by Dawn Tamayo
“Well we do have a good work-hard play-hard ethos here in Miami. Having fun is just as important as anything else, maybe more so.”
“Last night I went for a lovely walk along the promenade near my hotel.”
“Your hotel is by the beach?”
“Of course! It’s just a little hotel, but I would rather that and be able to take an evening stroll by the beach rather than be further into town.”
Jake nodded, he loved the evenings sitting in a bar by the sea too. “What beach are you by?”
“Hollywood Beach.”
“Really? That’s my local beach.”
“No, you’re teasing me. I thought everyone who is anyone went to South Beach.”
“No I am not teasing you I promise. South Beach is great but it’s for tourists or night life. No locals ever swim there, except for the exhibitionists that is.” He took a sip of his drink and it went down smoothly. “I live about twenty minutes from here and about five minutes from your beach.”
“Walking or driving?” Victoria took another sip of her mojito through the long straw.
“Driving! No one walks here.”
“Why?” She wondered why anyone would want to drive if they could walk around in the wonderful sunshine.
“One reason is it gets far too hot in the daytime to be walking around, but the other is because things are really spread out here and you need transport to get around. You’ll see when I take you for a drive.”
Jake paused as he watched Victoria lift the straw to her clear glossed lips again and he realised something was missing. He frowned.
“Vicky, where’s your engagement ring? Please don’t tell me you believe all that rubbish about crime being rife here. You don’t have to worry, you are perfectly safe here. If you take any normal precaution like you would in London, or any other city, then it’s just the same here.”
Victoria froze. She wasn’t ready to talk about her break-up with Mark, not just yet, but she wasn’t going to lie about it either. It was what it was! “No it’s not that, but thanks for being so thoughtful to point it out. I will sleep well tonight knowing that.” She gently laughed trying to keep the conversation light hearted.
“Then where’s your ring?” He asked genuinely confused, he could see through Victoria’s light-heartedness and sensed a change in her and wondered why.
“Not here. I left it back in London with the rest of my stuff sitting packed up in boxes at my friend’s house.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it if that’s alright with you, but it’s enough to say the wedding is off. Mark and I are through. No more.”
Jake sat back in his chair hard. He hadn’t expected that - what happened? She had been so loved up last week, full of marriage plans and enthusiasm for the wedding day soon to come. “What happened? Why?” The words slipped out of his mouth before he realised, and he wished he could take them back because he could see the tiny pools of tears threatening to break free as Victoria tried to swallow hard to stop them from coming. Yes he wanted to know what happened, but now was obviously not the time or place and he quickly changed the subject. “Look forget I asked that. We can talk about it anytime you want, or not for that matter. But for now you are here in Miami and tonight I am going to make sure you have a fantastic time. So here is good time number one, the reason why I chose this restaurant for tonight – it has one of the best views of our amazing Miami sunsets. Look there.” Jake said as he pointed out to the sea where the sky was now starting to darken and Victoria turned to see the most incredible array of pinks merging into each other overtaking the bright blue sky just before the darkness encroached upon it.
“Wow that is amazing!” She breathed as she marvelled at the beautiful colours. She hadn’t seen a sunset like that before and reached for her phone. “I’ve got to take a photo of this.”
Jake sighed with relief, that seemed to take Victoria’s mind away from her revelation. He hated to see women cry, he wasn’t one of those touchy feely modern men and he was never sure what to do on the rare occasion he was faced with a tearful woman. But more importantly he never wanted to see Victoria’s beautiful brown eyes so sad again.
Victoria had only made it half way through her huge plate of food when she put her knife and fork together and pushed it aside, she couldn’t eat anymore.
“Your eyes were definitely bigger than your stomach?” Jake laughed as he watched Victoria sit back in her chair and refilled her mojito.
“Definitely, but it’s such a waste of good food.” She grimaced as she watched Jake finish off the last bite of his lobster dish.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take it with us.” Jake motioned to the waiter who quickly appeared at his side, “Can you put that in a carton to take away please.”
Obligingly the waiter took Victoria’s plate and whisked it away.
“They do take-away?”
“I suppose if you really wanted to get a take-away they would, but I can’t see why anyone would not want to sit here and enjoy the view.” Jake said looking around at the people walking past the now noisy and crowded pavement and promenade.
“But you just asked to take my dinner away.” Victoria was confused.
“Because you hadn’t finished it!” Jake paused and realised what Victoria meant, and he laughed gently, he forgot how different things were in Miami to London. “I get it now, you don’t have that in London do you? Here, if you don’t finish your meal they expect you to want to take it home with you for later, tomorrow or your dog – they don’t care. It’s almost an insult if you don’t want to take the rest of your meal away with you.”
“Really?” She asked, thinking if she asked for a container to take her food home in London they would be looking down their noses at her – people just didn’t do it.
“Yes really. Keep your eyes open, you’ll see it everywhere.”
Victoria laughed, she quite liked that.
Jake looked at the nearly empty Mojito pitcher, “Do you want another one or shall we go for a walk and see some of South Beach at night?”
