Chapter Five
Vivian
Sex? I didn't remember mentioning sex. I wasn't the type of girl who would casually talk about sex with a random guy. Hell, I didn't even talk about sex with Casey.
I took a long drink from my glass and watched him, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to backtrack enough to get us out of what could possibly become an awkward conversation.
"I assumed by affair you meant sex." He shrugged and sat his glass down before pulling out his phone. "Did you mean something else?"
I was more than grateful when he started to thumb through his contacts. He had to be as mortified as I felt, though we were both somehow playing it off quite well.
"Oh, yeah. My first love is food." I let out a soft laugh and glanced back out at the clouds, enjoying the way the sun played across the sky. "I dream of being a food critic, remember?"
"I like that, actually." He gave me a serious look.
I glanced over at him and smiled before faking a yawn. "I'm going to take a short nap. Wake me if I need to help you with your oxygen mask."
His eyes moved across my face as he gave me a cute smile. "I'll do just that. Sleep well."
Closing my eyes, I leaned back and enjoyed the subtle tones of his cologne, letting my mind slip into how nice it would be to have been with a man like him for the week. He seemed to have his shit together. That he was incredibly good-looking and a bit funny didn't hurt too much. Some part of me wanted to stay up and talk his ear off, learning more about him and divulging my secrets, but we would get to the part where I was cheated on, without a doubt. He would do as most people did and show me pity. I wasn't interested.
Sleep pulled me under, and waking to the sound of his voice and the gentle brush of his fingers along my arm startled me.
"Viv, we're here." He smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt before rolling his shoulders and standing. "You purr when you sleep. Has anyone ever told you that?"
Warmth covered my cheeks, and I nodded. "My brothers make fun of me. My nickname is Kat at home for that reason. Don't tell anyone on me. You promise?"
He chuckled. "Not for a million dollars. It was nice to meet you, pretty girl. Maybe fate will kick us back together again for a drink while you're here." His eyebrow lifted.
"Why wait on fate?" Casey moved up behind him. "Give him your number, Viv. We could use a handsome decoy if things go south sometime during the week."
"Don't be silly. He's here on business, no doubt." I turned my attention back to Easton and stood to move out into the aisle.
"I am here on business, but I'll take your number, and we can have a drink before you leave to head back home. I assume New York is home for you girls?" He glanced back at Casey, giving me a lovely view of his yummy neck. I could spend hours brushing my nose along it, nipping and kissing at it. Stop it. Now.
"Yeah. We're New York City born and bred." Casey reached for his phone. "I'll put her number in your phone."
"You don't have to do that. We'll be fine." I slipped my hands into my pockets as Easton turned his dark green gaze back toward me, stealing my breath for a moment.
"Maybe I won't be fine." He wagged his eyebrows and took his phone back from Casey as first class started to get off the plane. "Great to meet you both. Have fun in Miami and remember what I said. No dark alleys, risk-taker."
I rolled my eyes before turning to Casey, who moved into my seat and pushed me back a little. Easton turned and walked toward the front of the plane as my best friend poked me in the side.
"Spill. What happened?" She glanced over her shoulder and let out a sound of appreciation. "God, he's so damn fine. I hope he calls. If you don't want him, I call dibs."
I laughed. "He's all yours. I'm not interested in anyone that good looking. If he's single, there is a reason for it."
"Maybe he's just not found the right woman?" Casey reached out and tugged on the strap of my purse as she moved back into the aisle. “Let's get out of here. I want to get the rental car and get to the resort. We're going to make memories and have one of the best weeks of our lives."
"You think?" I moved in behind her as a jolt of excitement raced through me. Maybe there was more to look forward to than I was contemplating. Just meeting Easton and talking to him on the flight for a little while was fun and scary, but exhilarating as well.
The flight attendant at the front of the plane smiled widely at me in a flirtatious manner and nodded. "Have a great stay. Black's Beach is where you want to be on Thursday night."
"That so?" I asked, being half-pulled off the plane by Casey.
"If you want a wild experience. Don't miss it." The guy called after me, but I was already too far away to respond.
"Black's Beach. Is that like the one in California?" I asked Casey as I repositioned my bag. "The nude beach?"
