I found myself wandering slowly back to the main cabin. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. My head was spinning and I couldn’t get that moment of passion with Tara out of my mind. We’d been so close. I wanted her so much, I knew that now. Even with Mia enlisting the help of the sultry Valentina to tempt me into bed, all I’d been able to think about was Tara. And I now knew how much Tara wanted me too. If Sofia hadn’t discovered us, we would have consummated our desire already.
But that moment of blinding intoxication had passed, and Tara wouldn’t believe I wanted her for real. Can you be sure you’ll feel that way in the morning? those were her parting words. She wouldn’t let me answer. She’s so worried, I thought, about the different worlds we live in. Why should it matter so much that I’m rich and she’s not?
As I drifted aimlessly down the main corridor, a cabin door opened. My motorcycle racer buddy Mick stood in the opening, wearing only a towel.
“Paisan,” he called, “why so down in the dumps? I heard Mia yelling at you. All is not well in paradise?”
I wasn’t surprised. Venus is a big yacht but not so big that it could swallow the screaming of a rejected heiress once she’s been left naked on your cabin floor. “No, Mick,” I replied, not looking up, “I think I may have royally fucked up just about everything.”
“Well, I could offer to cheer you up?” he smiled, kicking his cabin door open all the way. The soft light inside illuminated Antonia, his supermodel date for the weekend, lying face-up on the big bed, her head dangling lazily over the edge, and her long blonde hair tumbling down to the floor, as well as Jessica, the slim, petite, adult film actress that had been brought aboard by our other friend, rap star Jay Money Monarch, sitting back against the pillows at the head of his bed. Both girls were naked and both smiled invitingly at me as I peered in. “I’ve some pretty good wine. Maybe you might be able to forget your troubles?”
I shook my head. I had no desire for sex games. I just wanted to be with Tara. “I’m sorry, my friend, I have some issues to deal with.”
“Fair enough. Your loss, eh?” He smiled, looking back at his two beautiful companions. He nodded to me and went back inside, closing his door.
All too soon, I reached the door of my cabin. I thought about knocking. I’d said I was sorry and walked out. The two girls had been teasing me, tantalizing me until it seemed I couldn’t stand anymore, but I’d just left. Going by her screams and curses that had echoed after me as I escaped, she was justifiably mad. Knocking might just give her time to find something to throw at me, I thought, so I simply went in.
Inside, the cabin was dimly lit, just as it had been before. In the large central bed of the opulent, circular room, Mia lay under the sheet. She had put her white cotton nightshirt back on, and her long, straight black hair was spread out across the pillows. She faced away from the door. I couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep.
“Mia, I…” I began.
“Did you fuck her?” she cut me off without turning around. Her voice was measured, quiet and calm. “Darling, I really don’t care if you did, just don’t lie to me.”
I told her the truth. “I didn’t.”
“Seth,” she continued, “I know there’s going to be girls throwing themselves at you. You can fuck all of them or none of them — it won’t affect our relationship. Jesus, I know I’m going to bang the odd pool boy or rock star on occasion. It’s fun and I refuse to deny myself that pleasure. But, here you have one of the most pursued and lusted after girls on this planet trying everything just to get you inside her, and you’re off chasing stolen kisses from some jumped-up waitress. What the fuck?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered. “You’re amazing Mia. You’re stunning, smart, successful. Tara is just… I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ! Don’t even tell me you’re in love!” she snapped, turning around and sitting up, her voice taking on a much more venomous tone. “Some dumb whore you’ve known for two days? And, in that time, you’ve had to save her life twice!”
“Don’t call her a whore,” I growled.
“Oh please. Invite her in here now. We can fuck her together if it means so much to you. I’ll write her a check. Five thousand ought to be plenty. No, let’s make it ten, as she has to do both of us. Then I get to fuck you, you get to fuck her and she gets a nice big payday. Everybody wins.” Mia’s voice sounded so angry. “Who knows, maybe Tara and I will fall in love, then you’ll know what this rejection feels like.”
Obviously furious, Mia bent over to the nightstand on the side of the bed away from the door. She leaned over far enough that I could see she hadn’t put her underwear back on, the sheet slipping enough to reveal her toned, tanned butt. She noisily snorted back a line of cocaine that I hadn’t realized was there.
“I didn’t know you used that shit. Where did you get it?” I demanded.
“It’s none of your fucking business,” she hissed back. “And don’t even begin to think you’re in any position to tell me what to do.”
I shook my head, resigning myself to having no hope of making peace with her. I thought she might forgive me and realize I just wanted someone else. It happens all the time. But she would never understand. She lives in a world where people just take what they want, who they want and don’t care about the consequences,I thought to myself, they bully, intimidate, or pay off everyone. People like her and my father. Oh, my God! This is what Tara is afraid of! This is what she thinks I’m like, the world I live in. No wonder she bolted.
I said no more to Mia. She snorted back another line as I went into the closet and grabbed my small bag. I couldn’t remember what was in it, I just figured there might be something I could use. Anything I left behind was most likely going to be floating around the Caribbean by sunrise.
“The fuck are you going now?” Mia snarled at me. “Going to go give your stewardess whore a whole three minutes of fun?” I turned back to look at her. Mia’s normally phenomenally beautiful face was contorted into the ugliest mask of hatred I had ever seen. “Or do you think you’ll need me to send Valentina over again to help you get it up?”
I turned and walked out, her insults following me down the passageway for the second time tonight.