Chapter 32

Jane stays in the hammock at the beach for quite a while, her mind spinning madly. Who was that woman, and why was Brad in the hot tub in the first place. The woman was clearly more suited for him. She starts doubting herself again, feeling like nothing but an ugly waif. She doesn’t know what to think or feel about all of this, but does realize it was the woman hitting on him, not the other way around, and he didn’t seem to respond or encourage the advances. Jane is spinning with confusion.

After collecting her belongings, Jane returns to the hotel, eventually making her way out front where a car is waiting to take her to the restaurant to meet Brad. She is not sure if she even wants to see him right now. She’s feeling huffy and unbalanced, a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger. She really wonders why she should care. I mean, really. He’s a billionaire, and he can get whoever he wants.

The driver tries to speak with Jane, but she responds with one-word answers.

“You from New York?” he asks.

“Technically,” she says.

“A friend of Mr. Halliwell’s?”

“Maybe.”

“You married?”

“Why?” she responds, wanting to keep him guessing.

She feels like she is on some weird, emotional roller coaster that she can’t get off of. Brad is elusive, yet when he’s there with her, he is completely present. She feels so good when she’s with him, but then her paranoia takes over. At times, she worries she is being played somehow.

“Well, if I may say so, madam, you are a beautiful young lady, so anyone who gets to be with you is a lucky man,” he remarks.

Jane soaks in the compliments because this is not what she gets in New York.

“Well, thank you, sir. I will take your word for it,” she replies.

“One tip about Mr. Halliwell, ma’am. He holds onto his women for only so long. Usually there’s a spat, and it turns into, shall we say, too much passion,” he points out.

“Well, I’m not sure how Mr. Halliwell would feel about you speaking this way, but I appreciate your concern,” she responds gratefully.

“Just my two cents, madam. Take it for what it’s worth,” he adds.

“Thank you.”

This makes Jane feel nervous and sick to her stomach. She surely can’t tell Brad she knows this because it would implicate the driver, but it seems there are signs everywhere that keep showing her there’s something she just can’t trust about this guy.

Is it her fear, her gut instinct, or plain old common sense? Her uncle back home used to say, ‘Sweet baby Jane would get stuck in the middle of an intersection and just stand there because of her lack of common sense.’

“Well, here we are. Thai Bistro,” he says, slowing down in front of the place.

“Thank you, sir. Here, keep the change,” she says, passing him a tip.

Jane steps out into the hot air and immediately feels dizzy. She tries to catch her balance as she gets up. Someone at the restaurant comes out to escort her in.

“You’re with Mr. Halliwell?” he asks.

“Wow, who doesn’t Brad know? It seems everyone around here knows who he is,” she says.

“Well, yes. It is his island. He’s technically our boss here,” he says matter-of-factly.

“Oh. Well that explains why he seems to be able to get away with murder,” Jane comments. “Can’t say I’d want this kind of life, though, if you ask me. You’re just way too exposed to the world.”

“Indeed,” he replies. “So can I assume you’re not related to him, then?”

“Heck no,” Jane shoots back, afraid she’s going to get Brad’s reputation confused around here, and also because she’s not sure if she even wants to be associated with him at all right now.

Jane is escorted to the table. She is about 15 minutes early and realizes that with all the drama, she forgot to put the silly red thong back on. At this point, though, she’s not sure if she should bother.

She orders a Long Island Iced Tea and drinks it down as she sits and replays in her mind the events of the day so far.

Hmmm… he had to take a phone call, told me to meet him for lunch, then I find him in a hot tub with some other woman, and she eventually leaves. Did they sleep together earlier? Is she a woman who knows Brad from before? Have they slept together in the past?

Her mind is racing, and she has no idea how to shut it off.

She keeps wondering, though, what did he say to that woman? Why did she leave? Did he turn her down? Jane can only hope.

Deciding she’s not going to lose Brad to some woman she knows nothing about, Jane takes her purse and goes to the ladies’ room where she proceeds to remove her stockings and underwear, replacing it with the thong. She rolls up her garments and puts them in her purse.

The thong actually feels quite good. It rubs the inside of her cunt and against her ass. It makes her feel wet already, especially when thinking about the possibility of Brad reaching up her dress and touching her, outlining the thong with his fingers, and playing with her.

She would surrender and be his personal slut while he licks her deep and long until she squirts all over his face, right there in the stall, not caring at all about anyone else. Because, after all, it is his island, and he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

Jane pulls her skirt down and smooths it out, all lady-like. She leaves the stall and checks her makeup and lipstick. She looks pretty good, if she says so herself.

She checks to make sure the red thong isn’t showing through her skirt. All looks as it should.

She makes her way back to the table and finds that Brad is there.

“Hello, beautiful,” he says, standing up and kissing her hand.

“Well, thank you,” she says, a bit distantly. She still can’t seem to shake the hurt.

Brad can sense it, but tries to ignore it. He never knows what women are thinking, really.

