Out of Practice

by Carsen Taite

  Roxanne pointed at the bottle of Dom in a bucket next to the table. “I’d say you’ve got this down. All except the island part.”

  “True, but I’m resourceful. Making islands where none exist.” Abby poured them each a glass and handed one to her. “To making dreams come true.”

  Roxanne tilted her glass toward Abby, wishing she could read her mind. Was all this talk of islands a way of saying she wanted to keep her distance despite whatever this was brewing between them? This back and forth was making her crazy, but she knew it was up to her to take control. She had a choice. She could think about tomorrow and how there was no way any of the other places she would visit on this trip could possibly measure up since Abby wasn’t there. Or she could enjoy tonight, and if it went as well as the rest of the time they’d shared, she could summon the courage to tell Abby she wanted to see her when they were both back in Austin.

  She took a sip of the expensive champagne and let the cool bubbles fizz away her doubts. “To making dreams come true.”

  * * *

  Roxanne woke to the sound of an obnoxious horn. Who in the world was playing the trumpet in the middle of the night? She opened her eyes but quickly shut them again against the onslaught of sunlight streaming into Abby’s bedroom.

  Sunlight. Shit. She shot up in bed and glanced around for something, anything to tell her what time it was, but by the time she found Abby’s Rolex on the dresser, she already knew it was late. Way late. Seven fifty. Her shuttle was supposed to leave at eight a.m. She’d planned to get up early, go back to her bungalow, shower, and finish packing, but now she’d be lucky to cram the rest of her stuff in her suitcase and jog after the shuttle, hoping it would slow down long enough for her to jump on. She took a deep breath and tried to focus.

  “What are you doing?” Abby’s hand stretched across the covers, beckoning her back to bed, her eyes still closed. “It’s early still.”

  Roxanne reached down and kissed her adorable sleepy face. “Early in vacation time, but not for someone who’s on a schedule. I’m sorry, babe, but I have to go.” This was it. The moment to tell Abby she wanted to see her when they were back home. That the few days they’d shared had been the most meaningful she’d ever had and she wanted to see where it led once they were back to real life.

  Abby sighed. “Have fun. See you later.” A moment later, her breaths fell into the rhythm of sleep. Roxanne stared at her sleeping form. Apparently, Abby was non-fazed by their impending separation. Well, maybe she should take a page from her book. She hurriedly dressed and had her hand on the door to leave when she remembered the decision she’d made the night before. A waiting bus and a sleeping Abby meant she wouldn’t be able to get into a discussion about why she really had to leave and her desire to see Abby again at home, but she wasn’t without options.

  She scrambled around the bungalow until she found a pen and a scrap of paper. She scrawled her phone number and wrote Text me when you’re stateside and let’s find a beach where we can pick up where we left off. She signed it with a simple R. She held the paper at arm’s length for a moment while she wavered about leaving it for Abby to find or crumpling it into a tiny ball. When the voice in her head told her she needed to get going, she carefully placed the note on top of the bookmark in the paperback novel on the nightstand, and blew a kiss at Abby’s sleeping form as she slipped out the door.

  * * *

  Abby heard a knock on her door and rolled over in bed. It took a moment for her to realize there was something wrong and another to realize what it was. She stretched a hand across the bedsheet and came up empty. She was alone.

  Knock. Knock.

  Well, she was alone except for whoever was at the door, eager to get her attention. She rolled out of bed and shimmied into the hotel robe. “I’m coming,” she called out as she weaved her way across the room, still not quite awake. She flung open the door, fully expecting to see Roxanne on the other side, but instead—

  “Good morning, Señorita Abby.”

  She rubbed her eyes. Henry, the driver who doubled as a waiter at the resort, stood in front of her holding a large tray. “Morning,” she mumbled as her sleepiness morphed into irritation he wasn’t Roxanne. “Can’t a person sleep in around here?”

  “Señorita Roxanne asked me to deliver this nice breakfast to you this morning. She said these were all your favorite foods.”

