by Claire Adams
“It’s just a question,” he said. “The lady can answer one question. Can’t you?”
The waitress shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her cheeks were bright red. Working at a high-class resort, she probably didn’t have to deal with slimeballs like Jim often. I fought the urge to jump between them.
“No,” the waitress finally said. “No, I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
“There you have it,” I said. “Now, leave her alone.”
“Why not?”
“Jim,” Stan said. “Come on, leave the girl alone.”
“I wouldn’t sleep with him because he’s married,” the waitress said boldly. “Not only is he wearing a wedding ring, but I’ve seen him and his wife together for over a week now.”
“Oh!” Jim said with a guffaw. “See there? She only rejected you because of Eloise, Stan. Don’t feel bad.”
Jim finally let the waitress slide past him. I watched as she hurried behind the bar, her cheeks still flushed red. At that moment, I’d never hated Jim more.
“Eloise is holding you back,” he teased Stan. “Cut her loose, and you’d have all kinds of women.”
“Thanks for the drinks,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With that, I pushed myself back from the table and climbed to my feet. Jim and Stan watched me go. Jim looked confused, but Stan just seemed worried. He was probably concerned that I might tell Eloise about the events of the evening, but even I wouldn’t sink that low. Not only would it hurt Stan, but it would hurt Eloise more. For all her faults, she didn’t deserve that.
I was still fuming when I made it back to the bungalow. Josie was asleep on the couch, curled up into a ball with a blanket thrown over her. Marissa was sitting beside her, watching the end of a kid’s movie I’d never seen.
“How were the drinks?” she asked quietly.
“Not nearly strong enough,” I said.
Without another word, I disappeared into the master bedroom. Josie could have the couch that night. I needed time to myself. I closed the door behind me and sunk down onto the bed. It wasn’t often that I questioned my life’s choices, but after that incident, I wondered why I even continued to associate with Jim or Stan.
***
I woke the next morning determined to spend the day away from the resort. The last thing I needed was to run into Stan, Jim, or their wives.
“What do you think about heading to Newport for the day?” I asked Josie and Marissa over breakfast. “We could do some shopping. Maybe have dinner.”
“Don’t you have a tee time today?” Marissa asked, confused.
“Not anymore,” I said simply.
My mood had improved, but not much. I was still fuming over the night before. That poor waitress’ face was permanently burned inside my brain.
“That sounds like fun,” Marissa said. “What do you think, Josie?”
“Sure,” Josie said with a shrug.
The three of us got ready and headed toward the lobby. I had already ordered us a car, and it was waiting just outside. As I held the door open for Josie and Marissa, a loud cackle drew my attention. I would have known that laugh anywhere.
“Where are you three off to?” Eloise asked as she bounced toward us, her arm linked with Tina’s.
“Newport,” I said. “I’m taking the girls to do a little shopping.”
“I can do that!” Eloise offered. “Otherwise you might miss your tee time, Dirk.”
“That’s okay,” I said firmly. “I think I’d like to spend the day with my girls.”
Eloise pursed her lips. She knew better than to argue, but that didn’t stop her from glaring at us as we climbed into the car.
“She’s not happy,” Marissa said softly.
“Is she ever happy?” Josie asked.
Marissa and I both laughed as the car drove away from the resort. The further we drove, the more relaxed I became. Just putting distance between myself and those people was enough to lift my spirits.
We arrived in Newport just before lunchtime. I took the girls to a few shops I thought they might like, buying Josie whatever she asked for and insisting that Marissa pick out a few things.
“I couldn’t,” Marissa said. “Everything is too expensive.”
“It’s my gift to you,” I said simply.
Eventually, she relented, but only because I agreed to let her pay for lunch. It went against my better judgment, but I knew it was important to her. Even on a trip like this, she still found a way to be self-sufficient. I admired her more than half the men I’d worked with for the last decade.
After lunch, we kept walking around Newport. It wasn’t until we hit our fourth shop of the day that I realized I’d been holding Marissa’s hand since lunch. It had become our habit whenever we were around the resort. It helped sell our image as a happy couple. Still, it was never part of the deal to show affection in private.
No one was around now. My friends were safely back at the resort, and I knew they wouldn’t venture into Newport anytime soon. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. I gripped her hand gently in mine, our finger intertwined.
I wondered if it made her uncomfortable. She didn’t show any signs of wanting to let go, but I was afraid she was only going along with it for me.
“I guess we don’t need to hold hands,” I said with a laugh once Josie was out of earshot. “I’m just in the habit of it now.”
“I don’t mind.” Marissa smiled and squeezed my hand, pulling me forward to join Josie at the window display.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter and shopping. I spoiled both Josie and Marissa, buying things I knew they didn’t really need. Part of me just wanted to make them happy, to see them smile. A bigger part of me hoped I could make up for forcing them to be around Stanley and Eloise. I could tell their presence was beginning to wear on Marissa. I wasn’t the only one who needed a day away from them.
When it was finally time for dinner, we found a quiet restaurant. Marissa helped Josie cut her food, and by the time our dessert was finished, so was Josie. She was drifting off to sleep before I could scoop her into my arms.
