Michelle’s eyes flashed with challenge. “Yeah, that’s right, tell me I’m getting what I deserve.”
Jayma was the first to find her voice. “We’d never say that, would we girls? But Michelle, a married man? There was no way that was going to end well.”
“I think we can all agree,” Michelle slugged down the rest of her wine and signaled the waiter for more, “that all men are shits.”
“Well, I love my John,” Jayma said.
“He’s the exception that proves the rule.” Michelle lifted her glass in a toast.
“Makes me glad I date women,” Chelsea commented.
“Are they easier on relationships?” Katie wondered.
“Nope,” Chelsea laughed.
“Okay, chicks,” Michelle said, “here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get shitfaced and go lose a bunch of money in the casino. Are you with me?”
***
The drive from the ship to the resort in Cancun took slightly over an hour. Mac and his brothers were greeted in the resort’s lobby by their parents, who wrapped their sons in warm embraces. Danny’s wife Susan and their three young daughters appeared shortly afterward.
“How was the cruise?” their father asked.
“Great! The best way to travel to Mexico if you ask me,” Tommy replied. “Where’s my lovely bride?”
“In her suite with her family and friends. And don’t even think about trying to see her before tonight,” his mother chided.
After the three Coleman brothers were shown to their rooms, the remainder of the day was a flurry of activity. There were final fittings to see to, a family luncheon, and Mrs. Coleman insisted that they get ready early for the sunset ceremony so that family photos could be taken.
Mac absorbed the quiet of his room as he showered, shaved, and changed into his wheat-colored linen suit. As busy as the day had been, he’d been grateful for the distraction. Now alone in his room, thoughts of Katie returned.
He glanced at his watch. 5:15. Would they be back from their excursion by now? He wondered if it had been everything Katie had imagined it would be.
Her words floated back to him. Maybe we should get together every night to compare notes... He found himself wishing they could do just that. He’d have loved to hear about her impressions of the ancient ruins. Such lousy timing.
He rejoined the others and time started moving forward again with photos being posed and snapped, and guests being greeted, until finally it was time for the ceremony to begin. White wooden folding chairs had been set up on the beach before a canopy draped with blue fabric, complementing the blue of the sea beyond.
Mac and Danny, in their matching linen suits with turquoise silk ties, stood alongside Tommy as they watched Danny’s daughters skipping barefoot down the sandy aisle between rows of chairs. Next came Gretchen’s sisters, also barefoot in knee-length turquoise dresses, and they stood opposite the brothers. Finally, in a tea-length gown of ecru lace, Gretchen made her way toward the temporary altar, huge smile in place.
Mac glanced at Tommy, who beamed at his bride, seemingly oblivious to anything except her. The timing was perfect, the sunset painting the sky with oranges, purples, and deep blues as the ceremony began.
Although he tried to pay attention, Mac found his imagination working overtime, replacing Tommy and Gretchen with himself and Katie. He could picture her in a dress similar to Gretchen’s, her red hair put up loosely and decorated with white flowers. He could see himself standing beside her in a suit like the one he was wearing, promising her forever.
Mac shook his head in an attempt to return to the present. That’s utterly ridiculous, really. Promise her forever? I knew her for about thirty-six hours. Still, he knew he regretted letting her go so easily.
His distracted thoughts continued throughout the rest of the evening. After the ceremony, there was a dinner in a private banquet room, and dancing followed. Mac stayed on the edge of the action, quietly enjoying the celebration from the sidelines.
At one point, his mother sought him out. “Malcolm, I want you to meet Sherry.” She indicated a pretty brunette standing with her. “She’s a friend of Gretchen’s and she’s single, too.” His mother hurried away leaving the pair standing uncomfortably together.
“Um, wow, that was awkward,” Mac said. “I’m Mac, by the way. Mom’s the only one who calls me Malcolm.”
Sherry laughed uncomfortably and sipped the cocktail in her hand. “I’m sure she means well. Are you enjoying the wedding?”