  Abby instantly felt bad for snapping at him, and her stomach started growling at the smell of bacon. And French toast. And a French press full of the dark roast she loved. “Thank you, Henry.” While he set up the food in the kitchen, she reached into her purse for some tip money, but he waved her off.

  “Señorita Roxanne took care of everything.”

  Abby looked toward the door, half expecting Roxanne to walk in, ready to join her for this feast, but then she remembered that Roxanne was leaving today. Surely she wouldn’t have left without saying good-bye. “Is she still here?”

  Henry shook his head. “She left on the early shuttle.” He took his time arranging the food and coffee, but instead of feeling annoyed, Abby almost wished he would stay. She could use a little human interaction to ease back into the solitude staring her down for the rest of the week.

  Ironic since she’d come here seeking quiet and the freedom of being completely on her own, but she’d been on her own for less than a few hours and already she was getting antsy at the prospect of spending a few days without Roxanne and her super ambitious list of activities. Henry tipped his hat to her as he left, and when the door shut behind him, she felt more alone than ever. She surveyed the breakfast feast and decided that though the tray was full of her favorite things, she’d trade them all for more time with Roxanne.

  So much for vacation flings.

  Chapter Five

  Sunny beaches, swim-up bars, world class cuisine—the choices in PV are abundant and you won’t go wrong with any of these three resorts. It’s more a matter of your preference, and the choices range from social to solitude. Do you want to make new friends or spend one-on-one time with the friend/soul mate you just pledged to spend the rest of your life with? The decision is yours, and I have no doubt you’ll be happy, whatever you decide.

  Enjoy your honeymoon,

  BBF

  Roxanne stared at the screen and her mostly honest assessment. All three resorts were stellar, but Azure was the clear standout and she knew exactly why, but mentioning her three-night stand with a woman she’d probably never see again seemed antithetical to the whole happily ever after theme.

  She shut down her laptop, shoved the last bit of clothes into her suitcase, and leaned hard to get it to shut. A week in paradise was probably fun if you actually got to stay put in one place and enjoy it, but aside from her time with Abby, she’d been on the run, sampling every activity available at the three resorts she’d visited. On top of that, she’d eaten more food in one week than she usually ate in a month, and her suitcase wasn’t the only thing straining at the seams.

  She checked out on the television screen and left her room key on the nightstand. When she reached the lobby, she headed directly to the bell stand to catch the shuttle but stopped when she heard someone calling her name. Surely, it couldn’t be…She turned and quickly masked her disappointment when instead of Abby, she saw Millie from the plane ride to PV with her husband, Albert, in tow. “Hi, Millie,” she called out, happy for the distraction. “Are you two headed to the airport?”

  “We are indeed,” Millie said enthusiastically. “We had a great time, but there’s no place like home, right?”

  Home. Roxanne sighed at the thought a night in her comfy bed in her little house. She might not have room service or fancy drinks with those little umbrellas that Abby liked, but she did have a nice outdoor deck and she could grill like nobody’s business. Idly, she wondered what Abby’s house was like and whether she liked to cook outside before she realized it didn’t matter since she was probably never going to see her again. It had been four
days without a text or call. She’d picked up the phone to call Azure and ask for Abby’s bungalow several times, but as each day passed, she lost her nerve. Bottom-line, they weren’t looking for the same things, and the radio silence was a clear signal Abby wasn’t missing her, which meant she should get over her. The sooner the better.

  The shuttle was crowded with departing guests, and Roxanne was tucked up against Millie listening to a full-scale recap of the couple’s week. Albert merely nodded at Millie’s account, clearly used to never being able to get a word in. When she finally paused for breath, Roxanne asked, “Where did you two spend your honeymoon?”

  Millie laughed. “When we got married, we barely had two nickels to rub together. We borrowed a friend’s condo in Galveston and spent a week romping on the beach and grilling burgers for dinner every night. Nothing like this place, although those were happy times. We focused on each other instead of a million different activities and restaurants and casino games.”

