by Roxy Wilson
“Hello!”
She recognized his voice after a moment. “Adam? Hi. You—”
“Dayna. I...I just wanted to hear your voice. It’s been a long time. I miss you, honey.”
It did feel nice to hear that. Flattering, no doubt. But he was far from her heart. Dayna realized she hadn’t even thought about Adam since returning to San Diego. “Adam, I don’t know what to say. I mean—”
“I know that you’re upset with me, and I can understand why. In your eyes, I did something wrong...but it wasn’t as much as the lure of money but rather the fear of the goons who were following me. I got scared. And I just wanted to get rid of them.”
She ran a hand over her forehead. Why was he telling her this? What did he want? Dayna simply didn’t want another complication in her life. “I’m sorry, Adam, but—`”
“No, please don’t say what I think you’re going to say. Listen…just think about it. We should get back together. We were together for three years, Dayna. It’s not a short time. Both of us are emotionally invested in this relationship and we shouldn’t end it, because of one fight.”
“It wasn’t a fight, Adam.” Breaking a moral code of conduct was a deal-breaker and once again, her thoughts drifted to Aron. Would he consider the fact that she’d hidden the truth from him a deal-breaker too?
“Listen, honey, I know you’re upset. But come on, we can sit and talk and sort out this mess.”
“I’ve moved on.” She considered telling him about Aron. What did it say about the depths of her feelings for Adam that she could be contemplating a relationship with Aron so quickly? She’d hardly spared a thought about Adam ever since she’d arrived. More guilt swamped her.
“Listen, I’m trying to figure out something and will come down to meet you,” he continued without listening to her. “I’ll call you soon. In the meantime, think about what I said.”
When she hung up, Dayna flopped down on her bed. Damn it! Could her life get more complicated? She was confused about her career, regretting past decisions, in talks with her old boyfriend and hiding the truth from her new boyfriend. Maybe she could discuss everything with Brett and ask him to write a script about her life!
Exhausted by the rollercoaster events of the day, which left her feeling weak and flustered, Dayna got up, changed into her pajamas and willed herself to fall to sleep. Her sleep wasn’t peaceful. Instead, she tossed and turned as her mind grappled with the various problems it couldn’t deal with during the day. In the morning, she didn’t feel as fresh and energized as she usually did, but as Aron had instructed, she dressed in a pair of jeans and a royal-blue t-shirt. She jammed a cap on her head and slipped on her pair of sunglasses.
Jamie, Brett and the girls arrived just as she was leaving.
Then as usual, Aron arrived on time. “Ready?”
“As ready as I can be.” Dayna waved the family bye and locked the door behind her. She and Aron sauntered to the elevator and got in. “So, are you sure that all you want to do is stroll along the harbor?”
“O-ye of little faith.” He laughed. “It will be fun. Just you and me, holding hands, walking along, poking into shops and having lunch at a roadside café.”
It sounded interesting, but it was a hot day. Dayna wondered how long they would last outside. Of course, if it got too hot, they could slip inside a bar. It’d been a long time since she actually hung around at the harbor. It sounded very touristy, but it would also be relaxing. After taking a cab, they dropped off at Whistles, a local bar that always did brisk business. “I just have to meet a friend first,” Aron said as he held her hand and stepped into the cool interior.
Dayna hadn’t visited Whistles in ages. It was owned by a third-generation San Diego resident and was one of the most popular hangout joints for locals. During game season, the owner put up huge screens that attracted locals and tourists alike.
“Who are we meeting?” Dayna laughed when her gaze landed on Graham. “Hey! Nice to see you again.”
Graham planted a kiss on each cheek. Dressed in a suit, he looked every inch a lawyer. She knew he was doing quite well for himself on a professional level, but was currently undergoing a second divorce. “You’re looking as good as ever, Dayna.” He turned and shook Aron’s hand.
They’d known each other since the first grade and had even briefly considered going out when they were in high school. Dayna had a long history with the man, even the years in between could not make it fade. She genuinely liked him. “Don’t tell me you’ve started hanging out at bars at eleven in the morning.”
“I wish.” He sighed. “I have a court hearing in half an hour.”
She hopped on a stool. “Yours or a client’s?”
Aron quietly sat next to them.
Graham gave her a long-suffering look. “I’m hoping to avoid a court case this time around. It looks like ex-wife number two and I may be able to work things out on our own without wasting the court’s valuable time. All I have to do is sign over half of all that I own, and we’re all good.”
Dayna sent him a sympathetic glance. He was still a really sweet man, a bit naïve at times, but certainly not someone who deserved to be fleeced. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, sweetie, thanks.” He patted her on the arm and then dug into his pocket to drop a card into Aron’s outstretched hand. “I’ve already talked to the man and set up everything. He’s reliable and good.”
“Thanks, man! I owe you one,” Aron replied.
“Well, I gotta be off. Why don’t you guys come over for a drink at my place sometime?”
“I’ll call you,” Aron promised. After Graham left, he tucked the card in his pocket and pulled her off the stool.
“Where are we going?” she asked, sensing he had something on his mind.
