Misfits, Inc. (6 page)

T
he following morning
brought another perfect day to the beaches of Smuggler’s Bay.  The sun was
shining and beckoned sun worshipers to take to the sand for another glorious day
in paradise.  Guests obliged and flooded the beach, securing lounge beds and
lounge chairs in the best locations.  Hailey and Mel had been fortunate enough
to secure one of the round lounge beds for their brief visit in the sun.  Both
were dressed for another fun filled morning of work and hostility from the
barracuda.  They sipped their orange juice and attempted to make the best of
what little free time they had before their morning began, which was basically
whenever Lucinda decided to get out of bed.  Despite looking a little
disheveled, Mel wasn’t in too sad of shape after spending most of the night in
party mode.  Hailey knew her friend was feeling worse than she looked, since
she hadn’t recapped her entire evening at the lounge turned dance club.

Mel cast a look above her sunglasses at Hailey. 
“Remember, you promised we’d lay out after your brunch with boss lady and the
stud she wishes to breed you with.”

Hailey glared at her friend.  “I’m regretting
telling you about that,” she remarked then looked back to the insanely gorgeous
view from their lounge bed.  It was the same lounge bed she and Skyler had
spent half the night upon while talking.  “I haven’t forgotten about our
afternoon together.”  Hailey cast a look at Mel.  “I’m surprised you have the
energy to tackle a day of sun, sand, and surf.  I’m sure you were dancing the
night away.”

“With a god among men,” she announced with a
dramatic sigh and sank back on the lounge bed.  When her best Scarlet
impersonation garnered no applause, she glanced at Hailey and offered a teasing
look.  “I guess you won’t be pursuing that handsome warrior you were so sweet
on in the lobby.”

Hailey’s cheeks immediately reddened, although she
wasn’t sure why.  “Rafe?” she announced his name so gruffly it almost sounded
like the bark of a dog.  “That fantasy died the moment he opened his mouth.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been there,”
Mel teased.  “Usually dumb as rocks and twice as thick.”

“More like arrogant and rude,” Hailey replied.

Mel stared past Hailey, lowered her sunglasses, and
suddenly gasped as she shot up straight on the lounge bed.  “That’s him!”  Her
hands started flying around uncontrollably, alternating between fixing her hair
and adjusting her shirt to reveal maximum cleavage.  “Act casual.”

Before Hailey even knew what had her friend
behaving so dramatically, Mel was already posing seductively on the lounging
bed.  When she glanced in the direction Mel had been staring, Hailey saw Vance
approaching.  He was dressed casually smart with his pants legs rolled up to
his knees, barefooted, and his expensive jacket slung over his shoulder by one
finger.  Hailey marveled at the way his every action and move resembled that of
a man in a cologne commercial.  He sat on the edge of their oversized lounge
bed by Mel’s legs and faced her.  His best playboy grin was generously
plastered on his face, revealing excessively white teeth.  Despite the slight
breeze, he didn’t have a hair out of place, although the gentle wind caused it
to flow as if on command.  Mel immediately smiled while straightening and
pretended she hadn’t seen his approach.

“Well, good morning, Vance,” Mel announced
cheerfully in an attempt to act casual.

Vance took her hand and affectionately caressed
it.  If he kissed her hand, Hailey was certain she was going to vomit.

“Good morning, Melana,” he replied in a suave
tone.  “I’m surprised you’re up so early after we closed the lounge at three in
the morning.”

“It’ll take more than a night of dancing to wear me
out,” she replied in a flirty tone.  “What happened to you?  You left before I
had a chance to say goodnight.”

“When you and your friend started arguing, I feared
it may have had something to do with me, so I bowed out,” he replied.  “Did you
two make up?”

“Oh, we’re fine,” Mel replied and attempted to hide
that she was blushing.  She casually indicated Hailey.  “This is my friend,
Hailey.”

Vance glanced at Hailey with little acknowledgment
then looked back at Mel.  “Yes, we’d met yesterday in the lounge.”

Hailey stared with disbelief at the handsome man,
who again barely acknowledged her existence.  She shifted and attempted to
control her irritation.

