Sweet Reality by Laura Heffernan (12)

Inside the Guppy Gabber, Wednesday:

 

Justin: Karma’s a bitch, right? I complain about everyone lumping me and Jen together as a couple, and now I don’t get to spend the day with her in Jamaica. I hope she and Danielle are having fun together.

 

 

Ariana: Well, Jen did it again. I was looking forward to Dominic teaching me to do snuba today, which is like a cross between scuba diving and snorkeling. Anyway, she somehow got him to join her excursion instead. I’m trying so hard to be nice to her, but she’s making it impossible.

 

Danielle: Oh, my head. My eyes. I’m never going to drink again. Alcohol is evil, kids. I swear I only ordered a couple of drinks last night, but they must’ve been strong.

 

 

 

A bus provided by the cruise line sat at the dock, prepared to take us across the island to the stables where we’d get our horses. After boarding, I pretended to ignore Dominic, chin held high, until he patted the seat next to him and held up my bag. He grinned like the cat who swallowed the canary. With a groan of frustration, I fell onto the seat beside him, refusing to look at him.

Thankfully, our bus driver, an extremely upbeat woman named Aimee, kept up a monologue all the way to the excursion site, sparing me the need to talk to Dominic. Or look at him. I prayed most of the sights would appear out the far side of the bus, giving me a valid reason for staring in the opposite direction. Mostly, I saw ocean, which reminded me of the ship, which reminded me of Justin.

We weren’t “Jen and Justin” today. I hoped that made him happy. If I’d known we’d be separated, I’d have followed Tammy Rae on her excursion. Even though I felt optimistic about our meeting after dinner, creating more of a bond with her could only help my cause.

Beside me, Dominic leaned closer than necessary to peer out the window, his shoulder brushing mine. A few times, he whispered to me, his lips much too close to my ear. I kept shoving him away, shifting further toward the far edge of my seat until I essentially squatted in the aisle. I knew exactly what he was doing—trying to catch a shot, a look, a second where I appeared to be flirting with him or enjoying his attention. I’d kiss Ariana before I’d give the Network a chance to make me look unfaithful to Justin. Even if it meant acting like a three-year-old, with crossed arms, lip pout, and all.

By the time we arrived at our destination, I was ready to smack Dominic, cameras be damned. Only my desire never to see the inside of a foreign prison held me in check.

After parking the bus, Aimee directed us to a small, grassy area outside a stable, where a dozen horses stood saddled and ready for us. Not having sat on a horse since getting my Girl Scout Equestrian badge at twelve, I opted for a gorgeous, calm palomino named Plantain. Dominic, having a bit more experience with horses than I did, found himself on a black gelding with more spirit. Hopefully he’d ride on ahead, leaving me to enjoy the scenery in the back, pretending not to notice Janine recording my every move.

No such luck. About thirty seconds after Aimee led the tour group away from the stable down the road, Dominic appeared at my side.

“Don’t you want to lead the way with the experienced riders?” I asked.

“And miss the chance to spend quality time with you? Absolutely not!”

I gritted my teeth. “Why are you doing this?”

“You never let me apologize,” he said.

“Stalking me and stealing my stuff is a weird apology,” I said. “At least give me my bag. It’s not like I can turn around and head to the ship at this point. I have no idea where we are.”

Plus, although I hated the company, I enjoyed the leisurely ride along the shore. The view took my breath away. Now that I’d come this far, it made sense to appreciate the excursion. After all, when would I ever see Jamaica again?

He thought about it for a minute. “I’ll give it back if you give me a kiss.”

“Bite me,” I said. “Give it back or I’ll have Jamaican police arrest you for theft after the excursion.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Care to test me?”

Perhaps Dominic saw something in the set of my jaw, the furrow of my brow. Or maybe he figured I’d be nicer to him if he handed it over. Either way, he moved his horse closer and held out the bag. Just as my fingers closed around it, Plantain lunged forward, snapping at Dominic’s horse. He jerked away, dropping his booty in the process.

Dropping the reins, I lunged for the bag, my fingertips snagging the strap before it hit the ground. Plantain calmed as Dominic moved away, and I hugged her neck for a minute, silently thanking my regular Pilates classes for giving me the core strength not to fall.

“Good girl,” I murmured. “Remind me to give you all the apples later.”

We stopped while I caught my breath, and Aimee appeared at my side a moment later. She shooed Dominic toward the front of the pack. He apparently recognized the wisdom of not arguing for once.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

I sat up and righted myself before answering, then slung the bag over my shoulders. “Fine. Another horse got too close, and she got territorial with him.”

Aimee laughed. “Ah, yes. I forgot to warn you about that. Plantain doesn’t like other horses invading her personal space. I’m afraid your friend is going to have to ride up front for a while until she cools off. Maybe you can switch mounts after lunch.”

