by D. R. Graham
“Good boy.” I patted him on the top of his head and then walked away.
His friends laughed at him. He didn’t seem to mind—he shouldn’t have minded since he got a close-up peek out of it. Sophie got out of the pool and ran her fingers through her hair. The guys all stood in the pool gawking up at her gorgeous figure. She knew they were drooling, so she bent over and slowly ran the towel up one leg. Then she reached her arms up and twisted her hair into a knot. “Bye, boys,” she said before she leaned over to toss her stuff into her bag. I grabbed my bag and followed her.
“Meet us at the club tonight,” Liam shouted after us.
We smiled and kept walking. It was fun to mess with them, but they were just goofy boys. I missed Trevor.
My appetite had returned, so I grabbed a plate of fruit from the buffet on the way back up to the room. “How’s Doug’s tour going?” I asked as I scarfed the food off the plate and she pulled clothes out of the closet.
Sophie glanced at me, then laid out her outfit on the bed. “I don’t know.”
“I thought you checked your emails earlier.”
“I did.” She glanced at me again and sighed before she sat on the bed. “I blocked Doug’s emails.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t freak out, but I broke up with him.”
“What?” I bolted up, almost choked on a tortilla-chip shard, and stared at her in complete shock. “When? Why? How come you didn’t tell me?”
“Last week. Because we are on completely different paths. You were busy with school and planning the party.” She stood and undressed to have a shower. I followed her into the bathroom. She closed the curtain and the water turned on.
“I don’t understand. You guys lived on different sides of the continent for six months. Why would you break up with him right before you were supposed to move in with him?”
“He went on a world tour with a band that has hard-core groupies. I’m not cool with being cheated on, so I let him go. Pass me the shampoo from my bag, please.”
I handed her the bottle. “How did Doug react?”
“I don’t know. I told him right before he got on the plane. He sent me a bunch of messages that I didn’t read and then I blocked him.”
“Sophie.”
She turned the water off and reached out to grab a towel off the rack. I was still standing with my mouth gaped open when she opened the curtain and stepped out. “It was going to end soon anyway. I don’t want to talk about it and ruin our holiday. Okay?”
I blinked a few times, trying to process everything. “Yeah. Okay.”
CHAPTER 7
We decided on the French restaurant that was decorated to mimic a Parisian café. I wore a blue, strapless, A-line dress and the same strappy heels as the night before. Sophie wore a black pencil skirt and a spaghetti-strapped, V-neck tank top. Her black pumps had little rock star buckles at the ankle.
I stared at her across the table, not sure what to talk about, given the recent bomb she dropped on me.
“Stop it,” she said and pointed a breadstick at me.
“What?”
“I’m not going to talk about Doug.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You don’t have to. I can tell what you’re thinking by that sad puppy-dog look on your face.”
The waiter came by with drinks. “No thanks,” I said.
“I’ll take hers.” Sophie motioned with her hand. “Keep them coming.”
I watched her down the first drink, then I said, “You guys have been together since you were fourteen. I think you should talk about how you’re feeling.”
“I’m feeling like I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Just because Doug is on tour doesn’t mean he would cheat.”
She tilted her head and glared at me. “You thought Trevor was capable of cheating on you with a whore from school. If you believe that then you must know Doug is capable of cheating with the groupies that follow the band around and throw themselves on him backstage.”
The waiter placed our orders on the table. I stared at my plate. Sophie dug in. “I feel like crying,” I mumbled.
“I didn’t even cry over it.” She put a forkful of rich saucy food in her mouth. “This food is unfreakingbelievable.”
“You’re not normal. You know that, right?”
She laughed. “I’ve had my suspicions.” She waved the waiter over for two more drinks. “Either talk about something other than Doug or don’t talk at all.”
“Okay,” I mumbled and stuffed a forkful of beef in my mouth.
After dessert, Sophie went to the spa reception desk to book us massages for the following afternoon. I went to the lobby to check my email and read Trevor’s response to my last one.
