Romance: One Perfect Holiday (2 page)

Chapter Three

“How are you holding up since Nick left?”

“Nick who?” I pretend not to know whom Rachael is talking about.

“Yes, Claire – Nick,” she says with a lopsided smirk as we settle into our seats.

“Um… I’m good. I don’t think about him much anymore,” I reply.

In reality, I think about my ex-boyfriend all the time.

It’s strange, I know I don’t love him anymore, but he is still at the forefront of my mind.

“You still think about him a lot then?” Rachael states, seeing straight through my lie.

“I want to forget about him, Rach. I really do. But it’s just in those quiet moments when nothing is happening that I think about him.”

“Like right before bed,” Zoe adds.

She’s bang on the money there.

Even though Nick is a bastard, I always yearn for him at night.

I don’t miss him – I just miss somebody being there.

“Look, I don’t want to talk about him this week. I want to forget him and not bring this holiday down. How’s Craig?” I ask Rachael, diverting the conversation to her man.

“Craig is great. We want to get a dog.”

“A dog?” Zoe and I exclaim simultaneously.

“You know what comes after that, right?” Zoe adds.

“I know…” Rachael hushes our excitement. “It’s a big commitment for us. And I think… he might propose if the dog thing goes well.”

Zoe and I cannot help but squeal again.

“And you would say yes?” I ask.

“Of course I would! I love that man. I can already see us at ninety, holding hands while we jump out of an airplane to go skydiving.”

“At ninety?” Zoe laughs. “Well, if I’ve ever met two people who were crazy enough to do that in their old age, it’s the two of you.”

Life is a dream for Rachael.

She has found her man, her career, and her place in the world.

I haven’t seen her this happy since David Townsend, head quarterback, asked her to the prom.

Rachael has a glow about her, a look in her eyes that says she is very content with her life.

“You know, Claire,” Rachael says, leaning over to me. “You’ve always said that you are attracted to men who spend their vacations in tropical resorts.”

“I know,” I giggle. “Fit, strong, tanned, happy, active… yet relaxed and calm. A man who can catch a fish, but also know how to clean up in the kitchen. That, ladies, is perfection. Hmm...”

“Indeed. Let’s find you one on this trip!”

“Yes! And then you won’t need a return ticket home,” Zoe smirks.

“No way.” I shake my head. “New York is my home. ‘Resort-man’ is just a fantasy, I could never move away just for the sake of a man. Even though the city runs me into the ground, I love it. I love the activity, the buzz, and how it’s on the cutting edge of art and culture.”

“Well, maybe you could bring ‘resort-man’ back with you?”

“And he could sunbake in Central Park,” Zoe adds before we all burst out laughing.

“He could hang out with Mr. Naked then,” Racheal states with a wink.

“Mr. Naked? Oh, please do tell,” Zoe replies, excitement in her eyes.

“Mr. Naked is the name I’ve given to one of my neighbors. Twice now I’ve seen him in the hallway completely nude.”

“Completely nude?!”

“Yep, package and all!”

“But that isn’t the whole story, is it?” I say nudging Rachael’s elbow.

She told me about Mr. Naked a month ago and she’s missing one important detail about him.

“Oh, yeah. He’s hot too,” she says with an insatiable grin. “Like mega hot. He has a washboard set of abs that even rival Craig’s.”

“Oh, yum,” Zoe smiles.

“And…” I urge Rachael on. She’s still holding back on one more thing.

“And he is… um…. very well endowed in certain places,” she giggles.

We all crack up again.

I love these women.

They’re so easy to be myself with, which is just what I need after turning the big three-O!

Chapter Four

Oh, yes…

I feel the warm, sea breeze blow across the beach and touch my face.

Wow… this is nice.

My shoulders relax… finally.

All the tension has disappeared – all the stress is gone.

I can’t even remember the last time I felt this peaceful and free.

Nothing matters out here.

Not even Nick.

He’s gone.

The thought of him crosses my mind, and for the first time, I let it go.

I just let it go…

I am so in love with this place already.

As this is our joint thirtieth celebration, we opted to spend a bit more money and stay at an upmarket resort – away from partying teenagers, sleazy old men, and noisy families.

Not that there’s anything wrong with kids; I love them in general.

