Oceans Apart (Ocean Dreams Book 1) (2 page)

“Well, ma’am, it’s my job to know these things.” Edward couldn’t keep the grin back.

“Oh, right. Umm, I was just…” Lost for words, Annie took the glass of bubbles and threw it back. The bubbles tickled her nose while the cool liquid slid down her throat. The wine was just what she needed to calm her after seeing the most handsome man she had even laid eyes on.

She handed the fluted glass back to Edward, sank back into the soft seat, and closed her eyes, thinking of the events on her last day at work.

During a meeting with her boss, Tyrone Albert, listening to his latest explanation of why a colleague was given the supervisor position over her, Annie decided enough was enough. She stood up while he was mid-speech and walked over to his desk with all the confidence in the world. Staring down at the short, plump man - who seemed to enjoy wearing bow ties - she squared her shoulders and confidently told him she quit. Before giving him any chance to reply, she waltzed out of the office to her own cubicle, collected her personal belongings, and left the only job she had ever known. Her colleagues were shocked. Ever reliable and amenable, Annie was thought of as the girl who would always be there and just accept what and how things were.

“No more. I’m sick and tired of being second to everyone else,”
Annie said to herself. She smiled at herself while walking to the elevator. As the elevator car arrived, she turned and saw Mr. Albert staring at her, obviously still in shock. Annie got an impulsive thought in her head and acted on it.

“Mr. Albert?” she called across the floor. All activity stopped and everyone looked up at her.

“You can kiss my sweet little ass,” she said with all the confidence in the world. Turning back to the elevator, she walked in, pressed the button for the ground floor, and watched the doors close. Her heart was racing but she was on cloud nine.

Remembering that day, Annie smiled. She was so damn proud of what she had done. Annie had never before stood up to anyone who had authority over her. Her parents, while good people, were usually self-absorbed or doting all over her older sister. Tracey was the golden child and what Tracey wanted and needed was top priority in the Scott household. Annie’s needs were second. Tracey was talented and gorgeous, just like her mother. Bright green eyes that were framed by dark lashes and cascades of thick brown hair. However, unlike her mother, Tracey had made it to Broadway. She was more driven for stardom and success as a stage actress. Nothing ever got in the way of what she wanted, especially little sisters. Tracey always made sure Annie knew where her place was in the family. She was the understudy while Tracey was around and nobody got in Tracey’s way.

On their return from seeing Tracey in a new production in New York City, Marshall and Beverley Scott were killed. Flying in their privately chartered plane, they hit bad weather and the plane went down in a field not far out of Nashville. The Scotts were prominent citizens in Nashville. Marshall was partner in his jointly owned law firm and Beverley had been his trophy wife. A local stage actress in Nashville, she caught the attention of Marshall some thirty years ago. After a few months of dating, they were married hastily after discovering Beverley was pregnant. Tracey should have been their only child, according to Beverley. Annie was a mistake, and was treated as such by her mother. Unlike Beverley, Marshall loved his younger daughter and did show some favoritism toward her when her mother wasn’t around. Tracey’s needs were always first and foremost in their mother’s eyes. Beverley questioned Annie when she had mentioned she wanted to go to law school.

“Why would you want to do that?” her mother asked her.

“I want to be just like Daddy,” replied Annie, knowing that if she had answered with the truth of wanting to help people, she would have been laughed at.

Annie’s mother smirked. “You’re not smart enough to be like your daddy. All you are good enough for is to be someone’s wife. To look attractive on their arm and do their bidding.”

Annie shook her head back to the present while thinking back at that conversation. Annie wished she had stood up to her mother, but she hated confrontation. She enrolled at Vanderbilt as her parents wanted and went on dates with men they would approve of. She was a people pleaser, plain and simple. From now on, the old Annie was gone. She wanted to change and quitting her job was the first step.

Leaving work and returning to her modest apartment, Annie had made a snap decision. She was wealthy, mostly due to the inheritance left by her parents, so she could do anything she pleased. Annie packed a suitcase and carry-on bag and found her passport, just in case. It had never been used. The overseas business trip she was supposed to go on earlier in the year with her boss was canceled at the last minute. She had no idea where she was going to go but she was getting out of Nashville. Nothing was keeping her here.

Annie called for a cab to take her to the airport. She left a note for the cleaner who came twice a week. Making a request that she was to clean the refrigerator out and dispose of everything inside and then she was to take a vacation, leaving a wad of one hundred dollar bills to compensate. She looked around and smiled, happy with the decision she had made. She went to meet the cab downstairs.

On arrival at the airport, Annie still had no idea where she was heading. She lined up at a ticket counter and an agent called her up within minutes. Sucking in a deep breath, she approached the counter with confidence.

“How can I help you?” the airline representative asked while still staring at her computer.

“I would like a ticket for your next plane out of here that has an available seat please.”

The woman looked up at her with a questioning look then back at her computer. “The next flight is to Los Angeles in an hour and the only seat left is in business class.”

“That sounds fine. I’ll take it,” Annie said with growing confidence.

Annie paid for the ticket, made her way through security, and then on toward the gate as boarding for the flight had already begun. The next 5 hours were a blur. She had slept the entire journey to L.A, hailed a cab, and asked to be taken to The Beverly Hills Hotel. Her mother had always wanted to stay there so Annie thought it must have been all right. She was lucky to snag a room and once she had settled in, she crashed and didn’t wake until nearly lunchtime the next day. The adrenaline had worn off quickly. Annie hadn’t realized how much life had drained her energy. It was as if all she could do was sleep.

