by Tia Wylder
I rolled my eyes. “Now you sound crazy,” I said. “Just because the man is a lunatic doesn’t mean that he’s capable of controlling the weather.”
Barnes snorted. “For someone as smart as you, you can be pretty fucking stupid sometimes,” he replied. “I didn’t mean Franchot controlled the weather – he’s not a deity, for Christ sake. I meant that he destroyed the property himself and blamed the damage on the hurricane.”
Barnes’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. For a moment, I thought I was going to pass out. I gripped the edge of my counter and took a deep breath.
“So, you basically have to go down there and cover your ass,” Barnes said. “Because if you don’t, I guarantee everything is going to be ruined when the storm is over.”
Instead of replying, I turned my attention back to the news station. The large white swirl in the center of the screen looked ominous, but I wasn’t going to let Franchot destroy me and what I hoped to build in Nassau. Losing the new property would be huge. It was a hit that Trident Gold wouldn’t be able to take.
“You’re right,” I said, swallowing. “I have to go.”
“Good man,” Barnes said. “I’m sorry you have to do this.”
“Yeah,” I said, closing my eyes and thinking of the last time I was in Nassau for a hurricane. “Me, too.” I sighed. “But it’s what the company needs, and I’m not going to let anyone down.”
Barnes and I hung up, and I flopped on the couch and changed the channel. I couldn’t handle it anymore – the relentless coverage of the growing storm was making me anxious and upset.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch a commercial flight to Nassau. The television showed that most of the major airports were closed, and Miami likely wouldn’t be open by the time we could get there. Instead, I called my pilot, Rico, and told him that we had to leave for Nassau at once.
I packed a suitcase full of bottled water and food that could be safely stored at room temperature before throwing a bunch of clothes into my laptop bag. As I rode out of Boston, towards the small airstrip, I felt grim and nervous. I was well-aware that this could be the last time I saw my home city.
I could die there, I thought as I boarded the plane. The weather in Boston was sunny but cold, and I shivered at the thought of lashing wind and rain. Still, I was determined not to dwell on the negatives. Hopefully the storm wouldn’t progress from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and hopefully, Franchot wouldn’t have had time to put his mittens all over my property by the time he arrived. The thought of catching him in the act took some of the stress away. After all, if Franchot could survive the storm, so could I.
Halfway through the trip, the weather started to turn. I could tell Rico was getting nervous, but he handled the plane with expert hands as we glided through dark grey clouds and flashes of lightning. I took a book out of my bag and tried to read, but I couldn’t concentrate. All I could think about was the storm. For a few moments, even Adele was pushed out of my head as I thought about what I’d have to do in order to survive.
“Sir, you may want to buckle your seatbelt!” Rico called from the cockpit. “It’s going to be a bit bumpy.”
My hands went cold and sweaty, and I gripped the armrests. I wouldn’t have admitted it for all the money in the world, but flying had always made me a little nervous. I knew that turbulence itself wasn’t dangerous, but it was unsettling to bounce around in the air like the insignificant creature that I was.
True to Rico’s word, the turbulence increased. My book bounced from my lap and landed on the floor of the plane with a soft thud, and I knocked back the rest of my whiskey in an effort to calm myself. It didn’t work. If anything, the alcohol made me feel worse. My hands were trembling and shaking, but I could no longer tell if it was because of the turbulent flight or my anxiety.
“Rico,” I called. “Are you okay?”
There was no answer, and I knew Rico had to be concentrating hard. I decided that when we were both safely back in Boston, I was going to give him a massive pay raise.
The plane bounced and jolted in the air, dropping at an alarming rate. I closed my eyes tightly and tightened the buckle of my seatbelt, trying to press myself tightly into the seat as if it would protect me. I tried to remember the safety instructions I’d heard long ago, but it had been years since I’d paid attention to the instructions of a flight attendant. I took a deep breath, trying to focus.
I cried out as the plane lurched sharply to the side. The overhead compartments opened and my suitcases fell crashing to the floor as oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. Just then, I noticed that it was getting harder to breathe. My lungs burned as I fumbled with one of the flimsy masks, securing the elastic behind my head and sucking in until the bag began to inflate.
The plane dropped again, sending my stomach all the way up my throat. That was when I heard it. The terrible, loud roar of the storm. This is it, I thought. I’m going to die. The thought filled me with a cold, blind panic. For the first time since that morning, I felt fully awake. It was as if I could feel the blood pumping rapidly through my veins, sustaining me in this moment of horror that I couldn’t quite manage to get past.
When I heard Rico screaming “Mayday! Mayday!” from the cockpit, a strange calm feeling descended over me. I knew I was going to die – this was it, and there was no going around it.