The drive back to the resort was quiet. I held Josie close next to me while Marissa gazed out the window, watching the sun set over the ocean. Her brown eyes gave away nothing. I wondered what she was thinking, if she was happy to be with us or just content to work a job. It was always hard to read her mind. She wasn’t an open book, though I often wished she was.
“Can I ask you something?” Marissa finally said as we neared the resort.
“Sure.” I nodded.
“What happened last night?”
I hesitated. Marissa’s opinion of Jim and Stan was bad enough, I wasn’t sure I wanted to make things worse.
“Drinks didn’t go as well as I had hoped,” I said.
“Business?” she asked simply.
“Not exactly.”
She frowned, but I didn’t elaborate. I knew Marissa would be angry if she knew how Jim had treated that waitress. I couldn’t tell her about it, then ask her to be polite to Jim when we saw him next. It wouldn’t have been fair. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and hoped she wouldn’t ask any more questions. Luckily, she didn’t.
I put Josie to bed quickly back at the resort. Marissa and I took up our usual spots on the patio and talked well into the night. Our conversation centered mostly around Josie. It was Marissa’s favorite topic. But around midnight, we veered into dangerous territory.
“About last night,” she began. I felt my chest tighten nervously. “You don’t have to tell me exactly what happened. But, I want you to know that you can. I’m not here to judge anyone, Dirk. I’m just here.”
Her words were a comfort. So I told her everything, not sparing any details, and she didn’t flinch. She didn’t look at me with disgust or question why I didn’t do more to defend the waitress. She kept her promise. She didn’t judge — she was just there.
Chapter Sixteen
&n
bsp; Marissa
After almost two weeks at the resort, Josie was beginning to feel bored and cooped up. I was surprised she’d lasted so long. Despite our frequent trips to arcades and movie theaters, she was still just a little girl and spending time with no one but adults was wearing on her. On Tuesday morning, I snuck down to the lobby to talk to Shawn about something for Josie to do.
“Have you taken her to the pool?” he asked thoughtfully.
I nodded, “Yeah, we’ve gone a couple times, but I think it mostly bores her. She can’t swim well on her own.”
“We have swim lessons!” he said with excitement. “Every afternoon in the summer. They’re at two today.”
“Really?” A wide smile spread across my face. That would be the perfect way to let Josie have some fun.
“Just head down there at two, and I’ll put your name on the list,” he said. “Sign-up ended last night, but that’s not a problem. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Shawn’s eyes were locked on mine as if he were expecting something more than a smile. I wondered if Dirk was right. I quickly said my goodbyes and hurried back to the bungalow where Dirk and Josie were still sleeping.
Finding out about the swim lessons had kicked my imagination into overdrive. I knew Josie was feeling uninspired at the bungalow. Her nanny was back home in New York, so there was no one to keep up with her school lessons. I’d taken it upon myself to quiz her whenever I could, but what she really wanted to work on was German, which I couldn’t help with.
Instead, I decided to make the morning all about Spanish. We hadn’t worked on it anymore after the flight, but I knew Josie would remember everything I taught her. Her memory was excellent. That morning, I designed a little game that would lead us to the pool just in time for her swim lessons.
“Good morning,” Dirk said, sleepily. He met me out on the patio where I was busy finishing up the game for Josie.
“I’m glad you’re up,” I said brightly. “There’s something I wanted to run by you.”
“Sure,” he said. “What is it?”
“Shawn told me about these swim lessons that the resort offers,” I said. “I was thinking I could take Josie today.”
“Sounds great,” he said with a nod. “She’ll love that.”
“Perfect!”
Dirk’s permission heightened my excitement. I rushed through the game quickly, making sure everything was in order before Josie woke up. Dirk watched me work with an amused expression on his face. After a few minutes, I couldn’t ignore him any longer.
“What’s that face?” I asked, glancing up at him.
“What face?” he asked innocently.
“You keep grinning at me,” I said nervously. “It’s creepy.”
“It’s not creepy,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just impressed, that’s all.”
“Impressed?” I raised my eyebrows.
“With you. You’re amazing at this stuff. Josie would be in utter hell without you here.”
“I doubt that,” I laughed. “I’m sure you would have found a perfectly capable nanny to keep her entertained.”
“It’s not the same,” he said. “Her nanny back home is amazing. Josie really loves her, but you’ve become her friend. It’s different, and she needed that.”
I felt my cheeks flush as I looked back down. The pieces of the game were almost finished, and I didn’t know how to respond to Dirk’s compliment. It warmed my heart to hear those words, but it also worried me. What would happen after this trip ended? If Josie had really become attached to me, how would I just quietly slide out of her life?
As the morning drug on, I pushed those thoughts from my mind. Josie woke up soon after and provided a much-needed distraction. Dirk ordered her breakfast while I explained the game I’d made.
“So,” I said, “if you can figure out what each of these Spanish words are, then you’ll crack the clue. What do you think?”
“I can do it,” Josie said, with confidence.
“I never doubted it,” I said as I laughed.
