by J A Fielding
“Sleep well?” he asked as she pressed one of the elevator buttons.
She looked at him and nodded. “Like a baby,” she said with a smile.
Daniel nodded as a smile played on his lips.
“You know, I never really understood why people compared a good night’s sleep to a baby since babies wake up every ten minutes,” he said. She looked at him and shrugged. “Guess I don’t blame you. You found the metaphor in use. I guess no one can blame you for continuing the trend,” he added as the elevator door opened. She looked at him before she stepped out with him following closely.
“Do you always make people feel bad about their upbringing?” Erica asked with a smile.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…” he started before she turned around and looked at him.
“Hey, hey. I was just kidding,” she said with a smile. “I was kidding.”
“You almost got me there,” he said grinning. He looked around and pointed at a private table in the corner of the restaurant. “That looks good enough,” he said as he led her to the table.
“Are you always this charming with ladies or are you just doing this for me because you are intrigued?” she asked as she sat down in the chair Daniel had pulled out for her. He took a seat on the opposite end of the table and looked at her.
“Intrigued? Why intrigued?” he asked.
“Well, I could be the first woman who actually knew what your company was,” she said. Daniel raised an eyebrow. “At least I think the geek in me thinks so,” she added quickly.
“Actually, yes. You are the first person who knew almost immediately what the words Quicker Kitchen Me meant. Most people think I am just a weirdo putting random words together,” he said. Erica smiled and then laughed. “Yeah, that’s what I get for having my dad get my cousin to be the face of Quicker Kitchen Me,” he added in a rather cynical tone.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Reese but is that cynicism I hear in your voice?” she asked.
He leaned back in his seat as he toyed with the menu.
“A little,” he said as he looked at the menu. “Apparently Zachary had the charisma the company needed to make the brand pop,” he said putting up air quotes.
“I’m guessing you would have wanted to be part of the advertising campaign at some point?” she asked. He looked up and nodded. “Well, where is your cousin Zachary now?” she asked.
“Last I checked, he was a bouncer at a club in Vegas,” he said almost proudly.
She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow.
“See, you turned out better than he did, right?” she said as Emilio walked up to them. “Hi Emilio, can I have coffee, black with scrambled eggs and pancakes?” she asked.
Daniel looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
“Really? You are away from home and you still want to play it safe with food?” he asked holding his hand up stopping Emilio before he could scribble the order on his notepad.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Scrambled eggs and pancakes? How very American of you. Try something different…I don’t know, Mexican maybe?” he asked. She looked up at him and shrugged. “Allow me,” he said before he looked at Emilio. “We’ll have the eggs, black beans, guacamole Pico de Gallo with Greek yogurt,” he said as Emilio jotted it down. “And some coffee for me and…” he looked at Erica.
“Orange juice, thank you,” Erica said as Emilio jotted it down and walked away.
“Before I even ask my next question, is Emilio the only waiter here?” she asked.
“I like him. He is the one who usually serves me plus he kind of gets me,” he said. “So, what do you have in mind? What was your question?”
“It’s about the food. Do you always eat something local every time you visit a new country?” she asked.
“One time I was in Singapore and one of my business partners ordered me a Sambal stingray dish. It sounds great but when you look at it, it’s like a bunch of ingredients slapped on a banana leaf but it is heavenly,” he said.
“You make it sound like it is some disgusting thing,” she frowned.
“Well, when you look at it, you might be inclined to throw it out but the first taste is truly everything,” he said, a faraway look in his eyes. He almost looked like he was reliving a romantic moment. She smiled and shook her head. “Trust me, Erica Hayes, you need to live a little,” he added in a low voice.
“What makes you think I haven’t lived at all?”
Daniel leaned in and a few strands of his thick mane fell out of place. He looked at her through the hair strands and smiled.
“Something about you tells me that there is more to this trip than you are letting on,” he said.
“Are you a mind reader now, Mr. Reese?” she leaned back in her seat and forced a smile.
He looked at her and smiled. “Maybe,” he said in a low voice.
She looked into his eyes and shrugged.
“Maybe you are reading into the wrong things,” she said as Emilio came back with their order. Daniel smiled at her as Emilio put their food on the table.
“You are going to make me work for the intel, aren’t you?” he asked.
She took a sip of her juice and looked at her plate. She had to admit, it did look inviting. She put the glass down slowly and picked up a fork.
“You have no idea,” she said before she took a bite. “Oh my dear Lord, this is actually really good,” she said taking another bite.
Daniel smiled as he took a bite of his own food.
“Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so,” he said with a cocky smile.
“So,” Erica started as she looked at him. “What is the story with you anyway? I just met you less than twenty four hours ago and all I know is that you run a company of home appliances and that you probably came out here for business and decided to stay on an impromptu extended vacation.” She took another bite and looked up at him.
