Holy crap he’s good looking. Tess placed her clammy fingers to her neck, feeling the blood pulse through her veins. “What the heck is wrong with me?” she muttered under her breath. Running into movie stars and professional athletes wasn’t uncommon in Bora Bora or even in Las Vegas. Tess had never been awestruck by movie stars or famous people. She never understood people’s fascination with fame and fortune. After all, neither made them a nice person. I must be tense about tomorrow.
Returning to her bungalow, she put on her bikini bottoms, grabbed a book her daughters had packed in her suitcase and strolled out onto her deck to sunbathe.
Her mind kept wandering to magical moments with Richard, so she tossed the book to the side. Yearning for the lost comfort of his arms, Tess slipped into the lagoon, immersing herself into the warmth of his favorite underwater paradise.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, she lugged herself up the steps and into the shower. The hot water caressed her skin, washing away the saltwater. The exotic sensual atmosphere made her body ache for the tender touch of his strong hands against her skin. She wrapped her arms across her chest, holding herself for comfort as she cried.
Mentally exhausted, she ordered dinner in again. As Tess lay on a chaise star gazing, she found herself thinking of another star, Tom Clemmins. How could anyone come to a place like this and want the main attraction to be shopping? How could that woman not just want to take him to bed? Her thoughts stirred with curiosity as she drifted off to sleep.
Tess hadn’t slept well. Her thoughts weighed heavy with the difficult task lying in front of her. She’d wallowed in grief for over a year, but today she needed to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Today was the day she would say goodbye to Richard.
It sounded silly, but sometimes Tess felt Richard watching over her, and today she wanted to look good for him. She wore a black bikini, her favorite cut-off jean shorts, white tank top, waterproof mascara and lip-gloss.
Richards’s ashes rested in a wooden box with a hand-carved manta ray on the lid. She took a deep breath, and picked up the box, tracing her fingertips over the carving. Holding back the tears that pricked her eyes, Tess packed the box into her snorkel gear bag and walked out the door.
After grabbing breakfast, she headed for the dock. Tess arrived early, so she relaxed on a bench waiting for the boat. At 7:40, she could hear Mr. Rene coming as he sang a Tahitian song while strumming a little guitar. Palm fronds and beautiful pink flowers wrapped around the poles holding up the shade tarp. He serenaded her as he pulled up to the dock.
“Ia Orana,” he said joyfully. “It’s a beautiful day.”
She stepped onto his boat with a huge grin. Tess couldn’t help but love Mr. Rene with his immense white smile, jet-black hair and dark russet skin covered with tribal tattoos. “Ia Orana Mr. Rene, it’s wonderful to see you again.”
“Yes, yes, welcome,” he said reaching for her gear. As Tess lifted her sunglasses he said, “Mrs. Blue Eyes…is that you? It is you! You look beautiful this morning. I have not seen you in such a long time.” Mr. Rene wrapped his brawny arms around her, giving her a big Tahitian welcome.
“It has been too long.” Tess agreed, smiling at the nickname he’d given her years ago. Mr. Rene had always been infatuated with her striking azure blue eyes, teasing that if he were not a married man he would steal her away from Richard and make her his woman.
“Mrs. Blue Eyes, are you catching the other ferry to the main island?” He asked in confusion, glancing at the gear she loaded on his boat.
“No I’m on tour with you this morning. Sharks!”
“I don’t think so, Mrs. Blue Eyes. I have a tour with someone else today. Let me check my papers,” he muttered, reaching behind the steering wheel. “I have a different name on my ticket. You’re not here under a different name, are you? Where is the Mr. Blue Eyes?”
“No, my name is the same.” She knew he was politely asking if she’d gotten a divorce. “I’m by myself this trip.”
Completely baffled, he cocked his head to the side with a frown.
“I lost my husband last year.”
Mr. Rene gasped. “Oh no! I’m sorry for you. Oh! I am so sorry.” Compassion filled his voice as he pulled her into his chest, patting her on the back.
Her voice climbed an octane higher, hoping there wasn’t a problem. “Whose name is on the ticket?”
