The sun is just starting to set when we step out of the airport. The skyline is beautiful with streaks of pink and orange. Add in the backdrop of palm trees and it takes my breath away. I know there have been lovely sunsets at home too, but for some reason everything looks a little better when I'm on vacation. Maybe it’s just taking the time to stop and enjoy the beauty when life slows down for a little while.
Taxis are lined up waiting to take vacationers to their hotels. We don’t have to wait long before we’re all piled in and on our way to our destination. Because this is my first vacation, I’m really glad to have my girlfriends with me. I’m competent enough to do it on my own, but I’d be nervous being in a strange place all by myself.
While the girls talk nonstop during our drive, I look out the window and take in all of the sights. We have the windows down and I feel like a golden retriever with my head stuck out the window, my hair blowing in the breeze. There have been a few warm days here and there now that we’re moving into springtime back home, but this is a tropical climate. The air is different here, dense with salt water, dusty sand, and vegetation. I can practically smell the Banana Boat bronzer on the breeze. I’m already loving every minute of it.
The taxi pulls right up to the front entrance of our resort. There are luggage racks available as soon as we get everything unloaded. Once our suitcases are on it, the porter whisks it away toward the lobby while we follow quickly behind. We all get at the end of the line to wait for our turn to see the front desk clerk.
“There’s a lot of people here,” I say while plopping my purse down on top of my suitcase. After a full day of travel, I’m tired and it feels like I’m dragging around a bag full of rocks at this point.
“This is a huge resort,” Mattie says. “Imagine how many people can stay here at one time.”
“And people check in at all times throughout the day, depending on when their flights arrive,” Heidi says. “I hope our room is an ocean view.” She says changing the subject and pointing out the side of the lobby where there’s a huge patio area that opens down to the beach.
“That’s beautiful,” I say. “I can’t wait to feel the sand between my toes.”
“A beach virgin, too?” Shari asks, teasing me.
“Haha, very funny. I’ve been to a beach before. I’ve lived a sheltered life, but not that sheltered.”
“Thank God. Sometimes I worry about you.” Shari nudges her elbow into my arm to show me that she’s teasing. I’m sure she’s being perfectly honest, actually. Sometimes I probably do worry her. Out of the four of us, Shari and I are the most opposite. But it works for us. If I didn’t have her in my life to push me out of my comfort zone, I’d never leave the house.
A few hours later, we’re unpacked and a few drinks in, thanks to the mini bar. There’s still a layer of steam in the bathroom from when I decided to try out the glass shower to freshen up after a day of traveling. With the change in humidity, there’s a light sheen of moisture still covering my skin, even after a shower. I have a feeling I’m going to have to get used to this feeling even though I’m sensitive to different textures on my skin.
Knowing what this will do to my frizz-inclined hair, I smooth Moroccan oil through my damp strands and then decide to take my chances with the hairdryer. Leaving it to dry naturally in the elements is asking for a disaster. I’ll probably just end up pulling it up later anyway, but at least I feel like I’ve tried.
When we finally had our turn to check in at the reception desk earlier, the woman behind the counter told us about parties in different areas of the beach each night. Deciding to kick off our vacation with a bang, we’re on our way down to one of the beach parties tonight.
Stepping out into the night, the warm air blankets my skin. It is especially vivid tonight with the moon casting a bright white glow, illuminating the sky and lighting the path along the beach. I leave on my sandals until the cement path from the resort ends and we find ourselves walking through the sand, leading us down the beach.
“I can’t get over how soft this sand is. Not at all like the beaches by the lakes I’ve been to.” I’m holding my sandals in my hand, swinging them by my side while I use my arms to keep my balance in the uneven sand. “And it’s still so warm. I don’t know why I thought it would be cold once the sun went down.”
“Imagine how hot the sand will be when the sun is high in the sky tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to lie down in it and let the sun cook me until I’m a golden brown.”
