Love on the Malecon

by Aubrey Parr

  He didn’t know what to think of the Maybe Boyfriend back home. He preferred the women he saw to be single but he wasn’t a saint. He knew there had been boyfriends at home from time to time, though he drew the line at husbands. Yet the thought of another man touching Nicole infuriated him. The fact that they shared a bed together every night before this was more than he could handle. He couldn’t imagine what man would ever let that woman get on an airplane without knowing where she was going. Why hadn’t the Maybe Boyfriend come with her? Whatever the reason, Derek intended to dig deeper into the matter.

  He made it through the entire next day by visiting the Samba Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta. He needed to get some distance, a bit of a distraction. But by the next morning, he was pacing his apartment at the Paraíso, trying to decide the best course of action. Getting on his plane and flying to his furthest property was probably the smartest decision. But he knew damn well it wasn’t the one he’d choose.

  Going for a run wasn’t an option either. He had already gotten up at a ridiculous hour and run a few miles along the beach. He knew he wasn’t about to lose a second of time with this woman, so working was the best way to try and take his mind off of her. She had promised him dinner on the Malecon that night, so he just needed to get through the day. He probably should have spent the night at the Samba. He could have come back just before dinner.

  He wasn’t keen on the idea of working in the Playa Vallarta lobby bar. He didn’t want to come across like a stalker if he saw Nicole; she knew he wasn’t staying there. Plus he was sure he’d get an earful from Silvia the next time he saw her. He cared even less what she thought now but he didn’t want her bringing him down off his high from Nicole.

  So where to work? Maybe he’d just hole up in his apartment until it was time to pick her up in the lobby. He still hadn’t decided when his cell phone rang.

  “Hello?” he snapped.

  It was Gael, his right hand man. Gael wasn’t what one would call an assistant but he was an employee. Derek had met him in his first few years in the business. Originally from Mexico, he had gone to college in the States. Gael was extremely versed in the real estate and land laws in Mexico and was doing random contract work for other hotels when Derek convinced him to work exclusively for him. He became indispensable to Derek and not a day went by when they weren’t discussing some sort of business opportunity.

  Now Gael was checking in to see if he’d finished his research into their latest plan. Of course he hadn’t. Nicole’s arrival in Vallarta had changed everything. Derek let him know that he had set aside the better part of the day to make a final decision. Hearing Gael’s voice helped him get his mind back on track.

  Derek really loved this part of his job- using his gut instinct to decide which property was going to be most the successful and ultimately most lucrative. He opened his email and browser and began looking into the company’s vision for their expansion into the United States. They had been extremely successful in Mexico and now comfortable enough to branch out, but where? That’s where Derek came into the picture. This was where he had a sixth sense for these things. It’s not like he threw darts at a map. He did serious research and visited the area’s sites beforehand. And his choices never seemed to fail.

  Derek had been looking into ideas in South Beach, San Diego, Chicago, and Houston. His gut kept taking him back to Chicago but he had to admit that he was concerned that Nicole might be affecting his thinking right now. The hotel concept was a spa getaway style. The idea seemed initially far-fetched in Cancun but that’s exactly what made it work. It was the only one of its kind in the area. Derek was able to drop South Beach and San Diego off the list rather quickly by following the same formula. With it narrowed down to Chicago and Houston, there were still many things to consider. He stayed focused on reviewing land and building options in both cities until his stomach wouldn’t let him concentrate any longer. Work never failed him and it didn’t seem long before he had made it through the entire morning.

  Derek rummaged through his kitchen, looking for something to eat, and came up empty. It was a gorgeous day outside, so he decided to walk down to one of his favorite restaurants. As he walked along the main road through the Romantic Zone in Vallarta, he kept catching himself noticing all the dresses in the endless store windows on the way. He could picture each one on Nicole. Derek realized that he was already noticing which color and style would suit her best.

  He stopped at the restaurant and grabbed a table outside. Since he was a regular, the hostess came out with his usual beer and chips and took his order. She was a cute little thing, always extra friendly with Derek. Today he didn’t even take a second glance other than to say hello.

  He munched on his chips and tried to think about work until his phone rang. Gael again. There was an opportunity in Chicago that seemed to magically pop up. A hotel in a great location was coming up for sale, extremely hush-hush. Derek had initially made the bulk of his money buying land and sitting on it for at least a year. He’d sell for a nice profit when a hotel company was looking for the right site. Over the years he began working with some of those same companies to find locations when they wanted to expand. He charged a rather large finder’s fee and would still negotiate in the same “living quarters and percentage of revenue” deal.

  Derek had been concerned all morning that his gut was telling him Chicago purely because of Nicole, but this had to be a sign. “Barring any unforeseen issues,” he told Gael, “Chicago it is.”

  “Should I gas up the jet?” Gael inquired.

