Traveling Bug

by Curry, Edna

  As she turned, she saw Sandy watching her. He met her eyes insolently, then lifted his camera and shot some pictures. Something about his gaze sent a shiver of apprehension through Diane and made her walk quickly back to join the others at the tables.

  Most of the waiters and waitresses apparently spoke little English. The menu was certainly a conversation piece. It was a tray of plastic replicas of the various dinners available. She supposed it solved the problem of the language barrier, since people from all over the world ate there regularly.

  Diane had no wish for a full meal, yet that seemed to be all that was available. She finally settled for the red snapper, which didn't seem to be as large a meal as the others. Many of the group ordered drinks again, though Diane thought some of them already had had more than enough tequila.

  In fact, one couple in particular would bear watching, she thought grimly. They were obviously already high, and now had very large drinks in front of them, beautifully served in a hollowed-out fresh pineapple decorated with a red flower on top.

  Diane had to admit that the restaurant certainly went all out to pamper the tourists. Many people were taking pictures of the thatched roof restaurant, and the diving boys, the waterfall and the rock formations of the unique little valley.

  Some workmen were in the middle of the inevitable construction project of enlarging the restaurant by adding more outdoor platforms on the rocky hillside to make room for more tables.

  Cathy and Diane made their way past the workmen to the restrooms. Diane had expected little in the way of facilities, since they were far from any town, here in the hills. So she was amazed to step into a lovely, clean, white and pink-tiled washroom with mirrors, running water which worked, and beyond, stalls with doors on them! In fact, it was the nicest bathroom they'd seen all day, and they freshened up with obvious delight, taking care to leave it as neat as they had found it.

  The group was decidedly noisier on the return trip. Sandy was again seated behind her, still wearing his earphones.

  "He says he's hooked on the local music," Cathy explained, wrinkling her nose. But Diane had the uncomfortable feeling he was watching her instead.

  Part of the group got off down town to shop and to explore, since it was a "free" night, and they were all to have dinner wherever they wished.

  Diane was glad it was, since that meant a free night for her also. Perhaps she could still catch an hour of sun before it got too low in the west, she thought, hurrying up to her room. If only Jeff had found her luggage.

  But as she rounded the last turn in the winding hallway to her room, she saw that her luggage was not in front of her door, as she'd hoped, and with a groan, decided she had better go shopping instead. But she must have a few minutes rest, first, and a shower.

  She let herself in with her key and almost cried with relief to see her suitcase sitting there beside her bed.

  Someone must have put it safely inside for her. Jeff, of course, she thought gratefully. Sometimes, he could be so nice.

  Chapter 10

  Diane quickly unpacked, noting with relief that everything was just as she had packed it. Obviously not even the customs officials had disturbed the locked case.

  She called Jeff's room to let him know she was back and to see if she was needed for anything else this evening. She waited with trepidation as his phone rang, wondering how he would treat her after the scene in her room with him last night.

  When he didn't answer her ring, she didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed. She shrugged, and decided she still had enough time to catch some sun. Grabbing one of her new bikinis and the cover up, she went to the bathroom for a quick shower, reveling in its sparkling white-tiled cleanliness. The nicest thing about these tours was that the large groups always went first class, and she certainly appreciated the luxury of it after the dirt and grinding poverty she had seen today.

  She ran down the steps quickly, not waiting for the elevator, but taking the stairs. She walked quickly through the luxurious lobby, past the already busy lounge, and down the steps onto the hotel patio.

  Bright sunlight still bathed the beautifully landscaped, red brick area. She walked quickly to the towel booth, signed her name and room number in exchange for a towel and found one of the few empty lounge chairs left in a sunny area beside the pool.

  She looked around quickly. She didn't see Jeff, but Cathy, Sandy and the Erringtons were seated at a table on the other side of the pool. It looked like an argument was in progress, so Diane deliberately stayed out of earshot.

  Deciding it was too late in the day to need sunscreen, she slipped off her cover-up and lay down on the towel-covered lounge chair with a sigh. It felt so good to have a little time to unwind and relax. In a moment she was asleep.

  An hour later, she awoke to see Jeff standing over her with a hungry look in his eyes as they raked over her near naked form. She sat up quickly, embarrassed.

  As he sat down on the lounge chair next to her, she realized he had no more on than she did. She caught her breath as her eyes slid over his slim, muscular body with as much interest as he had shown in hers.

  "Did you have a good day?"

  "Very," she answered. "What time is it, anyway? I tried to call you when we got back, but there was no answer in your room."

  "Of course not! Who spends any time in their room with all this to enjoy?" He swept a long arm toward the palm tree and flower lined pool and the rolling surf beyond.

  "Dad and I went for a walk down the beach. He's over there. It's just after six," he added in answer to her question, as he pointed to another section of lounge chairs closer to the beach.

  Diane could see Arlene's red head there beside his father's. So he hadn't been lonely, she thought. He had probably spent most of the day with Arlene.

  "I see." she said stiffly.

  "No, you don’t see," he frowned following her gaze to Arlene. Although she could have sworn the smile on his face showed satisfaction. "You needn't be jealous. Father and I had Banning Corporation business to discuss."

