue.
I found myself wishing we were having dinner at her hotel room instead of out in public. I wanted some real alone time with Ashton. Privacy, where we could talk candidly and tell each other what was really on our minds. Her words were like birdsong, and soon I wasn’t even making sense of them. I got so lost in the beat and rhythm of her sweet voice.
“…a bridesmaid at their wedding. It will be interesting to see if Caroline shows up. I kno
w she’s invited.” Ashton took a sip of her wine. “You and your family are invited, you know?”
While I hadn’t received an official invitation to Griffin’s wedding, my mother had reminded me about it a million times. During our last conversation she told me that it was time for Griffin and I to mend fences and move forward with our lives. I wasn’t so sure I was ready to forgive Griffin for what he’d done to me. Not only had it sent my world into a tailspin, it had destroyed any chance I’d ever had of being in a real relationship with Ashton. One where I was allowed to cherish and adore her other than in my own private thoughts. However, if I wanted a relationship with her now, then I needed to make amends with her brother too. It was something that I would definitely consider.
“How are your parents?” I asked.
“Dad is retiring next year,” she said with a smile. Her parents were the best. So kind and loving. “They are still talking about the Keys.”
I laughed. “Your mother never liked the beach. If I remember correctly, she was more of mountain girl. How did he win that war?”
“Yeah, she’s not convinced yet.” Ashton shrugged. “So he hasn’t raised the victory flag yet. I think they’ll compromise and end up in Arizona or something.”
“My parents will probably stay in Georgia forever.” They liked their routine that was for sure.
“I love the beach. I wouldn’t mind waking up to sand and sun every morning.” Ashton winked at me.
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Ashton moving to Destin. Thoughts of us cuddled together on the beach, basking in the warm spring sun, floated across my mind.
“The beach definitely has its perks,” I agreed. “Except when you get sand in your underwear.”
“I won’t ask you to elaborate on how that happened,” she said with a fake scowl. “What do you love most about living here?”
“Everyone is on island time, for one. No rush. Just laid back and casual.” I clicked off more reasons on my fingers. “Two, the weather is almost always sunny here. Three, you get this view every day,” I said pointing out the window and leaning back in my chair. “The defense rests. What more do you need? Heaven.”
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