  With only thoughts of Nicole in his head, Derek replied, “For yourself. I want you to handle the initial meeting.” There was a momentary silence, so he continued, “You can handle this.” It was the first time in their career together that Derek would take a step back and let Gael take the reins. He wasn’t about to lose a minute in Vallarta with Nicole.

  “I appreciate the faith,” Gael responded, “I won’t let you down.”

  “I’ll be there with you in a few weeks to finalize everything.” Derek smiled, thinking of a chance to see Nicole again. “I have someone I’d like to visit while I’m there.”

  Just as he ended the call he heard, “What has you smiling?” in a voice he would recognize for the rest of his life. He looked up and Nicole was sitting down at his table.

  “A business opportunity. In Chicago of all places,” Derek admitted. He was a bit worried that she would think he went looking for a meeting in her city, so he added, “I’m sending my second-in-command there in the next few days to start some negotiations.”

  “How great would it be if you’d get to have some business trips there?” she said, with genuine excitement in her voice.

  “I’d bet I could find some reasons to stay longer,” he teased, raising his eyebrow at her.

  She smiled at him while she imagined him in her apartment. Not sure how to react she changed the subject.

  “I walked out of that store next door and saw you sitting here.”

  “Well, I’m glad you came over. Would you like some food? The fish tacos here are excellent. They should be here any minute.” he offered.

  “Sounds perfect! Are you done with work for the day?”

  “For you, love, of course I am.” He wanted to make the most of his short time with her and figured playing hard to get wouldn’t be the smart move.

  Nicole blushed a bit, but it was covered up by the waiter arriving with their lunch. She asked him to bring her what Derek was drinking and picked up a taco. Derek loved how comfortable they already felt together. As he watched her, flashes of his dreams from the past two nights flooded his mind. He hoped their dinner would go well and that he’d be invited back to her room afterwards. He could even picture her in his apartment, something he had never done with any other woman. As crazily as he had been thinking, he was still going to try to keep that rule in place. He wasn’t entirely sure why that was so important to him. But it was a rule he had never broken before.

/>   God, he loved her laugh. He was telling her a random story and the more she laughed, the more he realized that he wanted to take her to a comedy club the first chance he got. He wasn’t quite sure there was one in Puerto Vallarta. He planned to know by the end of the day.

  When they finished their beers, Derek asked if she’d like to continue shopping.

  “Do you want to come with me? I have a few on my list that my dad told me about, but I’m sure you know some great new places.” It was just what he wanted to hear. Derek was hoping he could get her to try on a few of those dresses he had seen. He was prepared to buy her entire stores if it made her smile.

  They wandered into the first place they came to. It was packed to the rim with Mexican glassware. Luckily, the aisles were tiny and he enjoyed the excuse to move in extra close to her. He stood behind her and she fit perfectly in his chest as they looked at different trinkets. All of a sudden, she gasped.

  “Look at these!” she picked up one of the glasses from a set of tequila bottle and shot glasses. It was thick and swirled with gorgeous blues and greens. As she examined it, she mused, “It would always remind me of our first drink together- shots of tequila.”

  As she smiled at him, Derek looked at the store clerk, “Wrap this up for us, por favor.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she protested.

  “You’re right, it’s the perfect reminder of our first drink. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a shot from it on all of our anniversaries.” Wait, what was he saying? Anniversaries? Nicole just smiled at him and kept looking at the glass. He couldn’t figure out what was going through her mind. That was a ridiculous thing to say and she didn’t seem freaked out at all. Was she going just as crazy as he was? At least they’d be in good company together.

  They wandered in and out of different stores on their way towards the Malecon. She let him buy her a few summer dresses. As they passed the flea market, the store attendants became more and more aggressive for their patronage. Derek began holding Nicole’s hand and by the fourth or fifth stall, he had his arm protectively around her. Though he had always found the salesmen’s incessant hounding rather annoying, this was the first time it bordered on harassment. When one man grabbed Nicole’s arm to stop her, Derek almost ripped it off. She seemed a bit surprised by his reaction, but thankful. He could tell that she didn’t want the man touching her either.

  “Thanks,” she said as they walked off to the sound of the man yelling at them in Spanish.

  “Anytime, love. No one should ever touch a woman without her consent even if it was just to get you to shop in his store.”

  He gave her quick squeeze and he loved how she leaned her head against his shoulder as they continued walking. Giving her a quick kiss on the head, he led them toward a makeshift bar just off the street. It was a little outdoor restaurant he loved, with tables that led all the way up into the sand and stopped just as the beach chairs began. He could tell Nicole liked it by the way her face lit up when she realized where they were going.

  “This place is great,” she said, “Are we stopping for a beer?”

  “It’s one of my favorites,” he told her, “It may have been one of your father’s as well. It’s been here forever, though the name has changed a few dozen times as different families run it.”

  “I would bet Dad liked it,” she responded, “Look at that amazing view of the water.” The sky was painted with a beautiful mixture of colors. And as the sun crept closer to the ocean, it sparkled as if a layer of diamonds had settled on top of the water. The people on the beach were black silhouettes as they lounged after a day in the sun.