"I have no idea, but I'm totally down with it if you are." She gave me a sideways glance as we walked into the terminal lobby. The place was crawling with people who seemed to be in a serious hurry to get somewhere fast.
A woman bumped into my shoulder and sent me spinning around from the force of it.
"Excuse me?" I mumbled and turned, getting my bearings and jogging after Casey, who was talking a million miles a minute to no one.
"So I think we can just hang around the hotel area tonight until we understand the lay of the land a little bit better. That okay with you?" She looked over at me.
"Yeah, but I didn't hear a word you said." I shrugged and pointed toward the car rental check-in. "Over there."
"I said I was good with the nudie beach, though the boys are going to all be staring at you. Men love gingers, especially drop-dead gorgeous ones." She pressed her shoulder against mine and hit my hip with hers.
"Shut up. I'm just average at best." I moved to the counter, ignoring her response. She was forever telling me how pretty I was, but that's simply what best friends were for. It was part of their job description, and she was good at it—too good, most days.
After getting the keys to the compact car we rented for the week, we grabbed our baggage from baggage claim and walked out into the cool, spring afternoon. I breathed in deep and reached out, grabbing Casey's shoulder and pulling her to a halt as a cab whipped past us, the driver honking and flipping us off out the window.
"Nice. Fuck you too, buddy," Casey yelled after him before tugging away from my grasp. "Stupid ass. The crosswalk is for people. People have the right-away."
"Hey, crazy. Over here." I moved toward the car that's lights lit up as I pressed the key fob. "Easton was pretty cute, wasn't he? I hope we run into a million more guys just like him."
Casey loved to talk about guys more than anything else. It seemed no matter what the situation was or how we were feeling, if I brought up men, she would quickly get back to being her normal, upbeat self.
"Yeah, he was smoking hot. Now, let's just hope that he calls you." She reached for the trunk as I popped it. "What did you guys talk about during the flight?"
"Not much. I slept through most of it." I put my bag in the back and glanced up at her, already knowing that I was going to get a look from her.
"What a waste of a great seatmate. I sat next to Father Time. He was snoring so loud that I honestly thought he might die any minute." Casey smirked before turning and walking toward the driver's side door. "I'm disappointed in you. Now, give me the keys, and I'll drive."
"You sure?" I tossed them to her without a second thought. I hated driving.
"Yeah. Get in, and let's go check this place out. I'm going to give you a pass on not taking advantage of hottie business boy, but only this once. Next cute guy who flirts with you gets some of your attention. Got it?" She got in the car and turned to pin me with a stare.
I got in and buckled up, ignoring her until she cleared her throat. "Yeah, I got it. He wasn't my type, okay?"
"What?" She snorted and started up the car. "Easton is everyone's type. Black hair and blue eyes, tanned skin, strong arms, and a flat tummy? He had a great smile too." She let out a girlie sigh. "And he smelled so good."
"Right, so he's your type. Getcha some of that." I pulled out my phone and hid my disappointment. The only text I had was from Casey before we boarded the flight. Having focused on nothing but school, her, and Jackson, I was without too many friends when it was all said and done. I was going to have to right the wrong when I got back to New York.
I turned to look out the window as we drove from the airport toward the beachfront.
Casey turned on the radio, and I couldn't help but sing along with her as we rolled down the windows and let the cool air blow our hair about. I could find relaxation and peace in the middle of the beach scene, if nothing else. Casey was looking for a party, a good time, but I was looking for rest and reprieve. I needed to find a bookstore.
"So I heard this place has six gourmet restaurants." She tapped the steering wheel as we pulled up to the stoplight.
"I know. It's going to be kick-ass." Excitement raced through me, and I took a deep breath, trying to reset my emotions. I could have a great time. I would make it happen.
"I say we try them all in the first few days so that we know where to spend the rest of the week eating. You could even write up some of your critiques and try to submit them to the paper when we get back home. Whatcha think?" Her tone was hopeful.
"I like it." I ran my fingers through my hair and smiled as a dark-skinned boy waved at me.
"Heya, beautiful. Want to pull over and come catch some waves with us? It's the perfect day to make a new friend." He called out to me as Casey started to pull away.
"Maybe another time?" I called back and worked to get my hair out of my face.
He pressed both hands to his bare chest over his heart and looked up to the sky as if heartbroken.
