Tiny Island Summer (15 page)

He nodded his head. “Mystery I can handle. I would want advance warning if I’m competing with someone else.”

She looked at him skeptically. “What do you mean someone else?”

“People talk around here.”

Darcy gave him a questioning look. Was he talking about Ben?

“I want all the facts, that’s all.”

Darcy shrugged. “There isn’t anything worth mentioning,” she told him truthfully.

“Okay,” he said and smiled. “But you’d tell me if that changed?”

Eric seemed unsure of himself, which was ridiculously endearing. She couldn’t imagine he’d had many moments of doubt or uncertainty in his life. That he wasn’t entirely confident around her made her like him more, and she relaxed.

Darcy smiled. “Yes, of course.”

They headed back to the table.

“I’ve got to get going. John, Charlotte, it was nice to meet you. Darcy,” he took her hand in his and stroked her palm again. “I’ll call you,” he whispered in her ear.

Ben stood in the doorway letting his eyes adjust to the darkened interior. He scanned the room and saw John and Charlotte sitting at a table near the windows overlooking the street. But he didn’t see Darcy. He followed Char’s line of sight to the dance floor and saw Darcy and some guy practically pawing the clothes off each other in public.

Ben couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Prim and proper Darcy dirty dancing with some random guy? What had come over her? Ben felt equal parts shock and outrage at the sight. He moved to stand and scowl in the corner, under cover of darkness. Ben crossed his arms over his chest and kept his eyes focused on them until the song ended and the guy led her back to John and Char.

Ben’s right hand curled into a fist as he saw the guy whisper in Darcy’s ear as he dropped his hand over her back. He watched the guy leave and fought to keep his feet in place. He needed a glass of water. Ben walked to the bar, got himself a drink, and felt shock reverberate through him as a hand hit him on the back.

“You came,” John said, looking very smug.

“And I’m on my way out,” he told his brother.

“You’re not going to apologize?”

Ben scowled at his brother. “Fine, I’ll apologize.”

Ben and John turned to walk back to the table, but at that moment, Char and Darcy had been called on stage for their chance to sing. The brothers sank into their chairs at the table and grimaced on behalf of the women. After a very drunken rendition of “Careless Whisper,” Charlotte came off the stage and back to their table, but Darcy left for the bathroom.

“Ben, hi,” Char said in surprise. “I didn’t think we’d be seeing you.”

“Me either,” Ben answered truthfully.

Char looked at him significantly and nodded. “I think I need a little air. Ben do you mind walking Darcy home?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” he asked.

She nodded her head. “Yes, I do.”

“Okay, have a good night,” he told the pair. They hopped off their stools and left quicker than Ben would have thought possible. Clearly, they hadn’t had as much to drink as Darcy.

Ben sat at the table for five more minutes. He’d begun to worry that he’d have to get a waitress to look for her when she emerged. She wobbled slightly and Ben jumped off his stool and walked over to help her. He grabbed her elbow to steady her.

“Thanks John,” she said automatically. Then she looked up at his face.

“Ben?”

“Hi, Darcy. I’m here to take you home.”

“But where are John and Charlotte?”

“They left and I needed to talk to you. Are you ready to go?”

She hesitated. Darcy didn’t want to be seen walking out of the Bell Street with Ben. She didn’t want any stories getting back to Eric, who had apparently already been told things about her and Ben.

“I guess so,” she said with a shrug.

Ben grabbed her by the elbow and led her swiftly outside. Darcy stumbled. Wearing high heels and walking any distance greater than several yards had never been Darcy’s forte. Ben hauled her back up by her shoulders and held onto them for a moment longer than necessary, looking deep into her eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Darcy didn’t know how to respond. She licked her lips involuntarily. Ben took a deep, shuddering breath. He dropped his hands from her arm, but grabbed her hand.

“Come on,” he said, pulling her along again.

Her right ankle brushed against his leg. Searing pain sliced through her ankle and foot. Dropping to the ground, she put her foot gingerly in her lap and examined. She’d nearly forgotten about her brand-new tattoo.

“What’s wrong? Did you step on something?” Ben asked, crouching down beside her.

