Forced to Love

by Tasha Fawkes

  I didn't know what to say but felt like I should say something. Otherwise I was going to spend the entire car ride just staring at him.

  Chad geared up the Jeep as we pulled onto the main road, flashing me a smile. "No problem, comrade. I love driving around the island. You ever been to Oahu?"

  "No. I’ve never been to Hawaii at all."

  "You're gonna love it."

  It took not even three minutes of driving before I realized that Chad was right. Oahu was paradise. We drove away from the city and I watched as the island flashed by us, miles and miles of leafy foliage crawling up hills that seemed to stretch like a cat into the azure sky. The air was fragrant with scents I'd never smelled before, heavy floral notes and the tingling of salt blowing in from the sea. The warm air rushing past me felt like a tender caress, and I leaned back in the seat and let the classic rock blaring through the car's stereo take me away. With every turn of the road it became more and more evident I’d made the right decision. We hadn’t even reached the hotel yet, and I was already in paradise.

  Five

  Chad

  The best part of my day—hell, maybe even my week—was watching Brin's whole face burst with disbelief as I turned into the circular drive of the Royal Islander Resort. I figured that even a girl of few financial means like her would be used to some opulence, living where she did, but apparently the sight of our hotel was something different entirely.

  "We can't seriously be staying here," she whispered. I could barely hear her over the engine, but her words weren't meant for me. I answered anyway.

  "Believe it, comrade. Only the best for me and my girl." I killed the engine in front of the large sliding doors to the lobby, and a valet rushed around the driver's side to take the keys. A porter came over to help unload Brin's luggage, and she milled uneasily by the side of the Jeep while he did so.

  I strode up beside her, nudging her playfully in the side. "Not used to having things done for you, are you?"

  She shook her head and glanced down bashfully. It was such an unintentionally cute gesture, the kind that I knew I'd be waiting for her to do again.

  "Come on," I said, sliding an arm around her shoulders as we strode into the lobby. "Martin and Russell are waiting for us at the bar."

  I gave the porter our room number, and he hurried off with the bags. I half expected Brin to jog after him and offer to help, but she was too overwhelmed by the sight of the grand lobby. I'd stayed in a lot of nice hotels, but this one was fast becoming my favorite just based on Brin's reaction to it. She pulled out from under my arm and turned in a circle, staring up at the curved Rococo style ceiling and the glittering chandelier that hung high above our heads. The whole lobby was decked out in sumptuous cream and marble, with gold accents scattered tastefully about the room. A light breeze carried in the smell of hibiscus and ginger, and it rustled Brin's hair as she spun back to face me, eyes ablaze with life.

  "Thank you, Chad."

  I blinked. Something about the way she said it took me aback. It was the most honest thing she'd ever said to me, and I had the sense that she'd left a layer of her shell behind just outside the lobby doors.

  "For what?" I asked. "You're the one doing me the favor, remember?"

  She smiled lightly. "For choosing me."

  "It was an easy choice."

  Brin's bashfulness returned and she broke eye contact, turning on her heel and making her way toward the lobby bar. I followed behind, not entirely sure I wasn't dreaming.

  Martin and Russell rose from their table when they saw me approaching, both clearly surprised to see me walking up with a gorgeous redhead. I loved a good surprise. I figured it was easier to backtrack and tell them about Brin once we were here than to mention anything beforehand.

  "Hey, guys," I said, taking Martin's hand and pulling him in for a hug. I clapped him heartily on the back, then turned to Russell and did the same.

  "Hey, Chad," said Russell, though his eyes were on Brin the whole time.

  "This is Brin." I rested my hand lightly on Brin's waist and urged her forward to meet them. "Brin, this is Russell. He’s the nerd who edits all my videos."

  Russell stepped forward and shook her hand, his dirty brown eyes never leaving hers. I felt a stab of irritation and resisted the urge to push myself between them. She wasn't even my real girlfriend, who was I to get jealous over something as ridiculous as Russell staring too deeply into Brin's eyes?