Josie began to look over the game while she waited for her breakfast. She frowned, concentrating hard, and didn’t look up again until her food finally arrived. After she ate, she went back to the game without a word.
Twenty minutes later, she already had half the words worked out. I felt my heart sink. Her swim lesson wasn’t for another hour. If she figured out the whole clue too soon, we would have nothing to do but sit around and wait.
“I should have known you’d be good at this,” I told her when she was almost done. “I can’t believe you’ve almost figured it out already.”
“Not yet,” Josie said. “I’m stuck on these last words. There are only two, but I just can’t seem to figure them out.”
“Well,” I said. “What do you have so far?”
“Vamos a la pi-pi-piscina,” she said. “Which, I think means, ‘We’re going to the pool.’ Right?”
I nodded, and she looked back down at the page. Her tiny little forehead was creased with concern as she struggled through the next part.
“Pu-pu-puedes tom-tomar…” she whispered softly to herself. “Which means, ‘You can take…’ Hmm.’”
She frowned down at the paper and then leaned back in her chair. I almost felt bad for forcing her to complete the puzzle before giving her the prize, but I knew she loved it. Josie adored learning. It was her favorite thing to do.
“Vamos a la piscina,” she said to herself. “Pu-pu-puedes tomar clases de nat-nat-natación.”
I smiled to myself while she worked it through. She was so close to understanding that I could practically see the wheels turning inside her head.
“We’re going to the pool,” she said, looking up at me. “Right?”
“Yes,” I said. “But, what else?”
“It says, ‘You can take swim lessons,’” Josie said. “Is that true? Can I really learn how to swim?”
“Yup,” I said brightly. “They offer lessons here at the resort. What do you think?”
Her eyes filled with light as comprehension dawned on her. She squealed and leaped out of her chair to throw herself into my arms. I laughed and hugged her, breathing in her scent.
“Are you happy?” I asked when she pulled away.
“It’s going to be so much fun!” she said. “I can’t believe it! Thank you, Marissa!”
“We have to wait a couple hours,” I said. “You cracked that puzzle so quick.”
“It was fun, too!” she said. “I like learning that way. I’ve never done a puzzle like that before.”
“You haven’t?” I asked, even more surprised that she cracked it so quickly.
“Nope,” she said. “That’s fun. Can we do more of those?”
“Sure,” I said, with a shrug. “I’ll make up a few more.”
“Great!”
We spent the rest of our time just practicing her Spanish words. She interjected a few French words into the conversation by accident, but she was learning much faster than I thought possible. I knew the next puzzle I designed would have to be more complex.
When it was time for the swim lessons, I took Josie down to the pool and introduced her to the instructor. Dirk was off playing golf with Stan and Jim. I didn’t know what Eloise and Tina were up to — nor did I want to find out. I preferred to just be with Josie.
The lessons were short, but effective. By the end, Josie was confident in the water and even swam a few strokes on her own. After everyone climbed out of the pool, Josie and I climbed back in. She showed me everything she learned before it was time to get ready for dinner.
“Are we meeting Mr. Stan again?” Josie asked as I helped her get dressed.
“Not this time,” I said brightly. “Do you remember the two guys right next door? John and Sammy?”
Josie nodded. “I think so,” she said. “We’ve seen them a couple times.”
“They invited us to dinner tonight,” I said. “Your dad thought
it would be nice to go.”
“Okay.” She shrugged.
I smiled and finished her hair before leading her back into the living room. Dirk was sitting on the couch. He smiled when he saw us, his eyes lingering on my dress for a second longer than usual. I felt my cheeks blush.
“You ready?” he asked.
Josie and I both nodded. He held open the door for us and led the way to the resort lobby. We met John and Sammy there before making our way into the dining room.
Dirk and John worked in the same industry, but John lived in Chicago. I knew Dirk wanted to bond with John on this trip because it would open up a whole new market for his company. When we first met them, I was worried they would be just as vapid as Eloise and Tina, but they were anything but. Sammy surprised me with how kind and funny he was.
“You make me miss my little boy,” he said Josie. “We left him back in Chicago with my mom, but I wish we could have brought him.”
“How old is he?” I asked.
“Five,” he said proudly. “And a little spitfire.”
“That’s how I feel about this one,” I said, pointing to Josie. “I had never met a three-year-old with so much personality.”
“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” he asked. “How different life is with a kid?”
“Well,” I said softly. “Josie isn’t mine. Dirk and I just-”
“Oh, I know,” Sammy said, with a wave of his hand. “But, you’re so good with her. You’re practically a mom to her.”
I smiled, but felt myself grow more uncomfortable. Josie was busy eating her dessert, and Dirk was lost in conversation with John. I was glad they were distracted because I didn’t know how to respond to Sammy’s compliment.
“It’s hard,” he said, gently. It was like he could read my mind. “Being so close to a child who isn’t yours. John and I felt that way when we first adopted Noah, but it got easier. Now, it’s like he was made for us, you know?”
“Sometimes, it is really hard,” I said honestly. “I just worry about overstepping. I don’t want to replace anyone or-”
“From what I’ve seen,” Sammy said kindly. “That’s the last thing you have to worry about.”