by Love, Kimmy
His stories made her laugh and she realized that there was a real person behind all the wealth and a person who was smart, funny and kind. She opened up to him, too. She told him all about her etiquette classes as a young girl and how she'd rebelled by dating a mechanic when she was nineteen, much to her father's despair. She'd dumped him when she'd realized he was as dull as a baseball glove and then invested her time in charity work to try and feel more like she deserved everything that had come to her for free.
Henry listened to her like her words were the most captivating he'd ever heard and it felt incredible to have somebody listen to her when the lovemaking was done. By the time Henry drew the boat back into the marina, she was convinced that she was in love, but of course, she'd never confess that out loud to herself or to him, but she lingered outside the hostel when he dropped her off and stood on her tiptoes to sweetly kiss him goodbye.
She entered the hostel with a glowing smile on her face, but her smile soon vanished when she entered the room to find Suzie inside with her suitcase open on the bed, crying her eyes out and in the middle of packing her things.
"Suzie!" Kaya gasped. "What's going on?"
"I'm leaving. I've had enough."
"What happened?"
"That jerk just left me in the middle of a club. He said he was going to the washroom and just never came back. I was on my own and had to get a cab all the way back to the beach... I used a whole day's tips...."
Kaya came and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Sit down, Suze," she ordered gently. She pulled her friend down with her to sit on the edge of one of the two single beds in the small and somewhat grimy hostel room and put her arm around her shoulders. "I don't want you to go."
"Don't you?" Suzie asked with a desperate sigh. "You just came looking like you were on cloud nine. Were you with Henry?"
"I know you don't like him, Suze..."
"I have no problem with Henry, Kaya. It's just that if you're going to spend the summer with him, then you really don't need me around. I don't want to be your third wheel."
"I'll make time for you both. Please, Suzie, don't leave. This really was about us spending time together and we've had a great time so far."
Suzie let out a long sigh and shook her head again. "I have no idea where Edward went. One minute he was with me and the next he's gone. Do you reckon he took off with another girl?"
"I couldn't tell you, but forget him. We'll find you another guy. A nice guy. I'll be your wingman. It'll be great."
Kaya's friend let out a half-hearted laugh and patted Kaya's knee gratefully. "Maybe I'll lay off the men for a while. I feel stupid again."
Kaya listened sympathetically and didn't say ‘I told you so’. She'd known Suzie long enough now to know how her mind worked. She was a very easily-influenced woman, prone to spontaneous acts. She was always swinging between laughing highs when things were going well and then miserable lows when her plans backfired. She never really thought anything through. Poor Suze. She tried to live for the moment in all the wrong ways.
"What did you and Henry get up to, anyway?" she asked, trying to change the subject. She wiped at her tear-stained eyes with the back of her hand and morosely kicked about some of her loose clothes that were now strewn across the floor.
"He took me out on his yacht."
Suzie couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously, Kaya? He must be pretty special then, to make you go back to the high life. You were pretty adamant when all this began that that was never going to happen."
"He's special," Kaya gushed dreamily. "He's not like the Edwards of this world. He's kind and he's sweet and he's funny. When I was with him last night, we had dinner in his penthouse suite. You know me, I rolled my eyes because I thought he was trying to impress me and I said it just wasn't going to work."
"But it did?" Suze guessed.
"He told me that if he could get me to forget about all the expensive things around us, then I'd know that he was a good guy. And you know what? I completely forget where we were and what we were eating and drinking. None of it mattered. All I could focus on was him. I've never felt this way before."
Suzie listened with obvious jealousy written on her features, but then she forced a smile for her friend and let out a long breath. "I'm happy for you, Kaya. I really am. You deserve a good man."
"It doesn't mean that I don't have time for you anymore," Kaya promised her. "From now on, you come first. I'll still spend time with Henry, but I'm not going to forget about you, OK?"
*****
The next few weeks were wonderful. Suzie got over her upset over Edward and seemed to forget about him and she, Kaya and Connor had fun at work. Meanwhile, Kaya also found time to be with Henry, but she always made sure that Suzie had plans too before slipping away so that she wouldn't be left on her own in the hostel. Usually, it was Connor that stepped up to spend time with her and Kaya noticed the difference in him within a couple of weeks when he started to get a dreamy look in his eyes and stopped to gaze at Suzie longingly from across the cafe. Kaya caught him staring one afternoon and gave him a gentle nudge with a little laugh.
"So, you've been spending a lot of time with Suzie, hey?" she laughed.
Connor knew he'd been caught staring and the shy waiter blushed and gave a little shrug, quickly getting back to work as if he'd never been gazing at her.
"I think you've got a little crush on her," Kaya continued, with a mischievous tone to her voice. "Why don't you ask her out?"
The waiter laughed at the suggestion and pushed his slipping glasses back up his nose. He shook his head. "Suzie wouldn't go for a guy like me," he predicted. "She likes men with busloads of charisma and a limitless credit card."
"You don't know her like I do, Connor," Kaya advised. "Sure, she's got a bit carried away this summer with Edward catching her eye, but she's not like that usually. She's a really nice person and you never know."