I beamed at her. “That won’t be necessary. I’m happy to ride alone, enjoying the view.”

With a contented sigh, I nudged Plantain in line behind the others. We moved along, headed south along a road hugging the coast. Even after a week on the water, the spectacular views took my breath away: the beaches, the flawless blue of the water, the sky dotted with clouds. If only Justin had managed to make the boat, this excursion would be absolutely perfect.

After about an hour, Aimee led the group onto a beach and drew her horse to a halt. Dominic hovered nearby, but when Plantain glared at his horse, he moved away. I leaned forward and patted her ear, murmuring promises of treats in the near future.

This tour ended with a swim in the ocean with the horses, one of the main reasons I picked it. How many chances would I get to swim in the ocean with a herd of horses? And to have it paid for by the Network? Just the one. When my whole life went to hell a year and a half ago, I’d sworn to grab life by the reins and live it to the fullest. That meant seizing opportunities. I could snorkel or shop anywhere.

A small stand with changing rooms sat on the beach where we’d stopped the horses. I dismounted and tied Plantain to a tree as directed so she wouldn’t wander away. Then I changed quickly, untied the rope, and remounted, quickly donning a life vest. Following Aimee’s lead, I turned my horse toward the water along with the other nine people in the group. A few steps into the saltwater, the horses took off at a run, and suddenly, I felt free.

Clutching the reins, I leaned back and lifted my face to the sun. Warm water cascaded over my legs, and the breeze sent my ponytail flying out behind me. Riding in water was nothing compared to riding on the land. Here, the horse was in control, and she pranced in the water. We flowed through the water until it became too deep to run, and Plantain started to swim.

All too soon, Aimee signaled and turned the horses toward the shore. Even though the end of the swim meant the start of getting back to Justin, a wave of disappointment went through me. Then my stomach growled, reminding me of some of the benefits to be found on the shore.

While we’d been swimming, other members of the tour group set up picnic tables with sandwiches, fried plantains, and soda. They took our horses. I let Plantain go with a hug and a regretful sigh, making them promise to give her something special.

Once I got my stuff back, the need to be polite to Dominic evaporated. Still, the members of our group gathered around the table, laughing and talking about our experience. Even though I didn’t understand a word, their laugher and enthusiasm pulled me in to the interaction. When Dominic began translating for me, I almost forgot I hated him.

After lunch, Aimee gave us fifteen minutes to wander, change, and take pictures before meeting at the tour bus for the return trip. I popped into the restroom to change into my regular clothes. The room was a bit of a hike from the beach. On the way there, I daydreamed about how different things would be if Justin were here, sneaking off with me for some alone time.

I’d just shimmied out of my bottoms when cheers went up in the distance. I wondered what surprise the tour company brought for us. The ocean made my hair crunchy, though, so finding out could wait a minute. I rinsed the saltwater out in the sink and reapplied sunblock as best I could before returning to the beach.

The empty beach.

What the hell?

My breath came in huge gasps as I stood open-mouthed, looking one way, then the other. At absolutely nothing.

No horses, no bus, no tourists. Just me, the sun, and the sand.

“Hey, Jen?”

And Dominic. Of course.

I whirled on him. “What did you do? Where’s the bus? Aimee? The horses?”

He raised his hands. “Don’t blame me. You disappeared—I had no idea where you went.”

“You didn’t think to check the bathroom before the entire group abandoned me?”

He pointed to a small set of outbuildings, about five feet away, behind where the bus used to be parked. I hadn’t noticed them earlier.

“I did check the bathroom,” he said.

I pointed down the beach. “I went over there. I didn’t see the closer one. What happened?”

“Janine stepped on a jellyfish on the beach. You didn’t hear the screaming?”

“I heard people cheering. Thought it was all part of the excursion.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should’ve rushed back immediately.

“Definitely not cheers of joy,” Dominic said. “Aimee got another tour guide to take her to the hospital to get checked out, and then she hurried everyone else onto the bus. I went to the bathrooms looking for you, and then I headed into the trees, just in case. By the time I got back, they were gone.”

How convenient for him. I didn’t believe this story for a second. He probably stabbed Janine himself. But arguing wouldn’t get me to the ship. “So what do we do now?”

He pulled his phone from a pocket in his shorts. “We’ve got about five hours to get to the docks. Ready to walk?”

I pulled my own phone out of my waterproof bag, but it only showed one bar. The phone dropped my first call, and my second. I typed out a text to Justin, with no idea if it would send or if he was anywhere to even get it. If he and Ariana hadn’t made it to the island, Justin’s phone might still be in airplane mode. Or the battery could be dead again. He certainly hadn’t tried to call me.