“It’s beautiful.” He ran a restless hand through his hair, smiling ruefully. “I’ve got to be honest with you, too. I’m not actually single.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh.” She shook her head. “It’s just that your mom said...”
“It’s kind of a recent development. I haven’t had time to tell her, what with all this.” He gestured vaguely around the room. “I’m really sorry, will you excuse me for a minute?”
Feeling embarrassed, Mac sought out anyone else he could find to talk to, and he ran into Tommy standing near the dancefloor, watching Gretchen and the bridesmaids dancing together. “Hey, bro, everything turned out amazing!”
Tommy beamed at him. “It was great, wasn’t it? I’m the luckiest guy in the world. Hey, Mom was looking for you.”
Mac rolled his eyes. “Yeah, she found me. Introduced me to a friend of Gretchen’s. I had to get away.”
“Sherry’s a nice girl.” Tommy watched his brother carefully.
“I’m sure she is. It’s just...”
“It’s just that you’re still hung up on the redhead.”
Mac nodded, looking out over the crowd. “I can’t stop thinking about her. I watched you and Gretchen today and I kept imagining me and Katie. It’s stupid, I know, but...”
Tommy grinned at him. “You’re in love.”
He clapped his brother on the shoulder, then glanced around conspiratorially. “I’ve got to tell someone or I’m going to bust.” He moved closer. “Gretchen’s pregnant. I’m going to be a dad.”
Mac was slightly taken aback but recovered quickly. His little brother was going to be a father. “That’s great, bro! Seriously, congratulations!”
“Thanks, man. I mean, we’ll tell everyone later on, but I wanted to tell you now.”
Mac embraced his brother tightly. “I love you, Tommy-boy. You’re going to knock this thing out of the park.”
“I love you too, big brother. Thanks so much for being here for me. It means the world. To both of us.”
Day 4
Although the ship docked in Belize at 6:00 am local time, the zip-lining excursion didn’t leave until noon. The Heartbreakers took advantage of the opportunity to sleep late. Katie was glad, sporting a hangover like she was.
As Michelle had suggested, they’d had way too much to drink, but even so, Katie had resisted the temptation to risk too much at the casino. She’d watched Michelle lose a couple hundred dollars, and she wondered about how her friend would manage to pay for her own apartment. It would be wiser to hang onto her money, in Katie’s opinion, but she’d kept her thoughts to herself.
After a leisurely brunch, the girls headed out to catch the shuttle to the rainforest zip line tour. Although at first she was reluctant about the whole idea, Katie ultimately found that she enjoyed the experience.
After watching Chelsea take her turn, Katie volunteered to go next. She put her heart necklace into her pocket for safekeeping, and was strapped into a harness and hooked up to the line. By the time she got over her uneasiness with being so far off the ground, she enjoyed the view afforded by the height.
Two hours later, with loads of photos and video of the experience, the four women stopped to peruse some of the little shops on their way back to the ship.
Katie made a concerted effort to stay in the moment but her thoughts continually strayed back to Mac. His brother would have gotten married the night before. He had told her that the day after the wedding, he’d be flying home,
wherever that was, and loading up the moving truck. She wondered how the wedding had gone. She wondered if he thought about her.
Stop being stupid. Just...let him go. She glanced down at the heart he’d given her and knew it would be quite some time before she forgot about Mac.
Back on board the ship, Katie took a side trip to the photo kiosk to see if the pictures of their time in the casino the previous night were ready for purchase. She thought they’d make a hilarious addition to the annual album. Scanning the photos on offer, she quickly found the ones she was seeking, and browsed a bit to see if there were any others she’d missed.
Looking over the hundreds of photos, she stopped cold at the sight of soulful brown eyes smiling back at her. Dreamlike, she reached for the photo. It was the one of her and Mac, that first night just after they’d shared their first kiss.
I’d forgotten all about this. I should just leave it. I’m acting like an idiot. She stared at the smiling couple in the picture. Shortly after it had been taken, they’d made love for hours. Reluctantly, she reached to replace the photo on the rack, then changed her mind, taking it and the other photos to the checkout.