"D'you think?" Connor asked uncertainly, starting to stare at Suzie again. "I mean, I think she's great, but I don't want to make things awkward. We've got a good dynamic here. I'd hate to screw that up."
"What's the worst that could happen?" Kaya smiled. "If she says no, she'll say no, but you said it yourself: she went out with Edward and learned the hard way. Maybe it's just the right time for a genuinely nice guy like you to sweep in."
Connor pulled a face but flashed Kaya a grateful smile. "I'll think about it."
She brought it up with her friend over dinner later that night. "So, how have you found all that extra time with Connor?"
Suzie's face lit up at the sound of his name and a tender little smile crossed her lips and she stirred her cola slowly with her straw. "He's a cutie, isn't he?"
"I think so. Would you ever go there?"
"As in on a date with him? You know, if he asked me, I think I would."
Kaya said no more about it then, but she felt a little excited at the prospect of Connor and Suzie hitting it off. They both deserved a summer romance that was free from cheating and sleaziness. She could tell that they actually really liked each other, but Connor was too shy to bring it up and Suzie was too coy to make a move. Kaya could only hope that Connor would work up the nerve to step out of his comfort zone and maybe they could all have the best summer ever.
CHAPTER 6
"Kaya, I've got news!"
Kaya put down her book and looked up with excitement. She was hoping that Connor had finally asked Suzie out. Her friend had that familiar look on her face that she always got when a guy had caught her attention. "Tell me!"
"Max asked me on a date!"
Kaya's smile dropped and she pulled a face. "Max? I thought you were hitting it off with Connor?"
"Well, so did I, but it's been three weeks and he hasn't made a move. Then I bumped into Max on the boardwalk this morning and he said he was really sorry about everything that Edward had done. He said that he'd always thought I was cute but hadn't wanted to tread on Edward's toes, but that if I were interested, he
'd love to take me out. What do you think?"
She didn't know what she thought. Kaya didn't really know much about Max, who was Henry and Edward's third friend, who seemed a bit quiet and dorky, but not overtly menacing. Kaya wanted to be happy for Suzie, but she was worried that once again she was building an interest in somebody for the wrong reason.
"I don't know what to say, Suze. I think it would hurt Connor's feelings."
Suzie sighed and fell down beside Kaya on the bed, looking at the title of her friend's book and pulling a face and then lying back against the covers with her legs hanging off the mattress.
"I don't want to hurt his feelings," she said, "but I'm not going to wait around for him either. The point of traveling like this is to make some memories and I don't want to miss out on anything."
Kaya let out a little knowing laugh. "I know you don't like to miss out on anything," she agreed, "but did you consider that if you go out with Max you're going to miss out on a really nice relationship with Connor?"
"Connor would be a lovely boyfriend," Suzie said sincerely, "but when we're only passing through South Beach. I don't know if that's really what I'm looking for. What's the point in really getting to know a guy and feeling all warm and fuzzy for him and then having to take off when it's all over?"
Kaya felt her stomach sink. She hadn't thought of it like that, but she knew that she was already in danger of breaking down at the thought of saying goodbye to Henry. Even if she decided that she had the means and desire to stay, what was next for him? Would Henry stick around when the summer was over? Kaya couldn't blame Suzie for having her reservations about getting involved with somebody who'd make a summer fling something more serious simply by his loyal nature. She gave a little shrug.
"I guess it's up to you then, Suze. Do you like Max?"
"Well, I think he's cute enough. I mean, he's not as handsome as Edward, but he's got a nice smile, don't you think? Plus, he doesn't have that swagger that Edward had, you know, that arrogance. He seems to just want to have a good time without hurting anyone. I don't see the harm on going on a couple of dates with him, anyway."
She paused as though she were waiting for Kaya's warnings, criticisms or judgments, but Kaya didn't want to say anything and risk testing their friendship again when they were back on the right track and enjoying the summer together. After a moment of waiting for a debate that didn't come, Suzie smiled widely and gave a determined nod. "I will go out with him."
That night, Suzie went off with Max and Kaya went off with Henry. Tonight, they were going for a fabulous meal at an expensive restaurant. Kaya made an effort with her appearance and was wearing a formal navy blue dress, which reached the floor and a diamond necklace that her mother had given her for her eighteenth birthday. Henry was wearing a dapper suit, but he stopped in his tracks and grinned when he saw Kaya step into the car beside him.
"I know I'm not meant to be superficial around you, but you look stunning in diamonds."
Kaya laughed. "You don't look too bad in a suit."
They entered the restaurant and sat down for a sumptuous meal cooked by the best chef in the city. Even Kaya had to admit that every once in a while an elegant meal cooked by an expert was better than microwave noodles. And, of course, a meal gave her a chance to talk with Henry, which was now one of her favorite things to do.
"Tell me about Max," she asked. "Suzie's out with him tonight."
"Wow, that girl can't make up her mind, can she?"
"She just wants to make the most of the summer. She's always worried that she's going to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime."
"Well, she won't find it with Max. He's not all that interesting. He kind of just follows whoever's leading. He hangs off Edward’s coattails most the time. He's not the brightest, but he's a nice enough guy. He'll pay her more respect than Ed, that's for sure."