That thought didn’t improve my mood. I shoved my phone into the bag and stomped toward the road. “Fine. Let’s go.”

We walked for what seemed like forever. Without any water, we conserved energy by not speaking. At least, I did. My fury at the situation fueled each step. I couldn’t prove it, but I’d have bet Sweet Reality that Dominic somehow arranged this to give us time alone together. Janine was also a suspect. Anything for ratings, right? That’s what they did.

Then a thought struck that made me stop dead in my tracks. The bakery. Tammy Rae. I needed to meet her in a few hours. She’d never give me the recipe if I showed up late, disheveled, sunburnt, pissed off, and with another man. I needed to get to the ship—and apologize to Justin—ASAP.

Finally, a car turned into view. I jumped into the road, waving my arms. Dominic pulled me back to the sidewalk. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get a ride.” I snapped at him as the car swerved around me, honking. “They don’t exactly have Uber in Jamaica, do they?”

“You can’t get into a random car with a stranger.”

“No problem. No one I get into a car with will be stranger than you.” The joke wasn’t funny. He didn’t laugh. I sighed. “I want to get back to the ship. This was supposed to be a fun, romantic getaway with my boyfriend, and it’s turned into an utter fiasco.”

I stalked down the road, determined to flag down another car. Preferably quickly enough to zoom away and leave Dominic eating our dust.

A moment later, my ex jogged up beside me, ruining that plan. “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry. This day isn’t exactly going how I’d planned, either. I was hoping we could be friends. We’ll never rebuild what we once had if you hate me.”

“We’ll never rebuild what I thought we had, because it wasn’t real,” I said. “And I don’t believe you want me back, anyway. This is some bit for the ratings. You never liked me this much when we were together. If you want to be my friend, Dom, get me to the docks without any more unfortunate incidents.”

“Let me find a taxi service.” He pulled out his phone and tapped away on the screen for a moment.

“You have a signal?”

“I got a Caribbean sim card before we left Miami.”

What a great idea, not that I’d tell him. Getting a cell phone to use in the Caribbean never occurred to me. My phone flashed “no service.” I tapped out a second text to Justin, with no more hope it would go through than the first try.

The sun moved away from us as we continued our trek. Finally, a Jeep pulled up in front of us and came to a halt. The driver hopped out and opened the rear door. “Someone called for a taxi?”

“Oh, thank god,” I muttered.

He handed me a bottle of water, and I slid into the air-conditioned back seat, downing half of it in a single gulp. I didn’t care if he’d come to ax-murder us. Anything to get out of the sun and stop walking.

“We need to get to the docks,” Dominic said. “We got separated from our tour group.”

“The docks?” The driver chuckled and jerked one thumb over his shoulder. “You are walking in the wrong direction! The docks are behind you. About twenty miles.”

Of course they were.

With a groan, I leaned back and put my head against the seat. Why wouldn’t we have spent hours walking in the wrong direction? I wanted to cry, but was too dehydrated. And too tired. We’d be there soon. Might as well take a quick nap. My eyes fluttered shut before Dominic finished buckling into the seat next to me.

When the car came to a stop, my eyes flew open. Something soft lay against my cheek. T-shirt soft. Dominic’s t-shirt. I jerked away and lunged to my corner of the vehicle, smacking my head on the window in the process.

Ow!

“Good afternoon, beautiful,” Dominic said.

“Afternoon? What time is it?” Uneasiness twinged in my stomach. How long had we walked? How long had I been asleep?

He glanced at his watch. “We’re fine. It’s almost five. We have plenty of time to get to the ship before six.”

“Plenty of time? We have to be on the dock at five!” My voice screeched, so high-pitched I barely recognized it. “Driver, can you please hurry? We need to get there as soon as possible.”

“No problem, miss. We’re almost there.”

“What’s wrong?” Dominic said. “Ariana told me the ship leaves at six.”

“Either she was wrong, or she lied.” I had my own opinion as to which was more likely. “The last catamaran to the ship is at five, and the boat sails a few minutes later. I can’t believe we’re cutting it so close.”

The second the Jeep came to halt, I leapt out and tore across the dock, leaving Dominic to deal with paying. When we first arrived, people swarmed up and down the area. Now, the wooden planks lay mostly deserted. Panic rose in my chest. Screaming and waving my arms, I raced to the place where we’d left the catamaran, but it was too late.

Ahead of me, the final ferry moved away from the shore, headed for the ship. My phone read 5:02 p.m. No more boats were headed toward our cruise ship today.

As I stood there trying to figure out whether I could swim to the floating dock, the cruise ship tooted its horn and moved away, leaving me trapped in Jamaica. With Dominic. While Justin sailed away with Ariana.