“You showed an impressive amount of innovation and creativity in the feedback you provided for the development of that app, and in those images, you look happy. I want to continue to help you into roles where you’ll be happy and passionate about what you do, Grace. That’s how you will accomplish great things for this company.”
You look happy.
She flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. In her mind’s eye, she could see each of those pictures. The memories of all of those fun challenges and activities poured into her consciousness. She could feel his breath against her skin, his hands on her. She could hear his voice whispering her name.
She hadn’t anticipated missing Bryan so much. He was there, in a corner of her mind, every waking moment and in her dreams too. As she’d gone about her day, there’d been a hundred—no, a thousand—moments when she’d wanted to turn to him and share with him a thought or even exchange glances. In just a few days time, being with him had become as natural as her heart beating and now, there was a hole in her chest where he’d been.
In all of those pictures, she’d been full of life and energy. She’d laughed. She didn’t just miss Bryan. She missed who she’d been when she’d spent time with him. She missed the her she had found along the way.
She couldn’t remember all that light without the dark too. She had reviewed their last conversation in her mind until the words she’d said were branded into her mind. She could literally see the words when she closed her eyes. She’d been so angry, so closed off to him. She’d shut him down ruthlessly and it wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t connected with her again since. She’d told him she needed space. She told him not to touch her. She’d said horrible things.
Through their entire time together, Bryan had always respected what she wanted. If she communicated something to him, he’d taken her at her word. He hadn’t second guessed her or assumed she was playing word games. So right now, he thought she didn’t want him, if he was thinking of her at all anymore.
She rolled over and touched the pendant she’d left on the night stand.
She had a new team to start building and a plan to develop for connecting with the product teams, globally. She should be opening up her laptop and starting to outline that plan now. Instead, she was on her bed, tracing the lines of a pirate coin and wallowing in regret.
She sat up. No regrets, wasn’t that what Benjamin had said?
Since she was creating a global plan, she had the right to choose what regions she’d visit first to connect the product teams. When it came to the AsiaPac division, they had teams in Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Rather than starting her outreach in the US, she’d take a more international approach and tour AsiaPac, then the EU, then Latin America, before pulling it all together with the US teams. Which meant it made perfect sense for her to head to Bangkok first.
Bryan had done what he could to fix things while still respecting her space. It was her turn to go to him.
“This is one hell of a launch, Bryan.” Charlie held up a glass of champagne in toast.
Bryan nodded, surveying the room. This was one of his favorite hotels in downtown Bangkok. It was just steps away from a world class shopping complex and the hotel itself was a seamless blend of traditional Thai artwork and European architecture. The overall effect was tasteful opulence with a level of elegance hard to match anywhere else on the globe.
He’d chosen the venue because of the depictions of Thai mythology throughout the rooms. Grace had loved the story behind her coin pendant so much, had been so frustrated by her elementary school teacher limiting her studies of folklore, that he couldn’t help but wish he could share the Thai folk tales with her.
But once he’d returned to Bangkok, he’d started implementing his changes for the scope of the app, broadening the target demographics to include foodies and people interested in culinary adventures as well as physical activities. His app had garnered appeal with older and younger groups and even became more inclusive for those with disabilities who wouldn’t have been able to use the app when it had been focused on physical activities.
Not only had both his brothers commented on the appeal of the app, his father had admitted to being impressed. His younger sister had insisted on getting the app downloaded to her phone so she could test it around Bangkok and on her next trip to Seoul. Bryan hadn’t ever thought he’d hear such acknowledgments from anyone in his family, much less his father and brothers. His sister’s enthusiasm had been a delight and his mother’s opinion remained a mystery.
“Bryan, your new investors are here.” A gentle touch on his arm accompanied the voice of his mother. Speak of her and she seemed to always pop up. As a child, he’d sort of thought she might be omniscient.
He turned and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and said in English, “Thank you, Mother.”
She sniffed. “Mother. You call me mother now. You used to call me Mommy when you were first learning English. You loved me more back then. Now, I am Mother.”
Charlie choked and almost spit his champagne.
She turned to him. “We need to get you new suits while you’re here.”
Charlie sputtered. “I don’t need…”
She only stared at Bryan’s friend until he fell silent.
Bryan shook his head. “Pick your battles, my friend. If you decide to go head to head with my mother, you better have a well thought out set of rationale and have done thorough research to back it up. Also be ready to cite your sources because she has a smartphone and can run a search faster than you can get yourself another champagne.”
Bryan’s mother continued to watch Charlie with a patient gaze.
Charlie looked from her to Bryan and back, then squared his shoulders. “I don’t have any plans for tomorrow, ma’am.”
Well, that was probably the safest path to take. Always wise to just tell the truth and see where it took you.
“Excuse me.” Bryan stepped away, leaving Charlie to the mercy of his mother and enjoying the look on his friend’s face.
Really, it was a good sign. It meant his mother liked his business partner.
“You may call me Khoon Bpaa,” Bryan’s mother was saying to Charlie.
