Ash reappears with a bottle of Patron, sliced limes, and pink salt on a tray. Our table cheers, except for Tim.
“No vodka?” he pouts.
“Yes, I’ll be right back with it.”
Ash reappears with the largest bottle of Belvedere I’ve ever seen.
“Will this do?” Ash asks as she holds the bottle up like a trophy.
“Yes, thank you.” Tim gives Ash one of his enchanting smiles. She walks away with a flirty strut. Hopefully, she realizes Tim’s not flirting; not on purpose anyhow. However, knowing Tim, he probably is. Tim declares himself the card dealer for the first round of his game.
“The first person to drink three shots loses, and the game will start over,” Tim instructs. Emily gets a pad and pen from the kitchen area.
“I need to track my shots,” she says with a lopsided smile. Fredrick nods in agreement.
“All right, ladies first followed by Fredrick. Scarlet, do you think it’s high, low, red, or black?” Tim questions with a mischievous grin as he holds the deck of cards in one hand and a single card in his other hand.
“I’ll go with high and black,” I announce then wait as I bite my lower lip. Tim flips over the card then slaps it down on the table for everyone to see. My card was two of hearts. I lost.
“DOUBLE LOSS! DOUBLE SHOTS!” Tim bellows as he points at me.
“All right. I’ll take two tequila shots. A slice of lime also, please,” I mumble as I sigh in defeat. I wait as Tim serves my first shot. I lick my hand then sprinkle some pink salt on the wet spot.
“Up high! Down low! In the middle, down it goes!” I cheer as I take my first shot of Patron. Quickly I lick the salt and bite the lime. I repeat the process with my second shot. The two shots plus all the alcohol I have had since brunch has the room spinning. My stomach turns, and I promise myself I won’t lose again. Next it’s Emily’s turn.
“I’ll be honest, guys, it doesn’t take much to get me drunk…Maybe I shouldn’t play?” Emily confesses, her facial expression resembling that of a guilty child caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
“All right. We’ll just play two rounds so no one makes a fool of themselves,” Tim says as he gives her hand a squeeze.
“How about one, then after I’ll be the card dealer,” I offer. He nods in agreement. Tim directs his gaze to Emily then inquires, “High, low, red, or black?”
“Red and high,” Emily whimpers as she nibbles on her fingernail. Her gaze is focused on Tim as we watch him remove the card from the stack then slowly sets it down.
After he’s gotten our attention, he flips the card over to reveal an Ace of spades; high but the wrong color. Emily releases a sigh of relief then declares, “I’ll take a shot to that!” She grabs the bottle of Belvedere then slowly pours the clear liquor into her shot glass. Without saying anything, Emily downs the shot like a champ. She wrinkles her face with distaste then directs her attention to Fredrick, taunting, “Your turn!”
I couldn’t see Emily’s face, but Fredrick could. He reveals a smile that’s spread wide across his lips.
“All right! Bring it; high and black!” Fredrick shouts as he bangs the table and practically knocks over the liquor bottles. Tim moves quickly to save them. Without hesitating, Tim slaps a card face up on the table; then removes his hand. It’s a two of diamonds.
“I wanted to drink anyhow!” Fredrick shouts as he downs two shots of Patron, without salt or lime. Tim surrenders the deck of cards. I place the first card face down on the table in front of him.
“Red. Low,” Tim grunts—we’re eye-to-eye in a showdown. Without disengaging from his gaze, I flip the card in front of him.
“Double loss!” Fredrick bellows as he pumps his fist into the air. Tim and I direct our attention to the cards; sure enough it was a double loss: Ace of clubs. Without protest or disregard, Tim grabs the bottle of Belvedere and, with a flare of pure arrogance, he downs two overflowing shots.
“Ahaa…” Tim says as his shoulders relax. Without knowing him, one might assume Tim’s a drunk; either way, Tim enjoys alcohol and alcohol drinkers enjoy Tim. Paul, Kim, Anne, and Marshall are now watching.
“Who won?” Anne inquires as she focuses on the bottles.
“I did!” Emily announces as she shimmies and shakes in her seat.
“She only had one shot; we all had two,” I divulge as my bladder throbs due to all the alcohol that desperately needs to be released. I excuse myself then make my way to the bathroom.
