Pulse 2 (Pulse Series) (5 page)

“
This is some kind of job,” Danica said to me. “A business trip you’re going to have to endure on the beaches of Maui. It must be terrible for you.”

“
I’m not going to be spending the entire time on the beach. I’m there to work. My boss specifically reminded me several times that this trip was important.”

“
Your boss, hmm?”

I turned away from the mirrors and Danica raised an eyebrow at me with
a sly grin on her face. She knew that there was someone. She knew that something was going on. I had already spoken to her about it. But I didn’t tell her that he was a billionaire, let alone my boss.

“
Yes, my boss,” I said. “This is a business trip. It just so happens that every rich executive picked a place where the sun is shining.”

“
And it gives you the perfect opportunity to flaunt everything you’ve got. Who’s going with you on this trip?”

“
Just my boss and a few of my coworkers, that’s all.”

“
That’s all, huh? Any of them special?”

I shook my head at my friend then rolled my eyes in an attempt to mask my obviously blushing face. I turned back to the mirrors behind me and could hear her giggling.

“I’m sure that this guy, whoever he is, will appreciate what you’re doing for him,” she said to me. “That’s why I want to make sure that you pick the right outfit.”

“
And is this the right outfit?”

It was a muted sky blue bikini with a floral print. It didn
’t leave much to the imagination but I didn’t mind.

“
That’s nice,” she said. “Throw it on the pile.”

“
It’s kind of uncomfortable. It feels like my tits are floating in this thing.”

“
Well, just get a smaller size then. It’ll make them look bigger and it’s a better fit.”

“
Right. Remind me again how small my breasts are.”

“
They’re not that small,” she laughed. “Besides, nobody is going to be paying attention to that. I’m sure they’ll be more offended by your lack of a tan. When is the last time you actually got any sun?”

It was obvious that I spent most of my time in
doors. I was lucky that I wasn’t extremely pale but I could definitely have used some color. It wouldn’t take very long underneath the Hawaiian sun to tan into what most men were usually interested in.

“
So, it’s not about the outfit then?” I said. “It’s just the tan?”

“
It’s everything,” she said. “You’re making a bigger deal out of this than I am, Alice. I thought this was just a business trip.”

“
It is… I just… How often do I get to spend some time on the beach and soak up some sun? I probably won’t get much time to myself but I’d like to have
some
fun.”

“
Right. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet some hot Hawaiian guy and hook-up with him.”

“
Yeah, somehow I doubt that…”

“
Or maybe you’ll run into some other guy who’s on vacation. There’s nothing better than some fling when you’re on vacation. That way you know for sure you’re never going to run into him again at some other club a few weeks later. You can sleep with some guy, no strings attached, and come back refreshed with a story to tell.”

“
Yeah, that sounds like fun. But then again, this
is
just a business trip.”

I winked at my friend and two of us began to chuckle with one another. I knew that I would meet some new people. I was planning on it. But outside of the business I had to deal with, more than anythin
g, I just wanted a chance to get to know Rafael better. I never got to speak with him very often on a personal level. Most of the time we spent together, we were too busy satisfying our personal desires. And when we did talk, it was mostly an attempt to avoid talking about business of any kind. I didn’t want to force anything. But deep down inside, I hoped that maybe seeing me in a bikini would make him open up. I needed to know if the spark I felt wasn’t just because he was so handsome. And I needed to know if he shared it.

“
All right,” I said as I sorted through the outfits I selected. “I’ve got a couple of two-piece bikinis…  a one-piece… I like this solid black one. That would look nice. Maybe a couple of more.”

“
How long is this trip supposed to be?”

“
A week or so.”

“
You’re going to need a lot more than that.”

“
What? I’m only going to be on the beach for a few days.”

“
You’re not going to wear the same outfit for an entire day. You have to switch things up. Give people something else to look at. You need more variety.”

“
Variety? What else is there?”

“
Those two-pieces you picked-out are nice. You can use a few more though. Maybe get something a little more revealing.”

“
Revealing?”

“
Yeah. How about a thong?”

I burst into laughter at my friend
’s suggestion. The bikinis I picked-out were more than revealing. My breasts were average and would be attracting more attention than I was used to. But when I looked at Danica, she wasn’t as amused as I was.

“
You’re serious?” I asked her.

“
Yeah. Why not?”

“
Why not?
Because I’m not going to have my ass hanging out there on the beach on a business trip. I’d be mortified.”

“
But you’ve got the ass for it, Alice. Why not let them see it?”

“
No. People are already going to be checking me out. The last thing I need to do is highlight the inadequacies of my ass.”

“
I think you need to give yourself a little more credit.”

“
This is a
business
trip, Danica.”

“
Right. A business trip you’re already bikini-shopping for.”

“
Danica—”

“
Listen, Alice. Just try one on. See if you like it. If you don’t like the way it looks on you, then you don’t have to wear it. What do you have to lose? You know that I want you to look good. I wouldn’t send you out there without being honest with you.”

