“Next, our on-site relationship therapist. You may recognize him from his hit show on MTV, Love Rules, Dr. Corey Pritchard, or as he’s known around here, Dr. P.”
A good-looking older gentleman with a shaved head swiveled around in his chair and nodded to the audience.
“Finally, the Director of the Retreat House Surf School and Camp, Austin Tripp.”
What I guessed to be a twenty-something guy with bleached-out blond hair and very intense tan for this early into the summer hopped up from his seat and gave the room a quick salute.
Austin made me think of the mysterious surfer I spotted on the beach earlier that day. My eyes darted around the room to look for him, but he wasn’t there. He must’ve been a guest of the hotel and not the Boot Camp?
“I think Austin over there could help me forget all about Matt,” Emmy said.
Zosia set her glass down. “I’m pretty sure sex with a Boot Camp staff member is strictly verboten.”
“I didn’t see that listed in the rules, did you, Joanna?”
I turned back to face them. “Sorry? What?”
“Sex with a staffer, do you think it’s allowed?”
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“You haven’t? I’ve been banging everything that moves since Matt left me. Sex may not be the only way to get over an ex, but it sure is the most fun.”
“I wouldn’t know. I have never been with anyone other than my ex.”
“You mean anyone since him, right?”
I shook my head. “No, I mean I’ve never slept with anyone besides Sam.”
Zosia dropped the fork she was holding onto her plate with a loud clatter, causing a few heads in the room to turn and look at us. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m like, what, twenty-five years older than you, and even I’ve had my share of lovers.”
“Sam and I met in high school and had been together ever since.”
The server came by to deliver our food. Since breaking up with Sam, I’d almost completely lost my appetite, mostly sustaining myself on take-out Chinese food and coffee. But, everything on the table looked delicious, and my stomach let out a long, low growl. I picked up my fork and dug into the roasted squash. It tasted every bit as good as it smelled, and I devoured the toast in a matter of minutes.
Emmy glanced down at my left hand. “Were you two married?”
“No, not yet. Engaged. We were supposed to get married this August.”
“Trust me, you dodged a bullet there. Once kids, homes, and joint accounts are involved, it becomes a whole different story,” Zosia said.
Louisa suddenly appeared at our table and sat down in the empty chair.
“Ladies, how was everything today?” she asked.
“Wonderful,” Zosia answered.
She turned to me. “Joanna?”
“The food’s amazing,” I answered.
“I’ll give your compliments to the chef,” she said.
“We’d love to meet him,” Emmy said.
“He’s a bit of a hermit. You can usually find him in our gardens, kitchen, or on a surfboard. He’s not much for mingling with the guests. Your best shot of meeting him is to sign up for a private cooking lesson although the slots fill up pretty quick.” Louisa stood up. “Well, I’ll let you ladies finish up your meals and get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, the real work begins.”
Zosia reached into her tote and pulled out the next day’s schedule from inside her welcome folder.
I leaned over the table to read the sheet of paper. Discovering Your Inner Dominatrix with Mistress Monica; How to Tap into Your Power and Retake Control of Your Love Life.
Zosia raised her eyebrows. “Discovering your inner dominatrix, huh? She wasn’t kidding about getting a good night’s rest.”
Chapter Fourteen
I slept with the double French doors wide open all night, the ocean breeze bumping up against the white netting of the canopy bed like a soothing lullaby. The last few weeks of insomnia, not to mention the stress of traveling and being in a brand-new environment, finally caught up with me, and I was out cold before my head even hit the pillow.
In the morning, I was jolted awake by the loud voices of the surfers running sprints up and down the beach and the sound of my phone buzzing like crazy on the nightstand. I turned the phone over and saw four missed calls from Merritt and several texts, checking to see if I made it to Topsail okay. I glanced over at the clock. It was 5:00 am in LA, but I hit the call back button anyway.
“Oh good, you’re alive,” she deadpanned.
“What are you doing up so early?”
“Alec’s teething. Poor baby’s been up almost all night.”
“You must be completely exhausted.”
“Naomi’s having me try this new thing. She wants me to try replacing the word exhausted with the word grateful. So, to answer your question, yes, I’m very grateful right now.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. The Boot Camp has a strict no-phone policy, so I left it charging in the room during my Breakover.”
“Your what? Don’t tell me you got some ridiculous pixie cut like Katy Perry post Orlando Bloom.”
“I liked her pixie cut. But no, nothing as extreme me as that.”
“Thank God, you don’t have the ears to pull off a pixie cut. So, tell me, how is it?”
I stood up and pulled the sea blue curtains away from the French doors and looked out to the ocean. “It’s beautiful here. The type of place I’d have loved to go with Sam.”
“Are you sure this was such a good idea? I thought the Boot Camp was supposed to help you get over Sam.”
“Maybe I’m still detoxing? By the way, you’ll never guess who’s here.”
“At the Boot Camp? Who?”
“Zosia Barry and Emmy J.”
“Emmy J., like famous popstar Emmy J.? Wow, what’s she like?”
“Nice. They both are. But you know how it is, misery loves company.”
She sighed heavily into the phone. “Joey, please try to take advantage of the next two weeks. It’s not just about Sam. You’ve been in a funk ever since mom died. But you must forgive yourself, it’s high time.”
“What about Dad? He still hasn’t forgiven me.”
“The two of you just need to talk. Maybe when the camp’s over, you can come to LA for a few days.”
“I promised Stephen I’d be back in time for the Cats producer’s showcase.”
Voices carried into my room from the beach. The surfers, finished with their morning set, were walking back toward the hotel, their boards in tow.
“Hey, Jo, Alec’s crying again, I have to go,” Merritt said.
I shut the patio doors. “Yeah, me too, but I’ll try to call in couple of days, I promise.”
“Don’t worry about me. Remember what I said and try to take advantage of these next few weeks, and don’t hold back. This time is as much about you as it is about Sam.”
I hung up and hurried to breakfast on the seaside patio. Zosia and Emmy were already sipping coffees at a table with views out to the ocean. I got in line at the farm fresh omelet station, collected my veggie frittata, and joined them at their four-top.