“It’s my ankle. I…ahh..I got a tattoo and it’s still tender.”

Ben brushed his fingers against her foot. She shivered.

“Did that hurt?”

“N—yes. Yes it did,” she recovered, scrunching her nose and knitting her brows to remain focused.

“How about you walk with your right foot on the outside, okay?”

Darcy nodded and let Ben pull her to her feet. She gripped his right arm tighter than necessary, glad to let him take the lead.

“I have to admit. I’m surprised,” he began, filling the silence of the pitch-black night.

“About what?”

“You getting a tattoo. It doesn’t seem in keeping with your whole image.”

“Okay. I don’t know what that means. And I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you aren’t trying to offend me.”

Ben chuckled. “I’m not. Really I’m not. It just doesn’t seem like tattoo goes with the business woman in a suit with perfect hair persona.”

He thinks my hair is perfect?
Darcy beamed.

“So what’s the deal with the tattoo?” he asked again, nudging her with his shoulder.

“Maybe I’m trying to find myself again.”

They made their way through town, past the yacht club, and onto the golf course before Darcy stopped. She shook loose from his grip to lean on his shoulder and slip out of her shoes.

“What are you doing? We’re almost home.”

“I can’t go even another step.”

Ben sat down next to her. “Why do girls wear shoes they can’t walk in?”

“I can walk in these. . . I might need a few drinks first,” Darcy countered.

“And now?”

“I’ve had more than a few drinks.” She gripped his shoulder tighter as she stepped out of the heels and onto the ground.

Ben snorted. “Touché.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Is this what you wanted to talk about? You wanted to harass me about my choice of footwear?”

“No,” he sighed. “I wanted to apologize,” he said as if each word was tortured out of him.

Darcy snorted. “Well when you say it like that . . .”

“What?”

“Ben, I only want an apology if you’re actually sorry. Don’t give me some crap because John put you up to it.”

He looked down at her, pushed a hand through his hair, and started pacing.

“Are you still mad at me about this?” she asked half bemused and half annoyed.

Ben stopped pacing and looked at her.

“Help me up,” she demanded.

He pulled her to her feet and swept her straight into his arms. She molded perfectly against him, her initial shock at his touch soon melted away as his lips brushed against hers. He kissed her softly, unsure at first. When she sighed and parted her lips, he delved in deeper. She stretched up as he held her tighter in his arms.

Darcy wrapped her legs around Ben’s torso as he pushed her back against a tree. She combed her hands through his lusciously thick hair. The kiss heated up and she pulled him tighter, closer. But then her moan snapped them both back to reality.

In shock, Ben dropped her to the ground.

Darcy glared at him from the base of the tree, her chest heaving from breathlessness. He had no words? She looked at him expectantly. He had nothing to say? No apologies? No explanations? Darcy stared at him, then when he didn’t say anything she grabbed her shoes off the ground and stalked off toward home. She felt his eyes on her back, but he kept a good distance between them. She never looked back. After she walked inside and slammed the door shut behind her, she raced upstairs. She needed more space from him.

“Good morning sunshine,” Char whispered as she wandered into Darcy’s room early the next morning with a big mug of coffee and far too much enthusiasm after their night.

Darcy groaned. Her head throbbed, and she couldn’t seem to get the world to stop spinning. She sat upright and put her back against the headboard, breathing slowly to help settle her stomach.

“I’m never drinking again,” she vowed.

Charlotte laughed. She slid into the bed next to her friend, handed over first the coffee, then a couple of Tylenol.

“Thanks,” Darcy whispered.

“So what happened with Ben?”

“Ugh, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Did he apologize? You stormed in last night without saying anything.”

Darcy shut her eyes before speaking, eager to block out the visual response to what she had to relay.

“We made out, and no he didn’t apologize. Then he dropped me and acted like I had thrown myself at him.”

Charlotte fell silent. Darcy couldn’t keep her eyes shut any longer. She opened them to see Charlotte hastily shut her gaping mouth.

“Did you throw yourself at him?”

“No,” Darcy shouted offended.

“Just asking. Geez,” Charlotte paused, unsure what to say next. “What does this mean?”

“Nothing, it means nothing,” Darcy replied.