Releasing her from his brawny arms, he thumbed through his paperwork. “Let me see… a Mr. Clemmins.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me! That woman didn’t even want to get in the water,” she sneered. “Mr. Rene, there must be a mistake. I booked this tour before Mr. Clemmins checked into the resort.”
This cannot be happening.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Blue Eyes. I didn’t realize it was you who had booked the tour this morning.”
Her hands trembled. “What do you mean, you didn’t realize it was me?”
“You know, I don’t make much money for my family. My oldest son goes to college now in France. The man offered more than double my normal rate. How could I refuse?”
Tess growled. “You gave him my tour? He out-bid me!” Starting to pace, she whipped around to see Tom Clemmins moseying down the dock wearing a haughty smile.
“Mr. Rene, this is important to me. I’m trying to say goodbye to my husband. You don’t understand.”
“Good morning.” Tom said cheerfully, stepping onto the boat.
“Maybe for you.” Tess shot back.
Tom flinched, exhaling out a small laugh over her reaction, bringing Tess’ irritation from a simmer to a full-blown boil.
Mr. Rene gripped Tom Clemmins hand. “Ia Orana. Welcome. I am Mr. Rene. You must be Mr. Clemmins? Do you have any gear? Or if not Mr. Rene has all of the gear you will need. Mask, flippers, I have every size.”
“Perfect. The woman at the front desk said you’d have everything. I have my trunks and sun screen, so yep, I’m ready.”
“Mr. Rene!” Tess threw her hands in the air, clearly gesturing, What the hell?
Tom Clemmins stared at Tess in disbelief. “Is something wrong? Is there a problem with the boat?” he asked.
“No, no problem with my boat, it runs-” Mr. Rene insisted.
“Yes, something is wrong. I booked this boat yesterday for a private tour. Do you remember seeing me at check-in?” She attempted to make an effort to sound civil, but in reality, snarled at him.
Tom Clemmins lowered his sunglasses, exposing his dark brown eyes. “The blue dress, right?”
Tess’ mouth dropped open at his admission. “You booked this tour after me. Or more like you stole it out from underneath me!” She fumed with a blistering glare.
His lips curled back into a grin. “Well, I can guarantee you that I didn’t steal your tour. They must have double booked our reservation.”
“Double booking? You mean double payment?” Growing more annoyed by the second, Tess’ eyes narrowed, uninterested in his smooth talk and brilliant white smile. Standing her ground, she placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “Look, I’m sure you’re used to getting your way, but not today. I am not getting off this boat. I need this tour.”
“I didn’t ask you to get off the boat. I’m sure we can work something out. It’s only the two of us and there seems to be plenty of room. I don’t mind if we go together. And for the record, I don’t always get my way.”
“There’s plenty of room, of course, of course,” Mr. Rene agreed.
“I really need a private tour, Mr. Rene. If I don’t go today then it’ll be another week. I can’t wait!” She pleaded with her eyes.
Mr. Rene would never hurt her feelings intentionally and had no previous knowledge of her plans. How could she blame him? He could probably use the extra money, but she needed to say goodbye right now. Tess didn’t want to wait another moment, fearing she might change her mind about letting Richard go. Tess had planned this moment perfectly and Mr. Fucking Hollywood was ruining it for he
r.
Realizing she wasn’t going to get her way, Tess shuddered, fighting back tears of anger and disappointment. “You said the two of us. Are you coming alone?” No way in hell could she be stuck on a boat for five hours with his girlfriend. The whining would push her over the edge.
“Yes, I’m by myself,” Tom replied.
She glared at him with as much bitterness as she could muster. “What did you have to do? Send her to the main island so she could go shopping?”
Mr. Rene stepped in, placing his hand on her rigid shoulder. “Look, Mrs. Blue Eyes, it’s just the two of you. You’re almost by yourself. You love this tour. It’s your favorite. I’ll take you to a lovely motu for lunch.”
“Fine.” Tess conceded. She’d never been so disappointed in her life.