  Roxanne made a mental note to include something about the quiet, off the grid nature of Azure and how it could really benefit a relationship. Which only made her think of Abby again. She pushed the thought away. “Sounds refreshing. There are resorts that cater to a quieter pace, fewer distractions.”

  “True, but why would I pay a fortune to get some peace, when I can get that on my own? Problem with people nowadays is they look at simplicity as a novelty instead of just finding it in the everyday.”

  Apparently, Millie was a sage. Roxanne agreed with her, but she doubted her readers would see their quest for getting back to nature as a fad. Still, there had to be some way to work Millie’s wisdom into the article.

  She napped the rest of the way to the airport, jerking awake when everyone around her started moving. “It’s time to go, dear,” Millie said with a gentle pat on her shoulder. “Back to reality.”

  That about summed it up. The airport was crowded, but she, along with Millie and Albert, sailed through check-in and made it to the gate well before their flight. When it was time to board, she glanced around the Jetway, holding out a ray of hope that Abby might suddenly appear and board the flight with her. She allowed herself a quick fantasy reel where Abby gave up her first class seat to join her in coach, or a miracle where she received an unexpected upgrade. They’d spend the flight getting reacquainted, sharing real info this time instead of vague references to a real life outside of paradise.

  On the plane, after the obligatory safety instructions, she waited until Millie and Albert were napping and pulled out her laptop and spent the flight time typing up the rest of her article. It was good overall, but she had a feeling her editor would notice a strong bias toward Azure, and although she was prepared with lots of reasons to back up her preference, she knew the truth. Azure would always be special because that’s where she’d met Abby.

  When the plane touched down in Austin, she turned on her phone like everyone else. While she waited for the cell signal to cycle back to life, Millie tapped her on the arm.

  “I hate to bother you, but do you think you could help us get our bags back down?”

  Roxanne smiled and slipped her phone in her bag. “Of course.” She reached into the overhead bin and hefted the two carry-ons down just in time for the line in front of them to start moving. When they reached the end of the Jetway, she paused to check her phone again while Millie and Albert scurried off to make their connecting flight to Dallas. She’d just pulled her phone out of her bag when she heard a voice behind her.

  “Tell me you weren’t just on that flight.”

  She whirled to find Abby standing directly behind her. As much as she’d thought about seeing Abby again, she wasn’t sure how she was going to explain why she’d stayed in PV instead of flying back to the States. She guessed she should’ve been prepared to run into Abby here, but they’d never discussed exactly what day Abby was flying home. She may as well come clean. “I was.” She cleared her throat while she decided what to say next, but Abby beat her to it.

  “I have to say, I imagined this playing out differently,” Abby said. “We would’ve spent the rest of the week at Azure together, working through your crazy long list of activities during the day, and at night…” She sighed. “I’d even planned to see if we could get you an upgrade to first class so you’d be much closer when you decided to fall into my lap again.” A dreamy expression flashed across her face and then quickly faded. “But I guess you had other plans.”

  This was it. Time to tell Abby why she’d really been in PV. After all, she wasn’t at the resort anymore, trying to hide her identity. “I can explain. It’s silly really and I probably should’ve told you from the start.” She stopped as the phone in Abby’s hand buzzed.

  “Finally,” Abby said. “I always get such crappy signal at this airport.” She stared at her phone, and her frown deepened as she scrolled through the display. And she kept scrolling.

  “Is everything okay?” Roxanne asked, suddenly worried that Abby was dealing with some kind of post vacation personal tragedy.

  “Um, I’m not sure.” She looked up. “I mean yes, I’m okay, but there’s something I need to deal with.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, maybe we can talk later.” Roxanne started edging away, since it was clear Abby was immersed in whatever was happening on her phone. “Do you still have—”

  “Thanks,” Abby said, cutting her off, her phone already to her ear.

  She strode away and Roxanne watched her go trying to get some glimpse of the woman she’d shared the best time of her life with in the all business version of Abby who’d just brushed her off for a freaking phone call. She almost wished she hadn’t given Abby her number, and she could hear her sister saying “bullet dodged.” Val was probably right. Some people were completely different in paradise, but this was the real world, and like Abby, she should get back to work and quit dreaming about pretty women in bikinis who were amazing in bed.