Warmth spread through Bryan as he walked in the direction his mother indicated. She was giving Charlie permission to refer to her as ‘Auntie’ and making him a part of the extended family, in a way. It was a big deal.
She was a woman of few words, his mother. She stored them up like precious gems and used them to reward or cut through people as necessary. He wondered how Grace would have reacted to his mother, or vice versa. Considering how strong each woman was, he figured it would have been an epic meeting of minds or a cataclysmic event. Maybe both.
It didn’t matter because he hadn’t heard from Grace since the day she’d walked away from him.
“Mister Sirimongkol, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person.” The new investor was American and had at least tried to pronounce every syllable of Bryan’s surname, even if he had butchered it.
Bryan shook the other man’s hand. “The pleasure is mine. Are you having a good time?”
“Absolutely. I always enjoy visits to Bangkok, truly the Land of Smiles.” The man grabbed a canapé from a tray. It was one Bryan had always thought Grace would love to try, micro beads of tapioca wrapped around a savory filling of ground pork and steamed. “But this event, really well done. I love the demo stations around the outer edge of the room, with activities and challenges to complete throughout the hotel? Fantastic. I can see this appealing to people in an informal, vacation setting, and also corporations, too, for team building. I’d like to set up events like this in the US to demo in conjunction with some of the major software conferences and events, as long as all of the security issues have been addressed at this stage.”
Bryan nodded. “Of course. My developer has documented the resolution for the security gap as well as the process put in place to demonstrate both corrective and preventive action. We are n
ot only quick to react to issues. We plan to take measures to be proactive as well.”
It’d grated against Bryan’s nature to hold off on returning to the US to find Grace. But he had needed to see this through first, because she wouldn’t have forgiven him if he’d just left it as it was even if the project was ready to launch. He had to put in the work and carry through the launch to see the app go live and in production.
“Excellent.” The man positively beamed. “I…”
The man was staring and Bryan turned to see what had caught the other man’s attention. Then, Bryan’s brain scrambled too.
Grace.
She stood at the entrance to the ballroom, scanning the room. She wore a cocktail dress of impossible blue, the deep and luminescent shade that came out in the night sky just before dawn. A touch of understated gold shown at her neck, the coin, the one he’d bought her. His heart leapt in his chest, jump starting the rest of his body.
Bryan didn’t bother to excuse himself. He headed straight to Grace.
She saw him coming and stopped in her tracks. For a second, he thought she might bolt.
“Grace.” He called her name, hoping to hold her in place as he crossed the last few steps.
Then he was right in front of her and she was looking up at him and he didn’t know what else to say.
Her eyes were shining as she looked up at him, her cheeks flushed that delicate pink he loved so much. He’d missed her.
She cleared her throat. “Hi.”
He wanted to laugh out loud, he was so glad to see her. “Hi.”
They were silent again.
“Bryan.” His mother was at his side. Of course. He’d made a spectacle out of himself just now. His mother wouldn’t have missed it even if ninety percent of the rest of the people gathered hadn’t noticed.
“Mommy,” His mouth had gone dry but he hoped his mother would understand how much this meant to him. “I’d like to introduce Grace Kim.”
He angled his body to include the two most important women in his life in the circle of the conversation. At least he hoped they would have a conversation. “Grace, this is my mother, Sukanya Sirimongkol.”
Grace brought her hands together in front of her chest and bowed her head slightly so her index fingers just brushed her nose. “Sawasdee ka.”
“Sawasdee ka.” His mother returned Grace’s traditional Thai greeting with a graceful wai of her own. “This is unexpected.”
Bryan couldn’t read much from his mother’s tone but she didn’t sound angry, at least. Grace stood there, beautiful and poised, like a dream, and he had to admit he hadn’t been expecting her here either.
“Please excuse me, but I didn’t warn Bryan I would be in Bangkok for business.” Grace addressed his mother. “I was hoping to speak to him briefly, or maybe set a time to meet with him during the day while I’m still in town.”
She was here, in Bangkok, on business. Which was fine, because she’d come seeking him out. He was giddy and he didn’t care if he made a fool of himself because of it.
“My reasons for being here are not strictly business related so I absolutely understand if there isn’t time,” Grace added.
Bryan opened his mouth, but his mother beat him to it. “There is always time for the right people. I’ve read about your contribution to my son’s work. Why don’t the two of you take a walk into the garden courtyard? The guests here have plenty to entertain themselves with and Charlie will be here for any questions.”
“Thank you.” Grace smiled and his mother smiled in return.
His mother tugged on his sleeve and he bent so she could speak quietly in his ear. “Don’t lose her.”
His mother was omniscient. He was convinced now.
“I won’t, Mommy.”
His mother let him go with a spark of mischief in her eyes. She turned her attention back to Grace. “Tomorrow, we will go have clothing fitted for you and Charlie both. For you, Thai silk. See nam ngern is a very good color for you.”
“I’ll adjust my schedule.” Grace didn’t seem fazed by the invitation, even if it wouldn’t have sounded like one to someone else. But Grace had understood.
He offered his arm to Grace and she took it. They walked together out to the courtyard.
