by Love, Kimmy
"It's true," Connor insisted. "His father sends him here to do summer placements at one of the hotels he owns to train him for the family business. Edward comes along because his father wants his son nowhere near the family business. They spend the summer doing whatever the hell they want and causing grief for everyone."
"Kaya's right," Suzie chuckled. "You do sound jealous!" She threw her arms around Connor's neck sweetly and planted a teasing kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry, Connor. You're still our number one guy."
Connor sighed, rolled his eyes and shook his head in despair. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
His words played on Kaya's mind and she felt uncomfortable for the rest of the day. She'd come away to experience a different side of life. Had she just been drawn to more of the same? And why hadn't Henry said anything to her about it? She told herself that Connor was mistaken, or jealous and tried to push it to the back of her mind until the end of the day when she and Henry had planned to meet again.
After work, she and Suzie returned to the hostel, where Kaya got changed into another pretty beach dress - this time one that came only to the knee - and then they went their separate ways. Suzie was going to meet Edward somewhere else in the town and Kaya and Henry were reuniting on the pier.
She saw him standing there waiting for her as she arrived, and it made her heart give a little leap again, both from just how incredibly attractive she found him and from memories of the night before that made her feel both a little embarrassed and more than a little turned on.
She approached him and he greeted her with a light kiss on the cheek. He was wearing board shorts again today and another loose cotton shirt with a billowing collar. Somehow, Kaya just couldn't look at him in his flip-flops and baggy shirt and see one of the stuffed shirts from back home.
"How are you today, gorgeous?" Henry greeted with a bright grin.
Kaya smiled. "I'm fine. Yourself?"
"Better for seeing you."
The two began to stroll along and Kaya tried to find a way to broach the subject of finding out whether or not Henry was from a rich family.
"So, tell me more about you."
Henry laughed. "Small talk, huh? What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Where did you grow up? What do you want to be? What do you do in your free time? Anything."
"I grew up in Miami, as you know. I wanted to be a business tycoon, but then quickly realized I had no business skills whatsoever and then when my father died, I started living life for me and I'm still figuring out what comes next. In my free time I like to surf, read and have fun. ...How'd I do?"
Kaya laughed at him. "I'm just curious, that's all. I feel like there's more to you than you're letting on."
Henry came to a stop suddenly, fixed her with a hard critical stare and then rolled his eyes. "Someone's told you about me, haven't they? Well, there goes a good thing."
"I just want to know the truth."
"What truth? That I'm a multi-million, if not a billionaire? Does it matter?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You know, I don't usually say ‘Hi, I'm Henry and I'm a multi-millionaire. Oh wait, forgive me - a billionaire.’"
"I told you about how I felt about rich men and you could have mentioned it. I came out here to find something different. I wanted to get away from all that."
Henry chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Get off your high horse, Kaya! Didn't you have fun last night?" He gave her a suggestive wink. "It sounded like you were having fun."
Kaya blushed again, feeling the heat spreading up her neck. "That's not the point, Henry! You lied to me."
"I didn't lie."
"You withheld."
"So?"
"So, you tricked me."
"Don't give me that. You wanted everything that happened last night as much as I did."
Kaya scowled. "You are just like the others. You think you're entitled to everything. Money, jobs, women. Well, forget it. I'm not bought that easily."
"Pre-prepared that speech, did we? I didn't try and buy you. It never came up."
"It should have come up."
Henry gave a disinterested shrug. "If it bothers you that much, you don't have to see me again, but I think that would be a rash decision. Last night was amazing. Are you going to give up a summer of sex like that for some prejudiced notion about rich men?"
"This wasn't just about sex for me, Henry!" Kaya retorted. "I thought I'd found someone that I could learn from. You told me you'd seen the world."
"I have."
"In your father's hotels?"
"Does it matter?"
