by Krista Lakes
Eight long minutes later the phone rang. It didn't even finish the full first ring before Wyatt had it to his ear.
“Cassidy Turner is safe in her room. Thanks for letting us know,” the security guard told him. Wyatt's shoulders relaxed and his stomach no longer felt like solid ice.
"She didn't have anyone else in there, did she?" he asked, feeling a little dumb for asking. She didn't have a ring, and she was flirting with him, but that didn't mean anything.
He didn't want to get his hopes up only to find out she was here with her boyfriend who was planning on proposing. That had happened to him once. He didn't want a repeat.
“No one was there,” the guard told him. “It's rented to her and another chick.”
Wyatt's chest loosened and the ice in his stomach finished melting. He smiled, feeling like he could breathe again. “Thanks.”
The guard hung up, and Wyatt went back to pouring drinks. Another woman tried to flirt with him. She was just his usual type, beautiful and long-legged, but he wasn't interested. Two drinks later, she too slid her napkin with a room number across the bar. It went in the trash without a second glance.
He was too busy thinking of the woman in room seven-thirty-two.
Chapter Five
Cassie
Cassie woke up with a headache the size of New York.
Luckily, it was just New York City-sized and not the entire state, but still a pretty horrific headache. The only reason it wasn't worse was the two glasses of water Wyatt had her drink at the bar as well as the one before bed.
She didn't remember much about coming back to her room, but she did remember that she needed to drink a glass of water. It was one of the very few things that she remembered.
“Did I really do that?” she asked the empty room.
She groaned as she remembered sliding the sexy bartender her room number. Her head ached, and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. It took more effort than she expected to roll over and check the little alarm clock to see what time it was.
A little after ten in the morning.
Not only had she gotten drunk, propositioned a bartender and failed, but she had also slept in.
Brianna would be so proud of her.
There was a soft knock on the door.
“I don't need any housekeeping!” Cassie yelled, but it came out more like a croak. She needed another glass of water and a new head. This one hurt too much.
The door cracked open.
“No housekeeping!” Cassie called out again.
“I need to grab my swimsuit,” Brianna said through the crack in the door. "Is it safe to come in, or can you just hand me my suitcase?"
“You can come in,” Cassie told her. “I'm all by myself.”
Cassie heard the Brianna push the door open further and then the soft thump as it shut behind her.
“Are you hungover?” Brianna asked upon seeing Cassie still in bed.
“Maybe.”
“You are!” Brianna clapped her hands with joy. “I'm so proud of you!”
“You're proud of me having a raging headache and feeling like I want to puke?”
“Yup.” Brianna grinned at her. Cassie pulled the pillow up and over her face.
“I want to hear all about it,” Brianna said, sitting on the foot of Cassie's bed. When Cassie didn't say anything, Brianna poked her foot until she groaned.
“If you get me a water and some aspirin, I will tell you.” Cassie's voice was muffled by the pillow.
“Done.” Brianna got up, pulled a tepid Gatorade from the mini-fridge and a bottle of painkillers from her own bag. She unscrewed the lid and handed the bottle to Cassie.
Cassie slowly sat up and took the pain meds with a sip of Gatorade. It felt good on her throat. Thank god Wyatt had gotten some water into her last night. Now that she was sitting with some liquid in her hands, she didn't feel as bad as she had been afraid she would.
“So?” Brianna bounced on the edge of the bed like a little kid.
“So, his name's Wyatt.” Cassie took another sip of Gatorade. “I totally embarrassed myself. I gave him my room number, and he didn't take it.”
“Seriously? That jerk.” Brianna crossed her arms. “I'd have taken it.”
“No, I think it's actually good,” Cassie said thoughtfully. “I was pretty wasted. He wants to meet me for lunch.”
“Wait, you didn't say anything about lunch.” Brianna's anger dropped and was quickly replaced by a smile. “You have a date!”
