“You were out of line yesterday. I don’t know you, and I don’t care to, but I will tell you a little something about me. I’m not here to compete with you. You’re nothing to me. Nothing. But what you said not only insulted me, it insulted the Davenports, and they’re people I care about.”
I took a step closer to him and lowered my voice. “You’re not one of them. Do you know what you are? You’re an insecure, lying, little shit. But I got you by the balls, now, Eric. You and I both know if I breathe a word of what you said yesterday, your ass is done here.”
I stepped back and smiled. “Have a nice day.”
Looking somewhat like a poached armadillo, he took the stairs. I was glad to see I, too, could fuck up his day the way he’d fucked up mine. That would be the absolute last time I let him get the better of me.
Once I was alone, I dug into the portfolios. Remington wasn’t kidding. This shit was like reading Japanese stereo instructions. Who knew there were so many energy options out there? Windmills, coal, solar, natural gas, each candidate made valid points, and every time I thought I found the best option, the next pitch proved me wrong.
I drew a chart and used some boat tool as a ruler to make it legible. Once I had that done, it was just a matter of plugging in all the details.
Just before lunch, I snuck into the galley and made myself a sandwich, which I took to the upper deck and ate as I continued working. I didn’t see Hale all day, which was fine because I wasn’t ready to face my confusing emotions.
I closed up shop around five and took everything inside. I was overdue for a phone call to Elle, and I desperately needed her judgment, because certain things were out of my wheelhouse.
“What a piece of shit,” she said after I told her what Eric had done. “You should’ve told Remington.”
“I didn’t want to get into it.”
“Are you going to tell Hale?” Elle asked.
“No. The truth is, he has a reputation of sleeping with employees. He doesn’t like discussing his past and I honestly don’t know if I could handle it.”
“I get the feeling he’s not going to let it go, Ray. The way you described it, he sounded pretty upset.”
“Well…” And this was the part that made my stomach hurt. “He can’t get me to tell him anything if I’m just his dad’s employee.”
“Oh, no.” Elle tsked. “Don’t do this, Rayne.”
It was happening. I couldn’t help it. Shutting my eyes, I confessed, “It’s just too much.”
“No, this is just a little hiccup. If you talk it through, everything will work out.”
For how long? “He has a past and I’m not sure he’s left that behind.”
“We all have a past, Ray.”
“I don’t want to compete with his.”
The mere thought of how women went after him at parties overwhelmed me. Every gold digger out there would do anything they could to have a crack at the Davenports—any one of them. The competition was too fierce and intimidating for someone as inexperienced as myself.
“This was supposed to be a fun experience.”
“And it still can be. Talk to him. If he cares about you, you’ll work through this. Maybe he’ll even knock out Eric.”
Hale wasn’t that sort of guy. I couldn’t imagine his control slipping like that. And what if he didn’t care? If anything, this whole debacle showed me that I was investing way too much into our connection.
Elle’s voice turned quiet. “Rayne, honey, not every man is your father. Some guys can handle complications and not run scared. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt if you ever want to have a real relationship.”
“I know not all men are my father, but… I don’t know how to do this and the thought of rejection paralyzes me. I’ve had enough of that in my life.”
“He’s trying to get you to open up. It doesn’t sound like he’s planning on rejecting you.”
“It’s just too much for me. I can’t handle both. I can either work for Remington or be with Hale. At least with Remington, I have the stability of a six-month contract.”
She sighed. “Fine, but don’t close out the possibility completely.”
The door was already shut. “I’ll keep you posted.”
After my phone call with Elle, I changed into one of Seraphina’s swimsuits and went to the main deck. Remington was napping, and there was an hour until dinner. I shut my eyes and floated in the pool, trying to take my mind off my worries.
“Make the reservation for seven o’clock on Friday.”
My ears perked up as I heard Hale’s voice. Rolling to my stomach, I swam to the edge of the pool and tucked my legs under the ledge where I was less noticeable.
“Something in the back. I want privacy.”
Where was he? My eyes scanned the upper deck, but I didn’t see him.
“Put her up in the Bell Monte. I don’t want her crossing paths with anyone.”
I finally tracked his voice to the side balcony. He was speaking on the phone, making arrangements to meet up with some woman.
This was exactly why I couldn’t date him. It was just too much work and I was way out of my league. Plus, jealousy hurt. I wasn’t used to it and I didn’t like it taking up space in my heart.
I swam for a few more minutes then grabbed my towel and sat on the edge of the pool waiting for my suit to dry. The door opened and I took a steadying breath, anticipating Hale.
Realizing I couldn’t avoid him forever, I turned. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He slowly approached, phone still in his hand as it hung by his hip. “Are you done for the day?”
I nodded.
“Rayne.” He lowered himself to the bench seat that surrounded the pool. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you.”
“We aren’t fighting.” My feet made slow circles in the placid surface. He touched my shoulder and I leaned away.
“You’re acting different.”
“I can’t do this, Hale.”
