“Wait,” he calls.
I throw my hands up impatiently. “What?”
“Why don’t you give me your number, or rather, I’d like to have it, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Frustration shoots through me like a lightning bolt.
“Here, let me get my phone,” he says, fumbling through his jacket.
I sigh impatiently. “Just take this.” I reach into my purse and pull out a card.
His face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” I say then head to my car. This time, I make it to my vehicle without getting interrupted, get in, and pound my fists against the steering wheel. How could I be so stupid to fall for a guy like Nolan Patrick? Tears start rolling down my cheeks. I remember what Misty said about him—how he played the girls in the Chicago office. I thought it was a lie, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he just wanted a quick fuck after all.
I speed off, and when I get home, I pack, eat dinner, and sleep, hoping for morning to come as soon as it can so that I can escape this cold city and haunting thoughts of Nolan and Kelsey together.
4
A couple of hours before sunset, I land in St. Kitts. I exit the plane on the runway and take a deep breath atop the airstairs. The warm, humid air carries the scent of the ocean. When I get to the tarmac, I look up and behind me. A magnificent volcano is the centerpiece of the island. It can’t be more than just a few miles from where I’m standing. I wonder how things would look from the top.
I walk through the airport, all fifty steps of it, and find Mom and Dad waiting for me. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, and as usual, my mom is looking dapper. Her rosy cheeks are high with a smile, and in an instant, I’m tickled to see her.
My dad looks pretty good, too. He’s wearing shorts, a nice T-shirt, socks, and tennis shoes. The same Coke-bottle glasses adorn his face. I smile at them both, and we hug.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she says.
“Me, too, Mom.” I look at my dad.
“How are you, sweetie?” he asks.
I shrug coolly. “I’m fine.”
“Well you don’t look so fine,” Mom says.
I touch the skin under my eye. It’s tender because I’m exhausted, even though I slept throughout the entire flight in order to avoid thoughts of Nolan and Kelsey together.
“It’s been a long week,” I say.
Mom puts her arm around my shoulders. “Well, welcome to vacation, baby. Everybody needs one.”
She kisses my forehead, then we get my luggage and head to the car.
Once we’re on the road, I roll my window down. Wow. We’re surrounded by beaches. We pass some places that look like condos, and shortly after that, we pull into an impressive resort.
“Where is Brian?” I ask.
“Your brother has gone to the beach,” Mom says.
I should have known. Brian loves the ocean. I can’t wait to join him. We get to the villa, and I put my suitcase in my room.
“Dinner will be at eight o’clock,” my mom hollers from the other room.
“Thanks!” I shout back. I put on a light dress and my flip-flops then head out to find Brian.
The good thing is all I have to do is open this sliding glass door, and I’m there. I walk to the sandy shore, and as I get closer to the ocean, I can see my brother in the water. He waves, and I wave back.
“Are you coming in?” he calls.
I cup my hands around my mouth and yell, “Not today. Maybe tomorrow!”
Brian shows me an “a-okay” sign and dives into the crystal-clear water.
I stand in place and admire my surroundings. The rhythm of the water rolling onto the beach and back to sea again makes me feel like I can forget everything.
Five minutes later, Brian is making his way toward me. “Hey, sis,” he says, dripping with water.
“Hey, Brian, how are you?”
“Pretty good, and you?”
“I’m pretty good, too.”
“I would hug you, but I don’t want to get you wet,” he says.
“That’s okay.” I grab him and hug him anyway.
We walk back to the villa, grab a beer, and sit on the patio to watch the sun set. Brian updates me on his job, his love life, which is non-existent, and his intention to travel to the Galapagos Islands in the spring. I don’t tell him anything about Nolan because I don’t think there is anything to tell.