I miss you already. It’s pouring and cold here. I’ve been imagining what your body will look like when you come back all tanned. Have fun, I love you.
I wrote back.
Hey Babe, I miss you too. I had too many margaritas last night—rookie mistake. The food is great here. Italian last night, French tonight, maybe Mexican tomorrow night, and a 24-hour buffet. You would love it. I’ll work on that tan for you. Did you know Sophie broke up with Doug before he left on tour? She just told me. I’m literally in shock. She must be too. She hasn’t even cried over it. She doesn’t want to talk about it, but I’ll keep trying. I love you, D.
The nightclub was packed again. We stood by the bar for a while until a table opened up. Liam and his friends were in the club, but they were talking to a group of girls and didn’t notice us come in. Sophie ordered a margarita. I passed.
Seriously, only ten seconds after we sat down, two guys walked over to talk to us. “Ladies.”
I smiled at them. Sophie ignored them.
“Can I get you a drink?” the taller, redheaded one asked me.
“No thanks, I had a little too much last night.”
“Where are you girls from?”
“Vancouver.”
“In Canada?”
“That’s the place,” Sophie said in a condescending tone. The guys didn’t seem to notice her attitude.
While I talked to them, Sophie looked around the club, bored. I jumped a little when I felt an arm drape over my shoulders. “Hey, fellas,” Liam said. The guys raised their glasses up in the air to toast Liam. There was an awkward silence for a second before they left without even saying goodbye. “The men are like sharks around here,” Liam said. “Good thing I’m here to protect you.”
“I think we can fend for ourselves,” Sophie sneered.
He picked up on her tone and backed off. He was immature, but he wasn’t dumb. “Just give me a signal if you want me to swoop in and cock-block for you. Tug your ear and I’ll be your instant boyfriend warding off all ill-intentioned suitors.”
“The proverbial knight in shining armour,” I said.
“Your wish is my command.” He attempted a medieval bow.
“You’re sweet. We’ll signal you if we need anything.”
He seemed pleased with the compliment and went back to stand with his friends. He leaned his back against the wall and pointed two fingers at his own eyeballs, then swung his fingers to point at us.
“Are you going to lash out at every person who tries to talk to us?” I asked Sophie.
She shrugged. “They all seem so—”
“Not like Doug?”
“I was going to say lame.”
“You may need to lower your standards.”
“Why? Because I’m a small-town girl who works as a waitress?”
“No.” I frowned at her. “What I meant is that Doug is crazy smart, wickedly talented, and ridiculously unique—not to mention sexy—and worships you. You’re not going to find another guy even remotely as interesting as him.”
“Thanks for making me feel better.”
“I’m not trying to make you feel better. I’m trying to make you feel horrible so you realize what you’re about to throw away.”
“Well, don’t.” She got up and walked away towards the restrooms. While she was gone, I had to signal Liam to come over and save me from a group of rugby players. He sat down and took the opportunity to chat me up until Sophie came back to the table. “So, Liam, how many times have you been shot down on this trip?” she asked as she pushed him off her stool and sat down.
“Counting you ladies, probably about forty-seven.” He smiled.
“And your success rate?”
“Counting the girl this morning,” he looked up at the ceiling as if he was counting in his head, “zero.”
“Yet. You don’t give up.”
“It only takes one yes. You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.”
She pointed at the dance floor. “Well, there’s a group of sleazy girls over there. Go buy a ticket. Good luck.” She smiled at him in a fake way.
He took the hint and winked at me before he left.
“He’s just being nice. You can withdraw the claws,” I said.
“He wants to get in your pants, Derian.”
“Hi, girls.” A sloppy drunk leaned on Sophie’s shoulder and tried to grope her chest.
“Watch the hands, cowboy.” She pushed his arm off her shoulder and he stumbled a little before regaining his balance.