Adele’s face swam to the surface of my mind. Adele, I thought as the plane careened through the sky. I’m so sorry. More than anything, I wished I could talk to Adele, to tell her how very sorry I was, to make her understand that she was brilliant and beautiful and lovable.
It was the last thing I thought before I passed out.
--
Something cold and wet was dripping on my face. Groaning, I reached up and tried to pull my blankets over my head to keep me dry. But my blankets weren’t there, and my bed suddenly felt as hard as a rock.
Oh my god, I realized as my eyes flew open. I’m not dead!
I was sitting on the beach of the Hotel St. Charles, soaked to the skin. The skies were dark and angry and grey, and rain was pouring down at a torrential speed. My heart sank when I realized there was no sign of my plane or Rico. Guilt washed over me in a tidal wave.
My whole body was sore and stiff. I groaned in pain as I climbed to my feet and brushed my shaking hands off on my soaked pants. The air was so heavy and thick that I could hardly see, but I knew the hotel couldn’t be far off. I wanted to look for Rico and the wreckage of the plane, but there was no time. Instead, I began trudging up the beach. The ocean was angry and foaming – the waves were bigger than I’d ever seen them – and I felt utterly defeated as I found the wooden stairs that led to the back entrance of the hotel. All of the patio furniture was missing, and the hotel was dark. Still, it would be a safe place to hide and take cover until the storm had passed.
The hotel loomed ahead. The doors were locked, but I broke a pane of glass, punching it and cutting my hand with the sharp shards. Wincing in pain, I reached inside and flicked open the lock The door swung open easily, and I darted inside before closing the door behind me. My hand was bleeding profusely from the glass, but there was nothing I could do about it now. The pain shooting up my arm mingled with the guilt I felt about Rico. Adrenaline was pumping through my body as I made my way through the evacuated hotel – how the fuck could I have been so stupid, and so selfish?
Rico, I’m so sorry, I thought as I glanced outside at the raging storm. I never should have put you in such a dangerous position.
But it was too late. Rico was dead, and it was all my fault. And now I was stuck, alone, on this island all by myself while a powerful storm raged all around me.
Chapter Thirteen
Adele
When I left Jack’s apartment, I was so upset that I couldn’t even think straight. I didn’t know who I was more angry with – Jack or myself – and I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked through the snowy streets of Boston until it was nearly light outside.
“Hey,” I said softly, slipping into a chair next to her. “Have you been up all night?”
Lisa looked up at me and blinked. There were noticeable dark circles under her eyes, and her glasses gave her the look of an owl. Her red hair was mussed, and there was a smudge of ink on her cheek where she’d wiped her face.
“Oh my god,” Lisa said, closing her eyes and groaning. “You’re not telling me that it’s daytime already!”
I smirked. “Yeah,” I said. “Look outside.”
Lisa got to her feet with a heavy sigh and peered out the kitchen window. As the bright yellow flashes of early Boston sunrise reflected against the glass, she moaned.
“I can’t believe it, I stayed up all night reading.”
Better than what I stayed up all night doing, I thought as a hot flush spread across my cheeks.
Lisa caught my eye before I could look away. “I bet you had a fun night,” she said drily. “Were you with Jack?”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “Um, we were talking about Franchot.”
Lisa snorted. “Just because I have relatively limited male experience doesn’t mean you’re a good liar,” she said in a pedantic voice. “You can be honest with me, Adele.” She turned to me and narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her narrow chest.
“We slept together,” I said flatly. “Is there any beer?”
Lisa’s jaw dropped. “Adele, it’s like, seven in the morning!”
“After the night I had, I need a drink,” I said, opening the fridge and reaching inside. Sure enough, two green glass bottles of cold beer stared back at me. “Want one?”
Lisa hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “Why the hell not. It’s not like I’m going to amount to much today, anyway.” She yawned widely, covering her mouth with both hands.
I twisted the caps off the bottles of beer and passed one over to her. Lisa took it from my hands, and we clinked them together before taking a long drink. Even though I was still frozen from my late-night walk, the beer tasted good.
“So,” Lisa said. “You’ve got to tell me everything.”
“Well, he’s got a team of lawyers looking into Franchot,” I said. “And other than that, I’m not really sure what else I can do at the moment.” I shrugged, feeling helpless. “I don’t have the kinds of resources that Jack does. That’s why I need his help,” I added sharply.
Lisa narrowed her eyes and gave me a strange look. “Adele, calm down,” she said before taking a long swig from her bottle. “I’m not interrogating you or anything.” She chuckled. “Do you actually like the guy?”
I bit my lip and wrinkled my nose in an attempt to hide the fact that I was blushing. As I took a long sip of beer, I thought about it. Jack Nathan was unlike any other man I’d ever met. He was handsome, smart, successful…and a huge pain in the ass when he wanted to be.