“You’ll see,” he replied in a mysterious manner…a twinkle in his eyes. “I have something interesting planned.”
As they strolled along the harbor, Dayna lifted her head and allowed the gentle breeze to caress her skin. It was a beautiful day. Not a single cloud dotted the azure sky and far away, she could see a few boats bobbing on the water. “Remember our first date?”
“We came to this very place.”
“You bought me chocolate ice-cream and a cheese burger,” she recalled with a smile on her face.
“I had a low budget then. It was all I could afford.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “I can do better than that this time around.”
She laughed. “It was the best date we ever had, full of romance and promise of things to come.”
“We had a good thing going, didn’t we?” He sighed. “If my dad hadn’t moved us…”
Dayna put her arm around his waist. “No sense mourning over the past. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” And yes, she thought, it did indeed. There was no sense in regretting old decisions. It wouldn’t change a thing, but it would take away from their current happiness.
Soon, she would have to tell Aron. But not today. Not on this beautiful day when she could see, he had things on his mind and something special planned for her. Strolling along, they came across a quirky art shop. “Let me just pop in there. I think I know the proprietor.” She remembered Jamie mentioning the new shop on the harbor. Dayna strolled inside. A number of sketches and paintings were hanging on the wall, mostly landscapes, but a few portraits also.
The owner came out from the back office. A short, petite, blonde with a ready smile. “Hi. May I help you?”
Dayna took off her sunglasses. “You’re Sarah, right? Maggie’s sister?”
“Yes. Do I know you?”
“I’m Dayna. I don’t know if you remember me.” She thrust out her hand. “Your sister was with us in school.”
“Ah! Of course.” Sarah pumped her hand. “You guys are here for the reunion. Maggie couldn’t come. She’s working in India.”
“So I heard. How is she doing?”
“Very well! She’s getting married ne
xt month to an Indian doctor. My parents were horrified that she would decide to settle so far away, but her work in based there. She’s working with an NGO, and she’s happy…so I guess that’s all that matters.”
“Yes, it is. I remember looking at your sketches whenever we went to your parents’ house. You always were talented.” She glanced around, feeling proud of what she saw. Just stunning and wonderful how a baby sister of one of her friends had become an artist.
“Thank you.”
“I like that painting,” Aron spoke up. He stood in front of a bold painting that showed a mermaid sitting on a rock. In her hand was a seashell and far away, in the distant horizon, the sun set over the ocean—a powerful, strong image. “How much is it?”
As they discussed the price and the delivery of the work, Dayna wandered over to look at the other pieces. She selected a landscape showing the local lighthouse. It would look good on the wall of her studio apartment and would remind her of San Diego wherever she went, after this year was over. She pointed at it. “I would like this one.” Happy with her purchase, Dayna made the arrangements for the work to be delivered at Jamie’s house while Aron gave the address of his hotel, then they both stepped outside.
“That was easy.”
“Three thousand dollars gone,” he complained. “But it was well worth it. That girl is going to go places. I can easily see that painting doubling in price in the next couple of years.”
“Always the businessman.” Dayna shoved her sunglasses back on. “Is that why you bought it?”
“I loved it,” he admitted. “But of course, it’s nice to know that it would be a good investment too.”
“Sarah has already had one show in New York that was a huge hit,” Dayna told him what she knew. “She could easily settle there, but she loves it here. But yeah, you’re right. She’s going places.”
As they strolled on, they finally stopped at Broadway Pier. She could see many boats and yachts. Some were departing the harbor for cruises. “What are we doing here?” she asked when Aron made his way to one of the offices.
He dug out the card Graham had given him. “We’re taking a cruise.”
“A cruise?” She didn’t understand.
“I hired a boat.”
“You—hired a boat,” Dayna spluttered.
“Silencio, mi cariño!” He grinned while calling her sweet thing again. “Let me do the talking.” Leaving her in the foyer of the office, he went inside.
Dayna shook her head as she took a seat. So, this was the surprise he planned. Well, it would be interesting. She admired the thought he put into it. She tingled all over in anticipation of the day ahead.
CHAPTER SIX
“This is our yacht?” Dayna slid her sunglasses down as she surveyed the sleek, gleaming, white boat that shone in the brilliant sunlight. “Ours? As in just for the two of us?”
Aron nodded with approval. “It’s good enough. I booked it for one night.”
“You booked it for one night?” Dayna felt her breath stop. “For us? But it must’ve cost a small fortune.”
He laughed when she looked incredulous. “Don’t worry about the expense.”
“But why?”
“Because I wanted to surprise you with something special. Isn’t that a good enough reason?”
“I don’t have clothes, toothbrush—”
“Everything is taken care of. My secret comrade packed your stuff and sent it ahead.” He pointed at the two carry-on bags an attendant was dragging towards the yacht. One of them was hers, and the other was his. He had them delivered earlier before picking her up.
“Jamie.” Dayna sighed. “She would know what I need.”
Aron chuckled. “Good then. All settled. Ven a bordo! Come on board,” he repeated in English while taking her hand and walked towards the gangway leading to the boat.