Darcy’s phone rang in the bathroom, forgotten about in her haste to get into pajamas and bed the night before. Charlotte and Darcy both looked at each other, surprised. Charlotte hopped off the bed and raced for the phone. She ran back into the room, answered the call before Darcy could see who it was, and handed it to her.

“Darcy?” a man’s voice asked.

“Hi, yeah, this is Darcy.”

“It’s Eric.”

“Oh, hi Eric,” she replied, looking up to see Char’s satisfied smile.

“Hi. I know this is last minute, but a friend of mine is doing a pop-up restaurant in Bayfield tonight. I think it’s American cuisine deconstructed.”

“Wow that sounds interesting.”

“I think you’ll like it. I’ll come pick you up at seven tonight?”

“Sure, okay, that sounds great. I live in the town homes on the golf course. Mine is the very last one on the sixteenth tee.”

“Okay, got it. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye,” she said and hung up.

“Well?” Charlotte asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“I have a date tonight.”

“When it rains, it pours,” Charlotte muttered.

Darcy rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at her friend. Charlotte laughed and jumped back. Then she grew thoughtful for a moment.

“Don’t let this guy be a rebound, Darcy. He seems great.”

“He’s not a rebound. How could he be? I haven’t dated anyone in years.”

“Yeah . . . but that doesn’t mean you haven’t gotten emotionally tied in to someone else.”

“I’ll be fine,” Darcy said through clenched teeth.

She had no desire to rehash the situation with Ben. He wasn’t interested. He’d made that clear. He had no problem dating, or at least hooking up with whomever he wanted to. She should be allowed the same.

Charlotte nodded her agreement then seemed to resolve to drop it. She smiled her most mischievous grin.

“I think I have just the outfit for you to wear tonight.”

“That’s great, but can we discuss it later? I need to sleep for at least another couple of hours or I’m going to look like death warmed over.”

“Okay. I’m going out with John this morning. We’ll come back to get you for lunch.”

“Sounds good,” she replied, and without any further comment, she put the rest of the coffee on the nightstand, lay down, and threw the duvet over her head, blocking out the rest of the morning.

Ben knew he’d screwed up. He’d been caught off guard by everything the night before but especially by his feelings. He’d spent the rest of his night tossing and turning, trying to make sense of what he had and hadn’t done. At sunrise, he got out of bed, walked into town for two coffees and some pastries, and returned just as his brother came downstairs.

“What’s this?” John asked, rubbing his eyes and squinting.

“Peace offering,” Ben replied, raising one cup.

“For me?”

Ben shrugged and handed the coffee over. They each took a long drink. Ben grabbed two plates and set them on the counter, putting a pastry on each one. John sat down and dove into the treat but Ben couldn’t. He put his hands in his pockets and furrowed his brow. Apologies had never come easy to him.

“I think I screwed up,” he finally admitted.

“Apology accepted,” John replied with a grin.

“Not you, jerk,” Ben growled.

“I know, I know,” John’s smile grew broader as he teased. “So I take it the talk didn’t go well.”

Ben sighed. “There was no talk.”

“Why not?”

“Because I made out with her instead.”

John’s jaw dropped. “What? I guess I owe Char fifty dollars now.”

“You two made a wager on me and Darcy?”

“Hey it was her idea.”

“Yeah, yeah. Well, we made out and I didn’t say anything and she stormed off.”

“What were you supposed to say?” John asked.

Ben shrugged. “I have no idea.”

The brothers sat in silence, each thoughtfully sipping his coffee.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you want to happen?”

Ben threw up his hands in response.

“She’s probably going to go out with that guy again,” John offered.

“That’s not helpful, John.”

“It’s the truth, though.”

“I don’t like that guy.”

“Yeah, he’s not my favorite either. What’s his deal? I’m good looking and dress like I’m dangerous but I’m not. What is that?” John asked.

“Clearly you’ve thought about this more than I’d realized,” Ben replied.

“Sorry. It’s just that Char has been going on and on about him.”

Ben chuckled. “And here I thought you never got jealous.”

“Shut up.”

Ben finished his coffee, threw the cup in the trash, and began filling the sink with water and washing out the mountains of dirty dishes.