Daniel looked at her and smiled. “There isn’t much to me really. I run a company my father founded and I have learned the hard way that every so often I have to make a little time for my personal time. And maybe that’s why I decided to take a few extra days after the deal closed,” he said.
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
“Now I have to ask,” she said. He looked at her and she smiled. “And I know how ridiculously hypocritical I sound right now.”
“Okay. I will bite,” he said as he took a sip of his coffee. “This time,” he added.
“That’s more like it,” she said with a smile.
“Okay, this is what happened. I was trying to make everything work out, you know, at work and at home. And I guess I somehow leaned too much into the corporate and forgot all about life at home. So one day I got back home from work and I was all alone,” he said. “I waited for a few weeks and my girlfriend didn’t show up and she wasn’t answering my calls either. I just put two and two together when she came as my business partner’s date to one of my parents’ events.” He took a bite of his food and looked up at her. “So that’s the story of my life. The sad, lonely story of my life,” he added as he looked up at her.
She took a sip of her juice and smiled sadly. “Your story is really sad. Does it get you laid much?” she asked as she took another bite.
Daniel smiled and then laughed. “What would make you say something like that?”
“Well, I have worked with enough big players to know that Rolex on your wrist is the real deal and you are a good looking man, a rich good looking man. So there is no way you can convince me that you have never dropped that story just to get laid,” she said.
Daniel looked into her intense brown eyes and smiled.
“Well, I might have gotten a pity lay one too many times but believe me, I have never told that story to anyone before. At least not with that intention,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.
“Aha. So you have told that story before, haven’t you?” She asked with
sly smile.
“Maybe I have. But enough about me. What about you?” he asked as he looked at her. Her gaze dropped as she toyed with her food. She was not sure she was ready to open up yet. It had taken a really long time to even open up to two of her closest people, her sister and Cassandra. She took a long deep breath and looked up. “It’s that bad, huh?” he asked.
“To be honest, it’s really that bad plus a whole lot of shit on top,” she said as she looked at him. She shook her head and then looked up. “But it’s kind of almost the same thing as your story,” she added.
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“So you let work get the better of you too?” he asked.
“Not exactly but…” there was no way around this. She had no more words to express herself. She looked up at him and smiled. She didn’t know what it was about him that made her feel so safe with him. Normally, she wouldn’t have said anything to a man she barely knew but she suddenly had an urge to pour her heart out. “I trusted someone, a lot. And he hurt me,” she said in a low voice. “A lot,” she added as she looked down at her plate.
Daniel looked at her and suddenly felt guilty for making her open up.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to make you revisit a painful past,” he said.
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault,” she smiled.
“Yes it is,” he said as he reached for one of her hands. “Believe me, I honestly didn’t mean to make you relive a painful past,” he said in a soft voice.
“Water under the bridge,” she shrugged as she looked at him. She pulled her hand away from his and took a bite of her food. She then took a long sip of her juice before she put the glass down. She couldn’t help but notice the sad look Daniel was giving her. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said in a low voice.
“Really? Because you are looking at me like some kind of porcelain doll about to be run over by a truck,” she said with a smile.
“Where do you get your metaphors from?” he laughed.
“I don’t know. I just say whatever feels right,” she said taking another bite.
“Clearly,” he said as he looked at her.
“But anyway, apart from the sob story, I have one sister, a twin Emily. Fraternal not identical and my best friend Cassandra. They are the two most important people in my life,” she went on as she toyed with her food. “We have a younger brother, though sometimes we feel like he is the older one. And that’s that about my family…oh wait, there is my mom and dad… Some crazy telenovela story there. That’s it,” she said almost excitedly.
“Okay, that’s a whole lot about your family.”
“Maybe you should try and see if you can match it.”
“Alright. I have one sister, Melanie. Needless to say she is my world. She is five years younger than me and she always acts like she is an adult but she will always be my baby sister. You know, kind of like the situation you guys have with your brother. And then there is my dad and we get along quite well despite the whole Zachary incident when I was younger and I guess that’s that,” he said. She looked at him and wondered where all this was going and how it had started. “I should have mentioned my best friend Vince,” he added. He looked at her and she laughed. She had no idea where all this was going.
“That is the quickest I have ever got to know anyone,” she said as she looked at him.
“Me too,” Daniel said. She put her fork down and looked at him. “So, what now?” he asked.
She shrugged as she dabbed a napkin on her mouth.
“I don’t know about you but I am going to chill out by the pool,” she said. Daniel frowned. “What?” she asked when she noticed his frown.
“You do know that after meals, you are supposed to take at least an hour before swimming, right?” he said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes I know but I didn’t say I am going to take a dip in the pool. I’m just going to get a tan.”
He took a deep breath and put his fork down.
“I have a better idea,” he said as he pushed his seat back from the table. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Come on,” he said as he offered his hand to her. She looked up at him and wondered why she was so trusting of him but for some reason, she just put her hand in his and stood up.