And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Ever. It was like he was always at the front of my mind, ready to pop out when I least expected it. He was in my waking dreams and my dreams at night in bed. He was the first thing I thought of in the morning…and usually the last thing I thought about at night, if I’m being honest with myself.
“Well?” Lisa cocked her head to the side and smiled. “I think you do like him.”
“But I can’t like him,” I said stubbornly as I flopped down into a kitchen chair. I reached down and unfastened the clasps of my boots, pulling them off one by one.
“Why not?” Lisa narrowed her eyes. “He’s a guy. He obviously likes you.”
“But…but…”
“He’s unethical?” Lisa snorted. “Honey, if you wait around for a man who agrees with everything you have to say, I’m not sure you’re ever going to find one. I say fuck it – just date him, and be happy about it. Jack seems like a good guy.”
I sighed. “Sometimes he does,” I replied. “That’s the problem, you know. It’s like sometimes he’s so charming that I feel like my pants are going to fall off. And then sometimes, he seems so selfish and pigheaded that I’m not sure what to think. It’s like, he cares about his company more than anything else on the planet.”
“Well, he is the CEO of a huge luxury company,” Lisa said drily. “That’s not impossible to imagine. What, are you worried you’re going to come second?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head and easing my socks off. The radiator next to the table was warm and dry, and I sighed softly as I put my bare feet on top. “I’m worried that I’m going to compromise my own values because of him. I’m worried that I’m going to fall in love with him and that will somehow make me stop caring about the environment.”
Lisa frowned. “But you haven’t even given him much of a chance, have you? You always run away.”
“How do you know that?” I squinted at her.
Lisa flushed. “I don’t,” she said. “Well, I mean, I guess I do now. But I was just guessing. You’ve been acting so strangely the past few weeks that I’m not quite sure what to think.”
I frowned. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I guess so.”
“Well, you know you can always do whatever you want, and I won’t judge you,” Lisa said. She finished the last of her beer and set the empty bottle down on the table. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I…” I trailed off, gnawing on my lip until the bitter, iron-like taste of blood seeped into my mouth. “I don’t know what I want.”
Lisa snorted. “Adele, you sound like a guy,” she said. “Just make up your mind. Why not try something with him, and see where it goes?”
“One thing at a time,” I said grimly. “We have to take down Franchot – that’s what’s important right now.”
Lisa rolled her eyes and got to her feet. She yawned again and balled her hands into fists, rubbing at her eyes and pushing her glasses to the top of her head.
“I’m going to bed,” Lisa said. “I’ve been up all night. What are you doing today?”
I glanced outside. It was sunny and bright, deceptively warm-looking for such a cold day.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I should get to the library and work.” I yawned. “But maybe I’ll lie down for a little while, too.”
Lisa shrugged again. “If you go out later, we’re out of milk,” she said.
I nodded. “I’ll pick some up later.”
I went into my room and stripped down to my panties before climbing into bed. The sheets were cold against my skin, but after a few moments of burrowing under the covers, I felt much better. But now that I was lying down, I felt more awake than ever. Jack was still occupying my mind, and I wondered if I’d ever been able to forget him. Was Lisa right, when she said that I was too standoffish?
Should I really try to let something develop naturally between me and Jack?
Or should I stay away – far away – until I forgot all about him?
I shivered as I buried my face under the pillow. My bed was warm and comfortable, but now that I’d begun thinking about Jack, I realized that I wished I hadn’t left his luxurious condo after all. Maybe right now, we’d be waking up together.
Stop it, Adele, I told myself sternly as I shifted and put a wedge of blankets between my knees. You’re turning into a sex-crazed maniac!
Jack was the last thought in my mind before I drifted off into a light, restless sleep.
When I woke up, hours later, the sun was high in the sky, but clouds had begun to appear, and cold hail was falling from the sky. I groaned when I remembered I’d promised to run out and buy milk – the last thing I felt like doing was leaving the warm cocoon of my bed. But I knew a little fresh air would be good for me, and I forced myself out of bed. I pulled on a pair of thermal leggings and a hoodie before tugging on my still-wet snow boots and coat. Outside, the air smelled fresh and crisp, but the sidewalks were icy and slushy. I had to walk carefully down the street a
s I made my way to the bodega in search of milk and maybe a packet of ramen or two.
After I bought some milk, chocolate bars, another six-pack of beer, and a frozen pizza, I started the short trek home. The sun was almost completely gone by now, and I shivered as I waited for the traffic light to change.
“Hey!” I cried out as someone rudely bumped into me. I skidded and slipped and very nearly dropped my paper bag of groceries. “Watch where you’re going!”
To my surprise, the man stopped and gave me a strange look. “Adele?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yeah? What?”