When I saw that little bikini, I almost crossed that line and kissed her. With the tension between us multiplying every day, we would never make it through the rest of this trip without either killing each other or ending up in bed. I was screwed. We needed to put some distance between us. Maybe I could fly home early and let her enjoy the rest of this trip in peace.
Scratch that. I’d never leave her by herself in a foreign country. I’d already tried sleeping somewhere other than her bed, and all that accomplished was giving me a daily case of blue balls as a wake-up call. She invaded my dreams every night, so I couldn’t even get a reprieve when I was asleep. Something had to give.
I was afraid we would explode like a firecracker shot into the air on the fourth of July, arcing until suddenly there were sparks and the night sky was momentarily on fire.
Taylor
I was being sneaky.
Dalton was in the shower, so it was the perfect time to slip out of the villa undetected to do my own thing. After our heated conversation about my choice of swimwear, I stayed out on the beach most of the day, alternating between sunbathing and prancing around in the sand and water. It may have been a teeny, tiny bit intentional just to get under Dalton’s skin, but I was still a bit salty about the whole thing. I finally came inside in the late afternoon, took a shower, and got ready. I spent a little extra time on my makeup and slipped on my favorite sundress. It was time to go exploring without my warden, and I wanted to look nice in case I encountered a man less concerned with policing my wardrobe and more concerned with getting underneath it.
I slid my feet into my sandals and grabbed my wristlet, slipping quietly out the door. My first stop was to the little shop with the shoes I was gushing over last night. I went inside, found my size, and bought them along with some locally made, handcrafted jewelry. When my stomach started to growl, I stopped at a little shack-like restaurant and ordered shrimp tacos. My phone buzzed with a new message and I glanced at the screen.
Dalton: Where are you?
Me: Out.
I kept my response vague. I didn’t want him to come looking for me. This was my chance to get away from him and the constant electric attraction that drew me to him like a moth to a flame.
Dalton: I gathered that. Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.
Me: I’m just out exploring. I’ll be back later.
Still keeping it vague.
Three little dots flashed across my phone for several seconds before disappearing, but no message showed up. I had my finger on the button to shut down my screen when the dots returned, and I stilled my hand. They quickly disappeared again. He’d been trying to think of the right thing to say but couldn’t. Perhaps I had him shook. Good.
I meandered through the streets, stopping at almost all the shops and purchasing a few more items. Checking the time, I noticed a missed call from Dalton and a text time-stamped a few minutes later.
Dalton: Want to grab dinner?
Me: Thanks, but I already ate.
Several minutes went by before his response came through.
Dalton: If you change your mind, I’m at Shells & Shakes.
I smiled at his choice of cuisine. It was the same place I’d eaten at earlier.
Me: Get the shrimp tacos. They’re delicious.
Dalton: Will do. Thanks for the tip.
He punctuated the message with a smiling emoji and I instantly relaxed. It felt like things were returning to normal. We weren’t arguing or fighting the sexual tension that had been mounting between us. I guess we both just needed some space.
The sun was dipping low in the sky and the nightly entertainers were preparing for shows. I watched as colorfully dressed dancers moved to authentic island music. Women garbed in fuchsia, orange, and saffron feathered headdresses shimmied and swayed to a catchy drumbeat and I clapped in time with the rhythm. I watched for a while, enjoying the sights and sounds and colorful clothing before deciding to take a walk on the beach. There were several bars and restaurants butted up to the beach, so I took my shoes off and sank my toes into the sand. It was cool to the touch and powdery soft.
I was nearing the villa when a quaint, straw hut bar caught my eye. The entire oceanfront side was open, so I stepped inside and glanced around. Only half the bar was occupied, but all the patrons seemed to be having a good time. Some sipped colorful drinks while others held glasses of wine or mugs of beer. It seemed like the perfect place to stop and have a drink.
“Taylor?” a familiar deep voice called.
I followed the sound to the bar and found Nico standing behind it, rinsing a glass. He worked here? I thought he was a tourist like me when I met him at the club. He seemed like a wealthy businessman, so polite, confident, and incredibly well dressed, a very desirable combination.
I walked up and took a seat on one of the bar stools, a growing smile spreading over my lips. “Hey!” I greeted him. “I didn’t know you worked here.”
He smiled and ducked his head. “Yeah,” he said a little shyly. “Gotta pay for college somehow,” he offered, his bright, beaming smile never faltering.
“Nothing wrong with that,” I praised, gaining a new respect for him. Anybody who had to work their way through college and didn’t have someone else to foot the bill deserved some credit.
“What are you drinking tonight, pretty lady?”
I blushed, enjoying his attention and compliment. “What’s your specialty?” I asked, an air of flirtation in my voice. Maybe Nico was just what I needed to get Dalton out of my system. I’d never been one for random hookups or one night stands, but spending a night or two in Nico’s bed and never seeing him again would be less shameful and embarrassing than the entirety of my most recent relationship.
My smile fell as I thought about Jason and his deception. No. I wouldn’t think of him tonight. I’d managed to push him and the fallout of our disastrous love affair from my mind all week. I refused to let that poison seep in and taint my evening.
Nico held up a finger in a “give me a second” gesture and turned to face the shelf full of liquor bottles behind the bar. He pulled a couple bottles out, pouring a little of each into a glass before adding a scoop of ice and some blue cocktail mix. He gave it a stir, popped an orange on the rim, and slid it across the bar. I took a tentative sip. It was sweet and a little tangy with a hint of citrus.
“This is really good,” I praised.
“Thank you. I call it ‘Nico Juice’.”
My face warmed at the suggestive name and I knew my cheeks were probably bright pink. I took a large gulp of the cold drink to cool me down and hide my blush.
I sat at the bar for a long time, talking to Nico about everything from school to jobs and hobbies. He continued to serve other customers but always came back to me, and we’d pick up where we left off.
We were laughing about a story Nico was telling me about a patron he’d recently found passed out behind the bar when he glanced up and the smile fell from his face.
“Your friend’s here.” He nodded past me and I turned in my seat. Dalton was watching us, his jaw set tight like he’d caught me doing something wrong. He walked up to the bar and got in front of me, doing his best to block my view of my new friend.