I’m rolling my eyes at Mattie when Heidi makes an exasperated sound and says, “Sunscreen, Mattie. For Christ's sake, sunscreen. That’s all I have to say.”
“Mel, I’m so proud of you for walking in the sand. You’re so funny about having things on your feet.” Mattie’s looking at my bare feet in the sand with a big smile on her face.
“I don’t mind the soft sand. I don’t like it in my sandals when I’m wearing them, though, and I don’t like it when my feet are wet and the sand sticks to them. I know, I’m a bit of a freak about it.”
We’re getting close enough to hear the first bass beats of the music. From this far away it’s still just a thumping sound in my chest. Looking down the beach, there are tiki torches set up in the sand, an open air tent set back from the water and a small beach house off to the side. We’re headed in the right direction.
“I never imagined the beach would just go on forever like this. If we keep walking past the beach party, we’ll just end up at another resort.” My hand is stretched out in front of me helping to emphasize the monstrosity of the surroundings that we’re in right now and how amazing it really is. I want to take a picture to remember this feeling of awe but there’s no way this paradise can be justly captured in a photo.
“I just love experiencing these things with you, Mel,” Mattie says, pulling me close into an affectionate hug. “You look at the world and see the wonder in it.”
I laugh. “I know that was a compliment…” I pause not sure how to say what’s on my mind. How to let her know that I’m perfectly aware of how naive I can be.
“It was a compliment. Just leave it at that,” she says.
We’re close enough now to see the swarms of people. From our vantage point on the beach, we’re looking slightly down at all of the people milling around. The open expanse of the beach is taken up with the dancers while a few tables are set up under the tent where groups of people are sitting and having drinks.
There’s a steady stream of people going in and out of the small beach house and it doesn’t take long for me to put two and two together to realize that’s where we get the drinks.
“It looks like we go right in there for drinks, ladies,” I say, already heading in that direction. “That long walk on the beach has me parched!”
I walk up the few wooden steps and am about to open the screen door when it’s pushed open.
“Oh, excuse me,” I say, grabbing the door and holding it open for the man walking out.
“Thank you,” he says. Our eyes meet and I can’t believe my luck. Luke is standing in front of me and as soon as he registers that it’s me, his eyes emanate the shock that I feel. My heartbeat speeds up. I’m smiling, about to make a cheesy comment about how it must be fate that we meet again when he says, “Shit.”
Confused and hurt by his reaction to seeing me, my smile fades away. I’m about to say something when he moves to the side and I’m standing face to face with my brother.
“Oh shit,” I say under my breath. I’d say that sums it up perfectly.
Chapter 3
“Melanie?” my brother says, sounding stunned. He has a beer in each hand, standing in front of the door and staring in complete disbelief.
“Excuse me,” a man says. There’s a group of people trying to get out of the hut and back to the party on the beach but Jason is dominating the space.
When he doesn’t move, I step forward, taking him by the arm and leading him down the steps. “I’ll be right back,” I cal
l to the girls. They’re already looking at each other frantically, whispering as they walk into the building. Mattie gives me a small wave before she disappears inside.
As soon as we’re out of the way of the steps, Jason pulls his arm out of my grasp, spilling some of the beer from one of the cups. It doesn’t faze him. His fierce stare is enough to make me look away. Luke is gone but I don’t know where he went. Thankfully we’re alone because I know he’s about to make me feel like a child when he scolds me and that isn’t something I want my friends or Jason’s friends to witness.
“What are you doing here?” We’re about to go through the motions even though he knows exactly what’s going on.
“Vacationing?” It comes out as a whispered question. I’m not sure what answer to give him that’ll make everything okay.
“So this is the trip to Heidi’s cabin you were telling me about? The lake house with the girls for a week?” He’s gesturing with the beer and I focus on how the liquid swirls to the top of the cup and then back down, mere millimeters from spilling over again.
“It’s just…I knew you’d never agree to let me come.”