Kaya sighed heavily. She felt like an idiot. How had she not seen that Henry had come from the same background as she did? She'd wanted to meet someone who'd come from a different walk of life, who could show her another lifestyle based on core human values rather than dollar bills. If she spent the summer with Henry, she knew soon enough it would all come back to fancy dinners and diamonds.
"I'm sorry Henry. I have to go."
Henry shook his head in disbelief and gave a little scornful laugh. "For someone who's meant to be ‘opening her mind’, you sure seem to have already made your mind up. If you don't want to spend time with me just because I inherited a lot of money and not because I've done anything wrong, then I think you're missing your own point.
Go back to your friend and complain about how I did such a terrible thing and then, when you realize that your Prince Charming will never get your blood pumping like I did last night and you're craving some real ‘experiences’, you know where to find me."
CHAPTER 3
Kaya tried to forget about Henry, telling herself that the last thing she wanted was to be drawn back into a boring, predictable upper class world and find herself in a different city, but doing the same old thing.
Forgetting Henry, however, proved to be no easy task. It didn't matter what Kaya was doing, whether it was working in the cafe or taking a stroll along the pier with Suzie, her thoughts kept wandering back, time and time again, to that incredible night when she'd let herself go and experienced the type of spontaneous off-the-cuff thrill that she'd been seeking.
Yet, while Kaya was doing her best to put her night with Henry to the back of her mind, Suzie was growing closer and closer to his best friend, Edward.
"He's amazing," Kaya's best friend cooed, as she sorted out the sugar sachets at the counter. "He took me out on his jet ski. Not a rented one. His own jet ski. Can you believe it? And then, he took me back to the hotel where he's staying. I felt like a celebrity. It was so glam! He ordered champagne and didn't even wince at the price tag. It's so exciting!"
Kaya listened to her with a patient half-smile and then offered her some friendly advice. "Look, I know that the high life seems like the greatest thing ever, but really all that money and glamor just acts as a disguise so that rich guys can do whatever the hell they want without you noticing."
"You're such a cynic, Kaya," Suzie rolled her eyes. "Maybe Henry was right. You should get off your high horse. Maybe he'll surprise you."
"I doubt it," Kaya scoffed. "He had a chance to tell me about his fortune and he didn't. You know why? Because he wanted to get laid. That's what rich guys are like. They're entitled. They don't think they have to earn anything - even the affections of a woman."
"You're wrong," Suzie said firmly. "Why can't a guy be rich and open-minded? If I were Henry, I'd never have told you about my fortune, because you make it damn clear that you're not interested in anyone who's doing well for himself. You want to look at it like he deceived you because you were hoping to meet some down-on-his-luck hippy, but really, he's just an ordinary guy who didn't want you to blow him off. Maybe you should take that as a compliment. He was obviously just really into you."
Kaya said nothing more. Maybe Suzie was right. Maybe she'd been too quick to judge Henry as a repulsive opportunist when he was just a guy who didn't want to get turned down for the wrong reasons. Then again, he knew how Ka
ya felt about rich guys and he'd kept quiet.
Kaya would never have done what she'd done that night if she hadn't been convinced it was all in the name of broadening her horizons... She didn't quite want to accept that what she'd done with Henry had nothing to do with opening her mind at all. She'd just wanted him. What kind of girl did that make her?
"We're going out again tonight," Suzie told her pointedly. "You should come. Henry will be there."
"Where are you going?"
"To a club. VIP booth. It's going to be a wild night."
"I'm not sure, Suzie."
"What else are you going to do? Sit inside the hostel on your own? Come out with us, Kaya! That's the point of traveling Hit it off with Henry, don't hit it off with Henry... It doesn't matter. Just let your hair down and have some fun." Kaya's blonde-haired companion gave her an eager nudge and a hopeful glance with her big blue eyes. "It won't be as much fun without you. Please come with me."
Kaya hesitated a moment, rolled her eyes and then nodded. Suzie let out a little squeal of excitement and then called across the quiet cafe to Connor.
