Blue: A Love Story on the Bermuda Shores

by Daya Daniels

  “Yeah.”

  “I start the new job next week.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Yeah.” She mutters. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I laugh, taking a sip of the champagne from her glass that she offers.

  “Cass.” She says with a harsh nod. “I admire you. You’re living your dreams. Chasing what you want and living your life. I. Admire. You.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Really. Don’t let anyone crush what you imagine your life to be.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You’re brave.” She slurs out, causing me to laugh at her almost-inebriated state.

  We both sit in silence for a little while, watching the crowds go by and the boats in the distance. The last race of the day is over and the crewmen are all heading back in.

  “Who is your boyfriend?” She asks, with a clever smirk.

  I giggle. “His name is Nico. He’s here.”

  “Oh.” She looks around.

  “He’s with Ambrose today. You remember Ambrose?”

  “Yes, of course Cass. Who could forget him.” She laughs.

  “They work together?”

  “Ah, something like that.” I say, realizing I’d no clue what Nico was doing here with Ambrose today.

  “What does he do?”

  “He’s a fisherman.”

  Zoey shuts her eyes for a moment. They take so long to reopen, I fear she’s fallen asleep.

  “A fisherman.” She repeats. “Okay.”

  I give her a look. She throws her hands up in surrender as though I’m going to shoot her.

  “No judgments, Cass. You know me.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’m just glad your happy, that’s all.”

  Cheers erupt around us and laughter spreads throughout the place at the announcer’s voice.

  “Thanks.” I mumble, leaning in close to Zoey.

  “This whole event is incredible, even though all I’ve been doing here is drinking.” She laughs. “Denzel is some place nearby. The six of us are really here on his dime anyhow.”

  Six of us?

  “Oh.” I whisper, inspecting the area around me. Denzel is Zoey’s fiancee. I wasn’t sure who the other five people are that she’s referring to.

  “Symone is here with Stefan.” She mumbles into her glass. “And...Ru.”

  Inwardly, I groan in no mood to see either stupid face on this wonderful day.

  “Cass.” A firm voice says that’s undeniably male.

  Zoey’s blue eyes bulge out and her brows shoot up to her curly hairline. Her gaze darts between just over my shoulder and then back my face, looking like a stunned deer.

  “Rupert’s here.” She whispers. “Sorry, I was getting to that.”

  Fuck me in the dick!

  “Cass.” He repeats again in his posh Elmbridge accent.

  Zoey and I rise to our feet simultaneously. Rupert inches closer. I slow-blink, staring into his sickeningly handsome face and blue eyes. His short ebony hair is perfectly coiffed and his teeth look shinier than I remember, when he smiles.

  “Cass.” He says again, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s good to see you.” He backs away and looks me over, as though he’s trying to make sure I still have all my limbs. “How are you?”

  I remain speechless for a moment. “I’m good.”

  “You’re doing the whole photography thing, I see?”

  Thing?

  “Yeah.” I say in a hushed tone. “It’s been great.”

  His hand lingers around my neck, while his thumb strokes my ear lobe. I shrug out of the familiar hold that used to melt me. When I spin around, Zoey has disappeared.

  “I’ve been emailing you. Why haven’t you been responding?”

  A smile spreads across my face at his question. “I got a few maybe from a few months ago.”

  “No, Cass. I’ve emailed you recently.”

  I shake my head and lift a shoulder. “What for?”

  He takes a deep breath. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I wanted to maybe do lunch, hoping we could talk. I thought maybe whatever you were thinking before, you-you maybe reconsidered.”

  I narrow my eyes.

  “We made a great pair Cass but you knew I had some conditions.”

  Is this a proposition?

  “I wanted to give you the chance to realize how wrong you were. I figured maybe we could try again but from the look of things, you’ve definitely embarked on this new career.”

  I laugh at Rupert’s arrogance. Nothing about him had changed. Holding a palm up, I respond. “Rupert, I’m fine. I’m not your problem anymore.”