  "I see," she said tightly.

  "No, you don't see," he repeated. "Dad is having a problem with leaks of vital information through unauthorized use of our bulletin board. We were trying to narrow the possibilities. I can't tell you anymore now. Please trust me, Diane."

  "I'm sorry," she said. "So that's what Vince meant when he told me he hoped for your help on this trip." She tried to pull herself together. They still had most of the week to get through and she was determined to do her part to keep their relationship on a professional level as he'd asked.

  At least he hadn't mentioned last night. And she had better pretend to have forgotten it, too.

  "But I thought only the top people at Banning Corporation were on this trip! You mean it could be one of them?"

  "Not only could be," he agreed, "but would have to be. No one else has access to all the information."

  "Oh." She shuddered. Intrigue and trickery were not her cup of tea. She began to be sorry she even knew about it. But it explained so much that had puzzled her about Jeff and his father. And somehow she was glad to find that even if they claimed to not get along, they obviously trusted in each other and felt they could count on each other's help when they needed it.

  "Thanks for finding my luggage. Did you get the others' back for them too?"

  "Yes. It seems the bags were sitting right there at the airport all the time. But they had lost their purple group I.D. tags, so no one claimed them. If we had waited to claim our own luggage this wouldn't have happened. Each person could have picked out his own even without a tag. But it wasn't the hotel boys' fault. They had no way of identifying our luggage except by the purple tags."

  "I guess there are good and bad sides to being pampered."

  "Next time we'll have to make sure the tags we buy have stronger elastic ties. Where would you like to eat dinner? We have some things to discuss," he added at her raised eyebrow. It was definitely a business arrangement, not a
date, then, she thought with sinking heart.

  "That restaurant looks nice," she said, pointing to the indoor one on the other side of the pool. "Do you suppose we need reservations? Or would you rather go downtown?"

  "This will be fine. I'll see if we can get reservations. The others are going downtown to The Lobster House. That's a bit over my budget."

  "Mine, too!" She laughed, slipping into her soft white cover-up. She was glad now that she had splurged and bought the outrageously expensive outfit. At least in it, she felt somewhat in the same league with Arlene. It was worth it to see Jeff's eyes roam over her in it, before he dropped his lids and took her arm.

  "I think you're too late to turn in that towel, tonight. But don't forget to get a credit for it tomorrow, or you'll find it on your bill," he said.

  She grimaced. "I'll remember. I can imagine what they charge for a beach towel here."

  They walked to the doorway of the restaurant, feeling a bit out of place in beach clothes. It was already almost full of people dressed in evening clothes. Diane could see waiters in black and white uniforms moving about. The man in charge of a reservation book said he only had space left at seven o'clock.

  Jeff glanced at the Rolex watch on his wrist, and looked at her.

  "It's twenty after six. Think we can make it by seven? He's all filled up for later."

  "I can if you can," she answered his challenge. Not for anything would she let him know it usually took her longer to dress.

  Luckily she'd already had her shower, and she went quickly through her clothes, finally deciding on a slim green dress which brought out the green in her hazel eyes. She brushed her short blonde hair and touched up its shape with a curling iron. Thank goodness the electric current is the same here as in the U.S., she thought. I'd hate to have to make-do without my hairdryer and curling iron.

  She applied make-up sparingly, then added a light touch of her favorite perfume. She surveyed herself in the mirror, seeing a slender young woman, looking eager and happy. Just enjoy him while you can, she scolded herself. Don't think about losing him if Arlene is right. How can you lose something you never had? A line from a song popped into her head: "One day at a time". She smiled wryly. If she could only convince her heart to believe that. Just ignore the future and its pain, and enjoy tonight. What a turnaround.

  Just a few weeks ago she'd been insisting that she was a career girl who had no plans to marry. Now she would give her eye-teeth for some words of commitment from a man who hadn't even yet said "I love you." Fool, she scolded her reflection.

  There was a knock at her door. She answered it to find Jeff waiting. He looked very handsome in a suit, and she was thrilled to see his eyes light up as they went over her.

  "Ready?"

  She nodded, checked to see that her room key was in her evening clutch, and pulled her door shut.

  "You're looking terrific," he said, taking her arm.

  She smiled up at him, trying not to let him see that his fingers were sending flames through her.

  "You don't look half-bad yourself."

  He turned to her as the elevator door closed, allowing them privacy. His arms enfolded her and his lips took hers in a warm kiss. She wasn't sure if the sensation of floating in her center came from the descent of the elevator or from his kiss. Whatever, she wanted it to go on and on.

  But all too soon the elevator opened onto the main floor, forcing them to separate. People surrounded them again as they walked through the lobby and down the steps, then along the sidewalk to the wing which held the restaurant.

  The waiter seated them near the window, so they could see the people on the patio and the beach. In fact, the entire restaurant seemed open to the lovely view, since two of the walls were mostly glass. A piano was set up along one side and a young man was playing softly.

  Jeff was definitely in a good mood and she began to relax, listening to the music, and watching the strollers on the beach. What a far cry this was from what she had seen today.