“Yes, I remember,” she hissed slightly while
cleverly arching her brows.  “You were quite cozy with our boss, Lucinda.”

Her comment must have taken him by surprise, or at
the very least, he hadn’t realized Lucinda was Mel’s boss as well.  Vance
shifted uncomfortably, cast a quick, disapproving glare at Hailey, and then
looked back at Mel.  His charming smile immediately returned as if on cue, but
it was obvious he was on a quest to put some distance between himself and
Hailey.

“Would you care to join me later for lunch,
Melana?”

“I’d love to,” she chirped a little too eagerly and
apparently realized it.  She fidgeted and attempted to regain her composure. 
“I mean, since I have the afternoon off anyway.”

“Fantastic,” he announced cheerfully and stood. 
“I’ll meet you in the dining room at noon.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mel replied with the
returning style and grace she had earlier attempted.

Vance gave her his best charming smile then glanced
at Hailey and managed a tiny, impolite nod.  He left them almost as quickly as
he’d appeared.  Mel stared after him while lowering her sunglasses.  She almost
whimpered while watching him then shot an annoyed look at Hailey. 

“You were rude,” Mel boldly announced.  “What’s
gotten into you?”

“Please!” Hailey announced loudly while rolling her
eyes for effect.  “He’s a playboy and a gold digger, Mel.  You have to know
that.”

“I know he’s a smooth talking Don Juan, but I’m
entitled to one fling,” Mel remarked sternly.

Hailey waved off her friend.  “If you want to share
the same man as your boss, you go right ahead.  Personally, I couldn’t imagine
allowing a man to touch me after he’d had his hands on Lucinda’s assets.”

Mel was set back by the bold comment and clearly
offended.  “That was a low blow,” she snorted then stood with disgust.

Mel then frowned after debating the reality of what
her friend had said.  Hailey’s comment had obviously hit a little too close for
comfort, and she lost enthusiasm to fight the argument.

“I’d better remind boss lady of the time.”

Hailey waved dramatically at her friend.  “Go! 
Dress your boss lady!”

Mel finally relaxed then laughed at the comment and
hurried across the beach toward the hotel.  Hailey reluctantly stood from the
comfortable lounge bed and walked along the surf while carrying her dress
shoes.  She wished she had time to enjoy the morning, but she knew she had to
deal with Lucinda and Brody.  She couldn’t pretend her conversation with
Lucinda didn’t bother her still.  She looked across the beach and saw Amy
standing on the path just within the woods.  Amy, still dressed in her slinky
dress, stared strangely at Hailey then turned and disappeared into the woods. 
Hailey was suddenly curious and slightly concerned by the woman’s behavior and
her choice of morning beach attire.  Hailey approached the path and uncertainly
looked around.  The thick woods appeared peaceful without a trace of the young
woman.  As she scanned the woods, Hailey saw Amy just ahead on the path,
although she would have sworn she wasn’t there a minute ago.  Closer inspection
revealed bloodstains on Amy’s slightly tattered dress.  Amy turned and walked
along the path away from her and deeper into the woods.  Hailey saw scrapes and
bleeding scratches along her exposed arms and legs, which alarmed her.

“Amy?”

She didn’t respond or even look back but continued
walking along the path in bare feet.  Hailey hurried along the path after her,
scanning her injuries and torn dress from a distance.  She didn’t like what she
saw and concern rushed over her.  Amy entered a clearing up ahead and
momentarily vanished from Hailey’s sight.  Hailey reached the clearing.  Amy
was gone!  Hailey looked around but didn’t see any sign of the injured woman. 
There were several paths beyond the woods, but she didn’t know how Amy could
have reached any of them so quickly and unnoticed.  She’d only been behind her
by a few yards.  Hailey heard a low snarl and rustling at the woods’ edge not
far from her.  Hailey nervously looked around and backed up, hoping she was
moving away from the sound and not mistakenly toward it.  She heard the snap of
a branch directly behind her.  Hailey cried out, turned around with horror, and
collided with Rafe.  She bounced off his firm body and nearly lost her
balance.  She caught herself but couldn’t stop from breathing heavily.  Hailey
nervously placed her hand to her forehead and quickly scanned the area for
traces of the growling sound.