When they clambered aboard, the captain was waiting for them. “Welcome aboard sir…ma’am. Let me show you to your cabins.”
Aron found the boat satisfactory. For Dayna’s comfort, he put her luggage in a separate cabin and then later, escorted her out to the deck. They stood at the railing while the boat left the harbor.
“This boat must be big enough to accommodate twenty people!”
“Thirty,” he said, enjoying the breeze drifting in now that they were well on their way. “But they also rent it to individuals.”
Dayna shook her head, but didn’t say anything.
He could tell she felt a little overwhelmed at the grand gesture, but Aron earned well enough through the years, and he didn’t see the need to hoard all the money for future use. The point of earning it was to spend it and live well. He wanted to create memories with Dayna that would last for them both in the years to come.
“This is amazing.”
“Isn’t it?” He turned towards the waiter. “Ah! Lunch is served.”
They moved toward the front of the deck where a table sat under an awning. Aron poured wine for Dayna. “I pre-ordered.”
She looked at the array of seafood. “It looks divine.”
As they ate, Aron enjoyed bantering with Dayna. Seeing her as always, his heart rate accelerated. He couldn’t believe he actually sat across the table from her, both of them casually dating each other after so many years. Many times over the past decade, he imagined this situation, but it’d always been like un sueño, a dream, he could think about but could never have. Now, it all became real.
Aron couldn’t help but admit he was besotted with her. Always have been and probably always will be. When she was within close proximity, all he could see was her, all he could sense was her and all he could smell was her sweet, flowery fragrance.
What was happening to him? After his divorce, he’d never seriously, romantically gotten involved with a woman. A few casual dates, a fling or two, but nothing that made his heart beat in such a frantic manner and made him feel like he was back in high school. He could barely keep a thought in his head when she was near him. What would happen when they actually slept together?
He continued to look forward to seducing her tonight, but Aron also felt determined to give her all the time she wanted. If she wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t push her. As far as he was concerned, he would be in this for the long haul and time wasn’t an issue.
“Hey!” She snapped her fingers in the air. “Where did you go?”
He felt as if he would drown in the amused depths of her eyes. “I’m right here. What were you saying?”
“Just that I’m tempted to take a swim in their lovely pool. It looks cool and refreshing.”
“Sure. Jamie must have packed a swimsuit. I told her to.”
She sent him a wry glance. “You told her to?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, yeah, I texted her a list of things you might need.” He cut into a prawn and offered her a piece.
She popped it into her mouth. “You’ve become a little bossy, haven’t you?”
“Have I?” Amused by her observation, he asked, “Really? Well, I guess I know my mind more than I did back in high school.”
“Oh, you were bossy back then, but not as much as now.”
“I was bossy? Ah por favor…Please! Which one of us made us skinny dip in the ocean on our seventh date? And which one of us forced me to play the same game five times at the fun fair until I won a teddy bear for a girl who was adamant that she had to have it?”
She snagged a piece of bread. “All right, so I could be a bit stubborn, too. But which one of us made me pitch a tent in the garden and tell my parents that I wanted to experience nature in all its glory and then sneaked over the wall and into my tent that night?”
He laughed. “That was some night.”
“Yeah, it certainly was, especially because my father came out to check on me and you had to sneak out of the tent, buck naked, from the other side and hide in the bushes until he was gone.”
Aron couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips. That night would be etched i
n his memory forever. He could still remember the slightly cold night, her naked body against his and their passionate lovemaking. “I nearly froze out there, not to mention, being bitten by a few bugs on my naked ass while he poked around to make sure that his baby girl was safely asleep.”
“I had to toss on my shirt and pretend to be asleep in the sleeping bag, didn’t I? Or else, he would’ve killed me.”
“He loved you too much to do such a thing. I think he suspected I was around, but thankfully, he went inside when he didn’t see anything strange.”
“Yeah. I thought the same.”
Aron covered her hand over his when he saw the sad look in her eyes. “I’m sorry about your father. Graham told me that he died in a car accident when we exchanged some emails a few years ago.”
Tears swam in her eyes.
Aron was more than tempted to reach out and hold her, comfort her, but he knew Dayna; she wouldn’t appreciate him doing that. At least, not yet.
“I was in Iraq. Came home for the funeral. I wish—I guess…” She took a deep breath and expelled it slowly as if trying to compose herself. “I guess I’ll always regret that I wasn’t with him during those last few years.”
“He must have been proud of you and happy that you were carving out a new life for yourself.” He hated to see that anguished look in her eyes. “He loved you like crazy.”
She sighed and pulled her hand back. “Yes, he did. And I have tons of lovely memories of him. So, I guess that will have to be enough. That’s what my mom tells me.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s touring the Caribbean, for a month, with her friends. Mom’s living the good life. She misses dad, but I’m glad that she’s traveling and having fun. She’ll be back soon.”
He felt glad her mood had changed. Aron shifted the conversation to safer topics. He regaled her with a story about his last fishing trip in a lake in Canada and it was only after he caught three big fish that the authorities caught up with him and fined him three hundred dollars for fishing without a license. “How was I supposed to know?” He shrugged and laughed.