“
Fine,” I sighed.

Danica disappeared into the store while I sat off to the side near the dressing room. She re
-appeared moments later holding two handfuls of unmistakably skimpy bikinis. I took them from her as quickly as I could then made my way into the changing room.

“
They’re going to look really good on you,” she shouted to me.

“
Whatever you say.”

I pulled the
thong up past my legs. The front managed to cover everything inappropriate. Trying on the bottoms gave me another reminder that I needed to stop by a salon to get everything waxed. When I turned around, the trail of fabric was practically invisible. I could see all of the imperfections of my ass on display. Even in the changing room, I felt embarrassed to be standing in it.

“
There’s no way…” I muttered to myself.

“
Are you all right in there?” Danica shouted.

“
I’m fine,” I said as I tied-on the equally revealing bikini top. “Hold on.”

“
Let me see it already!”

“
I said hold on!”

I could hear my friend laughing at me from outside. I opened the door then stepped out. I looked down at the outfit and shook my head in embarrassment.

“No,” I said. “This isn’t going to work.”

“
What are you talking about? It looks great.”

“
Danica, don’t say that.”

“
Let me see the rest of it.”

“
Danica—”

“
Turn around, Alice. Give me a little spin.”

I looked-up at Danica and could see the excitement on her face. I did as she instructed an
d showed her everything else. I felt practically naked in the outfit. Suddenly, the small store seemed much colder than it was just moments ago.

“
It looks good on you,” she said. “If you wear that, every guy on the beach is going to want to talk to you.”

“
Yeah, because I look like a complete slut.”

“
Maybe. But do you really think one outfit is going to be any different from the next? Are you really going to be the only woman on the beach wearing something that skimpy?”

“
They’ll be able to pull it off though.”

“
And so will you. Just get some sun and you’ll look just as hot as the rest of them.”

She walked toward me then placed her hands upon my shoulders. She turned me around and positioned me in the center of the three mirrors that I used to examine every ou
tfit I tried-on.

“
Look at yourself, Alice. You look great. And I’m not going to lie to you. If you wear this, you’re going to get every man’s attention.”

“
Well, maybe I don’t want their attention.”

“
Then just ignore them. When you get the attention of the man you
do
want, that’s when you know it did its job. Isn’t that why we were shopping in the first place?”

I viewed my body in the skimpy black bikini that Danica picked-out for me. The two of us loo
ked at my reflection from every angle. I thought about what it would be like if I actually did wear something like this out in public. I was turned-off by the idea of so many men leering and gawking at me with their lustful stares. But then I thought about Rafael and what he might think if he saw me like this. This wasn’t about me. This was about him. It was like a present. This was a reward for inviting me on this trip.

I didn
’t know if I actually would wear something like this any time in Hawaii but there was a possibility. I wanted to look nice. For him. And just like that, I saw things just as my friend did.

“
Okay,” I sighed. “I’ll get it. I don’t know if I’ll actually wear it but I’ll get it. But I’m only going to wear it if I’m comfortable.”

“
Don’t worry, Alice. I’m sure whoever is waiting for you in Hawaii is going to make you feel very comfortable in it.”

Chapter 6

Even from up here, I felt like I was somewhere else completely. I looked through the window of the private jet and down into the ocean. The Pacific stretched for miles and miles into the horizon. The water was pure and blue. The clear sky we were flying through was clear without a cloud in the sky. I had never been this far from home before. At this moment, it felt like I was heading toward another world.

“
Have you ever seen anything like this before?” Wesley asked. “I didn’t know the Pacific was so… vast and… so blue. I couldn’t even dream about anything like this.”

“
Yeah,” I said. “It’s remarkable. Is this your first time out here?”

“
It is for me. Travis?”

“
This is the first time for all of us,” he said. “One of the perks of working for Barnett Industries.”

I didn
’t know how long the flight was but I didn’t mind either way. The more time we spent in the air and the closer we got to our destination, the more freedom I felt. I’d never been so excited to be away from home. And to think that this was a business trip made everything seem more unbelievable.

I sat next to the window with Wesley and Travis. The three of us marveled at the view as it
became clear that we were actually on our way to Hawaii. I finally managed to peel my eyes away from the scenery and saw Rafael tucked away in the opposite corner of the cabin. There were only four of us inside of the empty space, so there was plenty of room to stretch. I stood up from my chair and made my way over to Rafael. When I arrived, he was busy sorting through a stack of papers.

“
May I sit here?” I asked him.

“
Alice,” he said as he looked up at me. “Of course. Please. Have a seat.”

He organized his
papers and put them on a table off to the side. He turned his attention to the view outside and together we looked out into the ocean passing underneath us.

“
Have you ever been to Hawaii before, Alice?”

“
No,” I shook my head. “This will be my first time.”

“
I’m sure that you’ll have a good time.”

“
I hope so. But I’m just looking to get some work done. Whatever is waiting for us out here… I’ll be ready.”

He turned to me and smiled for a second before looking back out of the window.