  “Fine.” He says, officially entering my personal space.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “You’re living with your parents, Cass. Now, I hear you have some fisherman boyfriend.” He snaps, his face twisted into some fucked up expression.

  I pinch my lips, willing myself not to explode.

  “You’re far from fine, Cass. I’m a friend. I always worry about you. I’m worried about you.” He coos, staring at me as though I’m a wounded animal.

  “Okay, well it was nice to have this talk, Rupert. I’ll see you around.” I say, suppressing my laugh.

  A hand brushes my shoulder and before I can see the face, the vision of a bright green Heneiken bottle comes into view.

  “Ambrose.” Rupert grins with a nod.

  The old man presses a kiss to my cheek and then shakes Rupert’s hand.

  “Ambrose.” I laugh in greeting.

  “Hey, Cass.”

  “Hey.”

  “Nico, wants to see you.” He slurs out. My eyes dart around. “He’s not around here. It’s a bit of a walk but he asked if I wouldn’t mind coming to get you.”

  Ambrose gives Rupert a funny expression and then looks over Zoey, who returns with Stefan and Symone behind her. I give them both a half-hearted wave.

  “He’s here.” Rupert huffs. “I want to meet this gentleman, Cass.” He mumbles, right when a woman sidles up next to him.

  This is all I need...to be exposed to more of their judgments and ridicule. Sigh.

  The woman places a lingering kiss to Rupert’s lips and splays a hand across his pristinely pressed baby blue Ralph Lauren POLO shirt.

  She lunges forward extending a hand to me, while a huge self-satisfied smile plays across her plain face. “I’m Charlotte.”

  “Cass.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She mumbles, eyeing me over.

  I only nod, accepting that in some way I’m sizing her up. She’s isn’t prettier than me and she has the lips of a turbot. Fish lips. Rupert was addicted to getting blow jobs. Fish Lips wouldn’t survive Rupert with those lips and her tiny mouth that barely opened just now when she spoke.

  Ambrose’s fingers curl around my forearm, forcing me to jolt out of the daze I was just in. “Nico, also said to bring your friends along.”

  Huh? Why!

  “Absolutely!” Rupert shouts, taking a swig of Fish Lip’s champagne.

  “Let’s go then.” Ambrose agrees draining the remaining liquid from the bottle in his hand.

  Would I survive this?

  Cassandra

  “How long have you been here?” I ask Ambrose as he leads me through the crowds.

  “A few hours.” He says simply. “An hour of work and two hours of drinking with Nico.”

  I laugh.

  “What’s he doing here?”

  Ambrose only smiles. Right when he’s about to answer, a stone-faced security guard asks him for his ID. Ambrose flashes it to large the WWF wrestler, who waves us on. Rupert is behind us singing and giggling with Fish Lips, who’s clearly his new girlfriend.

  This whole encounter makes me feel uncomfortable.

  Everything about this makes me feel uncomfortable.

  We take a flight of stairs and the chatter gets thick. A gentleman takes my camera from around my neck and my bag, passing it all to
a tiny woman who stands in a corner.

  “It’s fine.” Another gentleman says, meeting my eyes with his brown ones.

  A woman steps in front of my uninvited guests and offers them more champagne. The same man places hand on my lower back, leading me deeper into the outdoor deck. A strong breeze blows through, ruffling the sheer white curtains that trim the windows, stirring up the scent of the fresh colorful flowers that surround the place and the mouthwatering fragrance of food. The Great Sound is an expanse of blue in the distance. It’s so beautiful my heart almost stops, when I gaze at the breathtaking view.

  “I’m Carlos.” The tall man says with a smile, bringing my attention back to him as we stride alongside each other.

  “Cass.” I whisper to Carlos, listening to Rupert’s annoying voice behind me.

  Carlos only nods. We reach a private area that’s filled with plush lounge furniture in taupes and whites.

  A man stands when we approach. He’s attractive, tall and tanned with black hair that has streaks of grey running through it at his temples. He extends a hand. “Aurelio.” He pulls me in for a hug and places a kiss on my cheek.