But this is our adult time away - a week to ourselves to reconnect, recharge, and relax.

We consider it a present to ourselves after a manic ten years of work, schedules, and in Zoe’s case, baby making.

After a night of more laughing and reminiscing at the resort’s bar, we retire back to our rooms early.

As I lie in bed, I can’t resist the urge to check some emails on my phone. 

Damn you work!

I just can’t let you go.

With a heavy sigh, I open up my email inbox to see over a hundred unread messages.

Seriously?

I shouldn’t have checked… because now I just have to read them all, don’t I?

Some are the emails are from Mr. G.R Winter. He’s the client that my bank is trying to close a deal with. Rumor has it that this deal is worth a billion dollars.

There’s a large team working on his file, but he likes to send emails to individuals, not teams. As I’m the head assistant on the file, the emails are sent directly to me.

I haven’t actually met him yet – nobody has – but all the communication has been done via email.

If I can secure this deal, it will boost my career by ten-fold.

Putting business aside, I would actually like to meet this guy because he seems intelligent, interesting, and very witty.

Plus, he’s a billionaire.

What more could a girl ask for in a man?

Chapter Five

Despite staying up late last night reading emails, I still wake up at the crack of dawn.

Then again, it’s hard not to when the early morning birds are singing right outside your window!

I try to go back to sleep, but it’s no use.

Once I’m awake, my mind surges into action so that there’s no chance of dozing off again.

In an attempt to get back to the blissful relaxation I felt yesterday, I climb out of bed and head down to the beach.

As I sneak out of the apartment, I check in on the other girls as I go – they are totally out to it.

Rachael is lying sideways on her bed, apparently enjoying the chance to have a double bed to herself while Zoe is hugging her pillow tight as she lets out some light snores on the other double bed opposite.

Aw, they’re so cute.

Just a few yards from the front door the beach glistens like it’s been waiting for me and I wander down barefoot, my toes sinking into the warming sand.

Oh…

I can already feel everything just drifting away…

All the anger.

All the fear.

All the past.

It’s gone.

It feels so invigorating to walk on such a beautiful beach, far away from the hassles and judgment of the outside world.

I stand still for a few moments and stare out at the horizon, watching the clouds dance across the sky.

I am in awe of how the sun touches the edges of the massive white beasts and highlights their graceful shapes.

They are so large and powerful.

You don’t see clouds like that in the city.

Unless, of course, you’re standing on top of the Empire State Building.

I hardly ever get a chance to look up at the sky. My day is usually filled with subway rides, being stuck in a small office, and even smaller apartment.

As I continue to stare at the aquamarine sea, I realize that work defines me.

Who am I without it?

Now, that is a scary question.

I’ve started to forget who I am beyond the workplace.

Have I really become that person?

I close my eyes and try to prevent the tears from leaking out.

This is a holiday – not a moment to reassess your life.

Keep yourself together, Claire.

After I recompose myself, I wander down to the water’s edge and dip my toes in the cool water.

Ahh, it’s so refreshing. I just want to shout it out loud!

Holding my arms out wide, I take in a large, deep breath before I smile the happiest smile I’ve had in years.

“I love you, world!” I sing out, feeling free and happy.

“I’m sure the world loves you back,” comes a lighthearted chuckle.

What?

I swing around towards the silky, smooth masculine voice.

Oh, my…

He’s hot.

Movie star hot.

How embarrassing!

“Um… hi,” I say, feeling awkward.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says with a broad smile.

The man standing only a few yards away from me is the perfect match to this perfect beach.

He is just what the doctor ordered: tall with olive skin and a muscular physique.

His soft, white cotton shirt rests beautifully on his wide muscular frame while his handsome face is a picture of health - perfect straight white teeth, short, neatly waxed brown hair and stunning azure eyes.

Oh…

A few moments pass before I realize that I’m blatantly staring at him like a dazed bird.

“Usually, when I walk along this beach in the morning, there’s nobody else here. But I love the moment the sun hits the horizon and the clouds turn a marshmallow pink. It just puts everything in perspective.”

Wow, a hot guy with a soul…. I didn’t expect that.

“I’m sorry I interrupted your solitude,” I say yet am inwardly cursing myself for apologizing.

Why do I always have to apologize for everything?

