Finding Love's Wings

by Derrick, Zoey

  Tristan: LOL! Yeah, that would be good. You will lose the argument.

  Sweets: Fair enough.

  Man, he has me all in knots. He wants me to have something that reminds me of him, and it just so happens to be a MacBook that I will be using nearly every day. I'm not really sure how I feel about this right now.

  Sweets: I need to run and put some clothes on real fast. You going to stay online?

  I wait for a response for about ten seconds and I don’t see one. Maybe he’s walked away from his computer. I head off to the bedroom for my clothes. As I come back out, my iPad starts ringing. Sprinting to the table, I grab it and press the green button, and I'm being connected with Trinity via Skype.

  An hour later I'm finishing up my Skype call when there's a knock on the door. I say my goodbyes to Trinity quickly and get up to answer it. As I approach the door I can hear two men talking.

  I peek through the peephole and see two hotel staff members standing with a cart in between them. I can't quite see what is sitting on it, but I have a feeling Tristan isn't done sending flowers. Unlatching the door, I swing it open.

  "Good morning, gentlemen. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

  The one in front speaks first. "We have a special delivery for 'Sweets.'"

  I smile. "Well, that would be me, I guess. Come on in."

  "Yes, ma'am." They speak and nod in unison. I step out of the way to let them in. They reach for the cart behind them, and I gasp in shock. There are no less that six dozen long stem roses in all different shades: red, yellows, whites, some orange, some Fire and Ice, and some even silvery in color. They are breathtakingly beautiful.

  "Um, I'm not sure where you can put all of those."

  "No worries, Ms. Enders, we have our instructions."

  I nod at the gentlemen as they go to work. I turn to close the door and stop short. Tyson's standing in my doorway.

  "Hi, Ty! Great timing, I just got off a call with Trinity." I'm glad he's here. It'll give us a chance to talk.

  "Cami," he says and nods, but he's looking over my head at the two men who just came in with all the flowers.

  I smile because it had taken a lot of persistence yesterday during our impromptu meeting before I went down to the beach to convince Tyson to call me Cami. He finally relented.

  "Something the matter, Ty?"

  "I just came to check on you."

  "Oh!" I try to hide my surprise and fail. I smile at him as I speak. "Tristan didn't send you down here, did he?"

  "No, ma'am!" I scowl at him and raise an eyebrow at the same time. No small feat, but years of practice have helped me perfect the expression. "Cami, sorry. Old habits die hard. I was on my way up to Tristan's suite and I thought I would do a hall check here. I saw the two men waiting outside your door and just wanted to make sure that all was well."

  I'm surprised a little at his protectiveness. "They seem like normal staff," I say.

  "All the same, I would like to come in and make sure."

  "Of course, Ty." I let him into the suite. "Is there something going on that I don't know about?" I ask. Between Tristan's insistence on protection yesterday and Ty checking my hallway today, it seems like they're concerned about something.

  Tyson shrugs. "No, Cami, nothing directly to be concerned about, but both Tristan and I are a little concerned about the story. When people start to understand that Tristan is single, they’ll have a tendency to get a little weird. It's just a precaution."

  I try hard to take comfort in his words. I have no reason not to trust what he has to say, but it still makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

  Looking around, I notice that the flowers are now scattered all throughout my sitting room. I look at Tyson, and he is shaking his head back and forth.

  "He is completely smitten with you, isn't he?" A genuine smile spreads wide across his lips. Tyson really is beautiful. There is no other way to describe it. Jolene is going to go bat shit over this one.

  The two men finish arranging the flowers, bow, and leave. Good, here's my chance.

  "Ty, we need to talk about something."

  "How's business?" he asks, and I can see he knows what I want to talk to him about, and he's trying to avoid it.

  I sigh and give in. Just for the moment. "Great," I say. "Trinity says hi. She says Tristan's been keeping them busy. I told her about the girls that Tristan ran into downstairs and she wanted to know if you found out anything about them."