Mr. Rene sighed in relief. “See, I knew this would work. Is everyone ready? Okay then, let’s go.”
As they pulled away from the dock, the serenade began again. Tess sulked in her own thoughts, incensed with Tom Clemmins for intruding on her snorkeling tour. Her dreams of a ‘perfect goodbye’ were wrecked.
I can’t believe he out bid me. Unbelievable! At least he didn’t make me get off the boat.
Chapter Three
Tess watched as Tom Clemmins sat blissfully at the back of the boat, soaking up the sunshine, taking in the amazing colors of the lagoon, while she was unraveling at the seams. She fidgeted in her seat. If she had any chance of getting through the day, she couldn’t be angry when saying goodbye to Richard. And she sure as hell didn’t want to sound like Tom Clemmins’ whiny date back at check-in.
Grasping a hold of her frayed emotions, Tess glanced toward the young man steering the boat. “Who’s your new skipper?”
“This is my youngest son, Riatia,” Mr. Rene said ruefully.
She acknowledged with a nod.
God. I think I just had a meltdown. The man probably paid double so he could have the day to himself. Embarrassed about their confrontation, Tess closed her eyes, took a deep breath and headed to the back of the boat.
As she approached, he spoke first in a low comforting tone, holding his hand out hesitantly. “I’m sorry about the….mix up. Maybe we should start over. I don’t want you to be mad at me all day, I’m Tom.”
Schmoozer! Tess reached for his hand. “Tom Clemmins, right?” she stated matter-of-factly, unimpressed by his celebrity. “I’m Tess, Tess Mathews. I recognized you at check-in yesterday. I’m sorry for being rude back at the dock. I’m just frustrated. I needed some time alone, no offense.”
“I know how you feel. I’ve been working too much. I needed to get away, far away. This place is beautiful. The color of the water is so many shades of blue. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Have you ever been to Bora Bora before?”
“Nope, first time. First time snorkeling, too.”
“Well, you picked the perfect place. The snorkeling here is superb. The coral gardens are filled with the most exotic fish.” She rambled on. “The reef sharks are my favorite. They’ll be amazing today. They get so close you can almost touch them.”
“From the boat?” he asked with a puzzled look.
Tess chuckled, apparently someone at check-in failed to tell Mr. Clemmins everything about the tour. “No…you can almost touch them…in the water.”
“You actually get in the water with sharks?” he asked apprehensively, color quickly fading from his cheeks. “I thought we watched them feed the sharks from the boat.”
“No. You truly do get in the water with them.” Tess grinned mischievously, unsure if she wanted to tell him that the black-tip reef sharks were harmless. She wanted to watch him sweat a bit longer. “The sharks are fairly tame. They hardly ever attack people.” She figured he deserved this for taking her tour.
His eyebrows creased. “I’m not sure if I want to get in the water with sharks. You’re kidding me, right? Do you seriously get in the water with sharks?”
“Most of them are only five or six feet long. There’s nothing to worry about. You won’t be the one feeding them. That’s Riatia’s job.” She enjoyed the nice shade of avocado coloring his cheeks.
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ll just wait on the boat. I think I’ll pass.”
She couldn’t take it any longer, fearing if he turned any greener, he’d puke. “I’m only teasing you. There’s never been a shark attack here. The black tip reef sharks are actually very docile.” Tess tried not to laugh aloud.
“What? That’s not even funny. You’re just kidding me about the sharks?” Color returned to his cheeks. “So…you really don’t get in the water with them?”
“Oh yes it was funny. And yes, we are really going to get in the water with the sharks. They don’t attack.” She found herself slightly charmed by the playfulness between them. He still looked fearful, and she didn’t want him to be afraid. “Seriously, you’re going to love it.”
“How many times have you done this?” he asked as if she were crazy.
“Maybe a dozen, it’s one of my favorite things to do here.”
The boat slowed and Riatia tied a rope onto a metal poll sticking out of the coral with a florescent orange flag waving from its top. Peering over the side of the boat into the crystal clear lagoon, they could see vibrant coral, schools of fish and even the ripples in the sand. Mr. Rene gave Tom proper instructions; stay next to him, keep your arms at your side, no flippers on with the sharks in the water and enjoy the show.