“Oh, no,” he says, shaking his head. “You haven’t spoiled it. If anything, you’ve made this morning even more beautiful.”

His smooth charm makes me blush like a schoolgirl.

“So very beautiful.” He smiles again.

“Ah, yes, it’s, um, an amazing beach,” I stammer, brushing away a loose strand of my auburn hair.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the beach.”

What a flirt!

Is this guy a Casanova or what?

I turn my eyes away from him and try to think of something to say. I’m usually full of words, but right now I’m coming up with nothing.

As I look back out to the water, I feel his body come closer to me and catch a whiff of his musky cologne.

Oh wow… it smells delicious and expensive.

“Do you come here often?” I ask and instantly regret it. It sounds like I’m talking to someone at bar – not a beach!

“Whoa, I haven’t heard a pickup line like that in a long time,” he laughs. “But to answer your question, I come out here every chance I get. It’s a good place to recharge the soul.”

I look back at him and see through his shirt to the outline of a solid set of muscles. His shoulders curve and lead to thick biceps, which in turn lead to large, manly hands.

Hmm, I wonder what those hands would feel like on my bare skin…

“I’m Grayson,” he states, his deep blue eyes still fixed on me.

“Hi.”

He waits for me to offer my name.

“Oh, um,” I reply, embarrassed yet again. “I’m Claire.”

“Very pleased to meet you, Claire,” he says with more charm.

“How long are you here on vacation, Grayson?”

“Unfortunately I’m not on holidays. I work at the resort.”

“Oh, right.  What area?”

“Hospitality.”

Such a vague answer could mean he’s trying to hide his real profession.  After all, hospitality could cover anything - concierge, hotel manager, janitor, tour manager, chef – the list is t endless. 

“What is it that you do in hospitality?”

“Oh, just this and that.” He seems to be avoiding the question again. “How about you, Claire. How long are you on holiday for?”

“A week. I’ve just come out here for a break with a couple of girlfriends.”

“Ah, so you’ve left your husband at home?” he asks inquisitively.

“Oh, no. I’m not married. It’s a girl’s only getaway.”

Judging from the smirk on his face, I’d guess he likes that answer.

“And where are you from?” he asks. “No, let me guess by your accent. New York?”

“Loud and proud!”

He laughs. “I lived there too for a while. That’s how I picked your accent. I moved out here a few years ago.”

“That’s a hell of a change. From the frantic city to well, this…” I look out to the horizon again. “But I can see why you made the move, though. Everything is more tranquil out here. I don’t know if I could do, though.”

“No?” he questions. “Why not?”

“I love the city too much. Although it’s hectic, I love being where the action is. I love being around fashion, art, and innovation. I see something new every single day that gets me excited. I know I’m alive when I’m in the city.”

“That interesting,” he replies. “I used to feel like that. I went to gallery openings and galas. I was addicted to the diversity of the city too.”

A handsome resort worker who likes art and fashion?

Yes, please.

“But in the end, it all wore me down. I just collapsed. That’s when I knew I had to be here. That’s when I knew I had to let go of the city.”

“Could you be tempted to go back?”

“Only for the right reasons.”

Our eyes seem to connect on a deeper level. There’s something about this man that… is different than anyone I’ve met before.

My heart skips a beat.

He’s simply breathtaking to look at.

When his eyes leave mine, he looks back out into the distance, so I do the same. 

We watch the sun creep over the horizon, covering the water and beach with its golden touch.

As I lose myself in the moment, he reaches his hand out to mine and takes it.

Wow… emotion stirs in me.

Looking up at him, his eyes are still locked on the sunrise.

A sunrise is a daily occurrence, yet today… today it feels like it’s just for me.

Well, me and this perfect man, that is.

Standing hand in hand, the sun changes the color of the sky from gold to a delicate pink to an overwhelming blue.

I don’t want this moment to end.

“The sunrises are always amazing here,” he says, breaking the silence. “Not enough people stop and look at them. Everyone is too busy to notice such overwhelming beauty.”

“I know,” I reply. “I haven’t watched a sunrise in a long time.”

Grayson looks back towards me and chisels another charming smile. 

Not able to resist him, I smile right back. 

Oh, boy.

It’s only day two and yet this holiday is already exceeding all expectations…

Chapter Six