  * * *

  “Clark, Keane, and Maldonado.”

  Abby glared at her phone. “Graham, can’t you see it’s me on the caller ID?” she said, irritation filling her tone. “A simple hello would do.”

  “Greetings, Abby. I trust you had a wonderful vacation.”

  She suppressed the urge to growl. “I did, but I’m sure you know I’m calling because you and Grace have been blowing up my phone. Put me through to Grace and if she’s busy, interrupt her.”

  “Someone needed an extra margarita before heading home.”

  She started to retort, but Grace picked up the line.

  “Finally. Where are you?”

  “Getting in the car from the airport. What’s going on?”

  “Your client, the wedding dress guy, is freaking out. Big time. His siblings shut the doors of all their stores, and brides are rioting.”

  Abby laughed at the mental image of brides in white dresses carrying picket signs outside of Barclay’s Bridal stores. Of course, they wouldn’t have dresses or they wouldn’t be picketing in the first place, right? “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Look, I don’t get it either, but it’s happening. Tommy says they have a container full of dresses sitting on the dock in Houston, and the shipper won’t unload without payment and he can’t pay them because the rest of the family has decided to thumb their noses at all their creditors. He’s freaking out and he’s headed to the office right now.”

  “Welcome back to the real world,” Abby muttered. She could feel her neck starting to seize up and all the relaxation she’d enjoyed over the past week started slipping away.

  “Sorry, pal. I would totally handle this for you, but I have a big hearing tomorrow and Campbell is holding down the fort.”

  “No worries. A week away is better than I’ve gotten in a long time. I know I should be grateful.”

  “I can’t wait to hear all about your trip, especially the mysterious blonde.”

  Abby’s heart sank when she remembered the way she’d left things with Roxanne at the airport. H
ell, she’d promised to call, but she didn’t even have Roxanne’s number. And what had Roxanne even been doing at the airport today if she’d left the resort days ago? Too many thoughts to process, especially when she was about to have to focus on work. “Rain check? Let’s have drinks when your hearing is over, and we can dish together.”

  “Fair enough. See you in a few.”

  Abby spent the rest of the ride scrolling through her jammed email inbox, flagging messages that she’d need to address right away and noting which ones could wait until later. Mixed in with the rest were several emails from Tommy, each one escalating in tone, detailing how his siblings, Sadie and Phillip, had joined forces to unilaterally close all of the one hundred and twenty Barclay’s Bridal stores, including the flagship store in Austin. She had to admit it was a big deal to close a business so abruptly, but it wasn’t unheard of, especially since the business had been struggling since Tommy’s parents had passed away the year before. She suspected Tommy’s heartburn came more from sentiment about letting go of their legacy. She sympathized with her childhood friend, but businesses were like any other kind of relationship—prone to breakup. She’d set his mind at ease that she’d look after his interests in the dissolution, and then get back to her overflowing inbox. Satisfied with her plan, she spent the balance of the ride to the office daydreaming about the margarita Graham had teased her about, and resolved that one or two of those would be happening later.

  Things changed the minute she got to the office. Grace and Campbell were waiting for her in the lobby. After a big hug, they ushered her back to the conference room where the remains of a box of Kate’s Donuts were the centerpiece. Campbell shoved the box her way. “I can’t even,” Abby said, patting her stomach. “I ate my weight in seafood and guacamole the past week.”

  “You might need some sugar when you hear what we have to say,” Grace said.

  “Seriously?” Abby leaned back in her chair, determined not to let this little wrinkle kill her post vacay vibe. “Businesses close all the time. I got this. I’m sure Tommy’s freaking out because it was his parents’ legacy, but as soon as he gets here, I’ll talk him down. The twins were never interested in the wedding dress business, and frankly, I’m surprised they waited this long to make a move. We’ll go over the paperwork to make sure everything was done correctly, and we’ll issue a statement.” She brushed her hands to indicate this was an easy mess to clean. “It’s all good. I promise.”