  "What were you thinking just then?" he asked as the waiter brought their drinks.

  Diane wondered if he would think her a silly sentimentalist if she told him, but he seemed sincere.

  "I was just thinking about the big difference between this scene here at the hotel, and the condition of some of the country homes we saw on the bus tour today. I guess I'm more than a bit spoiled by civilization. I certainly wouldn't enjoy living in a home like some of those I saw today. No glass in the windows, no screens, no electricity, no running water. Ugh! It reminds me of pioneer life as my grandmother described it. But at least the Mexicans don't have to worry about freezing and they certainly looked very happy."

  "I'm told they put their families first, and don't worry as much as we do about material possessions. But perhaps that's only because most of them have never had many."

  "I guess we always tend to judge others by how we would feel in their situation," she agreed. "But we forget that they may see things differently. They might not like our way of doing things or our values at all."

  The waiter came to take their order. Jeff decided on steak in spite of her warning that the beef might not meet the standards he was used to. She ordered broiled fish, then picked up one of the homemade rolls the waiter had brought with him in a white napkin covered basket. Jeff did the same, buttering it lavishly, then taking a big bite and making a face.

  "What the! What did they do to the butter?"

  Diane laughed, remembering her own similar first reaction. "It's only unsalted. You'll get used to it. Isn't the bread delicious? My own mother couldn't make better."

  "Mmmhmm..." he agreed, sprinkling a bit of salt on the butter and taking another bite.

  "Too much salt is bad for you, anyway," she commented. "It holds water in your body and encourages high blood pressure. Sugar does that, too."

  "More of your mom's nursing training rubbing off?" he kidded.

  As the evening went on, Diane was amazed at how easily they could talk to each other and how much alike they thought.

  They discussed the last night's surprise entertainment. Jeff had found several possibilities to take the place of the one that had been canceled. They argued the merits of each good-naturedly, finally deciding on a donkey race on the beach. Some of the group were too old for it of course, but they agreed there were enough young people to participate, and that the others would certainly enjoy watching it as much as any other entertainment. Besides, the other choices were too similar to a Mexican Fiesta which was already scheduled for another night.

  The food was delicious, and she found she was hungry in spite of her too-large lunch. She was going to have to watch it, or she would certainly gain weight on this trip.

  The waiter brought a tray of beautiful desserts for them to choose from. Diane chose a chocolate mousse and Jeff had fresh strawberries.

  "Will you stay around the hotel tomorrow?" he asked over dessert.

  Diane thought a moment. For the life of her she couldn't remember what was on the agenda for the next day.

  "It's a free day," Jeff filled in for her, seeming to read her mind. "Some of the people are going on a boat ride to an island. Others are going deep sea fishing. You needn't go on either, unless you want to. There's an extra fee to go on those."

  "Oh yes, I remember. No, I wasn't planning to go on either of those. Did you want me to do something here?" she guessed.

  "If you were planning to stay here, I thought I'd join the men who are going to the bull-fights," he said, leaning back and lighting up his pipe.

  "Fine with me. I was hoping to get some sun."

  "Just tell Lola where you'll be in case of a problem. I'm sure most of the group know you by now, so they can find you by the pool as well as anywhere else. But this time you'd better use sunscreen," he commented, looking pointedly at her chest above the low-cut dress.

  Embarrassed, she followed his gaze, and saw that she had sunburned, in spite of how late in the day it had been. Her white Minne
sota winter skin was now showing a definite line where her bathing suit straps had been, and her soft breasts were half white and half red.

  "Does it hurt?"

  "No," she said. "I didn't notice it before."

  "Sometimes it shows up later," he nodded. "But take care tomorrow. I need your help."

  Yes, she reminded herself bitterly, he's not worried about you, only about your ability to do your job. So don't get carried away by any looks you think you see in those deep brown eyes. Control yourself, girl.

  It was still early when they left, but there was a line of people with reservations waiting for tables, so they weren't encouraged to linger.

  The air was warm and scented with flowers. It was early, much too early for bed. Jeff took her arm and they walked leisurely around the pool then went down to the chairs in front of the beach wall and sat there in the moonlight, watching the waves come in and break on the beach. They could see the lights of the city down the beach, and could hear the music from the hotel lounge behind them.

  They talked easily for hours, about their childhoods and school and college. She forgot that this was only for tonight and when he stood up at last, she turned to find herself in his arms.

  He drew her close, murmuring that she was soft and delicious and oh, so desirable. She trembled at his touch and her body molded itself against his as though it were made to be there. His kiss was soft at first, then demanded her response. She felt helpless to resist, and soft and warm down to her toes. She lost track of time, and wished the kiss would never end, but of course it did.

  He drew back, drawing a ragged breath, then slipped his arm around her waist and with a slight pressure, started them walking back up the path toward the hotel.

  "Would you like a drink?" he asked, as they approached the lounge where many people were sitting in the wicker chairs around little tables, and dancing was in progress to the beat of the small band.

  "Sure," she agreed. "But let me find the ladies' room first."

  "What would you like?"