“I guess I do,” Cassie replied slowly. Her eyes went wide. “What the heck am I going to wear? What if he doesn't like sober me? What if I embarrass myself again?”
“First, you'll wear the blue sundress we got yesterday. Second, if he liked drunk you, he'll adore sober you. And third, who cares?” Brianna asked. “He's one guy on an island you won't be back on for a long time.”
Cassie considered that for a moment. Brianna was right of course, but the nervous butterflies and tightness in her chest didn't really let up. She liked Wyatt. The alcohol had undoubtedly helped her confidence, but she'd felt comfortable around him. She'd actually flirted with him. It was some of her best flirting if she did say so herself.
It didn't say much for her skills that she knew it was terrible. She'd made jokes about screaming orgasms and sex on the beach. It was low hanging fruit, but it had made him laugh.
That laugh was the thing that had her getting out of bed. The way he smiled at her, his green eyes full of light. He'd made her feel beautiful. Even if he'd turned her down.
“Okay. Blue dress. Strappy sandals. They're feminine, but not slutty. And they're easy to walk in.” Brianna went to the closet and started pulling things out. “Sexy undies. You can pick those out.”
Cassie sipped on the Gatorade but otherwise didn't move.
“You should probably shower, too,” Brianna said, crinkling her nose. “You smell like fruity booze.”
Cassie gave her a slow blink.
“I mean, I guess he's a bartender. Maybe he's into that kind of thing.” Brianna shrugged and managed to dodge the pillow Cassie lobbed at her head.
With a groan, Cassie swung her feet off the bed. She was definitely hungover, but the Gatorade was helping. She was still wearing her cherry sundress from the night before. It was all wrinkled now, and there was something pink spilled down the front.
Cassie turned on the shower and ran cold water in the sink to soak her dress. She hoped the stain hadn't set. She was rather fond of the cherry dress. It was her brave, fun, flirty dress now. Even if she never wore it out again, just knowing it was in her closet would give her confidence.
She'd been flirty and carefree once. She could do it again.
The hot shower water felt like life flowing back into her, and when she emerged twenty minutes later, her skin was pink, and she actually felt a little hungry. It was a freaking miracle, and one that Cassie wasn't about to waste.
Brianna had left her blue sundress out on the bed. Hotel stationery sat next to the dress with Brianna's curly, loopy handwriting.
Have fun. Be crazy. The room is all yours for the rest of the day!
PS. Bachelorette party tonight! Don't be late!
Cassie shook her head and slid into the silky blue dress. The fabric hung to her curves and felt see-through. Brianna had assured her that it was not see-through under various lights, but Cassie still felt naked.
She brushed her hair and let it air dry while she put on a light layer of makeup. Just some smoothing sunscreen, mascara and eyeliner. And a little lip gloss. Lip gloss with color was always a good touch. It was also one of the few makeups encouraged by corporate.
Cassie finished three minutes before she needed to leave in order to get to the Cantina by noon.
She stood in front of the full-length mirror, making sure the dress really was opaque and that her mascara was in place.
“You can do this. You are fun. You are cute. You are sexy,” she told her reflection. Her stom
ach was twisting, and it had nothing to do with the drinks from last night. She was nervous. “If it's awful, you leave and never see him again. No one is judging you here.”
She took a deep breath, put her room key in a small beach bag, and headed down to the Castaway Cantina. It was almost noon.
Cassie walked quicker the closer she got. What if he didn't show up? What if he wasn't so attractive without two glasses of wine in her? What if he realized just how boring and old she was?
What if she had said something super dumb while drunk?
Cassie tried not to think about it. She told herself not to worry. There was no real consequence here. Unlike at home where she had her job, her reputation, and her hotel's reputation all on the line. This was her chance to try something new. She didn't have to be perfect here. She could be human.
Castaway Cantina came into view. It was a small building with large open windows to let in the sea air. It was a buffet style eating area with seats both inside and outside. The atmosphere was relaxed and soft music played overhead.