The yacht’s bathroom is full-sized: toilet, sink, and tub/shower combo. A wave hits the yacht and my stomach turns. I feel that familiar feeling that I knew wouldn’t pass. So, before I could stop myself, I vomit in the tub while peeing in the toilet. It’s not fun, or glamorous. I feel horrible, and embarrassed because I’m sure everyone can hear me.
After my stomach has purged, I rinse the vomit from the tub and check my face. I wash my hands, slowly. I’m sick to my stomach, but I know the worst has passed. As I grab the doorknob to open the bathroom door, I’m shoved, with the doorknob in my hand, into the wall.
“Ouch!” I yell from behind the door. I’m stuck between the wall and door, with the doorknob jabbing me.
“Oh! Sorry,” Charlotte offers with a lopsided smile. She’s a wreck! Red, blotchy patches are all over her chest and neck. Her hair is a bird’s nest. And I’m pretty sure her cover-all dress is inside out and possibly backwards. Before I have an opportunity to inform her, she’s at the mirror checking herself out. She releases an infectious laugh that causes me to laugh along.
Impressively, Charlotte dolls up and composes herself before I’m able to stop laughing. I wipe tears from my cheeks, clear my throat, and attempt to check my face for any signs of sickness. Charlotte explains that Charles managed to enamor her, his seduction weakened her.
“He gives me goose bumps. He’s so experienced. I hope this is more than a vacation fling,” she divulges as her expression changes from excitement to concern. She grows silent.
“Just enjoy the time you have together,” I say as I place my arm on her shoulder. Charlotte nods in agreement. She begins walking towards the toilet—I take it as my cue to leave.
I walk out only to collide with Charles, who is impatiently waiting by the bathroom door. His arms are crossed over his chest, and his foot is aggressively tapping the floor.
“Finally!” I needed to go!” Charles bellows as he brushes by me then excuses himself to take my place in the bathroom with Charlotte.
“Great,” Paul snorts as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“What?” Kim questions as she searches his face for a response.
“Dude! I have to go! Plus, we all know Charles is the hoe of our group,” Paul divulges before rolling his eyes as he huffs out a breath.
“Charlotte, too,” Emily blurts out as she crosses her arms.
“Emily!” Anne scolds as she shakes her head at Emily.
“Come on, Anne. I know you haven’t…And I haven’t. Obviously Charlotte has,” Emily retorts as she gestures towards the bathroom.
“We didn’t either,” Kim discloses as she glances at Paul. The bathroom door slowly creaks open. Our group stands to face Charles and Charlotte.
“What?” Charles questions as he scrunches his eyebrows.
“Nothing,” Emily snaps as her face blushes.
It’s well past 5:00PM, and I’m hungry, tired, and ready to get off this yacht. Ash appears as we’re planning our next move.
“Everyone, the captain has sent me to inform you guys that a pod of dolphins is giving quite the show,” she offers then stands in wait. Like small children, we cheer with excitement and follow her to the deck.
The sun has begun to descend, and there’s a brisk wind on my face. Ash directs us to the best view of the active dolphins. We watch in amazement as the dolphins flip and splash in the water. Each couple grows closer to their pair as they enjoy the scene. Amongst them, I feel alone and miss David more than ever. I detach myself from the
group and take a moment to check my phone. I’m elated to see an email from David:
Hi, beautiful! I miss you more than you could ever imagine. I hope you are enjoying yourself. I’ve managed to keep myself busy with the usual—I had two deliveries within the last forty-eight hours. Thankfully both were successful without any complications. I hope we can speak to each other soon. I would sure like to hear your voice. Well, if you have time to spare, for your lovesick boyfriend. I have a low-key evening ahead, in case you want to call. Hint. Hint. Wink. Wink. I love you!
An ache forms in my chest as I read David’s email. Tim notices that I’ve separated from the group, so he draws closer to me.
“You all right?” he questions as he rubs my back.
“I guess. Honestly…I would have liked to experience all this…” I motion to our surroundings, “with David.”
“I know, honey, but he has to work. I can only imagine how difficult it’d be for David to take time off,” Tim continues his pep talk as the rest of the group joins us. Ash emerges to tell us that our time on the yacht has come to an end and that we’re departing for the resort. We take our seats, and each couple becomes engrossed in private conversations. I lay my head on Tim’s shoulder and fall asleep.
