Forget Me Never (4 page)

              “No, you want to know, so I will tell you. I met Kevin when I was seventeen, he was my first real boyfriend, my first everything. We got engaged when I was nineteen and then in October last year he decided he wanted a break. We were still engaged, but he wanted a time out. Me, being a stupid, deluded bimbo, believed every stupid word he told me and then just after Christmas, I found out that for the last two years of our relationship he had been cheating on me. This holiday was something we’d planned to take together and I almost didn’t come, I almost gave in to my demons and let him win. But I am here and I am going to damn well enjoy it if it’s the last thing I do.”

He simply stared at me as the waiter brought our food and placed it in front of us, but I honestly didn’t think I could eat. My throat felt as though it had closed.

“I am sorry, Grace, I didn’t realize how painful that would have been for you.”

“I am trying to deal with it and I have had some really bad days,” I nodded. “Up until two months ago I wasn’t coming on this holiday, but then I decided that Kevin was a case of mind over matter. I am trying not to mind so that he will no longer matter.”

“That’s an excellent philosophy.” He smiled.

I smiled, “Well, what doesn’t kill you, I suppose… Oh my God, I am so sorry. I didn’t…”

“It’s alright, Grace. My parents died and you broke up with an idiot, that’s our demons, let’s drink to them, they haven’t destroyed us, yet.” He held up his glass of soda. I lifted my glass and touched his.

“And may they never destroy us,” I added. We sipped our drinks and set our glasses down.

“Now, then, let’s eat.”

After our food we walked the length of the pier to the end, and watched the rolling waves. The breeze felt refreshing and the salt from the sea seeped through my lips. I could feel Alec watching me as the wind moved my hair, I couldn’t stop myself smiling,

              “I meant what I said,” he said suddenly, I turned to look at him, the sun danced in his brown eyes and his aftershave called to my soul.

              “About?”

              “That he was an idiot for letting you go.”

              “Well, he didn’t really, I let him go.”

              He seemed surprised by my comment. “You fascinate me, I have never met anyone I can just open up to like that and I think I know why.”

              “Go on,” I smiled.

              “Don’t freak out or anything, I know we have only just met, but I think I found what I have been looking for.” He turned to face me and pushed his hand into my hair, pressing it against the side of my head. “I have waited a long time to meet someone like you,” he declared gazing into my eyes.

I looked down, unsure of what I was meant to say or do, he made my knees shake and my lips twitch. He placed his other hand under my chin and lifted my head so that I could meet his eyes. As he moved towards me, I began to quiver, was this what I wanted? Was this too soon? I couldn’t think about anything anymore, his soft and succulent lips gently caressed mine briefly, I think my feet lifted off the pier and my heart, my dormant, barely beating heart, sparked to life.

Three

He kissed, me, he actually kissed me and I am not sure, but I think the moment our lips touched, the world melted away. A warmth flooded my body and warmed my soul, his fingers had reached in and set every single nerve in my body alight. I liked him, but until he kissed me, I had no idea of just how much I liked him.

              As he pulled back from my hungry lips, he gazed deeply into my eyes and smiled,

              “Wow,” he muttered. I was about to reply as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it to his ear, not letting me go, his hand still against the side of my head, “Yes?” I broke our gaze and looked at the ocean. “Alright, but can’t it wait?” I looked back at him, “Fine, I’ll be there in half an hour.,. Tough, you disturb me on a very important date, you can wait for me to get there.” He ended the call. The ‘date’, I guessed, was over, “I have to go,” he explained, “Something has happened at the office we’re working in and I can’t get out of it.” I nodded and pulled away from his hand. “I’ll be an hour, if that. I want to take you out tonight, so don’t make any plans.”

              “Sure, if you have to go…”

              “I’m sorry, Grace.”

              “I know,” I tried to smile, but what could I do about it. His job meant a lot to him, I knew that from the start. Wait, start of what, talk about jumping the gun. “I’ll go back to the hotel and wait for you to call.” He handed me his I-phone.

              “Put your number in there,” he told me. I nervously tapped in my number and handed his phone back to him. “I’ll get you a car to take you back to the hotel,” and before I could retort that I was quite capable of finding a cab, he called for a car.

We walked quickly back towards the road at the end of the pier, as we got there a black car stopped at the curb side,

              “I’ll call you from the car once we are finished, okay?”

              “Okay,” I smiled slightly. He pecked my lips again and opened the door for me as Daniel pulled up behind us.