  I shook off the feeling and turned Brin toward Martin, enjoying the taut feel of her waist under my fingers. I wondered if she was as acutely aware of my touch as I was of hers.

  "This is Martin. He's been my cameraman since the very beginning and my best friend since long before then."

  "Howdy," said Martin, giving her hand a comically hard shake.

  I could see the question in both guys' eyes and knew they were dying to ask me about Brin. Lori and I only broke up a couple weeks ago, after all, and they must've known how wrecked I was over it.

  I turned to Brin, smiling without even meaning to just from looking at her face. "Why don't you head up to the room and get settled? We've still got our shooting schedule and boring stuff like that to discuss."

  "Sure," she said, nodding.

  I handed her the key and turned to watch her walk toward the elevator, head spinning this way and that to take in the lobby architecture as she went. I chuckled.

  "When did that happen?" Martin asked the second she was out of earshot.

  I reluctantly turned away from Brin's retreating form and shrugged. "When I was in Vegas a couple days ago.”

  Russell's eyebrows folded together. "And you decided to bring her on the trip with you?"

  "Yeah. We hit it off, and I wasn't ready to let go of her yet. Figured I'd bring her along." I pulled out a seat at their table and sat down. Martin and Russell followed suit.

  "I just don't get you sometimes, man," Martin said, shaking his head with a bemused grin. "Your breakup, fuck if that wasn't messy. Why hop into another relationship that quick?"

  "I know why," said Russell with a knowing smile.

  Him and Martin exchanged a look, one that clearly read rebound. Let them think that if they wanted. After all, the whole thing did have the look and feel of a pretty solid rebound.

  Better them think that then realize what I was actually doing—trying to make my ex, Lori, jealous.

  My plan was like something out of a nineties romantic comedy, but I knew it would work. Lori was obsessive about her image and ego, and having her position at my side usurped by another beautiful girl only weeks after dumping me was guaranteed to get a reaction. It was the only way she would realize the mistake she'd made. We weren't perfect together, but what couple was?

  The brilliant thing about Lori was how perfectly she fit into my lifestyle. She yearned for the limelight just as much as me, and her career as a model meant we were both usually on the fly, though we often got to go places together. There was no guy out there who would take better care of her than I could, who could manage all her insecurities and crazy moments like I could. High maintenance girls were hard to deal with at times, sure, but me and Lori worked. We'd worked for the past two years and we would continue working, once she figured out that she'd dumped the one right guy for her.

  "She seems nice," said Martin, bringing me back to the present. I almost thought he was talking about Lori, but realized we were still talking about Brin.

  "She is nice," I confirmed.

  I would leave it at that. The less complicated of a charade I constructed, the less likely it was to blow up in my face.

  "Should we talk about the excursions?"

  We started discussing the highlights of the next three weeks, brainstorming the best way to turn each adventure into our next viral video. The whole time, though, my mind kept drifting up to the tenth floor, where I knew Brin would be absolutely losing her shit over the five-star accommodation. She was probably so jazzed by the giant soaker tub and the view of the cry
stalline waters that she didn't notice the singular king sized bed. I figured it would go without saying that we'd be sharing a bed, since we were supposed to be a couple, but I wondered if maybe I should have warned her.

  "I'm worried about angles here," said Martin, pointing to a photo of tomorrow's shooting location on the brochure spread on the table. "It doesn't look like there's much room."

  I blinked and followed his finger. "It'll work," I told him. "We always make it work."

  I was too distracted to do this right now, which was crazy since normally I couldn't wait to go over the details of our shoots. Making videos was an obsession for me, and I lived for burgeoning view counts and comments. The adventures that had started as my passion quickly took a side seat to the thrill of seeing my videos shared all over the world. Yet now this table was literally the last place I wanted to be. I would rather be up in the room with Brin, watching the wonder unfold on her face as she experienced pleasures she'd never known before.

