Love on the Malecon (19 page)

Derek glanced over at her, took his phone out
of his pocket, and dialed a number.

“Hector,
cabrón
. I need you to watch
for a man coming to the hotel looking for Nicole…Yes, call me
immediately…
Gracias
.” He ended the call and finally looked
over at Nicole, his face transforming from a stony expression to a
man in love. He came over and sat next to her on the bed. He leaned
her into his chest and began stroking her hair again. He must have
been listening to her talk to Kate, because he said calmly,
“
I know you won’t be able to sleep, but please try to relax
and feel better? Will you let me handle this?”

“What do you mean by ‘handle’?” Visions of
him hitting Silvia’s cousin popped into her head.

“I want to speak to him, that’s all. You
don’t need to worry. I promise not to go crazy.” He kissed her
head, needing to know what she was thinking.

“I don’t know, Derek. This is my mess, not
yours.”

She wasn’t sure she was comfortable with the
idea of the two men discussing her. It all just seemed too weird.
Was Derek going to offer Andrew a goat for her hand? Plus, Andrew
would freak out. She needed to make sure that Derek wasn’t thinking
she couldn’t handle it.
“
You know I can deal with Andrew,
right?” she asked.

“Of course, love. I would bet you’re a force
to be reckoned with when crossed.” He kissed her nose.
“
Your
messes are my messes now. You said yourself that you can’t deal
with this today. When Hector calls, let
me
deal with it. I
wouldn’t push this much if you felt better. Please!”

Why was it that when he said the word
please
, she would give him whatever he asked?

“Oh, whatever. I can’t believe I’m saying
this but…you can talk to him. Don’t be a jerk though, just tell him
that I don’t want to see him and there is no reason for him to be
here.”

“I will act like someone worthy of having
your love. Don’t worry; this isn’t a dick-measuring contest. I just
don’t want you to have to deal with this. You already told him it
was over. I will simply tell him, man-to-man, that he had his
chance with you and now it is my turn to make you happy.”

“Thank you.” She leaned over and kissed his
cheek. Then she laid back down, grabbed the white comforter, and
threw it over her head.
“
Now just leave me here to die,
please.”

He let out a laugh and kissed the mound of
white that was probably her head and walked out of the room.

Derek was in bed, Nicole resting on his shoulder. She
had finally fallen asleep again. He knew she was worried about the
situation. He wasn’t thrilled about it himself. He didn’t want to
fight the guy; he wasn’t in the ring anymore. He simply wanted to
explain to him that Nicole was no longer his concern. But what if
he didn’t take it well? What was Derek prepared to do? He looked
down at her, sleeping calmly, and knew he’d do anything for her. He
would do whatever it took to make her happy.

It had been just over an hour and he had his
head leaned back with his eyes closed when his text message alert
him went off. He slipped his phone out of his pocket so that he
wouldn’t wake up Nicole. It was from Hector. He rolled his eyes and
opened the text:
“
He’s here, waiting in the bar.”

Derek leaned over and kissed Nicole’s head.
For her sake, he really would try and be nice. If he came across
like a complete asshole, it would make her look stupid. He didn’t
want anyone thinking poorly of her, even an ex-boyfriend.

He slid his body out from underneath Nicole
and she snuggled into the spot where he had been. Even hung over
and sleeping, she looked beautiful. He quietly gathered his things
and left the apartment without disturbing her. He hoped he would
return with Andrew headed back to the airport before she woke.

He stopped on the way out for a shot of
tequila. It was only noon, but he needed something to give him an
edge. The shot glass was barely back on the bar before he headed
for the Playa Vallarta. As he passed Hector, he said hello and
swore he could see a smirk come across his face. He hoped that
little man wasn’t laughing at him. This may not be as serious or
dangerous as the Silvia situation, but it still was a pain in his
ass.