“Dance with me,” he slurred.
“You can barely stand.”
“Forget the dancing. Let’s go to my room.”
“No.” She pushed his hands off her again.
“You smell pretty.”
Sophie stood and said, “Let’s go, Deri.”
The guy grabbed her arm and held her close. “Don’t rush off. The party is just getting started.”
“Let go of my arm or I will drop you.”
He laughed. I spun around to try to get Liam’s attention because when Sophie made a threat like that she meant it. Things were about to get ugly. Unfortunately, Liam was talking to a girl and wasn’t looking over at us. I heard the guy whisper to Sophie, “You’re so tiny. I could do whatever I wanted and you wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it.” He smiled, then leaned in to try to kiss her.
She stomped her foot down on the side of his knee and he collapsed to the floor. I was about to get a bouncer when Liam jogged over. The sloppy drunk struggled to stand, not able to put weight on his right leg. His face was furious and he acted as if he wanted to fight Liam. “What’s the problem, man?” Liam asked.
“That bitch tried to blow out my knee.”
“Why?”
“She’s crazy.”
“Yeah, I’m crazy because I don’t enjoy being groped and slobbered on,” Sophie scoffed. “Touch me again and you’ll leave here on a stretcher.”
Liam stood in a stance that made it seem as if he was prepared to fight, but the expression on his face told a different story. Fortunately, one of the drunk guy’s friends noticed that he was causing trouble. He apologized and escorted the guy away.
“Thanks,” Sophie said to Liam. “But I can handle myself. And Derian has a boyfriend,” she reminded him. “You’re wasting your time.”
He nodded slowly, reluctant to leave. Sophie’s eyebrow lifted in a threatening way, so he turned to me and said, “Just tug your ear if you need me again.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Liam walked away and Sophie signalled the waiter to bring her another margarita. It was Luis. “Hello, Miss Sophie.”
“Hola, Luis.”
“Are you having a nice time, Miss?”
“No. The guys here are pigs. We’re leaving as soon as I’m finished this.” She tipped her head back and chugged half the margarita.
He laughed.
“They have you working double-shifts?” I asked Luis.
“I need the money. I’m saving for university in the States.”
“You should come to Canada. It’s cheaper.”
“It’s colder too.”
I laughed. “That’s true.”
“Would you like a drink?”
“No thanks, I mean gracias.”
“If anyone bothers you, just let Jose over there know. He’s my cousin.” He pointed to a bouncer, who was standing in the corner.
Sophie thanked Luis before he walked away. Then she looked back at me and saw something over my shoulder that made the smile drop off her face. “Holy shit.”
“What?”
Her smile returned slowly. “You are in so much trouble.”
I was scared to look behind me. “Why?”
“A complication just showed up. Mmm, a beautiful complication.”
CHAPTER 8
Someone leaned over my shoulder and spoke into my ear, “That’s a beautiful necklace you’re wearing.”
My breath stopped moving in and out and my heart raced as I recognized the smooth, sweet voice.
He continued in a low, sexy tone, “I bought one like it from a shop in Paris once. The shop keeper told me it was one of a kind.”
Sophie’s eyes widened in amusement as if she were watching a very entertaining play. My face burned as the blood rushed to my head. “Where is the necklace now?” I asked and closed my eyes so I could imagine his face from memory.
“I gave it to an amazing girl, hoping she would maybe fall in love with me one day.” His finger ran down the length of my hair. “The only problem was she loved someone else.”
Guilt rose into a lump and made my throat uncomfortably tight. “She sounds horrible.”
“No. She’s one of the sweetest people on the planet. And if she would turn around I would be able to see her face again.”