After the sun sets, we go inside and get ready for dinner. After we are dressed, Mom, Dad, Brian, and I walk over to the resort restaurant. We are quickly seated. My parents spend the first half of the night talking about all of the fun they’ve had traveling this year. Mom won’t stop talking about how much Dad fishes with his shirt off and how he keeps getting a bad sunburn. Some of their stories are so outlandish that Brian and I can’t stop laughing.
“When we were in Madrid, watching flamenco dancers, one of them kept clapping her little clappers in your father’s face,” Mom says, sounding entertained.
Brian pats Dad on the back. “That’s because you’re hot, Dad.”
I want to laugh my head off, but a veil of sadness keeps me from having as much fun as I know I could have.
“So what did you do, Mom?” Brian asks.
“I asked if she could give me a lap dance, too!”
That gets me to chuckle a little. I look away from the table, and across the dining room, I connect eyes with someone who looks familiar. I tap Brian on the shoulder.
“Hey, is that the Christensens?” I ask.
He stares across the room. “Yeah, I think so. Hey, Dad, look who’s here.”
Dad turns, and the Christensens see us and wave.
“Come on over,” my dad says.
We add an extra table, and Tom and his family join us. His son, Daniel, sits next to me. He and I are the same age. I haven’t seen him for a few years, but he still has those same green eyes and delectable lips. We smile at each other, and for a moment, I forget Nolan Patrick exists.
“So, Tom, how’s it been?” my dad asks.
“Fine, Jerry,” he says.
“Oh, there you two go again. It’s already the Tom and Jerry show,” my mom says.
Only the parents laugh.
“I see you still got it, Judy,” Sharon, Daniel’s mother, says.
There’s more laughing, and before long, they are all getting caught up on what’s happened since they last saw each other.
“You look great, Abby,” Daniel says.
I turn, and our noses nearly touch. “Thank you. So do you.” I lean back to put some space between us.
“When was the last time we saw each other?”
I put my finger to my lip to think. “Was it four years ago?”
“Something like that.” He shifts in his seat and leans in close again. “Boy, have you changed. I hardly recognized you. Did you see me looking at you?”
I lean back again. “Yeah,” I say while I nod. This is feeling very uncomfortable. But I’m also intrigued. They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. He’s cute, other than the fact that he’s looking at me as if I’m a fish taco and he hasn’t eaten in a decade.
“So how’s your trip been?” he asks.
“Just got here today.”
He taps his fingers nervously on the table. “Wow, you’re beautiful. Do you have a boyfriend?”
I’m not sure how to answer that. If he had asked me a week ago, I probably would’ve said yes. But now, I have no prospects. “Nope.”
The waiter sets our food on our table, and our parents admire each other’s dishes. I ordered the pan-seared scallops with asparagus. One bite, and I’m in love with the taste.
“So, Abby…” Daniel stops cutting into his steak.
I’m chewing. “Um-hum.”
“I rented a yacht.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I’m planning a party for the day after Christmas.”
“You are?”
He flexes his eyebrows flirtatiously. “I would like for you to come.”
You can do this, Abby, I say to myself. He’s cute and rich, and I’ve known him since my family started vacationing on St. Kitts for Christmas six years ago. Of course an invitation to a party isn’t a marriage proposal or some kind of declaration of love. However, it’s a start… the beginning of getting Nolan Patrick out of my head.
“Sure,” I say. “What time does it start?”
“We dock at three o’clock.”
* * *
For the rest of dinner, our parents drag us into their conversations about the difference between current pop culture and yesteryear. It’s so funny to hear them say things like “big booty” and “so hot” and discuss the meaning of acronyms like LOL and WTF. All the while, Daniel constantly brushes his leg and arm against mine. I figure it’s his way of telling me that he’s interested.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up to Bing Crosby’s Christmas music. It feels a little odd, looking out the window and not seeing snow. But I’ll take the ocean any day. I grab my phone and hug it against my chest, wondering if Nolan has sent any messages. I flip it open. “Shoot,” I mutter. I still don’t have a signal—my hopes are deflated once again. I set my phone on the nightstand and drag myself to the kitchen. “Cheer up, Abby,” I say. It’s Christmas. Plus I can smell my mom’s quiche dish, and it’s one of my favorites.