***
“That should be it,” Mac told Danny, who was standing in the back of the rented moving truck. He’d run one last sweep of the storage unit and found nothing they’d missed. “We probably could have gone with a smaller truck.”
Early that morning, they’d taken the first flight back to Tampa, arriving at 10:00 am. They’d gone directly to the rental agency to retrieve the truck, and now, at 1:00, they were finished packing up all the belongings Mac cared to move. Last on their list was to hook up his black Jeep to the tow bar on the back of the truck, and they’d be ready to head out.
“We can stop for some lunch on our way out of town,” he said to Danny. “It’s less than a four hour drive. We could be unpacked in time for Happy Hour. The real estate agent said there were lots of clubs and bars within walking distanced of my new place.”
Cruising east along state road 60, Mac glanced at his brother in the passenger seat of the moving truck, happily munching fries out of a red cardboard box. “Thanks again, man, for helping me move. I really appreciate it.”
Danny grinned at Mac. “Glad to help. Just don’t tell Susan about the fast food. She’s worried about my cholesterol.”
Mac laughed, but his thoughts went back to the worry on Katie’s face the other day in the Caymans when she thought he might have been hurt. It was nice having someone who worried about me.
It was just before 5:00 when they made their way into downtown West Palm Beach, rush hour traffic slowing their progress to a crawl. They drove directly to the parking garage of Mac’s new building, stopping the truck beside the freight elevator. It took them three trips to move the furniture and boxes to the sixth floor of the upscale building on Clematis Street.
An hour later, they’d dropped off the rental truck, parked the Jeep back at the apartment building, and were on their way down the street on foot in search of dinner and a cold beer. They found both at a sports bar and grill called Duffy’s, where they snagged a table on the street, the better to relax and people-watch after their long day.
“Is it weird that we woke up in Mexico this morning?” Danny wondered.
Mac thoughtfully sipped his Stella. “This week has been a whirlwind.”
They both watched as a group of young girls dressed for a night out passed their table, giggling and glancing their way. Danny shook his head, laughing lightly. “I kind of miss hanging out with you, bro. And Tommy, too. It’s a shame we all live so far apart.”
“I know. But you’re welcome here any time you get tired of Omaha.”
“Right,” Danny laughed. “Me and Susan and three little girls. That’s what you need, all of us overrunning your apartment.”
“Hey, I love your family. You know that. Seriously,” he eyed his brother earnestly, “we should get together more often.”
Danny nodded, placing his pint glass on the table. “You’re right. And we will.” He watched his younger brother for a moment. “I’m really proud of you, you know. You started out as a great teacher, and you aced it as an assistant principal. But now? Brand new doctorate degree, new job, fancy new apartment. You’re really living the life.”
For the millionth time that day, Katie’s face flashed through Mac’s mind. “Now all I need is someone to share it with.”
“You need to track down that redhead, what’s her name, Katie.”
Mac frowned into his empty glass. “Yeah. That shouldn’t be hard. I’ll just call the cruise line and describe her. ‘Petite, red hair, traveling with three other women. Oh yeah, her name is Katie. No idea about the last name. No idea where she’s from.’ ” He sighed. “I wish I’d gotten her number. Last name. Some damn thing.”
Danny swallowed his last sip of beer. “These things have a way of working themselves out. Besides, look at all the chicks around here. You’re bound to meet someone.”
From their perch in front of Duffy’s they could hear the strains of a band starting up at the park at the end of the street. Their server had told them that there was entertainment on the waterfront every Thursday night. Mac was too exhausted from their whirlwind day to even consider walking any further than back to the apartment. He determined to check it out another Thursday.
As it was, the two men made it back to Mac’s sixth floor apartment where Mac collapsed on the unmade bed in his bedroom, amidst still-packed boxes and bags of clothing. Danny took the sofa in the living room and both brothers were asleep in minutes.