  He sat down on a barstool and, without another thought, decided this could be the perfect place for a first kiss. He lightly pulled her body between his legs and put his hands on her hips. She freely leaned her body in, dangerously close, and his heart practically leapt from his chest. “What are we doing?” she questioned, but he knew she was asking herself more than him.

  “Doing something I’ve wanted to since the second I saw you,” was all he could say before he leaned his head in the final few inches and took her mouth in his. He was too far gone to test the waters with a soft kiss. So he grabbed the back of her neck and parted her lips to explore her mouth. Her eagerness met his as her arms came around him to deepen the kiss. He could feel the weight of her body on him, her breasts pressed hard against his chest. Neither of them could seem to get enough. Right there in a sleepy little bar on the beach, they were exploring each other with an intensity that could easily grow out of control. With that realization, he forced himself to slow his pace. He savored one last sweet taste and leaned back to look at her.

  “Wow,” she said, breathless.

  “Wow, as in…as good as the quesadillas?” he raised his eyebrow and smirked.

  “Hmm, that’s quite a toss-up,” she joked before adding, “It was far better than I had imagined.”

  “I’m glad you were imagining me, love. You had better have a seat or we may be skipping dinner all together.” She laughed as she stepped away and sat down next to him. The bartender, who had seemed to be giving them a bit of privacy, came over to offer them some drinks.

  Stopping for a quick shot or beer and quickly moving on was one of his favorite ways to spend time. They each took their shot of tequila and swung back some beer. “Tell me something about your father,” he said to Nicole as she looked out over the ocean.

  “He was amazing. I’m sure taking care of a daughter all by himself must have been hard, but I never heard him complain. He put his career goals on hold until I was old enough and he could travel again.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He ended up practically running a company that did the computer systems for hotels and resorts.”

  Derek was taken a bit by surprise. He never worked closely with that part of the business, but it was still the same industry. He knew enough to be dangerous when it came to the computer systems in the hotels. He could run reports and luckily there were only a few major companies that seemed to have a majority of the business worldwide. What if her father had worked for one of them? What if he had been visiting one of Derek’s properties and their paths had crossed? So many scenarios flooded his head. Trying to seem casual, he asked, “What company did he work for?”

  “POS International,” she replied. He knew exactly who they were, but he wasn’t sure how to tell her that just yet. He was trying to stay present in the conversation and think over the past decade of people he may have met. He was pretty good with names. Bill James, though, wasn’t ringing any bells at the moment.

  Luckily, Nicole went on, “He oversaw the installation and training departments for the entire company. Once I was out of college, he felt comfortable traveling and shot right to the top of his company. He spent most of his time traveling around to different resorts and doing quality control visits. He was really smart, though you couldn’t always tell by looking at him. He’d show up to meetings in jeans and a t-shirt and no one would take him seriously. They soon learned to though.”

  She was proud of him. He could see it in her eyes. He remembered from their first conversation that she was a writer for a magazine, but not much more than that. What was the name of the magazine again? “Tell me more about what you write,” he suggested. Normally he asked few questions about what a woman did so that it didn’t lead more into his work. He had the means to spoil each and every woman on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, yet he had always been too guarded to do that. He kept his success hidden. He had created so much for himself, but had never really been able to share it with someone. His company owned a private jet and his only travel companion so far was Gael.

  “Oh, Chicago Home Magazine?” Nicole said, rather unenthusiastically, “I write for a column about weddings, the who’s who of Chicago mostly.”

  “You don’t like it?”

  “I love weddings honestly, that part is great. Weddings, planning especially, can be hectic and horrible.
I get to write about the beautiful result of all that suffering. It’s the magazine itself I’m getting sick of. My boss is kind of a jerk and I’m over it. But bills gotta get paid, right?” She winked at him and took another drink of her beer.

  He couldn’t believe how much he wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to worry about paying another bill for her entire life. Trying to take his mind off of that thought, he looked at his watch and asked, “Shall we go to dinner?”

  “Yes, I’m so excited to try this restaurant,” she responded, “I’m in Mexico, but my father swore this was the best Italian food he had ever had.”

  “He wasn’t wrong. You’re going to love it.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Nicole loved the look of the restaurant. It was right on the Malecon and as they approached, she saw numerous couples waiting outside. She was starving, but figured it would be worth the wait. Keeping her hand in his, Derek greeted the little hostess and kissed her cheek. Her face brightened and Nicole realized she would need to get used to that happening while they were together in Mexico. Derek was so handsome; any woman would be excited to get attention from him.

  Though there seemed to be quite a wait, the hostess walked them upstairs to a table with a perfect view. Nicole stopped and absorbed the ambiance of the little place. She could see why her dad had loved it. The walls were white with green vines woven all along the wooden rails on the staircase and the walls. There was a tiny bar in the back that seemed to be used by the servers more than guests. It looked as if the ivy crept around the bar as well.