"That's good to hear."
"I'm always hearing about your friends when we meet up," Henry scolded with a small smile. "Why don't you tell me something about you?"
Kaya paused for a moment and wondered if this was a good opportunity to bring up something that had been on her mind. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously and toyed with her sea bass.
"Well," she began tentatively, "I'm trying to decide what to do in September. You see, Suzie and I had big plans to travel around the world together and we've already come a long way. I'm just wondering if when our placement at the cafe ends, whether we should find another here or carry on seeing the world."
"What do you want to do?"
"Well, it depends."
"On what?"
Henry met her eyes with his deep blue ones and lifted his eyebrows knowingly. A small smile was playing on his lips. He knew precisely what she was asking, but was going to make her say it. Kaya didn't know why she felt so nervous all of a sudden. She supposed it was because she'd somehow fallen madly in love with this stranger from the beach and the prospect of flying to somewhere in the world where he wasn't, filled her with a deep sense of sorrow and the knowledge that she'd never feel the same way about anyone else again.
"This has been the best summer of my life," Kaya said slowly.
"They say that about waitressing," Henry teased.
Kaya shot him a frustrated look, which made him chuckle, because he knew just how he was making her uncomfortable. She was desperate to know what happened next with them, but Henry was going to make her say it out loud and tell him how she felt.
"I didn't think I was going to get on with you when we first met."
"Yes, I think you've told me that before."
"Henry! I'm trying to talk to you."
"Sorry. Go on."
"What I'm trying to say is that I really like you and I'm not sure I want to be where you aren't. I'm asking you if I should stay."
Henry sat back in his chair and clasped his fingers together under his chin contemplatively. His eyes filled with a certain regret and he sighed heavily. Kaya's eyes instantly filled with tears because she assumed this was his way of telling her that for him it was just a fling, but he grabbed her by the wrist as she was about to stand and leave and then intently held her hand.
"Don't run away from me," he said softly. "I think you're incredible and no, I don't want you to go off around the world and not see you again, but my plans when the summer ends are complicated. My father's gone now and this has been my last summer just to be me and have fun and forget about it all for a while, but I know that if I don't step up, all he worked for will fall apart.
I'm getting hundreds of emails and voicemails every day from managers and advisers needing me to give them direction and I'm going to have to start investing my time and effort into the company. I don't know where in the world I'm going to be from one week to the next."
Kaya didn't care. If he'd have asked her to go with him, she'd have done so in an instant, but he didn't say anything more or ask her to stay at his side. The conversation didn't feel like it was finished and Kaya still didn't know what he felt for her. Was it love for him, or just a fling that had gone as well as flings could go? When it seemed to Kaya that he understood her and valued her, was that just the effects of an incredibly charming man?
She felt like if he'd have wanted her to stay with him after the summer ended, then he would have told her straight out. As he hadn't, she could only assume that for him, it all ended when the summer was done. And could she blame him? Were a few months of sun, sea and sand enough to make him invite a woman to stick to his heels for the long run?
Kaya held back her tears and told herself that she should never have expected a man to see a summer romance as anything more. She'd been lucky enough to find what she'd been looking for and taste it for a while. She'd learned things about herself she hadn't known and understood things about love that she'd never understood. Perhaps that would just have to be enough for her.
By the time that they'd finished dinner, she'd managed to push her heartbreak down and accept t
hat they had maybe two more weeks together before Kaya had to face the world again without him. She was going to make those last two weeks count.
Hand in hand, she and Henry found themselves on the shore and Kaya kicked off her shoes. Henry laughed at her. "What are you doing?"
"I want to feel the sand."
Henry smiled and kicked off his shoes too and then Kaya pulled him after her towards the sea. They stood at the edge of the waves and let the water swell up around their feet and disappear back out again. They splashed at each other and kissed and laughed and Kaya saw in him again the man who'd seemed like a kindred free spirit the first time she'd laid eyes on him. There were those bright eyes and ready laugh and big smile that made her believe that she'd fall for him. And she'd been right. She'd fallen for him hard.
"Next week there's a gala at the hotel," Henry told her. "It's the start of all the mayhem to come, I suppose. We're hosting an event for one of the charities that we support. A formal ball. It would mean a lot to me if you'd be my date for the evening. Wednesday. 8PM."
Kaya smiled, but inside she felt heartbroken. Her placement at the cafe ended on the Friday. It would probably be their last night out together. Well, she supposed that all she could do was make the most of it. She nodded. "Of course."
They spent the rest of the evening walking barefoot along the sand, laughing, joking and reminiscing about the short time they'd spent together. They both exchanged a knowing glance when they passed by a familiar beach hut, but tonight was not a night for discovering each other. Tonight was a night for appreciating what was already found.
*****
It was Wednesday afternoon. Suzie was jealous that Kaya was off to a formal ball at a five-star hotel that night, but she'd made plans with Max, although Kaya wasn't pleased when she heard what they were.
"Why are you worrying, Kaya?" Suzie sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "It's not just me and Edward. We're meeting Bryony there and the other girls. It's a night out for a whole bunch of us. Nothing is going to happen with me and Edward. I'm there with Max. He wanted me to come."