Stacy
We didn’t say much as we made our way to the last convention of the day. I wanted to talk to Chris about what had happened, but after we had kissed, he had said what he’d said and that was that. Next thing I knew I was beside him in the seat and there was nothing that I could do but sigh to myself. My body was going a mile a minute with the heart in my chest, but I wasn’t worried about that. I was more interested and consumed by the throbbing that started in between my legs. Why was I feeling like this all of a sudden? It just didn’t make sense and the feelings overwhelmed me and confused the hell out of me.
“I am sorry if I went over the line Stacy. I just wanted to prove a point.”
I still wasn’t sure what the point was that he was trying to prove, but I think I was more afraid that he would want to do it again. I didn’t have it in me to refuse and maybe that was what he was proving. Would I have felt the same way if Ali had kissed me like that? I smiled to myself, knowing that Ali was too much of a gentleman for all of that. Why was I suddenly so saddened by the idea?
“Well I get your point Chris, but you didn’t have to go there to make me see it. I know that you are not used to being turned down, but I am just not into you that way. And for the record, I am not into Ali that way either.”
“I don’t think he knows that.”
I just shook my head and tried not to look at him. There was no point in arguing with him and I was still a little befuddled by it all. The truth was that I wanted to blame my current state of being on something or someone and Chris was it for me.
“He will find out soon enough then I suppose. It wouldn’t be the first time that I had to bring a man back to reality.”
I started towards the conference hall and didn’t even look behind me to see if Chris was coming or not. I knew that I was going to do my job and stay as far away from him as possible. It was hard to do when I was kind of supposed to stay with him, but I was better off on my own. There was no way that the island could be any more dangerous than he was. Chris was damaging to my thinking. It was like I went into a brain fog around him. Those were the men that I feared the most.
The conference was boring, but at least I wasn’t dragged on stage like I was for the last one. Chris sat next to me, but he didn’t say much and I was thankful for that, although I would have been a little more comfortable if Chris would have given me a little more space. I was still affected by the kiss, even if he wasn’t. I wanted some distance between me and him and quick.
I took notes, mindlessly writing things and figures that I really didn’t understand. I knew about as much as the next person when it came to the stock market, but that was not a lot. This felt like a class for advanced learners and I was not one of them. So I did my best and hoped that what I was writing made better sense to Keenan, then it did to me. It was all just scribbles as far as I was concerned.
Chris brushed against me several times with his knee, but I didn’t even acknowledge it or look at him. I was too worried about writing down the gibberish I was hearing. Chris was much like a child though and soon his hand rested on my thigh because I wasn’t giving him the attention that he wanted. I finally gave him a look to remove the hand and he did rather quickly.
It wasn’t long before he was touching me again and I finally said something to him because my senses couldn’t take it anymore.
“What?!” I whispered over to him, wanting to stop whatever it was he was doing. Like a kid, I finally gave him some attention to get him to stop.
“I just wanted to let you know that I am recording this. I will give you a copy when we get back to the hotel. You don’t have to sit there and write everything down Stacy.”
My face turned red and I had an urge to slap him. He could have told me that about an hour ago when the lecture first started. Slamming the notebook that I was writing in, he chuckled beside me and told me that I was even sexier when I was mad. Chris grated at my nerves, enjoying every minute of it. I had to wonder if he knew what he was doing to me. I had a feeling that he did.
“Well then I should be damn well glowing by now!” My words were whispered to him in a harsh tone. He made me so mad and I didn’t understand why he seemed to enjoy it so much. Why did he take such pleasure in enraging me? And in public no less.
I was able to listen to the lecture, but nothing was really sinking in. I was still steaming mad when it was over and I wasn’t able to handle Chris’ smiling face for another second.
“I am going to grab a cab. If you could send that tape over, I would really appreciate it. I am sure our friend Keenan would appreciate it as well.”
“I thought we were going to go out to dinner?”
“You know that I have a previous engagement Chris, but thank you for the offer. You don’t have to watch over me anymore. I will meet you in the lobby before the last conference tomorrow if that suits you.”
“Okay.” He didn’t seem sure and I wasn’t waiting around. I don’t know why he bothered me so badly. If I wasn’t shaking and trembling from some kind of draw that he had on me, then I was angry enough to slap him. I couldn’t take the rollercoaster anymore.
***
I didn’t go directly back to the hotel. I didn’t want to run into Chris while I was there, so I just gave myself a little space. I needed some time to think and pull myself together. I had to keep reminding myself that I was here for work, not all of this other nonsense that I had somehow gotten myself into. I was certainly not here for Chris.
But I was in Jamaica and now that I had some time to myself, I wanted to go see and do some things while I was here. Keenan called to make sure everything was going well. I hoped that he hadn’t talked to Chris, but he didn’t really say anything to make me believe that. He told me to have a good time and I assured him that I would. I felt like I had the greenlight from my boss and I was going to make sure that I made the most of my evening.
Going to a small restaurant that I found after doing some shopping, I tried tons of things that I couldn’t even pronounce. By the time I left there it was dark and I made my way back to the hotel on foot. I had canceled my date with Ali. I didn’t like to think that it was because of what Chris said, but he had reminded me how exhausting it could be sometimes.
So instead of a fancy dinner with a really nice man, I just spent the evening doing what I wanted and staying away from Chris. I dropped my bags off with the front desk and went down to the beach behind it. I wanted to get a swim in, hopefully not getting harassed by a man this time. I needed the solitude to get my mind right and work through all of the thoughts and feelings that had come to a head since I met Chris.
The water was the only thing that truly relaxed me and it felt good on my skin. I swam for a while and I couldn’t bring myself to go back inside. It was too nice, the heat and slight breeze that blew over me as I sat in the sand was heavenly. I fell asleep out on the beach, finally feeing relief after such a stressful day. The beaches back home were nothing like this.
When I awoke with the sun, I was startled to wake by some early morning swimmers. They gave me a look like I had passed out drunk in the sand, so I didn’t really look their way more than once. I hadn’t had anything to drink. I had just gotten too relaxed and when I had closed my eyes to just listen to the waves roll in, I had fallen asleep. I didn’t know what time it was, but by where the sun was, I didn’t figure it was too late. I wasn’t supposed to meet Chris until around 10, so I made my way to the hotel to get dressed and wash some of the sand out of my hair.
As I made my way in, I was stopped at the door because they must have thought I was a vagrant or something. I didn’t help with my appearance and the massive amount of sand in my hair. The more upset I got, the more sure they were that I didn’t belong there. I tried to show them my key or even my ID, but everything was in the room. They wouldn’t even give me my bags I had left there the night before.
Completely ready to just lose it, I finally sucked up my pride and told them to contact Chris. He would corroborate my story and since he had part ownership in the hotel, I figured that it would fix everything. I didn’t want him to see me like this, but I didn’t have another choice besides getting kicked out of the hotel.
“Are you sure you want me to do this Miss? It might be rather embarrassing for you.”
“Just call him and tell him my name and that I am down here. I need to get up to my room. This is ridiculous and I couldn’t be any more embarrassed then I am right now.”
The front desk clerk eyed me suspiciously, but I just gave her a glare back. I wasn’t going to let them tell me that I didn’t belong here. It was a reminder that I was in a whole other league of people, but I was still here to do a job.
All I could do was wait patiently by the front for Chris to come down and the embarrassment that came with that.