  This man is a stranger. Yet, he acts as if he already knows me.

  I’m speechless for a moment, unable to respond, only captivated by the sight of the man behind him. Rupert’s voice interrupts my thoughts for a moment, maybe even a millisecond but then I’m lost again.

  The beautiful man stands and approaches me, flashing me a panty-melting smile. He’s had a hair cut. The thick strands are slicked back, making them look darker than they really are and his face is clean-shaven. He’s wearing a white polo-shirt and shorts and Gucci loafers that look like sneakers but they aren’t. He looks like he’s just stepped away from an Esquire magazine shoot.

  Who is this man?

  My mouth won’t close. He presses a kiss to my lips and blinks slowly as I breathe in the crisp, spicy scent of the expensive cologne and aftershave that dusts his jawline, mingling with the delicious natural scent of his skin. I drop my gaze to his thick wrist, staring at the watch which graces it. It’s the same one from all those weeks ago. The name Patek Phillipe is on the large face of it.

  “Cass.” Nico whispers, pressing his forehead to mine.

  “Nico.”

  He laughs and holds my head by the sides. “I missed you.”

  The possessive, intimate gesture leaves me speechless, transfixed. This man has a way of stealing away my focus, making me feel like we’re the only ones that exist. There could be a million people here but all I see is him – the only presence of importance is his.

  “I missed you too.” I whisper, with a shaky voice.

  He let’s go and takes a few feet forward to greet everyone else. I spin around, feeling like I’m about to pass out at any moment. I’m unable to find any oxygen despite the fact that this private deck is open all the fresh air in the western hemisphere and the ocean around us.

  Nico starts past me and extends a hand to Rupert. “Hello, Rupert.”

  I twist around to watch the two men interact, while confusion clouds my brain. Symone stands over in a corner next to Stefan. They both look like they don’t know what country they’re in.

  Rupert’s brows are cinched and his mouth remains open. “You’re Nico?” He asks, holding on to Fish Lips by her waist. He laughs and for a split second, I see his face collapse as he stares at Nico who towers over him by a good three inches.

  “Nicolau, actually.”

  Nicolau?

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Rupert says.

  “Please help yourself.” Nico instructs, waving a hand across the room. “There’s food, champagne. Whatever you like. Please help yourself. If there’s something specific you’d like, Carlos would be happy to get it for you.”

  “Yes, thanks.” Rupert says, giving me a strange look. He drags Fish Lips away with him to the open bar across the room. Ambrose is making small talk with a few people I of course, don’t know.

  Denzel and Zoey are off in a corner, accepting more champagne that’s being poured and eating strawberries.

  I put the champagne to my lips and drain the glass. I’m so fucking bewildered. Aurelio is making small talk with a few gentleman in the distance. The man that came to see Reel Talk all those weeks ago is within the group. He gives me a wave as though we know each other. I wave back and then look at Nico again. He approaches me cautiously and kisses me again.

  “Nico.” I whisper.

  “I’ll explain, Cass but right now I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “Papai!” A tiny voice shouts.

  Spinning around, I spot Tatiana flying across the room. She crashes into Nico’s arms when he drops into a squat and picks her up.

  “Hello, Cass.” She sings, leaning forward to pull me into a hug.

  “Hello, Tatiana.” I smile.

  “I’m sooo happy I’m finally here.” She squeals.

  “Believe it or not, this little lady has been here since last night.” Nico laughs.

  I purse my lips watching the two interact. Carlos offers me another champagne, which I gladly take from his hands.

  “Come and sit with me, Cass.” Tatiana orders, pulling me into one of the plush lounge chairs. She picks up a remote and clicks it in the direction of 4K TV in front of us on. When it comes to life, she flicks through the options to land on The Disney Channel. Tatiana scoots to the back of the sofa and giggles when she meets my eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I whisper, knowing it’s lie. I’m far from okay but scaring little children isn’t something I do.

  “Okay.” She says.