"What about you? Are you in?"
Connor gave a slightly scoffing laugh and shook his head. "Count me out. I know better than to go out and about with those guys when they're partying. Just know that when they get busted, they'll be the ones to walk away scot-free and you'll be the ones paying the price."
"What's wrong with the pair of you?" Suzie huffed. "Why all this hatred for the young and wealthy all of a sudden? I reckon you -" she nodded to Connor, "are just jealous and you-" she nodded to Kaya, "can hardly talk when you've probably got matching bank accounts."
"The difference is, Suzie, I'm aware that it's not my bank account, but my father's. That's why I'm trying to make it on my own. A self-respecting young adult should do that, you know. Otherwise you're just hanging off your daddy's coattails and that's just pathetic, really."
"Give him a break, Kaya! Didn't you say he inherited everything after his father died? And you just want him to put it all aside and forget about it to make a point? What's wrong with being able to afford a good life? Some of us would love to try it for a while."
"It's not what it seems, Suze. You think money will solve everything, but it just makes it worse. Life becomes so superficial and people stop connecting to each other."
"Well, I'm not going to stop seeing Edward if that's what you're suggesting. I happen to like fine dining and nights out. It makes a change from all the creeps who usually take an interest." She looked from Kaya to Connor in turn, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Both of you stop judging me."
Suzie walked away and Kaya and Connor looked at each other with small smiles. Connor shrugged. "She'll find out the hard way."
"Maybe I'm wrong," Kaya conceded. "Perhaps they're all right and I'm precisely the type of judgmental aristocrat I'm trying to avoid."
Connor looked at her with concern and let out a long sigh. "The money thing doesn't even come into it, Kaya. Those guys are trouble. Just keep yourself safe, alright?"
*****
It had been a long time since Kaya had really dressed up. She'd done her very best to stay away from clubs and formal affairs because they only reminded her of a luxurious youth which Kaya had always found oppressive. Yet, as she shimmied into a little blue dress and a pair of stunning heels, she felt a stab of nostalgia for the high life. Maybe Suzie was right. What was wrong with enjoying the finer things in life?
Then she scolded herself. Trying to appreciate the simpler things was no easy task! Kaya had an image in her mind of who she wanted to be - a young woman with a deep mind and an easy appreciation for the things that money couldn't buy - but she'd be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy expensive dresses and never having to stand in line.
Suzie came out of the hostel bathroom and let out a little impressed whistle at the sight of Kaya dressed up and then a big grin came over her face.
"Look at you!" she laughed. "That's the spirit. You look fab."
Suzie herself was wearing a tiny little silver number that was on the borderline of indecent and a great number of bangles up one arm. Her eyes were outlined in thick eyeliner and mascara and her blonde hair had been volumized with hairspray and Kaya suspected, glitter. Kaya was a little more demure, although not any less beautiful. Her eyes were naturally large and quite stunning, so a quick lick of mascara was all she needed to make her gaze stand out. She wore no accessories apart from a simple pair of silver stud earrings, which glinted at her ears every now and then when she swept her waves of hair back over her shoulder. She picked up her clutch purse and the two girls looked at themselves in the mirror.
"We scrub up alright, even if I do say so myself," Suzie grinned. A moment later, a horn sounded outside and Suzie ran over to the window to look down at Edward's Ferrari waiting for them in the street. She squealed again. "They're here!"
The excited young woman grabbed Kaya's wrist and half-dragged her out of the hostel and into the street outside. Edward was in the driver's seat, grinning that slightly perverse smile that made Kaya a little uneasy, while Max and Henry sat in the back. Suzie quickly hopped into the front passenger seat, which meant Kaya had no choice but to climb into the back with Henry and Max.