  "I did," he says, and relaxes a little because he thinks I've let him off the hook. "They actually left this morning. Checked out of the hotel. The manager said that the man who rented their hotel room was part of a small business conference that was here for the last week or so. The girls came in on Thursday and left with him today. They've never been here before, so I'm guessing the cell phones they used to take Tristan's picture were not international and didn't have the ability to send out from here. That gives us a day or two cushion before they'll be posted to the Internet, provided the girls are going back to the States now." Tyson's so professional. I'm in awe of his abilities.

  "What security measures are in place to avoid unwanted guests?" I ask. Another of Trinity's questions.

  "Well, that's a whole different story. They're limiting those to the island that have reservations at the hotel, so we will know who will be arriving and when they are expected to check in. I am not privy to names, but they have been notified of who the red flags are. Layla and her entourage are on the list, and we are to be notified. Unfortunately we cannot give them the name of every reporter, and many of them use aliases anyway, but I have given them the names of our biggest concerns."

  "Sounds like you have things sewn up pretty tight around here. Thank you, Tyson, for all your hard work."

  "That's why Tristan pays me the big bucks." He's smiling now.

  I'm opening my mouth to bring up the other subject when there is a knock at the door. Dammit.

  Before I can react, Tyson's at the door. I watch as he checks the peephole, then opens the door.

  Tyson is huge. I can't see around him until he steps aside. It's Tristan. At the sight of him, my heart rate quadruples. He walks into my suite with great purpose, straight in my direction. When he reaches me, he wraps his arms around me in a tight, warm hug.

  He whispers in my ear, "I missed you, beautiful." And I blush beet red.

  "I missed you, too."

  Obviously I'm glad to see Tristan, but I still need to talk to Tyson. Without Tristan around. I guess I'll have to track him down later.

  PART TWENTY-ONE

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  I'm really beginning to enjoy having my arms around Cami. Though I can't decide what’s more exciting about it, the fact that I feel like I'm protecting her, or the way her body warms, flushes, and presses into my own. I'm going to have to go with a toss-up.

  I was a little dumbstruck when Tyson answered the door. What is he doing here? Cami showed genuine excitement when she saw me, and I'm not suspicious of anything, but it seems a bit conspiratorial. Cami has given me no reason not to trust her. Do I?

  "What do you want to do with your friends this weekend?" I ask in an attempt to pull my thoughts away from the idea of Cami and Tyson alone together.

  "I don't know. Head back over to Tahiti, hang out in the hotel, hang out in your suite with the pool, go shopping, party like rock stars." She giggles. "Or ginormous celebrities."

  I throw a mock scowl at her, and she laughs harder. I can't help but join in.

  Eventually she adds, "Here's an idea. Why don't you plan something and let me know?"

  I nod in agreement, pondering the wide range of ideas that are now running through my head. Cami had mentioned Bora Bora earlier, and we can plan to spend a day or so in Tahiti on our way out of the area. Hm, so many ideas to ponder.

  As much as I’d like to, I can’t linger in her suite. I need to get in touch with Trav and make sure he is free for Wednesday and the weekend.

  I kiss
Cami quickly, not wanting to start something I'm no longer sure I'm capable of stopping anymore, and I take my leave.

  Tyson follows. Thank God for that.

  During the elevator ride up to my suite, I entertain the idea of having Cami join me in New York next week. Am I ready to show her off to the world at the airport and the premiere?

  Upon returning to my suite, I grab my iPhone and call Travis. I haven't talked to him since the premiere, and we have some catching up to do.

  Travis is my best friend. I've known him for a couple of years, and there is something about our friendship that keeps us close. He is like the brother I never had. I can tell him anything, and he can see all the things I'm not telling him. It's weird. But it works for us.

  "About damn time you call me, ass-hat," he says as he answers the phone.

  "Har-har!” I retort. "I've been a bit busy, what can I say?"

  "Busy my ass. I know you've been off, and yet no one has heard from you. What gives, bro?"