He knew exactly who Andrew was before he even
saw his face. He was the idiot sitting at the bar wearing a pair of
khakis and a Hawaiian style shirt, with the type of beer that only
Americans drank. In the few seconds before he reached him, Derek
tried to figure out what Nicole saw in the man. He was classically
handsome, he would give him that. But he looked like he was trying
too hard to fit the part. Was Nicole supposed to think that because
he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, he was now this laid back guy that
could make her happy? One look at the man and Derek knew Andrew
couldn’t do that.

Derek noticed that Andrew sat facing directly
towards the elevator, barely taking his eyes off the doors. He must
have been expecting Nicole to come out of them. Cracking his neck,
Derek walked up and sat down on the bar stool next to him, glad it
wasn’t his favorite one.

“Can I buy you a real beer?” he said to him
with a straight face. Not knowing what was going to happen, he put
on his fighting face from years back.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Andrew looked a
bit confused.

“Well, you know of me,” Derek answered,
“
Nicole will not be coming down to speak with you.”

“So you’re the guy, huh?” Andrew looked like
he was ready for a fight. Not that he would win, but he was ready.
“
Did you tell her she wasn’t allowed to see me?”

“Of course I didn’t. She’s not feeling well
from celebrating last night. She’s sleeping it off at my place.” He
couldn’t help adding in the last part. This guy was a schmuck.

“You can’t make me leave. I’m going to talk
to Nicole.” Andrew’s voice rose and he didn’t seem comfortable with
it.

“You’re going to talk to me. There are some
things that I would like to discuss with you,” Derek replied
calmly. He had the upper hand. Now he could toy with him or get
straight to the point. It felt a lot like being in the ring. Some
fights were dominated by one person who had all the power for the
entire fight. Some highlighted fights, where a great deal of money
changed hands, Derek would hold off ending it to give the audience
more of a show. This felt very much the same way.

“What could you possibly have to say to me?”
Andrew was asking.

“I have a lot of things to say, in fact.”
Derek took a drink of the beer that the bartender had brought over
without having been asked. Andrew had to have noticed that.
“
First of all, whether it was Nicole or not, you do not let
a woman leave on an International trip unless you know exactly
where she will be. Please remember that with your future
relationships. You always need to make sure that they are safe.”
Andrew looked like he was going to try and explain himself but
Derek kept talking, not allowing him to speak,
“
Second, in
the future, if your girlfriend loses her parent and the only family
she had left, you follow her to the ends of the Earth. If you do
not, you will have signed the death certificate on your
relationship. I am not the cause of your relationship ending. You
are.”

That was not all that he had to say, but he
figured it was time to see if Andrew had anything to say for
himself. For the past week, Derek had racked his brain trying to
figure out what type of man wouldn’t go on vacation with Nicole and
for what reasons. He really was truly interested in his
response.

“This really is none of your business,”
Andrew tried to snap at Derek.

“Well, everything involving Nicole is now my
business. Would you like to explain your actions? I will make sure
that she hears. I can tell you that this issue weighed heavily on
her mind initially.” How could he stay silent?

“Nicole and I are very different when it
comes to traveling. I don’t do it often and she was being too hasty
with this trip. No one books a trip to Mexico and leaves the same
day.” Andrew tried to look superior.

Derek couldn’t stop himself.
“
Well, I
do. But then again, my plane is at my disposal whenever I’d like to
go somewhere.” He didn’t smile. It was a fact that his plane could
be ready within the hour and he took advantage of that often. But
he didn’t want to act cocky in the way Andrew had just attempted.
So he stayed very calm.

“So it’s your money, huh?” Andrew laughed to
himself.

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
Derek asked him. Not really expecting an answer, he continued,
“
Nicole doesn’t know about my plane yet. She doesn’t know
the full extent of what I have. But she will want for nothing.
Andrew,” it might bother him that Derek knew his name,
“
You
had three years to try to make her happy. You had three years to
decide what you wanted with Nicole. I knew after three days. I will
make her happy.”

“I know what I want now. I can make her
happy.” Andrew finally started to sound passionate rather than
arrogant.