“What are you talking about?”
I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I just stared at my feet. “I can’t sleep with you anymore. It’s not right. I work for your dad.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “I know something happened to change your mind about us. I wish you would tell me what it was.”
Telling him would only humiliate all of us and I just wanted to do the job I came here to do and leave all this drama behind. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.” His fingers closed over mine and squeezed. “I like you, Rayne.”
My eyes closed again, this time to fight the start of tears. I didn’t open them until I was certain my emotions were under control.
“I don’t want things to be weird between us. I’m not mad at you or anything, so hopefully we can still be friends.”
His hand released mine. “No,” he said quietly, refusing my wishes. “I don’t want to just be your friend, Rayne. I want more than that.”
“Hale—”
“I don’t understand you. Everything was fine and now this? It’s great you’re not mad at me, but I’m mad at you.” He stood. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Tomorrow night he’d be having dinner with someone else, proving once more that I wasn’t suited for the life he led. Letting whatever we had go, was really for the best.
Chapter Eighteen
Not Enough Alcohol in the World…
The last twenty-four hours aboard The Lady Parr were quiet. Hale acted like I was invisible, only offering polite head nods whenever our gazes accidentally crossed, and Eric avoided eye contact at all costs.
Rather than hide away in my room, I joined the crew for a game of Five Hundred Rummy in the Captain’s quarters. Once the first game was over, I convinced them we should be playing Pass the Garbage and the mood picked up.
I didn’t know if it was inappropriate to hang with the crew. Eric never did, but he was a social misfit as far as I was concerned. Waking up a little hung over
didn’t help matters, especially when the light of a thousand suns reflected off the coast of the Keys.
“Have a little too much fun last night?” Remington commented as he reviewed my notes from the day before.
I grumbled into my mug.
“I could hear you cackling from my room last night. Quite a set of lungs you have on you.”
I cupped my forehead and sipped my coffee. “Sorry.”
He turned a page. “This is good work, Meyers.” He sat back, pushing the report aside and studied me.
I adjusted my sunglasses and picked at my toast. “Some say it’s rude to stare, Remington.”
“What’s going on with you and Hale?”
I tossed my toast on the plate and dusted the buttery crumbs off my fingers—appetite gone. “Nothing.”
“So you wouldn’t object if I asked him to stay at the house with us?”
“It’s your house.”
“I’ve given the crew the night off. You should take some time for yourself. Explore the island.”
Apparently, it was customary for Remington to treat the crew to a night at a hotel after a long voyage. Marta had told me that they were all staying at the Waldorf Astoria and venturing out for supper. We were expected to dock around noon and that gave everyone time to settle in while I accompanied the Davenports back to the main house.
Remington’s home was on a private section of the beach toward the tip of the peninsula. He said it was one of his favorite homes because he could golf right off the patio and the balconies were so high he could piss on the tops of palm trees. When I asked Marta about it, she said it was stunning. I hadn’t realized she was also his maid at home, but I was glad she’d still be with us.
“How far is Hale’s house from yours?” I asked, certain no one but Remington was in earshot.
He gave me a sidelong glance. “It’s a short walk down the beach. By car it takes about ten minutes.”
“How is that?”
“Traffic. No one knows where the hell they’re going. Half the population’s on vacation. You’ll see everything’s faster on foot. You should invest in a bike.”
I smiled. Bikes were big in Oregon. I was better on two wheels than four, so the idea appealed to me. “I might do that.”
Sound traveled from below, and I sat up, sensing someone coming. Hale stepped onto the sky deck and gave his customary nod.
Right. I stood to take my leave. “I’m going to make sure I have everything packed.” Remington nodded and Hale said nothing.
At the bottom of the stairs, I stopped and caught my breath. It was really difficult seeing him with this chill between us.
“I won’t be around tonight,” Hale said from above.
“I told you to avoid this mess.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Cut her a check and put it to rest.”
“I said I’ll handle it,” Hale groused. “I’m leaving as soon as we dock. I won’t be back until morning.”
“I gave Rayne the night off.” There was a momentary pause. “What the hell is going on with you two?”
“The hell if I know.”
“Well, fix it. I don’t like seeing her upset.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Hale snapped.
“Clowns juggle. Davenports manage their shit. You need to get this cleaned up privately before you have a mess on your hands more than you already do. I told you to stay out of it months ago.”
I frowned. Was I the mess?
“I can’t do anything about Rayne until—”
“You should leave her alone until you know where you stand on other fronts.”
Silence.
Someone muttered something, but the yacht horn blew and scared the shit out of me. Afraid they’d see me lingering, I rushed to my room to finish packing.
There was an envelope on my bed with my name scrolled on the front.
“What is this?” I muttered, examining it like a bomb. Slicing the flap open I pulled out a thick slip of paper.
“Holy fuck.” Was this my paycheck?
I flipped it over, certain there’d been some mistake. Was he paying me for the whole six months? Wait, this wasn’t a check.