Victoria looked at the almost empty glass jug and realised she had drunk most of it herself, which probably explained why she was feeling so relaxed and chilled-out right now. Jake had only drunk part way through his mojito and she realised he had been drinking mostly the iced water from a glass by his plate.
He saw Victoria’s eyes flicker to his water.
“I’m driving.” He explained.
“Good. Very wise.” She smiled pointing to the water.
“Why thank you.” He laughed gently showing his pearly white teeth and letting Victoria have the full benefit of his sparkling blue eyes.
All of a sudden Victoria felt quite heady. “Okay, well I think it’s time to walk some of that dinner off then.” She said and Jake called for the bill.
“May I?” Victoria said reaching for her bag on the seat next to her.
“No way, tonight’s my treat.”
“Okay.” She shrugged, who was she to argue when such gorgeous eyes were making her feel like she was the only person in the world who mattered.
Jake sat watching Victoria for a moment enjoying seeing her relaxed. Her hair blew gently away from her face in the evening breeze revealing delicate earrings hanging from her dainty ears. He marvelled at how something as simple as little dangling earrings made him want to reach out and touch the soft cream skin around them.
“Okay!” Jake said a bit louder than he meant to and pulled back breaking the moment. He swiped his card across the waiter’s card reader and took the receipt, then motioned for Victoria to join him for a walk.
Jake and Victoria walked along Ocean Drive taking in the neon lights illuminating the front of the pink, green, and blue art-deco buildings, and slowly weaved their way through the crowds of people meandering along. Over the loud beat of Latin music mixed with the latest American chart hits Victoria could still hear the crashing of the waves just met
ers away from them on the other side of the promenade, and every now and then they stopped to look inside a bar or buy a frozen daiquiri for Victoria and a soda for Jake.
Victoria and Jake walked in a comfortable silence, only talking when something caught their eye or made a joke about some ludicrous outfit which past them. Then the sound of Pitbull calling out “Fireball” became so loud it drowned out all sounds of everything else and Victoria had a feeling they were approaching more than just another bar.
“What’s this place?” She asked excitedly.
“Ah yes this is something special, this is Mangos Tropical Café.”
“Really? I’ve heard about this place – it’s supposed to be quite something.”
“Oh yes it is.” Jake laughed as he led Victoria past the doormen and into the stream of bright lights and thumping music.
Victoria paused just inside the doorway. The bright lights flashed and the sound of John Ryan singing to Pitbull how he was on fire pulsed through her body. The sexiest women Victoria had ever seen in their tiny hot-pants, bikini tops and sky-scraper heels were dancing on tall tables almost at shoulder height. Their synchronised dance routines were provocative and all eyes in the club were on them - she thought these women seriously knew how to shake their booty. The atmosphere was hedonistic, and that along with the thumping music and effects of tonight’s cocktails Victoria was actually beginning not to care about her newfound single status. She was free to do whatever she wanted now, with whoever she wanted. Tonight she felt good - the weather was hot, the music was loud touching deep inside her soul, and the drinks were ice cold and intoxicating.
Jake watched Victoria as she looked around the room taking in the crazy atmosphere. He loved the way she gently swayed to the beat of the music and wondered if she had any idea she was turning the head of nearly every guy near her as she started to move and sway her hips and shake her shoulders a little more.
“Do you want to stay here for a while?” Jake called above the music.
She nodded as she carried on swaying to the music and he had a feeling she was lost in her own little world. But he didn’t mind that, he loved to see her enjoying herself.
“Do you want a soda?”
Victoria looked at him and shook her head, “A daiquiri or mojito. Whatever.”
“Are you sure?”
“What’s the matter? Are you the alcohol police or something?” She teased him.
“No, I just don’t want to be blamed for getting you drunk. I’m just looking out for you Vicky.”
She let out a laugh and threw her head back, then looked at Jake. She ran a hand down the front of his shirt feeling the warmth beneath her fingers. The cocktails had seriously gone to her head now but she was enjoying the combined feeling of warmth and wooziness.
“Well that’s very sweet of you Jake but I can look after myself, and I make my own choices, so don’t you worry about me.”
“Okay, well don’t blame me tomorrow when you have a hangover from hell, but if that’s what you want.” He said as he turned and walked over to the bar and ordered a strawberry daiquiri and a soda. He didn’t care if Victoria wanted to get totally plastered because he was going to be right there to make sure she got safely back to her hotel room at the end of the night. He had a feeling their drive around Miami was going to have to wait for another time, Victoria didn’t look like she wanted to go anywhere else tonight, or was going to be in any fit state to look at the Miami sights either.
As he returned with their drinks Victoria was busy dancing with one of the Mango’s male dancers allowing him the benefit of admiring her sexy dance moves as her curvaceous body moved to the beat of the music and she danced her way through it. Jake walked to a table nearby and motioned to Victoria that both he and their drinks would be there. He threw his jacket over the back of the seat and started to sit down just as Victoria slid alongside him and pulled him back up.
“No way, you’re dancing with me.” She shouted over the sound of the music.
“No it’s okay Vicky, you carry on having fun.”
“Oh no way Jake, you’re not getting out of it that easy. I want you to dance with me.” She made a mock pouting face and laughed as Jake sighed and gave in.