  I let out a sigh and start in on my story. "At your premiere, Layla decided to inform me that EN has some pictures of her naked and getting effed."

  "By you?!" he practically shouts. I know he is worried about me in all this, and this is one of the reasons I love him like a brother.

  "Uh, no. Try the producer and a whole slew of the crew on her last movie."

  "No effin way!"

  "Not something I would joke about, bro. But yeah, she brings it up, expecting me to cover her ass, and well, I basically told her where to shove it." Travis laughs. "Then she tried to pull the pregnancy card."

  I hear him let out a growl.

  "Calm down. Even if she is pregnant, it's not mine. We haven't had sex in over six months."

  "Thank fuck for that. Please tell me you are not getting your PR people involved in this?"

  I laugh. "No, Trav, this is on her shoulders. Trinity is involved only because you know how vulturistic reporters can be. They are going to try and dig up anything they can on me, or at least seek a reaction from me, and right now, I choose inaction and am hanging out in Tarah."

  He whistles. "Nice digs, man. When you coming home?"

  "Never," I say, joking.

  "Whatever," he says.

  "Actually, that's why I called. You tied up this week?"

  "No, free. Don't have anything major until after the first."

  "Nice, wanna come to Tarah?"

  "Hell yeah! When?"

  "Wednesday? Stay through Wednesday? I have to be in N.Y.C. Thursday next week for voiceovers and the Conjure premiere."

  "Ah, that's right. You still want me there?"

  "That's entirely up to you. I think I'm gonna bring Cami, though." I know this will elicit a what-the-hell style response.

  "Whoa! Who?" There it is.

  "Cami. Well, Cameron Enders."

  "Who..." He pauses. "Why does that name sound familiar?

  "She's not Hollywood, if that's what your worried about."

  "Huh, I could swear I've heard that name before."

  Not sure that I want to explain all the details of my relationship to Cami right this minute, I tell him, "Don't worry about it. You can meet her on Wednesday. She's bringing out a few of her friends to spend the weekend with us. You all might even be on the same flight. From my understanding, Jolene and Naomi are single, and Beau and Mick are together."

  "Tristan, are you trying to set me up on a weekend date?" He laughs.

  "Yeah, maybe I am. You got a problem with that?" I tease him.

  "Hell no!" He's still laughing. "I think I'm a little flattered actually."

  I laugh harder. "Well if it works out, you will be good to go. If not, Tyson will be here. Though I think Cami believes that Tyson and Jolene are going to hit it off, and then you might be left to your own devices."

  "Yeah, ‘cause that has always been a problem." He laughs again.

  I laugh with him. Travis can be a bit of a womanizer sometimes, but when he finds someone he is really interested in, he zeros in on her and nothing else. I don't know Naomi from any other woman, but it might work for them.

  Travis interrupts my thoughts. "So. Tell me about Cami?"

  I smile at the mention of her name and my insides tighten. If it hadn't been Trav asking the question, it might have sparked something in my pants. "Ah, Trav. She's beautiful, she's inked, pierced, smart, I can't stop smiling when I'm around her..."

  "Dude, you sound like you've been hit by cupid."

  "Yeah, I think I have."

  "Whoa, man, when did you meet this girl?"

  "Friday night, at the bar downstairs."

  “But, it's only Monday," he says, matter of fact.

  "Yeah, I know. But there is just something about her. She's different. She's engaging, honest, open, and she makes me feel so comfortable. She helps me forget everything." I sigh.

  "You sleep with her yet?" I knew that question was coming.

  "Not that it is any of your business, Trav, but no, we haven't"

  "All right," he says, resolved. "I trust you to trust your own judgment. But just be careful."

  "Thanks, bro. I'm doing everything I can to do this right." My comment is met with silence for more than a few heartbeats. "Travis?"

  "Yeah, I'm here. I'm just...I don't know. I've never heard you like this before."