Cassie checked her watch. It was ten seconds past noon.
She didn't see him in the restaurant. She didn't see him walking up the path or sitting at a chair near the entrance. He wasn't here.
She tried to tell her self that it didn't matter. She'd been drunk, and he had been kind. It wasn't a big deal. It was no huge loss.
Yet the ache in her chest and the burning in her eyes said otherwise. Deep down, his rejection hurt.
“You came.”
She turned to see him walking up the path to greet her. Today he wasn't wearing the employee outfit. Instead, he wore a pair of dark blue swim trunks and a really nice short sleeved shirt that showed off his broad shoulders and lean waist. He pushed a pair of sunglasses up into his windswept hair.
Her heart skipped a beat, and the tightness in her chest changed. Now it was nerves instead of heartbreak trying to strangle her.
“Hi.” It was probably the lamest thing she could have said, but seeing him standing there, she didn't know what else to say.
He smiled, and her heart went into overdrive.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Having him on this side of the bar was almost overwhelming. He had such presence that it was hard not to get drawn into his orbit. Cassie found herself unconsciously stepping toward him, wanting to touch him.
“I'm actually feeling pretty good,” she replied. “I have a feeling it's due to the water you had me drink. Thank you. I'm not usually a drinker.”
He grinned at her. “Could have fooled me.”
“No, I didn't,” she replied. “I didn't fool anyone. I'm a lightweight. And I apologize if I said or did anything inappropriate last night. I'm not used to being drunk.”
“If you're used to being drunk, that's typically a problem,” Wyatt replied. His eyes crinkled in a smile as he looked at her. “You were fine last night. A real lady.”
She scoffed. “Real ladies don't give out their room numbers.”
“The kind of ladies I like do.” Light sparkled in his green eyes, and Cassie felt her knees go wobbly. Suddenly she was thinking of screaming orgasms that had nothing to do with alcohol.
“So you like your ladies dirty?” Her voice wavered a little bit. The heat curling up around the base of her spine from the way he looked at her was affecting her vocal cords.
He grinned. “Dirty. Clean. I like them all.”
Cassie's brain drew blank. This flirting thing was hard and she wasn't sure she was doing it right. Was she dirty enough for him? Was she getting in way over her head with trying to flirt with a man like this? He had experience with women. She had corporate policies memorized.
Was she really what a man like Wyatt would want?
“Lunch?” she asked, changing the subject to something she was more comfortable with. She could handle lunch.
“I'd love to.” He offered her his arm like a knight in shining armor. She laughed, and he escorted her into the buffet.
Cassie picked out fruit and a baked fish dish. She only took one of the coconut macaroons and felt guilty about ruining her diet the entire way back to their table.
Wyatt on the other hand, chose a cheeseburger, fries, and a small side salad. He had three desserts set off to the side on a separate plate.
“You know you can eat anything you want here, right?” he said, eyeing her healthy plate.
“Vacation calories definitely do count,” she told him. “Besides, I have to fit into my bridesmaid dress in two days. After that, I can eat whatever I want.”
“I'm sure you'll look great in the dress,” he said, his eyes going over her body as she sat down. The gesture was intimate in a way that made Cassie want to blush and at the same time stick out her chest to give him a better view.
“You can't possibly eat like this every day,” Cassie said, picking up a fork.
He shook his head. “Only when I eat here,” he admitted. He took a big bite of hamburger. “So, where are you from?”
“Arizona.” She nibbled daintily at her fruit. “You?”
He shrugged. “The easiest answer is California. I was born in Kansas, raised in Utah, and went to school in California. Now, I'm here.”
“What brought you to the Caribbean?” Cassie asked, genuinely curious. She placed him in his mid-to-late forties, but incredibly fit. Something about him spoke to education and life experience that didn't fit with his current job description. He wasn't just a beach-bum bartender. There was too much age around his eyes.