I’m nudged awake as the yacht docks. The yacht crew thanks us for selecting their yacht, and wishes us a great vacation. We thank the crew, as well as Charles.
A loud rumble emits from my stomach as we grow closer to the resort. Kim detaches from Paul to join Tim and me.
“What would you guys like to do?” Kim inquires as she walks in line with Tim.
“I’m only speaking for myself, but I think I’m ready for some dinner, then maybe to bed. I’m dog-tired,” I reveal as I comb my hands through my hair.
Tim nods in agreement then adds, “I could go for a mellow evening.”
Kim mentions having a solo date with Paul. Charles adds that he would be having a date with Charlotte, “Away from the group,” he made sure to say. Fredrick and Marshall also reveal they’re taking their ladies out.
The island is small, but there are enough restaurants for each couple to have their date. Each couple opted to skip dinner with Tim and me, so we separate and head in different directions.
With our arms linked together, Tim and I walk towards the pier restaurant. I inform Tim that I’d pay for our dinner. Tim’s stomach rumbles, so we agree to order and have our dinner delivered to our room.
With haste, we dart towards the elevator, then stand in silence as we wait our turn.
Kelly comes to check on us. Politely, we tell him we’re enjoying ourselves and plan to have dinner in our penthouse suite. Kelly wishes us a good evening then directs his attention towards the same group of older well-dressed men.
We reach our room, only to collide into Kim. She bursts into laughter, but stops when she notices Tim’s facial expression.
“What happened? Is everything all right?” Kim asks as she blocks our entrance.
“I just need to sit down,” Tim replies as he stares at her.
Kim notices she’s blocking us, then apologizes before moving out of our way. Tim mopes to the largest sofa, plops down, quickly places our dinner order, then stretches out from one end to the other.
“We’re just going to take it easy; you go and enjoy your date. Be safe and have fun,” I whisper to Kim, she hugs me, then locks the door behind her. Before I’m able to take a seat close to Tim, I’m beckoned by a knock on the door.
“Kim must have forgotten her key,” Tim says as I walk to the door. Out of custom, I ask, “Who is it?” A masculine voice answers, “Room service.” I open our hotel door to find a hunk of a man. My skin flushes.
Luk, as his nametag reads, is wearing extremely tight, black work slacks and a white button-down shirt that must have been fitted. His muscles are bulging to the point that I’m sure his shirt and pants will, at any minute—bust a seam.
“Tim, our dinner is here,” I announce, hoping that Tim will turn to look at Luk.
Tim has always been a curious person, so, as expected, he peeks from the sofa and perks up at the sight of Luk. Tim combs his hands through his hair, and straightens his eyebrows.
“Hello,” Tim says in a deep, throaty voice as he puckers his lips into a pout.
“What’s up, bro?” Luk responds without glancing at Tim. Immediately, Tim deflates into his comfy sofa position. After I’ve paid and tipped Luk, he leaves our suite with a wide grin.
I push the cart closer to Tim and sit next to him. We ordered a bottle of house red, an ice-cold pitcher of water, and a bowl of salad with extra pepperoni peppers. For our entrée, we selected chicken noni soup.
“Just like Olive Garden,” Tim says with glee as he admires the spread.
“Yep, the only thing that’s missing is...” I begin to say.
“The breadsticks!” Tim blurts out before I can finish.
At 8:00PM, I search to find some type of news programming. It’s Saturday night, so I’m unsure what I’ll find. Surprisingly, the hotel offers a channel that broadcasts upcoming local events as well as the local news. Tim and I enjoy our dinner as we watch Kal, the adventure reporter, swim with dolphins.
I devour a hefty serving of salad and a small bowl of soup. After two glasses of wine and a tall glass of water, I’m full and ready for bed. I wish Tim a good night, then leave him to deal with our dinner cart. Since I didn’t swim today, I decide to fill the tub with hot water and essential oils.
While the tub fills, I snatch up my cell to send David a quick text:
Hey, babe. Tim and I are calling it an early night. Kim and our fellow suite neighbors are all on dates. I’m filling the tub, wish you were here. I’ll call when I’m finished. I love you! Xo!