Day 5
The following morning, Mac drove Danny to the airport for his flight back to Cancun. Stopping in the Departures lane in front of the terminal, Mac watched Danny set his bag on the sidewalk. “Okay, bro, thanks again for your help. I’d never have managed by myself.”
Danny grinned. “Anytime, man. Always glad to help out my little brother. I’ll be thinking about you starting your new job while I’m sipping margaritas on the beach.”
Mac laughed. “Yeah, just remember, all good things must come to an end. You’ll be back in Omaha soon enough. Hug Susan and the girls for me.”
“Will do.” Danny closed the Jeep’s door and waved at Mac before he turned and entered the terminal.
Mac took his time on the way back to his apartment, veering a few miles off course to grab a cup of Cuban coffee at a small restaurant with a walk-up window. He figured his first task would be to unpack and organize the apartment. Better to get that taken care of now, before hitting the new job on Monday.
***
Their final cruise day was a day at sea, the return leg to Tampa from Belize. Katie and her friends enjoyed a leisurely brunch of fresh pastries and fruit before spending a couple of hours sunning on the pool deck. Michelle had made their spa reservations for mid-afternoon and by the time they walked into the crisp white facility, Katie was ready to be pampered.
An hour and a half later, the four were sitting wrapped in fluffy white bathrobes and sipping champagne as they waited for their mani-pedis. Katie had luxuriated in the 45 minute massage that had followed her facial. By the time her nails were done, she’d feel like a princess.
“This is so much better than risking our lives zipping through the jungle or climbing some crumbling old ruin,” Michelle remarked.
“I loved everything we’ve done,” Katie countered, “but this is pretty sweet.”
“To the Heartbreakers!” Chelsea raised her glass. “May we always make time for each other.”
“I say next year we go to Vegas,” Jayma added.
Everyone dissolved into giggles. “Can you imagine us in Vegas?” Michelle shook her head. “I don’t think they’re ready for us.”
Later as they were having their nails done, Katie took advantage of a lull in the conversation. “What are you going to do, Michelle?” She gazed sympathetically at her old friend.
Michelle sighed and gave a resigned shrug. “I have
a place picked out. It’s just...humiliating, that’s all. I mean,” she glanced around at her friends, “it’s not like I even loved the guy, not really. I just wanted to win.” Her voice was low.
“You wanted to win?” Jayma echoed.
“Yeah, you know, it felt good to be able to take him away from her.”
The room was silent as the other three digested that thought. Michelle looked to Katie. “What are you going to do? About Mr. Sexy?”
Katie’s eyes widened. “Mac? Nothing. What can I do? I mean, even if I wanted to, how could I possibly track him down? The cruise line won’t tell me anything. He’s going to be a very nice memory.”
Chelsea looked from one to the other. “We’re pretty F’d up, girls. I mean, seriously!”
Laughter lightened the mood once again, but Katie’s thoughts remained on Mac. She hadn’t told anyone about the photo of the two of them. That would be her private memento from this vacation.
Throughout dinner and the comedy show they attended late that night, Mac was never far from Katie’s thoughts. She felt a bit guilty, as though she were neglecting her friends, but no one seemed to notice. After she and Jayma returned to their cabin for the night, Katie took her things into the bathroom for a nice long shower.
Truthfully, since the massage earlier in the afternoon, she’d been feeling a particular itch that needed attention. Although she’d tried to stay in the moment, the hands of the masseuse on her body had reminded her of Mac, of the way he’d touched her. With hot water streaming over her, Katie began to touch herself, stroking her hands up her sides to cup and knead her breasts, tugging roughly on their tight pink points.
As she felt the sensation building between her thighs, she moved a hand down to stroke her needy place, finding that sensitive button that Mac had set on fire with his lips and tongue. She imagined him there, his five-o’clock shadow adding to the sensation as he worked her clit. Before she knew it, her climax came roaring through her body and, as he’d predicted, she breathed his name. “Mac!”
Just One Night Page 6