  And fuck, how I wanted to give her more pleasure.

  The guys continued talking and I ordered a beer from a passing server, suddenly parched. Where had that thought come from? Sure, Brin was hot as hell, and I liked being around her, but she wasn't here as my plaything. She was here as my pawn, and she'd made it clear that the only moves I could make were those across the board to victory. Those were the only ones I should want to make. I was trying to win back Lori, after all.

  I finished up with the guys and downed the rest of my beer. They were heading off to the golf course and asked me to join.

  "Nah," I said. "I'm gonna check in with Brin, see how she's enjoying the room."

  Martin gave me a knowing smile. "Sure thing, man. Have fun."

  I waved them off and headed to the elevator, tapping my foot as I waited for it to arrive. What did I intend to do when I got up there? Brin was probably rolling around in the Egyptian cotton sheets or something. This was her vacation, and I should be leaving her to it.

  Still, the elevator doors opened and I jammed my finger down on the button for our floor, already running through the scenario in my head. Maybe she'd want to go down to the bar and grab a drink. Maybe I could invite her for a walk down by the beach. I just had this crazy urge to spend time with her, which was something I hadn't felt in a long time. It reminded me of how I hadn't been able to take my eyes off her on stage, how I'd felt myself drawn closer to her with every look, even though I hadn't moved an inch.

  I strode out of the elevator the second the doors slid open and down the hall to our door. I made as much noise as possible when opening the door, in case she needed a moment, and let it slam closed behind me.

  The room was empty.

  It was a big room, with a separate sitting area and kitchenette, so I tried calling out for her. "Brin?"

  No answer.

  Shit. She probably went out for a walk or something. Why wouldn't she? She knew we weren't doing any shooting until tomorrow at the earliest.

  I texted Martin and told him to wait up, that I'd be down in a minute to go to golf with them. I felt like a total idiot. I changed clothes quickly, noting Brin's discarded jeans by her suitcase, and smiled.

  I headed toward the door but stilled with my hand on the knob. There was a pad of paper on the desk by the door and I scribbled onto it hastily, then left the note on top of her jeans. Then I was gone.

  Six

  Brin

  This. Now this was the life.

  I sighed, happily sprawled across one of the dozens of poolside loungers, sun basking on my face. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this relaxed. I wanted to stretch and mewl like a happy kitten. I settled for a slight hum as the sun's rays warmed my exposed body.

  I didn't know when the last time I'd been so scantily clad in public and not performing was. Each puff of air on my midriff made me feel like I was two seconds away from my stage manager coming out to yell at me and tell me to get in line, but the yelling never came. Of course it didn't. I was far away from Vegas, far away from everything I'd ever known. For once, I was the tourist. For once, I was the one who everyone else had to please.

  I'd come straight down to the pool after checking out my room. Our room, I supposed. I noted the lack of a second bed with a hint of displeasure, realizing I should have specified sleeping arrangements when I was making my demands. I'd been so giddy at the prospect of getting a free vacation that I hadn't considered how that would work on the ground, and now I was just going to have to deal with it. It was a king bed, so it shouldn't be a problem. Except it was a problem, because a teensy part of my heart skipped every time I thought about how later tonight Chad and I would be getting into the same bed together.

  I consciously removed myself from thoughts of the bed and turned them back to thoughts of this sunbed. My interest in Chad had blossomed into a schoolgirl crush, and I felt just as silly as a schoolgirl for having it. Every breath of sea-soaked air was a reminder that this business arrangement had nothing to do with romance. It was about a free vacation and a bit of acting, that was all.

  My phone dinged and my hand darted for it instinctively. I was a little disappointed to see it wasn't Chad who had texted me. Kimberley was anxiously awaiting news of my trip, and though I didn't have much to tell her yet, I needed to hear her voice. I called her without even replying to her text.

  "Tell me everything!" she answered. "What's the hotel like? Are there any cute guys? Besides the one you're dating, of course..."