“This is where I want to be,” he told her. “I spent enough time in offices and sales meetings to last a lifetime. I hated it. I wanted to be here every second instead. So when I got the chance, I ditched my modern, high-stress job and ran away to the beach.”
Cassie had often imagined running away. She'd wanted to open a small hotel that was all her own. The big chain was so corporate and demanding. They wanted her to always be presentable and ready. There were rules for everything. She lived and breathed rules at work. It was a big part of why her friends wanted her to relax this week. When she let herself, she'd daydreamed of running away from it all just like Wyatt said he did.
"Do you regret it at all?" she asked, her fork hovering over her plate.
His green eyes met hers and held.
“Never for a second. Best decision of my life.”
Something inside her trembled. A possibility was forming in her mind, but she didn't dare let it grow. Just because he escaped his life didn't mean she could.
“What do you do now?” She didn't look away from him. She couldn't look away from him. “Just serve drinks at the resort?”
One side of his mouth curved into a smile. “I do whatever I want,” he replied. “Right now, that's serving drinks. Tomorrow, it might be teaching surfing. I've been considering expanding my horizons. Maybe even deep sea fishing.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Cassie sighed.
“What do you do?” He finished off his burger and leaned back in his chair.
“You mean when I'm not getting drunk at hotel bars?”
Wyatt laughed, and Cassie felt a little pride. She was getting better at this flirting thing.
“I run a hotel. A StarTree in Phoenix.” She shrugged and picked at her fruit.
“Do you like it?” Wyatt asked. She felt his emerald eyes on her, even as she stared at her fruit.
“Sometimes,” she admitted honestly. “I like the hotel part. I like setting things up and making sure everything runs smoothly. I'm always busy. For the most part, I like the customers. I like interacting with them and fixing things, so their trip is better.”
“And you don't like?”
Cassie sighed. “It's corporate. There's no flexibility or freedom. I have to present the StarTree image at all times. I have to live, think, and breathe StarTree rules. It's a little stifling.”
She was surprised she was admitting to that. Especially without alcohol in her system. It had to be Wyatt. H
e was the reason she was spilling her guts. He probably had bartender magic. Everyone spilled their secrets to the bartender.
She cleared her throat. “Anyway, thank you for taking care of me last night. I'm really sorry about getting so drunk.”
He let her change the subject. “It was a pleasure last night,” he assured her. “I wouldn't have asked for lunch if it wasn't.”
Warmth filled her chest, and Cassie smiled. “So, what would happen if I gave you my hotel number now?”
The corners of Wyatt's mouth turned into a confident smile. “I'd teach you how to make a screaming orgasm.”
Cassie's heart pitter-pattered out of control. Her girl parts reacted in ways she wasn't used to. Her nipples went hard. “Wow. Okay.”
Wyatt chuckled. “I don't think you're ready.”
“I'm very ready,” Cassie protested. “I'm beyond ready.”
“And that's why you're blushing?” He tipped his chin and waved to someone behind Cassie. “By the way, you have someone watching you.”
For a moment, Cassie thought it might be Lorna. Lorna would be the worst person to see her while talking to a hot man. Lorna would tease Cassie. She would mock her. She would then attempt to steal Wyatt away just because she could.
Cassie turned, bracing herself for the worst. Luckily, it was just Janessa. Relief flooded Cassie. She waved, and Janessa gave her two big thumbs up.
“Friend of yours?” Wyatt asked, chuckling softly.
“Yeah. The bride.”
“When's the wedding?” Wyatt asked as Cassie turned back around.
“Tonight's the bachelorette party, tomorrow is the rehearsal. Saturday is the big day,” Cassie replied, going through the schedule in her head. Corporate rule number three: always know the schedule and stick to it.
“So, are you free until the party?”
That too warm, blushing feeling washed over Cassie again when he looked at her. He wanted to spend time with her. It made her light-headed and giddy.