Henry's eyes lit up when he saw her and he nudged over into the middle seat to give her room to sit at his side. Kaya tried not to pull a face as she sat down beside him. She was still angry or disappointed or something about the misunderstanding between them and she tried not to look at him, balancing her purse on her lap and staring out the window, but when Edward took a bend too quickly, it caused Kaya to tumble into Henry's lap and she accidentally caught his eye as he set her straight. His smile was hopeful with just a little mischief shining in his eyes.
Kaya could almost see memories of their encounter in the beach hut playing out behind his gaze and she blushed. Memories of bound wrists and skin on skin were coming to her mind too and as much as she wanted to stay mad at him, her body desired his touch again. She quickly righted her position and shifted away once again. He leaned towards her to speak.
"I didn't know you'd be coming tonight. Did you know I'd be here?"
"Suzie said you might be around."
"So, you've forgiven me then, for my terrible, terrible lies?"
"Let's forget about it, hmm?"
"Oh, I think that's going to be quite difficult," Henry chuckled, "but I'll go with it. A fresh start, hey? Well, let me introduce myself. My name is Henry Dales and in the interests of complete transparency, I feel obliged to tell you that I'm a billionaire."
A small smile played on the edges of Kaya's lips and then she gave into it and laughed. It sounded ridiculous when Henry introduced himself like that and she knew that if he had said those words to her when she'd first met him on the beach, she'd have taken an instant disliking to him. Perhaps she was the one being ridiculous, after all.
"Hello Henry. I'm Kaya and my father does pretty well for himself, too."
"So, Kaya, are you going to tell me what all that was about the other night? Am I forgiven?"
"Maybe I flew off the handle over nothing," Kaya agreed, "but I wasn't expecting to meet someone like you out here."
"Me neither," Henry chuckled, "but here we are. You look stunning, by the way."
Henry looked her up and down and Kaya's blush deepened because not so long ago those same eyes had travelled up and down her naked body and even now Henry was wearing that same approving grin when he looked at her curves beneath her dress.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she commented.
Henry was wearing a pair of smart trousers and a deep blue shirt, which brought out the bright color of his devilish eyes. His hair, which had a very expensive cut, was purposefully tousled and if Kaya had met him for the first time tonight, she would have known at once that he was no hapless romantic drifter, as she'd imagined when she'd first set eyes on him. Her attraction to him was disarming and unexpected and she tried to keep
it under control, even as another sharp bend sent her flying into him again.
"Whoa!" Henry laughed. "I've got you."
He put his arm around her shoulders to steady her and it remained there throughout the journey. If Kaya had been sticking to her guns and determined to meet some lovable working-class rogue, she'd have pushed him away, but a knowing glance in the review mirror from Suzie reminded her that she shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Even though he was extremely rich, maybe there were still things that Kaya could learn from Henry. After all, the one night she'd spent with him had taught her more about herself than every other date she'd ever been on, put together. He'd revealed a wild side that she'd always felt was in there, but had never felt comfortable enough to explore.
They arrived at a busy and glamorous club in the part of Miami Beach where the nightlife was at its most opulent. It had a queue going around the block, but Edward simply strode up to the bouncer at the door and gave him a patient stare, until he seemed to recognize him and stood back. Suzie threw a glance back over her shoulder at Kaya and lifted her eyebrows to show that she was impressed. Kaya simply rolled her eyes.
Henry caught her look of disdain and laughed. "Oh yes. I forgot you're averse to all people of influence and affluence."
"Using your status to cut in line is really crummy."
Henry looked back over his shoulder meaningfully at the long, long queue of people leaning against the wall, tired and not knowing if they'd ever get in and looked back to Kaya with an amused expression. "Are you saying you want to wait in line?"
"We'll end up losing the others. They're already inside."
Henry laughed out loud. "You're just as bad as the rest of us."
"Then let's wait in line."
"No. That was a joke! Come on, let's get inside."
The billionaire took Kaya's hand and led her into the building. She was struck at once by the vibrations of a music so loud that it felt like it was pounding in her blood and the scent of spirits were strong in the air. The lights were bright and flashing, but the dance floor was dark.