“Stop and really think about Nicole. There is
so much to that woman. She needs someone that can appreciate all of
her. She needs a man that will get on a plane with her whenever she
would like to go somewhere. I get the feeling she had to abandon
part of herself. Though I haven’t asked her, it’s just something
I’ve sensed.”

“Don’t act like you could know her better
than me. I’ve been with her for three years.” Andrew shot back.

When Derek heard that fact, it made it hard
for him to keep his composure. He hated thinking of her ever with
someone else, even for a night, especially with this guy. Andrew
wouldn’t even look at him; he just stared ahead. Derek couldn’t
blame him. Even though this guy was stupid enough to lose Nicole,
it had to be hard to know that Derek was with her now. Derek wanted
to tell him that he could make her moan his name over and over. But
he had told Nicole he wouldn’t be petty.

“Listen, I know this is hard for you,” he
said,
“
I would die now before I would lose her. But your
relationship is over with her. What has happened cannot be taken
back. She needs someone like me and I promise you that she will be
happy and I will not hurt her.”

“I don’t need your promises,” Andrew said,
still not looking at Derek.

“No, you don’t. And that’s one of the
problems. Because I would need one. If Nicole ever decides that she
does not want to be with me, I will make sure that the next man
treats her well. I can’t believe you don’t want that for her.”

“Don’t try to act like the nice guy,” Andrew
spouted at him,
“
You took advantage of her in her time of
grieving.”

That comment also made it very hard to stay
calm.
“
Andrew, I have been nothing but nice to you. But that
time has come to an end.” He put his hands under the bar because he
knew he was balling them into fists.
“
You left your
girlfriend to grieve alone on a trip to remember her only family
she had left. Do not blame anyone but yourself for that. I have
helped her visit her father’s favorite spots and allowed her to
talk about him and tell me stories. All things you should have been
doing.” He took a deep breath.
“
I told Nicole that I would
not act like a jerk. She wants you to know that she doesn’t want to
see you and there is no reason for you to be here.”

“I want to hear her say that to me.” Andrew
finally looked at him. Now things could get interesting.

Derek stood for effect. He was about the same
height as Andrew, but in far better shape.
“
That’s not going
to happen. She doesn’t want to see you.” He raised his voice just
enough to sound intimidating, yet not irrational.
“
She has
already been through enough. I will protect her from anyone that
would like to add difficulties to her life.”

“Well, you can’t make me leave. I will get a
room here and she’ll talk to me at some point. I came all the way
here, I’m not leaving.” Andrew sounded like a child.

“I cannot make you leave Puerto Vallarta. But
I can tell you that you won’t be staying here.”

“Fine, there’s a hotel right across the
street.” He pointed at the Paraíso.

“Or there,” Derek said, beginning to sound
aggressive.

“You can’t own all of the fucking hotels
here. I’ll find one and I will sit here and wait for her.”

“Why are you doing this to her, Andrew? She
doesn’t want to see you. I don’t think I could be clearer about
that fact.”

“Because once she sees me, she’ll remember
our life together.” He looked at him like he had something with
Nicole that Derek didn’t. All in good time, Derek reminded
himself.

“She’s over her life with you. Seeing you
won’t change that. In fact, I will have her things taken from your
apartment. If rent money is an issue, I will send you a check for
her half of the remainder of the lease.” He knew he was an attorney
and could most likely afford the rent himself. Still, Derek
couldn’t help emasculating him a little bit.

“Money isn’t the issue!” Andrew yelled.

“Well, that’s nice to hear.” He leaned in a
little closer. He had perfected the intimidating move in his
fighting days.
“
If you feel the need to sit and watch us
enjoy her vacation from afar, that is your choice. If you’d like to
make her uncomfortable on a trip that’s about her father, that is
your choice. Maybe you’ll see that she doesn’t need you.” He threw
enough cash on the table to cover his beer and a tip.
“
We’re
done here.”

He walked away, toward the Paraíso. He didn’t
care if Andrew saw him go into the hotel. He could handle him if
needed.