Two days of being in Los Angeles didn’t make Annie feel like she had made any changes. She was still just a Nashville girl but in another location. She needed something else, but what? While lounging out by the pool, Annie could hear a group of people having a conversation at a nearby table. The group burst into laughter after one of them had told a joke.

“You Aussie’s sure are hilarious,” one of the bikini-clad girls giggled.

Aussies? Australians. Yes. Annie sat bolt upright. “That’s where I should go,” she said to herself. It was perfect. Australia was where the business trip was to be, back in June, so she already had the right paperwork. She gathered her things and hotfooted it back to her room. She remembered that the flights were with Qantas, an Australian airline, and so she dialed the hotel operator and asked to be connected to a travel agent. Twenty minutes on the phone with the agent and she was booked onto that evening’s flight out of L.A.

“Excuse me, Miss? Miss Scott?” Annie was roused by a friendly Australian accent.

“Hmmm,” was all the reply Annie could muster at that moment. She opened her tired eyes very slowly.

“Miss Scott. We will be making our descent into Sydney soon. I just wanted to return your seat to the upright position,” the smiling and new attendant said.

“Oh…fine. Sure. I didn’t even realize I had it reclined,” Annie replied.

“You fell asleep not long after takeoff and missed the next refreshment, so Edward thought it was best we get you comfortable. It is a long flight after all,” the smiling woman explained to her.

“Thank you…and Edward, too.”

“Our pleasure. Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“A bottle of water would be fantastic. I’m a little parched.”

“I’ll be right back.” The leggy flight attendant glided back toward the galley and returned in next to no time with the chilled bottle.

“There you go. Won’t be long now and you’ll be able to stretch your legs and enjoy the sunshine in Sydney,” she told Annie.

“I can’t wait.” Annie returned the smile as the attendant walked off.

And she couldn’t wait. Here was the chance she had been after. Time to find out who Annie really was. To do the things she really wanted to do and in the time, she wanted to do them.

It wasn’t long before the plane had landed and taxied into its spot on the tarmac. Being in first class, she was one of the first passengers to disembark. Annie collected her luggage and cleared Customs in no time at all.

Annie found the nearest ladies’ room and walked in. She went over to one of the mirrors and looked at herself. A mass of wavy blonde hair fell down past her shoulders. Knowing it was warm outside from the cabin crew’s announcement on arrival into Sydney, she found a hair tie at the bottom of her purse. Running her fingers through her hair, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Her eyes looked tired but they would come back to life with a decent sleep. She washed her hands, threw some water on her face, and hoped it would help to wake her up a little.

She walked outside the airport and toward the taxi rank line where an attendant was helping people into the cabs.

She arrived at the head of the line and he asked, “Where to, love?”

Annie had no idea. “The best hotel on Sydney Harbour,” she told the attendant and he relayed the message to the taxi driver.

‘Why not?’
she thought,
‘You only live once and I’m here for a good time.’

The cab ride was slow as it was peak hour traffic, but she was able to look around and soak in the sights and sounds of this new city. She was excited beyond belief and had butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. Before she knew it, someone had opened the door for her. She stepped out and looked about. Yes, she was right where she wanted to be. Situated right next to Sydney Harbour. You couldn’t find more perfect than that.

Annie walked into the hotel and up to the reception desk. She was crossing all her fingers and toes that they would have a room for her, especially as she didn’t know how long she would stay. The receptionist welcomed her but said the only available room they had for an extended period was the Opera Suite, which was a last minute cancelation. Annie couldn’t believe her luck. A suite that looked upon the famous Opera House. Now that she had to see. She filled in the details on the check in card. A young man was called over to the desk to help her with her bags. Annie smiled and thanked him. She followed him to the elevators. With no wait at all, they stepped into the carriage and were whisked to her floor. After they stepped out, she followed him to her room door, which he had already opened for her. She entered and saw the most magnificent room she had even seen. The tastefully decorated furnishings were nothing in comparison to the breathtaking view. She hurried out onto the balcony and looked out across the harbor’s water where her eyes froze on the unique building before her. Annie squealed with delight and realized that she was happy. Her life was her own. She was in a beautiful city, and new opportunities were at her feet. The place, the view, the solitude, the freedom…

For the first time in a very long time, she was happy.

The waves rolled in and crashed against the sand, back and forth, just touching Annie’s toes each time they hit the shore. Annie took a deep breath in and inhaled all the smells of the beach. The fresh but salty air filled her lungs. She let the breath out slowly, as if she was expelling all the negative from her life. No more being second. More of what I want. She told herself.

It was early in the evening of day three in Sydney. The first two days were written off with jet lag and exhaustion. Annie never left her suite the entire time. Today, Annie wanted to get out and the first thing on her list to do was go to the beach. She wore her black bikini top with brightly colored board shorts and threw on a sheer white beach cover up top, too. She donned the only pair of flip-flops she had and headed out. Will, the young concierge at the hotel, had told her about Bronte Beach when she asked where to go for her first look at the ocean. Bondi was the popular tourist attraction, but was always busy with locals and tourists alike. Bronte was still popular, but had fewer tourists and was just as delightful. Annie took the young man’s suggestion and headed off on her own adventure. Finding her own way by bus, she made it to the beach.

She walked back from the water and sat on her beach towel lying on the dry sand. She looked around and took in her surrounds. There were a few people about but nowhere near as many as when she had arrived a couple of hours before. The lifeguards had packed up and gone home for the night. Did she dare go for a swim? She knew how; however, she had never been in the open water before. The sun was just starting to set, but the weather was still warm and the water looked most inviting.