“Good morning, Mom,” I say as I enter the kitchen and kiss her on the cheek.
She kisses me back. “Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?” she asks.
I yawn and stretch my hands in the air. “Like a rock.”
She glances at me with a giddy look in her eyes as she cuts up pineapple. “I saw you talking to Daniel last night.”
“Yeah, he was sitting right next to me.” I try to avoid where she’s going with this.
“He’s very handsome.”
I exhale. “Yes, he is.”
“Did I see sparks flying between the two of you?”
I stand next to her and help cut the pineapple. I give her a look, and she chuckles.
“Okay, I’ll stay out of it,” she says.
I smile appreciatively. “Thank you.”
Mom opens the oven to take the quiche out. “But he is cute…”
I roll my eyes a little. “That’s not staying out of it, Mom, but I guess I should tell you that he invited me to a party he’s having on a yacht tomorrow.”
Mom’s eyes widen with intrigue. “Oh... Okay…”
I shake my finger at her playfully. “But don’t read into it. It’s just a party.”
She rubs my shoulder. “Darling, you know me better than that. Your life is your own, but I’m even happier when you’re happy.”
I pat her hand. “I know, Mom.”
We kiss each other again on the cheek and finish cooking. When we’re done, we set the table, and Dad and Brian join us for our traditional Christmas breakfast. Later, we go into the living room, near the big window overlooking the sea, and open our gifts.
My mom and dad give me a diamond pendant, and my brother gets an expensive watch. I give my mom a crocheted blanket that I bought from Miss Things, a store where everything is handmade. I give my dad a captain’s hat to wear while fishing, and Brian gets a state-of-the-art compass. Brian gives me a five-hundred-dollar American Express gift card.
We sit around and talk some more, and we even sing cheesy Bing Crosby Christmas songs together. Later, we watch It’s A Wonderful Life for what feels like the thousandth time. When evening arrives, we head down to the beach to build a bonfire and make s’mores, drink hot toddies, and sing more Christmas songs out of key.
As usual, this Christmas tops last Christmas. By the time the fire dies down, I’ve had one hot toddy too many, and I stumble to my bed. Then I’m out like a light.
I wake up late the next morning. Fortunately, I don’t have a hangover. Unfortunately, I have Nolan on the brain. I shake my head, trying to get him out of there, hop out of bed, and go brush my teeth and wash my face. This afternoon, I have a party on a yacht to attend. Suddenly, I’m sort of nervous about going. Part of me would rather skip the soirée, and part of me is in love with the idea of replacing Nolan with Daniel.
I put on a strappy sundress that has a floral pattern and skip to the kitchen to say hi to my parents. They’re not home, but they left a note on the table. I pick it up and read it.
“Abby, we’ve gone snorkeling with the Christensens. Brian is with us. Have fun at the party. Love, Mom.”
I put it on the counter and make myself a late breakfast—two pieces of toast, scrambled eggs, and a slice of leftover Christmas ham. After I’m done eating, I look at my watch—one hour before the party starts. I grab my gumption and my purse and walk to the docks.
One mile later, I see the boat. It looks like it is straight out of an episode of Lifestyles of the Immensely Rich and Famous starring Lloyd Bennet, that English actor. It has three decks and is five times longer than my house. I can hear the techno music from here. It’s loud. I want to run away from it, but instead I walk toward it.
I get onto the boat and see lights from a disco ball circling the main cabin, along with people dancing. I wonder if I’m late.
“You made it!”
I turn 180 degrees, and there’s Daniel. His eyes are red. It looks like he’s already started drinking, and heavily.
“I did,” I say with manufactured enthusiasm.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks.
“After last night, I think I’ve had enough for right now. A water would be fine.”