  Symone gives me a tiny wave from across the room. She’s holding her glass to her waist and continues to run a hand through her hair. I hated arguing with my sister but this wasn’t the place to make up. I had no clue what was going on and I knew she had endless questions now. When I glance across the open deck, Nico is sitting with his father and a few other gentlemen, staring out at the wing-sail catamarans as they drift closer to the wharf. He meets my eyes across the room and smiles at me.

  A small hand taps my shoulder. Tatiana shifts on the sofa next to me. Her curls brush my cheek before she permanently plants her head on my arm. This little girl is adorable. I’d only spoken with her a few times on Skype but it felt like I knew her already.

  “Have you met my uncle?” She asks.

  I only shake my head but stare at the man that stands next to Denzel and Zoey making small talk. He’s loud and boisterous and his face is animated each time he speaks.

  “His name is Tomas.”

  I nod. “Oh.”

  It’s almost as if he senses me staring at him. He excuses himself from the conversation and rushes across the room, still holding a glass in his hand. He dips down and plants a wet kiss on my cheek.

  “Hello, Cass. It’s nice to have you here.”

  “Hi.”

  “Tomas.” He confirms.

  “Yes, Tatiana just told me.”

  “Nico’s been keeping you away from us.” Says the handsome man with a dazzling smile and subtle accent, that’s much like my boyfriend’s. “Not that I blame him.”

  “You’ve been living on that boat with Nico?”

  “Yeah-yes.” I stutter out.

  Tomas nearly bowls over with laughter right in front of me, as though he’s just been told the most hilarious thing in the world. When he finally catches his breath, still wheezing, he squeezes my shoulder. “That one over there is a character.” He laughs, heading off again.

  What the fuck does that mean?

  “I want you to see my bedroom.” She whispers.

  I smile but I’m not sure what to say, so I just say anything. “Okay.”

  “You can see it tonight.”

  I try my hardest to keep my face unsurprised.

  “My grand-mere didn’t want to come with us today. She decided to watch the race from home.”

  I give her a blank look.

  Tatiana s
quirms around next to me until she’s leaning over the back of the sofa. She points across the room, towards the open arches that look out to the sea. “She’s watching the race from there. The one with the red flag on the back.”

  I take in her cute smile and follow her eyeline. Hugging myself, I stand and head over to the glass railing. Picking up a pair of binoculars sitting on a table, I put them to my eyes and look out. I drop them just as fast and swallow the sudden lump in my throat. I put them back up to my eyes and absorb the sight of a massive mega-yacht that floats at the edge of the Great Sound. The red flag on the back of it, that flaps in the wind reads, Zephyr.

  Tatiana hops up from the sofa and stands next to me, placing her fingers on the railing.

  “That’s where my grand-mere is.”

  “Yeah.” I breathe out.

  She laughs and runs back to the sofa plopping down. The white hem of her dress flies up with the breeze as she laughs. I slump forward, balancing my elbows on the edge of the cool glass, feeling like I’m close to hyperventilating.

  This isn’t real. It feels like something out of a dream – like some rags to riches story – at least in my case...

  Where is the camera crew?

  I swear they’re about to jump out at any minute to confirm that this is all a joke! I spin around looking at Nico or Nicolau – the name he seems to be going by here and attempt to close my mouth. The two men were completely different people. Nico...my Nico is laid back, was hardly ever clean-shaven and had a head full of thick hair that always looked like it needed to be cut. He wore clothes without name brands and didn’t bother with extras like cologne.

  The Nico I’m staring at right now (or Nicolau) is absolutely pristine. There isn’t one dark brown lock of hair out of place on his beautiful head. The watch that decorates his wrist could probably feed a small country and every white cotton thread that covers his magnificent body is designer. The air he has about himself is no less confident and self-assured, as he always is, but he’s different.

  Was I dating two people? I didn’t know the man across the room from me. Or, did I?

  “Another champagne?” Carlos asks, interrupting my incessant thoughts.

  “Thanks.” I take the glass from the tray. He heads off again, offering it to other people.

  “A daughter, huh?” Symone whispers, suddenly appearing behind me.