I leaned back in my seat and laughed. "Is everyone here dramatic?"
"God, I hope so. New Yorkers can be so focused sometimes that it's hard to crack through their shell of lust toward success." Casey pointed to the large resort ahead of us that was nuzzled on the beach. "That's it."
I leaned forward and let my eyes run across the elaborate structure that seemed to go on for miles. "It's beautiful. I hope it's filled with more than horny freshman and old geezers."
"Oh I bet the mix is far and wide, but we're looking for a specific type of man, or at least I am." She pulled up to the gate and turned her attention to the good-looking guard as he moved from his guard stand.
"Hi ladies. Are you staying the week with us?" He leaned down and pressed his thick forearms to the window frame as his eyes moved across Casey and then over to me.
"Yes, sir. We'd not stay anywhere else." Casey used her bedroom voice, which didn't seem to faze the big guy too much. I had to stifle a laugh, as I always did around her. She was inappropriate all the time.
"Good. Visitor parking is over there to the left, and the check-in has a big white sign that says registration on it. Make sure you get a schedule of events and try to be at Black's Beach on Thursday." He moved back, and I couldn't help but lean across Casey to catch the guy’s attention.
"Why? Someone else mentioned that to us. What's the big deal?" I couldn't help but appreciate the thickness of his arms and chest. The gym had to be stained in his sweat no doubt.
"It's something that's better experienced than explained. Just go if you can, and welcome." He winked at me and moved back to his guard stand, motioning us through.
"Weird. I want to know what we're getting ourselves into before we just go over there. It might end up being roofie night for the idiot tourists." I sat back in my seat and let out a frustrated sigh as Casey parked the car.
"I doubt that's the case, but we'll figure it out. It's only Sunday. We still have a while." She turned and looked out the back window at the beach as a smile lifted her lips. "This place is hopping with people, Viv. There is no way in hell we're not going to find ourselves right in the middle of the party. Look at this place. Insane."
I got out of the car and turned to let my eyes scan across the half-dressed bodies that moved about in the gold and white sand. The sound of the water rushed up to greet me, and the breeze pulled in the smell of salt water and coconut scented sun-tanning lotion.
I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. I'd never tell Casey in a million years that I was far more interested in partying all by myself instead of with a crowd. I knew my friend well enough to know that we'd have ten new people around us by nightfall. As long as they appeared legit, and she promised to keep her phone with her, I'd let her go off to "party," and I'd find a comfy spot to read and relax. The promise of such a reprieve left me ready to dump our stuff and commence mingling.
We walked toward the grand entrance and were greeted by two people that could have been swimsuit models. The girl's hair was blonde and her breasts huge. The guy was ripped from his throat to the thick muscles that ran down into his swimsuit.
"Welcome to La Mage. We're glad to have you girls. Check-in is that way, and information on restaurants and bars is at the end of the hall on the wall mount." The girl smiled at us with a warmth I didn't expect.
"Yep, and there are parties non-stop here. Make sure you grab an activities schedule from the front desk, and if you need anything at all, I'm Marco." He took my hand, kissed my fingers, and smiled seductively. "Anything at all."
"Thanks," I responded, a little breathless more from the frontal assault of beautiful people and less from the guy’s attention on me. It was all part of the production, anyway.
"Why do you always get the sexy ones?" Casey grumbled at me as we got in line.
"What?" I laughed and turned back in time to see Marco kissing an older woman's hand as she giggled and blushed. "Nothing to worry about. He's already moved on."
Casey glanced back and busted out laughing. "Such a typical male, right?"
"Age before beauty, young lady." I poked at her softly. "Besides, I'm saving myself for a nerdy type this time around. Looks and money have a stigma with them, and it's rang true in my life since I started dating."
"They're all assholes, Viv. Money, looks, nerdy, sensitive...all of them."
"Then why do we try?" I picked up my bag and moved up to stand at the front of the line. A handsome, frat-boy type called us toward him to check-in.
"Because they're so pretty to look at?" Casey giggled and dropped her bag in front of the counter before glancing toward me. "Am I right?"
"Spot on." I pulled out my credit card and played along as he flirted his way into talking us into an upgrade on our dining package. Little did he know that it was far more about the culinary treats and less about the twinkle in his eyes that sold me.