“What are you doing out here?” he almost demanded,
as if it were any of his concern what she did.

“Freaking out,” Hailey gasped, wishing she could
stop from panting.  She suddenly glared at him with surprise.  “Were you
following me?”

“Yes,” he announced while casually placing his
hands in his pockets without a care.  “Brody sent me to find you for pre-brunch
coffee.”

Hailey stared at him a moment as if he were
speaking some foreign language.  Why hadn’t she seen him following her?  He
couldn’t have been more than a few seconds behind her.  Rafe was the least of
her concerns at the moment.  She wanted to know what the hell was going on and
what happened to Amy.  She then considered the strange snarling sound she’d
heard just seconds before she literally ran into Rafe.  She looked back toward
the clearing just behind her and scanned the area with increasing concern. 
Rafe looked past her toward the clearing as well.

“You see something?” he asked as if attempting to
locate what she’d seen.

Hailey looked back at him and saw the way he stared
past her.  She was convinced he’d hoped she had seen something so he’d have an
opportunity to inflict bodily harm on someone or something.  She finally
collected her emotions and straightened proudly.

“I’m pretty sure you scared it away,” she remarked
and maintained enough decency not to add more to the comment.

He seemed to indicate with a look that he knew she
wanted to follow-up the comment with an insult.  Without thinking about her
actions, Hailey placed her hand on Rafe’s shoulder and balanced herself while
she slipped into her high heels.  He gave her a strange look as she teetered
while clinging to his shoulder, her heels sinking into the sandy ground, but
didn’t comment.  Once she realized she’d actually touched him, she pulled away
and gave him a scathing look.  Despite her inability to balance in her heels on
the soft terrain, she proudly walked past him.  It didn’t even matter that she
nearly fell twice; she kept going.

†

T
he terrace beyond the dining room was serving a free buffet
brunch for its late rising guests.  Several men and women were already enjoying
their morning meal beneath fancy, thatched umbrellas.  Despite the casual
atmosphere, expensive china plates and crystal glasses were used for an elegant
touch.  Fresh, tropical flowers added sophistication to the terrace
atmosphere.  Hailey had joined Nevin Brody at one of the small tables nearly
thirty minutes earlier.  She sipped tea from her china cup while casting glances
across the terrace for signs of Lucinda.  Considering how important she
insisted their meeting was, she thought her boss would at least have the
decency to show up on time.  Rafe was seated at a separate table not far from
them.  He maintained his moderately intimidating look and scoffed secretly at
the tiny, china cup containing his manly morning coffee.  The waiter refilled
his delicate cup each time he passed.  Hailey now found herself looking from
her watch to the dining room doors every few seconds.  She didn’t like that her
boss abandoned her with Brody.  It was possibly payback for last evening.

“I don’t know what’s keeping Lucinda,” Hailey
apologetically said to Brody.  “It’s not like her to be so late.”

Brody casually waved off the comment while
maintaining his grin.  “She was in the middle of some crisis and sent her
regrets,” he announced without care.  “I thought you knew that.  She gave your
briefcase to Rafe.  It’s in my suite whenever you’re ready to go over the
proposal.”

Hailey’s mouth fell open as she stared at Brody
across the table from her.  She was screaming inside, secretly cursing
Lucinda.  How could Lucinda do that to her?  It took every ounce of strength
Hailey had to keep from exploding.  She shifted in her chair and attempted a
polite response. 

“We were supposed to discuss business over brunch,”
she informed him.

“I know, but I thought my suite would be more
private,” he replied while grinning slyly as he boldly placed his hand on
Hailey’s thigh. 

Hailey smacked his hand, which possibly stung her
own hand as much as it did his.  The crack was heard by those at nearby
tables.  Hailey abruptly stood, nearly knocking the chair to the stone floor. 
If smacking his hand didn’t get the attention of other guests, her shooting up
from the table certainly did.