“You do realize that I have a swim suit on? Right?” she asked.
“Don’t worry, the place we’re going doesn’t really require much of a dress code,” he said as they started walking towards the door.
She suddenly stopped and looked at him. “Are you taking me to a nude beach or something?” she asked.
“You’re adorable,” he smiled as they walked out of the restaurant.
She could feel her stomach knotting up as they walked through the hotel lobby. She didn’t know why she was getting all kinds of weird feelings with him. She could feel the excitement building up as she walked out of the main doors. She smiled at the doorman as he held the door open for her. She put on her sunglasses and crossed her arms over her chest as Daniel waved down a cab. He looked at her and held the door open for her. She gave him an appreciative smile and climbed in. She looked at him as he walked round the car and climbed in next to her. “La Quebrada, please,” he said to the driver before he strapped himself in.
“You do know I am being an idiot for getting into a car with a stranger, right?” she asked.
“Well, I don’t know how many strangers know such intimate details about each other,” he said. She smiled and turned to look out the window. “You don’t have much to say now, huh?”
“I’m keeping my comments to myself,” she said.
“Trust me, you are going to love La Quebrada,” he said with a smile. She looked at him and flashed him a smile that reached out to parts of him he didn’t think possible.
“I better,” she said in a flirtatious voice even though she never intended to.
Chapter 4
Daniel was right. La Quebrada was more than what she expected it to be. It was the kind of place that you expect to see on a postcard. She was just in awe of the place. Everything about it was perfect in more ways than one. Thanks to her job, she hadn’t been out in a long time and even Daniel could tell she was excited.
“Someone really needed to have this vacation, didn’t she?” he asked. She looked at him as they walked along the beach and shrugged.
“It has been a while. I almost feel like a kid taking a first time trip to Disneyland,” she added as they came to a stop.
“Come on, this way,” he said leading her up a sandy trail. “Trust me on this, Erica,” he said in a soft voice as he took her hand in his. She sighed and followed him up the trail which brought them to a beautiful private rocky area.
Erica was not sure what he had in mind or where he was taking her. As they slowly climbed up and down the rocks, Erica found herself wondering whether this was what she had always had in mind when she pictured a perfect getaway. She gasped when they finally came to a small private pool enclosed by rocks. There was a canopy of trees hanging over one side of the rocks giving the rocky resort a perfect shade.
“Wow,” Erica said under her breath as she looked around.
“I know, right?” he said looking around. She smiled and walked up to one of the rocks and sat down. He walked up to where she was and took a seat next to her.
“I take it you’ve been here before,” she said without looking at him.
Daniel nodded as he looked around.
“Yeah. This has always been my small slice of Acapulco. Maybe the reason why I keep coming back here,” he pointed out. “I don’t know why but I have always found some kind of peace when I was here.”
“I guess this must be a very sacred place for you,” she said.
He nodded and then turned to look at her. “You know what, I have never brought anyone back here. You are the first.”
She smiled and shrugged.
“And they say you never forget your first, right?” she asked. He la
ughed as he looked at her and nodded.
“Yes they do,” he said in a soft voice. There was a long silence as the two of them looked at each other. Even with her sunglasses on, Erica could feel his piercing hazel eyes looking into her. She suddenly looked away when she felt her cheeks flush. She could still feel him looking at her.
“Oh damn, Erica. You’re blushing. Don’t let him see you blushing,” she thought as she looked around the perfect scenery. She suddenly took off her sunglasses and her cover up dress before she stood up and stepped out of her flip flops. Daniel looked at her curvy body as she looked at the water. She could have sworn she heard him breathe a long low wow when he saw her in her swim suit.
“Is this a safe depth to dive in? She asked without turning around.
“Yes it is,” he said just minutes before she jumped into the water head first. She swam a few laps before she finally came up. Her bun which had now come undone was framing her face. She looked at him and smiled.
“Are you coming in? The water’s great,” she said. He smiled and shook his head. “What? You bring me out here in the middle of nowhere and you can’t even indulge me?” she asked.
He laughed and rested his weight on his hands. “But I have no swim suit.”
“You have some boxers on or something?” Erica asked and he nodded. “Well, that’s good enough for me,” she said before she floated on her back giving him a perfect view of her curvy body. Her hair was floating around her head like a perfect dark cloud.
“Why Miss Hayes, are you flirting with me?” he teased.
“If I said I was, would you come in?” she asked with a smile.
He stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. He could almost feel himself getting hard with every button that came undone. He did not understand the kind of hold this woman had on him but seeing her floating in the clear blue water with her crotch and breasts covered in the bright lime green fabric was more than enough to get a rise out of him. He then went ahead and took off his pants before he jumped in the water. Erica dove down and swam to one side trying to get away from him but he followed her. He got really close to her and smiled.