“I was fine with you going to Heidi’s! I can’t believe you would lie to me about this. Maybe if you would have told me the truth I would have surprised you.”
“Oh, please. We both know that never would have happened. I love you, Jason, but you smother me.” And before he can interject I add, “I know it’s because of what happened with mom and dad…and you’ve been so good to me, but I can’t sit at home for the rest of my life. Eventually you’re going to have to trust that I’ve become a responsible adult.”
“Responsible adult,” he says under his breath. I see the irony in those words too, but hopefully he’s softening a bit. Regardless of what he thinks, there aren’t a lot of options right now anyway. He can’t put me back on a plane and send me home. And according to the law, I am an adult. I don’t need Jason’s permission to do anything anymore. Not that I’d ever go that route. He’s really all I have for family and though he’s overbearing, it’s because he feels the pressure of doing what’s right for me.
Even though I hate that things have come to a head like this, I’m glad he knows. I hate lying to him about anything and having to keep secrets is even worse. Knowing that I’ve disappointed him, however, is weighing on me already.
“I’ll be really careful. I promise. I won’t go crazy and drink so much that I pass out or anything.”
“Oh, fuck. Thanks for that image in my head.” This time he takes the beer in his right hand and takes a few big swigs.
“You know, you could have told me that you were coming to Mexico, too. Looks like I’m not the only one with secrets.”
“That’s different.”
“I’m sure it is.” Now that his mood is improving, even if it’s just slightly, I’m not going to say anything to rock the boat. “So, is someone waiting on that beer that getting warm in your other hand?”
“Yeah.” He looks down at the beer in his hand, trying to figure out his next move. I think he’s just realized there aren’t many options right now.
“Go find your friends, I’m going to find the girls.”
He hesitates before he walks away. He’s torn between being the guy who just wants to have a good time and the guy who has always felt responsible for taking care of me. “Don’t drink too much, don’t walk home alone. Always stay with your friends. Got it?”
“Got it.” I use the finger on my right hand to make a cross over my heart. “Have fun,” I say as he turns to walk away. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” I’m giggling when he turns around but it’s clear from the look on his face that it’s too soon to joke.
Once Jason walks away, the girls come out of the hut and hurry over to me. Clearly they had been watching everything unfold through the window.
“We were going to give it five more minutes and then we were going to come rescue you,” Mattie says, handing me a drink in a clear plastic cup.
“It looks like vacation agrees with Jason, though. He wasn’t nearly as hard on you as we thought he’d be.” Shari says. “Maybe I should find him and thank him.”
She winks at me and I slug her in the arm, grossed out any time she makes sexual innuendos about my brother.
“Everything’s okay for real, though?” Mattie asks.
“I think so. He wasn’t happy that I lied to him but I think he realized there isn’t much to do about it now.” I shrug my shoulders and take a sip of the colorful drink in my hand. It’s slushy, like a margarita, only it’s a reddish-orange color. I wish I could say I was ready to move on with the night like nothing happened, but I can’t stand feeling as if I did something wrong and this situation definitely qualifies.
Besides, knowing that my brother is here at this party tonight sure puts a damper on my mood to let loose and see where the night takes us.
“Think of it this way, you got it out of the way early on in our trip and now you can relax and enjoy the ride,” Heidi says, throwing her arms around our necks. “Now, there was a smoking-hot guy coming out with a drink when we were going in to get ours and I think he took off that way.” She’s pointing at the sea of people dancing on the beach surrounded by tiki torches.
We start moving toward the crowd of people but the optimistic feeling of carefree adventure has faded. Starting when I was a little girl, I hated getting in trouble. Not that anyone likes getting into trouble, but I would run away and hide after getting scolded so no one would see me cry. I suppose that personality trait has stuck with me even into adulthood.
I don’t feel like crying but being caught in the wrong, especially when my brother has given up so much for me, has added a weight to my heart. The girls make their way into the throng of people and within seconds they’re out of sight, lost among the gyrating bodies.