I spun around on the stool and stood to hug him. He was about ten pounds of muscle heavier than the last time I saw him but still felt familiar. Although we had only dated for a short time, we had shared a special connection. A closeness I never forgot, despite the fact that I hadn’t seen him since the day I told him we could only be friends. After I released him from the embrace I leaned back and held either side of his jaw to study his perfect face. He was really tanned and his caramel hair was longer than it used to be. His blue eyes were exactly the same, though. He was wearing casual shorts and a plain t-shirt, but even without the designer clothes, he was still model-handsome. He smiled in his trademark charming way, amused by my shock.
“What are you doing here, Mason?”
He shrugged. “Dreaming, apparently. Hi, Sophie.”
“Hi.” She grinned, as surprised to see him as I was.
Mason sat down on a stool beside me and I wrapped both my hands around his out of habit. His skin wasn’t smooth the way it used to be. It was calloused and rough, like Trevor’s. He looked at our intertwined hands and his smile faded as if he wished I hadn’t done it, so I slid them away. “You’ve been working with your hands,” I said, suddenly not sure how to act around him, given the fact we hadn’t even talked in six months.
“I’ve been helping with a construction project down here.”
I was just about to ask him what kind of construction project when a chocolatey-brown-skinned guy with soft-looking curly hair joined us at the table. “Hey, Bill. Who are your new friends?” he asked Mason.
Sophie and I exchanged a confused glance because he called him Bill. Mason shot us a serious look before he jumped in and said, “We haven’t actually gotten to the introductions yet.” He extended his hand towards Sophie. “I’m Bill.”
She frowned, but played along, “Nice to meet you, Bill. I’m Sophie.”
He shook my hand. “Derian,” I said hesitantly.
“That’s a beautiful name.” He smiled his shy smile that I had always adored. “This is my buddy, Orrett.”
Orrett leaned in towards Sophie and asked, “Would you like to dance?”
She shrugged in a what-the-hell kind of way and held his hand as they made their way out onto the dance floor.
I turned to Mason. “What’s up with him calling you Bill?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “I can’t talk about it here.
I’ll explain when we’re alone. Just go along with it.”
“Okay.” I was confused and still dumbfounded that he was in Acapulco. “I can’t believe you’re actually sitting here in front of me in Mexico. This is so weird. It’s wonderful but weird.”
“Definitely.” He leaned in so close to my neck that his breath tickled my skin. “Wonderful.”
Liam stood a few metres away, watching us intently. He shot me a questioning look and waited, probably wanting me to tug at my ear. Obviously I didn’t, which made Liam look a little hurt.
“So, things are still good between you and Trevor,” Mason said as he sat back.
I nodded and watched the emotions move through his expression. “Yes.”
He smiled in a way that wasn’t happy. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
His eyes met mine to check if I said it conversationally or actually meant it. He had left Squamish without saying good-bye right after Trevor and I started dating. I had often wondered what he was up to and how he was doing. I had definitely missed him and it must have shown in my expression because he smiled.
“I tried to call you on the anniversary of your brother’s death. The number I had for you wasn’t in service, so I called your parents. Did your mom give you the message?”
“No.” He looked over at Orrett and Sophie dancing and licked his bottom lip. “She probably thought she was protecting me.”
“Protecting you from what? Me?”
His eyebrows angled into a frown as he nodded subtly. “After you broke things off with me I quit working for my dad and took off without telling them where I was going. My mom thought you were the reason I went MIA.”
“I wasn’t, was I?”
He ran his finger over the tension in his eyebrow and stared at the table. “Technically, yeah. You were the reason I left, but I felt lost way before I met you. Being with you and then losing you made me realize I needed to find the real Mason again. I spent some time in India and South America. Then I came here.”
“And you found the real Mason in Mexico?”
“No.” He chuckled. “I haven’t found him yet. I’m still searching.”
I loved how he was always so open and willing to be vulnerable and genuine with me. The way we got each other on that deeper level was part of what made our relationship so meaningful. It was the part I missed the most about being his friend. But if leaving everything in his past was what he needed to do to figure out what made him happy, I was glad he did it. “What exactly have you been doing here that has turned your decadently soft hands rough?”