After I’ve tapped the send button, I place my cell on my hotel bed. I quickly undress, then toss my yacht outfit towards my luggage. One foot after the other, I slowly become one with the tub—absolutely blissful. I soak and inhale the steam produced by the hot water. The bath is relaxing, and, without much effort, I doze off. A while later, I wake up, shivering in the cold bath water.
I quickly release the drain stopper, then start the shower. To avoid wasting any more water, I quickly wash my skin and hair. Once I feel clean enough, I shut the water off, wrap my hair in a towel, then cloak myself in a hotel robe. I stroll over to my luggage to stuff all my worn clothing into a hotel laundry bag.
As I packed for the trip, I set my bedtime clothing near the top, so I was able to grab some undies, a camisole, and pajama pants with ease. I apply lotion to my skin, moisturize my face, and deep-condition my hair with a leave-in. Once I’m dressed, I arrange my towel and robe on the drying rack.
My cell rings as I return to the bedroom. With haste I answer, “Hello?” I didn’t bother to check the caller ID.
“Hi, beautiful! Do you miss me as much as I miss you?” David strains with effort. I spot the digital alarm clock; it’s 11:30! I knew David would have an early morning, so we keep our conversation short and sweet. It’s nice to hear his voice, and I make sure he knows it. He wishes me a good night and tells me he loves me. I let him know I love him, too. Once we end our call, I plug in my cell to charge, then wrap myself up in the plush comforter. I say a prayer for my family’s safety, and beg the Lord that wherever Kate is, that she’d find peace and stay away from me as well as the ones I love. Sleep overcomes me as I focus on a sailboat painting that faces my bed.
As usual, I’m launched into a vivid dream. I transition from my hotel bed to my backyard. I’m wearing a long, pale-blue summer dress. The grass is wet under my bare feet.
“Scarlet,” Clara calls from a distance—I’m unable to find her. The sky blinks and becomes dark. The moon replaces the sun; for some reason the moon appears much larger than usual. I’m enthralled by the size of the moon and unaware of the owner of the cold hand on my shoulder. I’m motionless and unsure what to expect. What if this is a Kate dream?
“Mom?” I ask, and wait bef
ore turning. My heart starts to race as sweat forms on my temples.
“It’s me, Scarlet,” Clara says from behind me. “Why are you so tense?” she questions with concern. I turn to face her then give her a lopsided smile.
Chairs appear, and we decide to make ourselves comfortable before I tell Clara about David and Kate. I laugh as I reveal how Violet proclaimed that I would like David. “Coincidently, I did,” I divulge as I lean in and give Clara’s hand a squeeze. I describe David’s appearance to a T.
“And he’s a doctor, you said?” Clara questions as she smiles and nods in approval.
“Yes, an OB/GYN specialist, and marvelous at what he does,” I offer before I continue with the G-rated version of my blossoming relationship with David. She’s gushing with admiration about the fact that David’s a doctor. I remind her that I’m a successful architect; and that I’m financially independent.
“If you have children, you’ll be a better mother than I was, and you’ll have the option to stay home with your children,” she offers before she becomes awkwardly silent. An uncomfortable amount of time passes. I lose patience then say, “You did your best.”
I smother the opportunity of that statement being extended by jumping into my recollection of my initial meeting with Kate. Clara’s forehead wrinkles as she stares and facially reacts to the events leading to Kate shooting me.
“What is wrong with her?” she questions as she flails her hands in the air. I continue and mention the vandalism to BDR, then add Kate attempting to shoot me on the highway. She takes a moment to process this, then reaches to hold my hand.
“How are you here? How are we talking now? This dream feels so real,” I say then wait for her response. She looks at the sky; I join her gaze. The sky’s unrealistic: shades of dark blue, purple, and gray mix as a majestic blanket unfolds. The moon’s no larger than the last time I noticed it. Then the sky begins to gleam with brilliant clusters of stars. It’s as if an artist has individually enhanced each star.
Clara sighs then says, “I’m dead, Scarlet. I’m not sure how spirits can visit loved one’s dreams, but while I can, I will… if it’s all right with you?” She searches my eyes for a response—I cannot deny her.
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