              “Thank you for an amazing date,” he said as I climbed into the car.

              “You too,” I nodded a little shell shocked and bewildered. See, in my mind all I could do was think about all that had happened. My body responded to his embraces, but my brain just couldn’t get around the fact that, dare I say it, that I was falling for him.

As we drove away my head began to catch up, this was too soon, way too soon. Kevin still had some sort of hold on my heart, or at least it was frozen, so how was it that I actually thought that Alec could be something more than an afternoon date? He certainly didn’t waste time in telling me how he felt after all and he kissed me. He said he liked me and he thought I was beautiful; Alec had told me more in two days than Kevin told me in the last three months we were together.

I arrived back at the hotel and thanked the driver. I walked in a daze through the lobby and headed to my room. I kicked off my shoes and removed the pins from my hair allowing the sides to fall. It was already after five and although I knew it was ten at home, I had to talk to Saffron, she would tell me what to do.

                    “Oh my God, don’t you ever answer your mobile phone?” she demanded.

              “Hello, Grace, how are you? Did you get there okay?” I rattled on.

              “Sorry, but I have been going out of my ruddy mind here.”

              “I am sorry for not phoning before, but with the time difference and that, I know you have to work, so I guessed calling you Friday night was better. Did I wake you?” I explained.

              “No, I have just got back from Fargoes,” Fargoes was our Friday night hang out when we got together. “But you are alright?”

              “Yes, actually it’s the best I have been for a long time.” I answered picturing her with her long blonde hair, straightened and possibly wearing something sexy, Saff liked to tease when she went out.

              “And?”

              “The hotel is amazing and the palm trees, the car drives like a dream and today I went right up to the Hollywood sign.”

              “Wow, you are finding your way around.” She remarked.

              “Actually, I had a tour guide.”

              “Oooh, a local, tell me, is he hot, steaming? Does he have a body only fit for an Adonis?”

              “I suppose, but he is not a local, he’s from London.” I replied.

              “You have flown five thousand miles away and you meet a bloke from London, are you crazy? The whole point to a holiday fling is you leave them behind, so you can come home, forget about them and get back to normal. If he is from London, he might be able to find you when you get back.”

              “I think I want him to,” I admitted. “Saff, I really like him and guess what, he likes me too.”

              “Have you slept with him yet?”

              “No, nothing like that. I’ve been here three days, we only had our first real date today,” I frowned.

              “Have you kissed him?”

“He kissed me,” I replied, “not snogging, just kissing,” I elaborated, Saffron liked details.

“How long has it been since you last had sex?” she asked.

              I could feel my face burn, “A while,” I admitted.

              “I know how long it’s been and let’s face it, Kevin hardly hit the spot, did he?”

              “You are not helping,” I frowned. “Can we change the subject?”

              “Listen, there is no shame in never having an orgasm…”

              “Saffron,” I squealed embarrassed, “stop, please.”

              “Well, one or two orgasms over the length of time you were with that plonker does not count, in fact, you are practically a virgin.”

              “Fine, okay, Kevin was the last man I slept with.”

              “The only man you slept,” she muttered.

              “Okay, the only man and yes, he rarely hit the spot, pardon the pun, but that doesn’t even come into this…”

              “Uh, hello, where have you been, the garden of Eden? Of course it comes into it. So tell me everything about him and I’ll decide if he is worthy of your riches.”

              We talked until my phone beeped letting me know my call was about to cost me an arm and a leg. I told her as much as I knew and how he made me feel.

              “Right, here is what you do. Take a shower and shave everything, and I mean everything. Really pamper yourself and then put on a dress, something sexy, did you pack the black one from Christmas?”

              “Saffron, I am not sleeping with him tonight,” I sighed.

              “You have eleven days left, you don’t have time to be Mother Theresa, get your sexy knickers on and give him a night to remember.”

              “I am going now, he could be trying to call and this phone call is costing me a second mortgage.”

              “Text me or PM me. I want to know what happens and if Mr Wonderful makes you see stars.”

              “Goodbye Saffron,” I smiled and ended the call.

              I had every intention of taking a shower anyway, and I supposed the black dress would look nice, classy even. But all of the pampering was in vain, when I got out of the bathroom I had three text messages on my phone.

‘Sorry, Grace, this is going to take longer than I thought, I might be late.’

‘Scratch that, will be late, can’t get out of it. Sorry.’

‘Thinking we should take a rain-cheque and mee
t
tomorrow.
’
 

I was about to text him when my phone rang, making me jump,

“Hello?”