I move over to the side and sit at an empty table, sipping my drink. Jason is probably in there somewhere and it’s a strange feeling being at the same party together. I’m looking around people watching when I spot Luke on the side of the crowd talking with a pretty girl.
They’re standing close, each holding a drink. Luke is smiling at her and before I can stop it, I want it to be me. I’ve always loved his smile. His smile transforms his face; from the small dimple at the corner of his mouth, to the curve of his full lips. His eyes are so expressive, mirroring his smile. They sparkle, alight with his good mood.
I’ve been watching him too long when he happens to look my way. He’s in the process of laughing at something she said but when he catches my eye he does a double-take. It’s too late for me to just look away and pretend I wasn’t watching so I give him a small smile and wave and then look away while taking another sip of my drink.
Now that he knows I’m over here by myself I’m feeling self-conscious in a way that I didn’t before. I’m torn between going to find my friends or sitting here, risking more awkward eye contact. I haven’t made up my mind yet when Luke says something else to the girl and then walks toward me.
“Hey,” he says, sitting down at the table with me.
“Hey yourself,” I say taking a sip of my drink, trying to do something with everything I’m feeling right now.
A few moments of silence stretch out around us, each of trying to decide what to say.
“You could have mentioned Jason was going to be here.” I’m trying not to sound upset. It isn’t his fault that I was caught red-handed, but a heads up would have been nice.
“I know.” I think that’s all he’s going to say so I roll my eyes when he adds, “I did what you asked, though. I didn’t tell him we saw each other at the airport.”
“No need to keep that secret anymore.” The ice in my drink is almost completely melted so I swirl the liquid around and around, mixing it together.
“He took it okay?” I don’t know why but I’m focused on my drink in my hand instead of on Luke. Maybe I’m still a little embarrassed that I was caught ogling him talk
ing to another woman but I’m having a hard time making eye contact. He reaches over and gently sets his hand on top of mine, instantly drawing my attention to his face.
“He did. I, on the other hand, feel really guilty. And I hate knowing that he’s mad at me.” Now I can’t stop staring at our hands. His is large, dwarfing mine under his. It’s surprisingly soft and dry for how humid the air is around the clock in this place. I haven’t been able to stop sweating.
“He’ll get over it. He always does.” His thumb is tracing a small circle on the back of my hand. Even the smallest bit of contact like this is making me flustered. “That’s why you’re sitting here instead of dancing with your friends?”
“I guess so. I’m not in a carefree, crazy kind of a mood.”
“Maybe you need to drink more.”
I laugh. “I’m sure that would help.” I like having his attention on me and I don’t want him to go back to the other girl he was talking to a moment ago. “So where are you working now Luke?”
“I’m still doing construction. I got into some trouble when I was in high school so it’s made it hard to find too many jobs.”
“You got in trouble in high school? With Jason?”
“Not with Jason. But yes, I got into some trouble.”
“Construction is a good job.”
“It is. I don’t know if I want to have to do it for the rest of my life though.”
“I’m sure it makes you a handy guy to have around.”
“That’s true. I can fix a leak for you anytime. All you have to do is call.” When our eyes meet I have the sudden image of him in my head standing at my sink, shirtless and dripping wet from the spray of water shooting into the air. I suck in a loud breath and start to blush.
“Come dance with me,” he says, breaking the silence. I hold his eye contact. I’m searching his face, trying to figure out what his motive is. It seems innocent enough, probably just a dance. For me, it would mean more, though. I’ve denied it for years, but it would. If Luke Frazier held me in his arms I would melt for him and lose my heart. I think about my brother and how he would feel if on top of coming to Mexico without telling him, I hooked up with his best friend. I can’t do that to him. No matter what I might feel for Luke, I won’t do something else behind my brother’s back.
Sun's Out Guns Out: A Spring Break Novella Page 2