I read over the calculations. It was a receipt. The money had been directly deposited in my bank account so it would already be available. Sweet! And it was for one week. This was like six times what I was making waiting tables. Oh, Momma was definitely getting some new shoes.
As I stuffed my clothes in plastic bags, I saw the harbor come into view. By the time I had everything upstairs we were docked. Remington and Eric waited on the main deck as Wyatt and the crew went over some details about the marina. I didn’t see Hale.
Eric rode in the front of the limo with a man named Alfonse as Remington and I sat in the back. I should have been relieved to be off the boat, but I couldn’t stop worrying when I would see Hale again.
“Is Hale really staying at the house?”
“No.”
“So you just wanted to make me uncomfortable this morning?”
“You didn’t seem uncomfortable,” Remington replied. “Hale has his own business to manage. I think the space might do you good.”
I looked at him as he stared out the window. Key West was alive and bright, yet I couldn’t get in the mood to take it all in.
“You don’t have to worry about me and Hale, Remington.”
I wasn’t sure if he was working toward warning me away or what, but I figured I should let him know there was nothing going on anymore.
“I’m not worried.” Whatever the hell that meant.
****
Remington’s house was absolutely stunning. The ceilings were over eighteen feet high. The back patio rolled right into a pool that went to the edge of the property, dropping off in a waterfall cliff that overlooked the cerulean blue ocean. It was the prettiest sight I’d ever seen, even better than the ad for tequila that started my quest.
Two hours passed while situating Remington and having his belongings deposited into the right rooms. The house had an office, which was where Eric orbited.
I stuck by Remington’s side, learning the layout of the home and helping him set up a workstation in the room that overlooked the beach. He made several phone calls and sent me to find lunch for him.
I was so impressed with everything I couldn’t stop exploring and peeking in doors. After he ate, I took his plate to the kitchen and returned to his side.
“Why are you still here, Meyers?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Go out. I told you to take the night off.”
“But it’s only three o’clock.” He shot me a look that said he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Okay.”
I’d chosen a guestroom on the first floor, away from the other bedrooms. It had a private entrance to the pool and was close to the kitchen. Since I didn’t have much to unpack, I checked my bank account and Googled local shops once I saw the money had cleared.
After days at sea, the noise of the vacation town abraded my nerves. I jumped at the mere sound of cars going by and found myself anxious to get back to the house, but I forced myself to endure.
I Ubered my way to a little market that sold bohemian clothing and I took out my stress there. I was a little swipe happy with my debit card, but I was sick and tired of wearing black polo shirts, and my flip-flops were on their last mile. I needed something pretty to lift my spirits, so I bought a shit load of cheap sundresses.
When I returned to the house, I saw why they called this part of The Keys Sunset Island. The view was spectacular.
Marta invited me to a late dinner with her and her husband, Raoul. I debated going, because my earlier outing had left me feeling lonelier than entertained, but I couldn’t see wasting a night off.
After showering and changing into one of my new dresses, I went to check on Remington. I knew it was my night off, but I couldn’t just walk out without saying goodnight.
“Well, look at you,” he smiled a
nd put down whatever he was reading. “Very nice, Meyers.”
“I’m meeting Marta and Raoul for dinner and drinks.”
He nodded his approval. “Where?”
“Some place called Marcos?”
He waved a hand. “No, let me make a call.”
I tried to stop him, being that it wasn’t my dinner, and I was merely invited along, but he blew me off. He was on the phone making reservations within seconds.
When he hung up, I pursed my lips. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This place is much better. How are you getting there?”
“Uber.”
He scowled. “I’ll have Eric take you.”
This time, I did intervene, because I’d rather walk over hot coals than ask anything of that fucker. “No, Remington. It’s fine.”
His gray eyes studied me for a pregnant minute. “All right.”
I didn’t trust how easily he conceded, but I accepted it all the same.
“You enjoy yourself. You know the gate codes?”
Yes, Dad, I almost said, but instead I nodded and patted my purse. “I have them in my phone. You’re sure you’re okay for the night?”
“Alfonse is here if I need anything.”
“Okay.”
I left and called Marta, who was spending the night at the hotel with the others. I explained that Remington insisted we eat at the restaurant he recommended instead of Marco’s. She was a little concerned about the cost and I felt terrible for putting them in an uncomfortable situation. I had the idea to treat them until I saw the price of the appetizers. Holy hell, this place was crazy expensive.
Just as we were ordering our drinks, my phone buzzed. Normally I would have ignored it, but it was Remington.
“Sorry,” I said, opening the text.
Order the shrimp. You’ll love it.
I smirked and tucked my phone away.
Dinner was outstanding. The food was fresh and the breeze coming off the ocean was invigorating. Since I could only afford the shrimp appetizer and a salad, the alcohol was gaining on me. Did I not mention alcohol was always figured into the budget first?
A little over one margarita and I was laughing and talking in my drunken voice, but we were enjoying ourselves, and that was what mattered.
Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life Page 24