  "It's all right. I've never heard me like this before. I'm a little awestruck and not sure what I should do other than ride this wave."

  "Okay, that's all I need to know. So I get to meet her Wednesday, huh?"

  I laugh. "Yeah, Wednesday. Take care of your flight. Forward me the deets and I will send the money ov—"

  "Shut the hell up, Tristan. I'll pay for it."

  I shrug. "All right, be that way. See you Wednesday?"

  "Wednesday. Later."

  "Later, Travis."

  He hung up first, no doubt as dumbstruck as I feel right now. I don't talk about girls with anyone, and it's kind of trippy. Travis of course knows about Layla; we've talked a lot in the past. It was kind of hard not to when I ended up crashing at his place after a Layla fight or when I didn't want to deal with her.

  Tyson walks into the room. “Tristan, Cami has requested penthouse access."

  I smile. "Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to her."

  "I already did." He laughs. "She's waiting in the foyer."

  "Let her in already, would you?" I can't believe how much I want to see her again already. It's only been an hour since I left her downstairs.

  I hear her come into the room, and I stand up from the sofa and turn to find Cami in a lime green bikini top and a wraparound sarong at her waist. She's carrying the tote that she had last night.

  I smile at the sight of her. Her skin is still pale and glowing slightly from the natural light entering the room from the open patio doors.

  "I'm going to go down to the beach and I was wondering if you wanted to join me," she says.

  I smile. "How was your massage?"

  She grins. "It was perfect. I feel nice and relaxed. Thank you." After a brief pause she adds, "But you really don't need to keep buying things for me."

  I know my face falls. She really has a hard time accepting gifts and I need to break her of that. I have more money than I know what to do with, and spending a little here and there on her to make her happy is just part of the whole Tristan package. “You work hard at what you're doing for me; you deserve far more than what I am giving you."

  "That's really not the point, Tristan. I'm not interested in what's in your bank account." Her eyes move up and down my body, taking in my tight t-shirt and shorts.

  "I know you’re not interested in my bank account, Sweets, and it has nothing to do with why I've done the things I've done today. I felt it was important to show you, some way, that I truly appreciate what you've done for me, and on your vacation no less."

  She just nods. I can tell that she is lost in thought – about what I have no clue. She continues to rake her eyes over m
e from head to toe. It's almost an absentminded thing she seems to be doing, but it gives me an idea.

  "Instead of going to the beach, I have a better idea. Why don't I have Tyson call for some room service? I'll change into my suit, and we can use the pool up here."

  She beams at me. "I like the sound of that."

  "Good, then make yourself at home and I'll go and change." I start to turn and call out, "Tyson?"

  He appears before me about ten seconds later, "Yes, boss?" I frown at him. "Tristan," he corrects himself.

  "Cami and I are going to go hang out on the patio and indulge in the pool. Would you mind calling room service for some champagne and finger foods?"

  "Of course. Any particular kind of champagne?"

  "Bolli, please."

  "Got it." He nods, turns on his heel, and heads back into his room.

  "You're welcome to join us, Tyson," Cami calls out in his direction.

  "Thank you, Cami," Tyson shouts back, but I know better than to expect him to join us.

  "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home, Sweets."

  I change into my trunks and head out to the pool. When I get there, Cami's already in the water. The way she moves is almost stealthy and cat-like. She's leaking sex appeal all over the pool. I drop my towel and dive in next to her. When I surface, she’s staring at me.

  "What?" I ask, curious as to what’s on her mind.

  "Nothing, really. You’re just extremely sexy. It's hard to look away."

  Well then. "I can say the same thing about you." She smiles. I slowly prowl toward her. By the time I reach her, she's giggling. She pushes away from the wall and embraces me by wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. She is too short to reach the bottom of the five-foot deep part of the pool comfortably, and I'm more than happy to have her body wrapped around mine as tight as a glove. Her body is pressed so tight that I can feel every contour of her body against mine. Including the warmth radiating from her sex. Against the coolness of the water, it's very warm.