  I laughed. She was nearly as excited about this whole thing as I was. As it turned out, I was just better at covering it up.

  "The hotel is incredible," I replied, pulling the lounger up into a reclined position. I let my head loll to the side and stared down at the sandy path that wound down to the beach. It was lined with Birds-of-Paradise orchids, and I decided that would be the next place I explored.

  "I'm sunning myself beside the pool right now like a happy lizard. The only thing missing is my best friend by my side."

  She laughed. "I don't know, Brin. If I got the choice between going on vacation with you and going with a sexy Internet celebrity, I'm not sure we'd be sharing the sights right now."

  "Rude. You would totally take me. What does he have that I don't?"

  "Money, fame, money, gaggles of adoring fans... Oh, and did I mention money?"

  "I'll admit he does have me beat there." I brought my head back up to center and watched a group of kids splashing each other in the shallows. "This place must've cost a fortune. How he can just casually toss cash at another person to come with him on a whim is insane."

  Kim hummed in agreement. "Ain't that right. I did a little Internet sleuthing on your adventurous amore and his estimated earnings place his fortune in the millions. Has he told you how much he makes exactly?"

  "Not something we've discussed," I replied.

  "Ask him. I'm curious."

  I let out a bark of laughter. "As if! He already thinks I'm some poor charity case based on my complete inability to play it cool about how nice everything is. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm out to get his fortune."

  "Boo. In any case, he's rolling in it. If he's going to age as well as Richard Branson, I suggest getting that locked in now."

  "Now you're just being ridiculous. I'm not even his real girlfriend."

  "Yet," she joked. I could practically hear her wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "What could be more romantic than three weeks in Hawaii together? Is it too soon for me to start working on my maid of honor speech?"

  This time my laugh was more of a cackle, attracting the attention of the kids in the pool. I slapped a hand over my mouth and stifled my outburst into a giggle.

  "You're killing me, Kim. There is nothing, and will never be, anything between Chad and me. We're parting ways after this and that's that. It would never work between us anyway."

  "Whatever you say, hon. I'll make sure to include that in the speech."

  "You're incorrigible."


  "I've been told it's my best feature."

  "Whoever told you that has obviously never seen your ass."

  Kimberley laughed, and I was smiling so hard that my cheeks started to hurt.

  "I miss you already, babe. I'm glad you're having a fabulous time though."

  "I am having a fabulous time, aren't I?" I sighed and closed my eyes, letting the sun sink into my pores. "It's too bad I can't just marry Chad and live like this for the rest of my life. It beats coming back to stinky Vegas any day."

  "I wouldn't say that just yet," she replied. "You haven't seen what adventures he's taking you on. Any word on what to expect?"

  I groaned. "Not a peep. He's very tight-lipped about the whole thing."

  "Hold on. Let me practice something." Kim cleared her throat and continued in a high, strained voice. "I don't know, officer. The last time I heard from her she said she was about to go deep sea diving with sharks during a tornado off the coast of Waikiki. I really don't know what could have happened to her."

  I laughed so hard that tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I didn't care if anyone was staring. God, I loved this woman.

  "Oh, stop it," I chastised. "It's not going to be anything like that, and I have full veto rights."

  "Just don't fall down a ravine because you're staring at Chad's ass and not where you're walking."

  "You're almost having as much fun as me and you're not even on vacation."

  "I'm not having fun at all. My life is an empty husk when you're not here."

  "I'll be home before you know it, Meryl Streep," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll try to update you as much as possible, though I imagine I won't get service at most of the places we go out to on the day trips. I'll be safe though, I promise."

  "Yes, be safe," she said. "Remember, one night of passion could lead to a life sentence."

  "Oh my god! You cow. I'm hanging up now."

  My face reddened at the thought of Chad and I getting into bed together. Why did Kim have to push her agenda so hard? It was bad enough that he was smokin' without my best friend constantly eliciting a mental image of us in bed together.