“Have you ever had Green Basil Curry? This place makes the best in the world, I can guarantee it!” Brad says, trying to uplift her spirits.

“No, can’t say I have,” she replies, feeling sullen.

Brad orders an appetizer of fresh spring rolls, two orders of Green Basil Curry, and the finest white wine they have.

“Let’s celebrate having more time together,” he says, lifting his glass.

“Sure,” replies Jane, raising hers to clink against his. The appetizer arrives and they both start eating it in silence. Finally, Brad has to say something.

“Jane, I really have to speak up. I can tell you’re upset about something. What is it?” he asks, genuinely concerned.

Jane really didn’t want him to bring it up. She was hoping she could get through the meal without having to share these mixed feelings.

“It’s nothing, really. Just one of those days,” she says, nonchalantly.

“I see. Okay, I can take that. I have days like that,” he replies, reassuring her. “Well, just let me know if I can do anything for you, okay?”

Jane nods. “Yeah, sure.”

They continue to eat in awkward silence. Brad keeps pouring the wine, and Jane keeps drinking it. They both get tipsy, and finally Jane starts opening up, the liquid courage spurring her on.

“Well, honestly Brad, I don’t care what you think. I am feeling upset about something,” she replies, choking back her sadness.

“Okay, go ahead. What is it?” he says.

“Well, when we were together this morning, you said you had business to do, and you had to take an important phone call,” she explains.

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Well, in my break time, I went down to the hot tub and…” Jane can hardly hold it in.

“You saw me with a woman in the hot tub. I know. I saw you on the other side of the door just before you ran away.”

This really took the steam out of Jane—the fact that he knew, the fact he wasn’t upset that she saw him, and the fact that he acknowledged this other woman in the hot tub. She really didn’t have anything she could hold against him.

“Did you think I was attracted to her?” Brad asks honestly, reaching out to hold Jane’s hand.

“Well… yes,” Jane says sheepishly, feeling ridiculous now.

“Well, I will let you know what happened, if that’s okay for you,” Brad says.

She nods her head, not wanting to force him to share if he doesn’t want to.

“Honestly, I know she is an attractive woman. I’m a guy and all. She started talking to me, and I just responded. She invited herself into the hot tub. What am I going to do? Tell her she can’t?” Brad says.

“Well no, I guess not,” Jane acknowledges. “Have you and her ever met before?” she asks.

“No, I’ve never seen her here before, which is unusual, because I know most people who come here. I still don’t know who she is, other than her first name,” he says with a concerned tone, wondering if perhaps she is some kind of journalist or spy. “But I need you to know one more thing. She did try to seduce me in the hot tub.”

Jane feels overwhelmed with jealousy. Brad can see her eyes welling up as her face turns away.

“That hurts you?” Brad asks, somewhat happy to know she cares this much.

Jane nods a bit, squeezing her lips together because she doesn’t want to admit it.

“Well, I turned her away. In fact, I didn’t feel turned on by her at all. For real. I could only think of you,” he says honestly, still holding her hand.

The warmth of his hand says a lot to Jane. She can sense how much he does care for her, and that he is being truthful.

“And the other thing is that, in my not-so-distant past, I would have probably had sex with her right there, just because I’ve been that kind of guy,” he says openly, not wanting to hold anything back from Jane.

Jane’s eyes widen, unsure of how to respond.

“Brad, that’s just it you see, this is what I don’t understand. I have no idea what you see in me. I have nothing to offer you. I’m broke, I’m 19, I’m a hick girl from Utah, I can hardly dance well, and I’m a virgin. How attractive is that? I mean, what man in his right mind would want me?” Jane says, grabbing the napkin to hide her tears.

“I want you, Jane,” Brad says, moving over to put his arm around her. “You see, one thing I realized today is that the hottest woman in the world could walk in here and promise to give me everything I want, and that still wouldn’t do it for me.

“You are capturing me. All those things you say are true. On paper, it seems ridiculous for me to pay a million dollars for the hope of something with you, but I can’t help myself. You do something to me that no one else has. Not even Kelly, my first love,” Brad says, admitting this for the first time.

“That still doesn’t explain what it is you like about me. I really don’t understand,” Jane says, feeling distressed and desperate.

“To be honest, I love your innocence. I’m really enjoying how real you are. You speak the truth, and you aren’t ashamed about who you are and where you’ve come from. I find that you are not only adorable but also stunning. The way you dance is full of heart, not just following the motions. You’re not trying to please anyone or prove yourself. You are just you, and that is enough for me,” he says, really wanting it to sink deep into her.

Jane feels his words penetrate her heart. She really can see that he means it, and she starts cheering up. She looks up, takes a deep breath, and feels herself come back to the room.

“The question really should be the opposite— why would you be interested in me?” Brad asks earnestly.

Jane is shocked, because it seems so obvious. Not just the money, but how he treats her. She thought he knew.

“I don’t even know where to begin to answer that,” says Jane.

“You don’t have to. Take as much time as you need,” responds Brad gently.