“Grace, I truly am sorry. We are having a bit of a meltdown here, the market has bottomed out and I have to hold a strategy meeting for one of our virgin companies,” Alec explained.

“It’s perfectly fine. To be honest, I am too tired to go out anyway,” I lied.

“Are you sure? I was hoping to meet you by the pool for a drink later at least.”

“I am sure; you have worn me out today with all of that hiking.”

“Alright, well, meet me for breakfast.”

“If I wake early enough,” I promised and ended the call.

I ordered a chicken salad for my dinner from room service and a bottle of white wine. I stayed in my robe and sat on the balcony as the sun set making the city glow orange and I could clearly see why they called it the City of Angels, that evening it actually looked Angelic.

              I think I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t meet as I was looking forward to the date right until Saffron started talking about sex. Sex to me was not important, sex with Kevin was all I had known and because it never seemed to work for me, it was not important at all. Alec’s lips certainly kick started something inside, but considering we couldn’t even have a date without complications, I wondered if I had pinned too many hopes on him already. 

After two glasses of wine, I climbed onto my bed with the balcony doors open, the warmth of the night helped me to drift off into a dreamless sleep. A cool breeze blew across my skin, I opened my eyes and the room lit up with white lightning. In the distance I could hear rumbling thunder. I got up from the bed and closed the balcony door as it started to rain.

              When I returned to my bed I lifted my phone, Alec had sent another message,

            
 
‘I’m back, absolutely shattered, so off to bed, goodnight, Grace, sleep well.’

Before replying I checked the time and I am glad I did, it was almost two, so decided to leave it. I pulled on a night dress before climbing between the sheets and closing my eyes.

              My phone ringing beside me startled me awake, I frowned to see who was calling, of course it was Alec.

“Good morning, Grace,” he chimed.

I smiled, “Good morning, I didn’t expect to hear from you until at least eleven,” I replied.

“Why waste a beautiful morning in bed, we have a date, remember?”

“For breakfast,” I nodded.

“And Sea World. I am so excited, haven’t been in a few years.” He gleamed, far too much enthusiasm at that time of day for me.

Then it hit me, I sat up, “Yes, of course.” I had forgotten. “So, where are you?” I asked.

“Outside of your door, can I come in?”

I smiled again and pushed off the covers, “Just give me a couple of minutes, okay?”

“Okay,” he replied and ended the call.

I raced to the bathroom and quickly brushed the rug feeling out of my mouth and sprinkled some water over what appeared to be a bird’s nest on my head then added some taming spray. Sometimes having naturally curly hair sucked, especially first thing in the morning, especially when you only want to look your best for someone.

Feeling slightly more refreshed, I pulled open the door. Dresses in jean shorts and a white polo shirt, Alex grinned holding out a bunch of white roses.

“Apologies for standing you up last night.”

I took the flowers, blushing slightly, I had never had flowers bought for me before. “No need to apologise, it’s your job,” I grinned. “But these are beautiful, thank you.” We stared at each other awkwardly, “Oh, sorry, please come in.” He stepped into the room and as he passed, I could smell his aftershave. “So, did you get it all sorted out?”

              “We decided to fold the company involved, it was best for everyone really.”

              “That’s a shame,” I frowned. “Will everyone lose their job?”

              “Only the five who have run it into the ground.” He answered as he sat on the couch. “This is a lovely room you have,” he added gazing around.

              “Costs enough,” I muttered. “So, these five people, do they have families?”

              “Probably, but I expect the people who have lost all of their savings have families too. So, yes it can be a tad cut throat in this industry, but we have to play fairly and frankly, these guys didn’t.” I liked him more when his business side peeped out a little, I had to refrain from smiling like a star struck teen.

              “Right, well, it’s nothing to do with me.” I said, hoping my panic for these families faded. “I had better get dressed and find a vase for these.” I said and left him in the lounge area of the suite.

I dressed as quickly as I could, feeling slightly apprehensive and wondering if he was going to try and kiss me again. As he was wearing shorts I thought I would do the same. I hadn’t worn my new jean shorts yet, the previous summer had been pretty non-existent in the UK, so this was a good chance to see if they looked as good as they did on the picture of the model when I ordered them. Even though my legs needed a top up on the tan and with a lemon vest top they actually looked pretty good. I slipped a loose, white shirt over my shoulders and put my hair up in a messy bun on top of my head. Dabbed on some lip gloss and I was ready.