It wasn’t that Jake didn’t like dancing, he loved it. But the kind of dancing he liked meant he would be getting up close and personal with his partner and at the beginning of the night he promised himself he would keep his word to Victoria that he wouldn’t try any funny business – nothing but real professional business for the two of them! Now he wasn’t sure how easy that was going to be if her body was writhing alongside his, and at times against him on the dance floor. He had a feeling this was going to be the most torturous hell he had ever been in, and he was going to enjoy every single second of it!
Jake danced with Victoria for what felt like an eternity and not enough time all rolled into one. They moved to the hedonistic beat and lost themselves in the music. There was no Jake Cumberland and Victoria Pembrose, just a man and a woman moving together in the primal pre-mating ritual otherwise called dance. Her moves teased him and after the first few minutes Jake couldn’t restrain himself from touching her anymore, so finally he ran his hands up and down her bare arms and over the thin material covering her hips and he felt like he was going to die from longing. Jake wondered if Victoria knew how desirable she was as she moved her arms above her head, swayed her hips, and closed her eyes shaking her long red hair around her. Every man within a few feet was fascinated by her until Jake had given them a long hard stare making sure they knew she was off limits. She may not have been his to tell other men to ‘back-off’, but after so many cocktails he knew she was in no fit state to make a sensible judgement call so he was making it for her, just for tonight. Then as Jake felt Victoria run her warm hands down his chest and across his ribcage he finally decided if Victoria didn’t care about keeping a professional distance then neither did he, and he let himself go enjoying the movement of their bodies and the feel of her as they danced as one.
After what felt like hours the pain in Victoria’s feet took priority over her desire to dance anymore. Her pretty red sandals probably weren’t the best choice for dancing but then again she hadn’t dressed for that. Jake took her by the arm and led her to the door, grabbing two bottles of water from the bar on their way out.
“I think it’s time to take you home.”
“Home? What an interesting word right now.”
“Are you alright?” Jake stopped walking and looked at Victoria as he opened a bottle of water and passed it to her – the night was hot and she was going to need to keep hydrated.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” She took a sip of her water and carried on walking wincing a little as she put one foot in front of the other.
After a few feet Jake stopped walking and pointed something in his hand at the car next to them. The car beeped and unlocked.
Victoria stopped and looked at the car. “This is your car?”
She sounded surprised.
“What’s wrong? What were you expecting?” He deliberately hadn’t brought out the convertible like he normally did if he was going on a date or wanted to impress someone, and he was wondering now if he should have. But then again this was not a date, even if there was a part of him that wanted to impress Victoria nevertheless.
“Well I did imagine you with a flashy convertible – a Maserati or Lamborghini. Probably red to be honest.” She stood back admiring the smooth lines of his car and immediately fell in love with it. Every dark purple curve looked like it was a curve of a race horse’s muscle, so sleek and perfectly formed. And what a colour! Deep purple, so much more tasteful than red.
“Well I do have one of those as well.”
“Which one?”
“Both. This is my Maserati, but not a convertible as you can see. The other’s a white Lamborghini convertible.”
“Oh!”
“But I only use that when I’m trying to be showy. You
know, events, that sort of thing. Or if someone is a real snob and I just want to be plain arrogant and make them jealous.” He laughed. “But that car gets me far too much attention, this is what I normally drive around in when I’m out and about.”
“Good idea. Nice car!” ‘A Maserati and a Lamborghini – flipping heck!’ Victoria thought as she slid inside the door Jake was holding open for her, but then again she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. In fact the only thing which was beginning to surprise her was how unflashy Jake seemed to be.
Victoria woke up with a horrendous hangover. But despite her pounding head she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and wondered if the amazingly good night’s sleep was from the effects of a few too many cocktails or the fact that her heart didn’t feel like it was ripping into a million pieces anymore. Yes it still hurt, but the agonising feeling of the last few days was beginning to subside and she lay in bed thinking that getting away to Miami was probably the best thing she could have done under the circumstances. She looked at the clock next to her bed, ten o’clock in the morning. That wasn’t too bad considering it had been some time after three o’clock this morning when Jake dropped her back to her hotel room. Jake!
Ooh, Victoria cringed as she remembered dancing with Jake in Mango’s Café. She definitely had far too many cocktails by then and she recalled how she had let go of any inhibitions and enjoyed every single second and beat of the music. Victoria turned over and buried her head in her pillow as she remembered one particular moment when she rubbed her body up against Jake’s as he held her close, far too close, and she could remember the smell of his aftershave as if he was right there in the room with her. She quickly ran the rest of the evening over in her mind checking she hadn’t done anything more embarrassing than that. Oh she hoped she hadn’t thrown herself at him in a fit of drunken madness, but she sighed with relief when she was sure she hadn’t. She did, however, need to get her backside in gear if she was going to get to the Dolphin shopping mall for her planned day of shopping before Jake came by to pick her up tonight. Since they hadn’t managed to drive around Miami last night Jake wanted to take her for that drive tonight, and she was sure he mentioned stopping off for dinner too. Victoria was looking forward to it.