Speedo? Tess snickered noticing Tom didn’t have his swim trunks on. “You brought trunks didn’t you?”
“I did, but I figured there’d be a place to change.” He smirked.
“I’ll turn around or if you’d prefer to wait until I get off the boat…”
“No, no, you can just turn around.” His lips curled up on one side into a gorgeous heart-stopping smile.
Tess slid out of her tank top and cutoffs, waiting curiously to see what he’d look like in his trunks.
“Ready!” he said. Tom nervously peering over the edge of the boat, observing several black tips slicing through the water’s surface.
Riatia swam twenty yards out, calling in the sharks with dead fish.
Tess checked Tom out nonchalantly while pulling her hair back into a ponytail. He had great arms with the perfect amount of muscle. His black trunks hung low on his waist, exposing a chiseled six-pack. Well at least I’ll have a nice view for the day. Tess Mathews that was a little shallow. Her heartbeat drummed loudly in her ears. Jesus, get it together. It’s not as if you haven’t seen attractive men before. She merely hadn’t taken notice of one in twenty-five years.
Mr. Rene handed “Mr. Tom” a mask and snorkel.
Tess fine-tuned her mask, resting it on her forehead. She watched him wipe the sweat from his hands to adjust his mask. She placed her hand on his forearm. “I promise. You’ll love it.”
He huffed out an uncomfortable chuckle. Following her lead, they turned their backs to the lagoon and plunged backward into the warm lagoon.
A camera hung from Tess’ wrist on a rubber band. “Did you bring an underwater camera?”
“No, I didn’t even think about it,” he shrugged with disappointment.
“Do you want me to take some pictures of you with the sharks?”
He glanced at her oddly as they bobbed in the water. “I don’t really want pictures. Thanks anyway.”
“How come? You may never get to do this again. Believe me. Your friends are going to want to see these pictures.” She didn’t understand. Surely, Tom Clemmins loved getting his picture taken; he fronted dozens of magazine covers.
“I don’t think so.” Tom raised one eyebrow skeptically, glancing at the camera.
“Seriously? I promise, I’ll email them to you.” Tess realized by the suspicious look on his face, it wasn’t that he didn’t think she wouldn’t send them; Tom didn’t want the world to see them. “Are you afraid I’m going to sell them or something?” Tess asked with her mouth wide op
en, insulted that Tom didn’t trust her.
He gazed through the water under his chin observing a dozen sharks starting to come in. Riatia floated in front of them feeding the sharks right out of his hand. “My vacations are private to me. It’s happened a dozen times before. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the photos in the rag magazines.”
“Come on, I would never do anything like that, I promise! Look, I’ll even give you the camera when we’re done. You can send me the pictures. You have to have memories of this.”
He hesitated for a few more seconds.
“You can trust me.”
“Deal. But if I get eaten by a shark, you can sell the pictures,” he joked, lowering his mask into the water and began watching the show.
“Deal.”
They drifted in the crystal clear lagoon alongside twenty to thirty sharks feeding merely feet in front of them. As sharks approached Tom, he instinctually stretched his hand out to touch the magnificent gray creatures. Tess reached out, gently tugging on his arm, pulling it back so he’d return to the boat with all ten fingers. They smiled through their masks, watching in amazement as sharks opened their jaws to snag fish right out of Riatia’s hand. Tess took great pictures of Tom with six-foot sharks in the background, swimming effortlessly with only a swish of their tail.
When they ran out of fish, and the sharks disbursed, everyone retreated back to the boat. Tom talked nonstop for twenty minutes while Mr. Rene took them to their next destination. Tess laughed at Tom describing the sharks in animation. His arms stretched out fully while imitating the sharks thrashing about, ripping the fish heads off.
“It’s a good thing I took pictures for you. All your friends will think you’re full of shit if that’s how you’re going to tell the story.” Tess giggled mimicking him with her arms extended as far as they would reach.
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 3) Page 28