“I’m so—”
“—rry.”
They both apologized at the same time and stared at each other. He couldn’t wait any longer. He tugged her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re here.”
“Yes.” Her voice was muffled against his suit jacket.
“Your career is okay then? You got the promotion?”
“Yes.” She wiggled in his hold until he loosened his arms just enough for her to look up at him. “My career is okay, but no, I didn’t get the promotion I was going for. I was offered a completely different opportunity I didn’t even know existed and it is so much better than anything I could have planned for and it was you who taught me how good things could come from spontaneous adventures. Thank you.”
“I missed you.” He felt so much more and he didn’t want to scare her away but he also needed to tell her. He couldn’t risk her disappearing again without at least trying to let her know.
“I missed you too.” Her answer was full of emotion and he dared to hope even more.
“I’m going to kiss you now, so if you don’t plan to make this a long term commitment, you need to make a run for it now.” He was at the very end of his self-control, but this was Grace. His Grace.
She rose up on her toes and kissed him. When they both came up for air, she whispered, “I missed you too. I came to you because I didn’t want to be without you. I could try but I wasn’t going to be living life, not a complete life, not without you. I know it’s long distance…”
“I love you.” He kissed her again. He shouldn’t have interrupted her. He should have let her finish. But he didn’t want to make her be the one to ask.
“I love you too.” She settled her head against his chest.
In that moment, he was so insanely happy, he was sure he’d lost his mind. He glanced back at the launch party for a moment, then caught sight of the set of cabanas in the courtyard set next to the expansive pool. He released her long enough to take hold of one hand and tug her with him as he headed for the cabana.
“What are you…? Bryan! We can’t!” She was whispering urgently, sounding completely scandalized.
He grinned.
“We can.” He pulled the linen curtains loose and pulled her into the shelter of the cabana. The curtains to this one were made of thinner fabric, but the night shadows would hide them.
She stopped resisting him and started to help him out of his suit jacket. He slid his hands up her legs, lifting her dress. “Grace.”
She wasn’t wearing any underwear.
“I had hopes we could play a new game,” she whispered against his jaw.
He pulled her to him and lowered her onto the cabana cushions, covering her with his body. “Let’s play.”
THE END
Thank you for reading Grace and Bryan’s story! They’re both quite special to me and I hope you enjoyed their journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please consider leaving a review!
If you’re looking for more stories set in tropical locales, please consider checking out FINDING HIS MARK set in Thailand or TOTAL BRAVERY, FIERCE JUSTICE, and FOREVER STRONG, set in Hawaii.
Sneak Peek of Attracting Aubrey!
By Avery Flynn
Chapter One
Aubrey Dean was a pants thief and she had no regrets.
Now, she wasn't taking just anyone's pants or using the five finger discount in a store. No, she was digging through a suitcase in the hallway of a cruise ship. And it wasn't some stranger's suitcase. The unassuming black suitcase without a snag or a scratch or a speck of dirt on it belonged to one of Aubrey's besties from college.
Grace—said suitcase's corporate-down-to-her-sensible-shoes owner—was smart, amazing, and in despe
rate need of letting her thighs air out.
When Grace let slip to Aubrey, Kendall, Benjamin, and Liv as they were boarding that she hadn't packed any shorts because of her not-fit-for-public thighs, Aubrey knew exactly what needed to happen. One quick communication spree via knowing looks between friends later and the rest of her old college crew were buying Grace another cocktail while Aubrey went sprinting toward Grace's room. Luckily, she hadn't gotten down to her room yet and her suitcases were still in the hall right outside her door where the porters had placed them.
Really, Aubrey was doing the Lord's work here and freeing Grace's thighs, which had remained covered for pretty much her entire life after her mom had told her they were not the kind of thighs that should ever be seen in public. Yeah, Grace's mom was a judgy bitch. Grace had great thighs—and even if she didn't it didn't matter, no one should spend a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas sweating it out because her thighs were covered the entire time. An intervention was necessary.
Which is exactly why she was giving Grace a friendly little nudge in the be-yourself-and-tell-whoever-doesn't-like-it-to-fuck-off direction. Stealing every pair of pants Grace had brought with her for the cruise was the perfect solution. Okay, maybe not perfect but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Aubrey swiped a pair of pants from the open suitcase and extended her arm up in the air. "Free Grace's sexy thighs!"
She was The Thigh Avenger and it felt good.
For the first time in a year, Aubrey was free from the stifling confines of small town life where everyone knew everyone and everything about each other. Even if she was popping motion sickness pills like candy and chasing them down with overpriced tropical drinks, she was going to enjoy every single second of this cruise with her besties from college.
Kendall, Grace, Benjamin, and Liv were the people who knew her as Aubrey Dean: Wild Woman. In small town Salvation, she was deceased Ashley's poor daughter and Marie's troublesome granddaughter.
Her friends expected to see her in crop tops and shorts, leading the party. Back home everyone in town knew to find her behind the counter at the family bakery covered in flour after another failed attempt at making anything edible.
Gaming Grace Page 13