He blinks as though I just spoke in a language that he can’t understand. “All right then, I’ll be back.”
I watch him walk away. I might be seeing things, but I think I saw him wink at a blonde in a red bikini. There are a lot of women wearing bikinis and mini skirts that are so short, they’re incredibly close to giving us a peep show. All of them are drunk, I think.
A long time goes by, and Daniel still hasn’t come back. More people have arrived, and they all seem to know each other, making me feel like the odd man out. Feeling antsy, I decide to look for Daniel, but first, I have to find the ladies’ room. A couple of guys wink at me while walking down the hallway. I make it to the stairs and walk down to the next level. It’s slightly quieter down here. There is a door to my left. It looks like it could be a bathroom. I knock on the door and wait a few seconds. No one answers. I turn the knob, and it’s locked. I move on.
I check a couple more doors. All of them are locked.
“Looking for something?” a guy asks. I turn around and look at the other end of the hallway. He’s not Daniel, but he’s drunk and grinning from ear to ear.
“Restroom,” I say.
“Oh, I can show you if you want,” he slurs.
“Nope. Just tell me where it is.” I’m getting irritated.
“You sure?”
“Never mind.” I lift a hand and hurry up and get out of his sight.
I take the stairs down to the bottom level. There are only two doors, one on each end. One has to be the bathroom. The one closest is locked. I try the next. It’s unlocked. I open it, and I cannot believe what my eyes are seeing.
Daniel’s face is between the blonde’s legs—the one in the red bikini—and he’s sniffing lines of coke from her vagina to her belly button.
He looks up at me and jumps off the bed. “Abby?”
My jaw is on the floor.
“I was just…”
I turn and run out of there as fast as I can. Up the stairs I go, pushing past party guests. Curious eyes watch me, but I don’t care. I race down the dock, along the boardwalk, until I reach the sand of the beach. I bend over and grab my knees to catch my breath. I look out into the ocean, and to my surprise, I see Brian waving at me. In his other hand, he’s holding his snorkel mask and fins. Suddenly, an emotion washes over me. I fall to my knees, put my hands over my face
and cry.
Brian runs to me, kicking up sand in his tracks.
“Abby, what’s going on with you?” He takes me by the arms.
I press my face against his chest. “Everything is just wrong.”
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you go to a party on Daniel’s yacht? Where’s Daniel?” He sounds angry.
“I don’t care about Daniel.”
He pushes me back and looks me directly in the eyes. “What did he do to you, Abs?” Brian is steaming hot, ready to defend my honor.
“Nothing. It’s Nolan.”
“Nolan? Who’s Nolan?”
“He’s my boss.”
“Your what? Your boss is here?”
I can tell that I’ve confused the heck out of Brian. I’m frantic and out of control. I’m not even making sense to myself! I take a deep breath and rise to my feet.
“No, my boss isn’t here, and Daniel didn’t do anything to me other than crush my ego.”
Brian sighs. “Come on, let me walk you back to the villa.”
I take the mask and snorkel from him. “At least let me carry these.”
He puts his arm around my shoulders, and we walk up the beach.
“So, what’s this about your boss?” he says.
I shake my head. “Nothing. I just made a mistake with him.”
“What kind of mistake?”
“The ultimate, Brian. The kind you’re not supposed to make with your boss.”
He looks at me with narrowed eyes. “You slept with your boss, Abs?”
I drop my face. “I did.”
“What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t… I mean I was. I just thought we would become something bigger. And now I have to go back to that job.”
Brian gets quiet. I can tell that I just put a lot on his mind.
“What is it?” I say.
“I’m just wondering what you’re doing at that job anyway.”
“Huh, what do you mean?”
“Do you really like it there?”
“Yeah, or, I mean, I guess. It pays the bills.”
“Exactly.”
Now he’s got me confused. “Exactly, what do you mean ‘exactly’?”
The Sexy Boss - Sedition: Book Two Page 3