by Cherry Kay
“So,” he said, taking a breath. He had been an irresponsible adult. His ex-girlfriend had always had protection via pills, and he had carelessly thrown away that important query for Caryn.
“My periods are irregular,” she quickly told him, taking a swallow of saliva after. “My doctor said I’d never get pregnant after she found out about a few cysts when I was younger.”
“Oh,” he said lamely. That was a good thing, and he felt himself breathe a sigh of relief. He heard her breathe out as well. “Wanna sleep?” he asked her.
She nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah. I’ll see you.”
He nodded back. “Uh-huh.”
He watched her as she left the living room area, walking to her room, and he found himself sinking onto the couch, as the sweat on his back and forehead began to dry. What did you do? He asked himself, his eyes wide and staring off into space. Yeah, so we did it, nothing to it, suck it up, you both wanted to. Everything was consensual. She obviously wanted it…
David found himself burying his face in his mind, and he took a deep breath, pressing his fingers hard onto his eyelids. He could have worked, he could have avoided all that. There was going to be repercussions for this, he felt it. He didn’t want to be negative, but a closeness to someone who wasn’t family always had more misgivings as opposed to opportunities.
He almost laughed aloud, thinking how awkward she was as he was. They were adults who didn’t know how to react. moments after that weakness for hankering. Well, he thought, it has been years since the last time I gave into that. He wondered how she was, if she was asleep. He hadn’t realized he had been sitting there for over an hour. It was past one in the morning when he decided to move to his bedroom for sleep, only, he couldn’t.
*
Her palms were clammy, and she wondered how casual their morning was going to be. He was awake way before she was, and she had only gotten three hours of sleep at best. She had slept as soon as the sun rose, only to be awakened by her body’s natural urge to pee. And here she had thought that sleep was going to come naturally after last night’s sudden tryst.
Of course, it was going to be a tryst, and no way was she talking about that to anyone. This would destroy her career and his, and she couldn’t live with herself if she told anyone. She felt a little sore as she took a seat at the dining table. He calmly drank his hot drink across her.
“Coffee?” he asked her.
She shook her head. She was sore because she hadn’t been hammered like that, ever. She almost snorted as she drank her water. Hammered, right. We’re humans, we have basic needs. Needs like what? Sex? Sex with someone who doesn’t know you? Sex with someone who’s been inundated by the media back in the mainland? He was her subject for an investigative report, and yet she allowed herself to enjoy his company in a way that no respectable woman would have.
She disliked him, didn’t she? Caryn took a breath, knowing full well that her thoughts about him had changed already. Her article could end up biased because of last night. What have I done? She thought as she looked at him, as the sunlight filtered from behind him, creating a soft halo. A halo for the devil that he was last night. She enjoyed it, by god, she knew she needed that, wanted that. I’m only human, after all.
“We can check on your cottage later,” he said, interrupting the silence.
She nodded. “Alright.”
“What do you want to eat?” he asked her.
He wore a sleeveless shirt and board shorts, an outfit she found endearing on him. What do I want to eat? You I guess. She was horrified by her thoughts this morning. Lust had prevailed over embarrassment. “Uh…whatever you have.”
He jerked his thumb over to the fridge. “Pick anything you want.”
It was just like him to be callous. What? He wasn’t cooking for her anymore because her stay was almost over? She was treated like an unwanted border already, even though he had every intention of letting her eat. It was part of his ‘niceties’. Did he feel as awkward as she did? He looked nonchalant. It didn’t matter to him at all.
Soundlessly, she walked for the fridge, surprised to find it well-stocked, like he had just come from Costco or Uncle Sam’s. She grabbed a carton of fresh milk, and two eggs, intent on making a quick omelet. He eyed her, and it made her conscious as she broke one egg clumsily. She thought she heard him ‘tsk’.
Realizing he was judging her kitchen skills, she put the other egg down on the counter. “You don’t have to make fun of me when I’m trying to cook.”
He nodded. “The key word there is try. Let me have that,” he said, without even asking her if she wanted his help.
She took a step back as she watched him skillfully break an egg apart. He seasoned it with a few fresh herbs and a bit of cheese, fluffing it up with a fork. She had omelets three minutes later to pair with her toast.
“Thanks,” she said, embarrassed.
“De nada,” he replied. “Let me just grab a quick exercise,” he told her with another casual wave of his hand.
Where was he going? She didn’t notice a gym anywhere… she decided to finish her breakfast first, and then figure out her predicament later. Did she regret sleeping with him at all? She found the answer to be no as she found him later on taking a swim by the shore. The moment he walked out of the water, her breath got caught in her throat. He was a fine man, she knew this. He wasn’t gay, was he? Was he dating anyone? Was he even married? She didn’t want to think of the damages that were going to mount if ever she found out he was in a relationship.
I’m not that type of person, she told herself. I’m not like my father’s mistress. As far as she knew, he was single, based on the profile she had gotten months ago. He had dated someone, and after a congressional hearing on his software being used as a primary weapons system, they had broken up. That was all she knew about his past relationships.
She had seen a photo of that ex-girlfriend. She was blonde, leggy, with a perfect tan, and Caryn hadn’t felt weird about it, until now. She felt a pang of jealousy, how that woman had snagged a man like David, and how she most probably going to be just a one-night stand of sorts. Was he going to use this against her? Surely a man with billions to spare had his ways in manipulation. He didn’t need money, maybe he needed thrill, maybe he was bored, and maybe he thought she was dispensable.
This was what she disliked about dating people, emotions got messed up, no matter how hard she tried to not let it mess her up. I’m a rational adult, she told herself as she watched him walk back from the beach. She quickly got inside, and went into the guest room, showering instead, just to take her mind away from those thoughts.
She hadn’t written and days, and the clock was ticking for her article. They had planned a four-page spread about him, if she got that much information. He hasn’t opened up to me, but we’ve become intimate in other ways, ways that just might bite my ass later on.
She heard the front door of the house open, just as she got out of the shower. He forced a small smile at her, it was small, but she noticed it, the first smile she had seen from him since she had met him.
“Gimme ten minutes,” he told her.
He was true to his word. Moments later, they were driving down the dirt road, headed for the cottage that she rented. Caryn was surprised to see four men working on the cottage, three of the men she didn’t recognize.
“How’s it going, gentlemen?” David asked them, like how a friend would to his friends.
They all greeted him a good morning, and Leilani’s husband, Akoni, spoke to David about the progress. Caryn overheard Akoni tell David that certain water pipes were damaged, along with electricity lines, and it might take another two days before they could fix everything.
Inwardly, she groaned. She couldn’t bear another day of discomfort in his home. As far as she knew, she was unwelcome since day one. Did last night change things at all for him? If there were any changes, she didn’t see them. He had retreated into his taciturn shell, a far cry from the passiona
te man from the night before. It mattered that he had given her the first orgasm she had had in years. Was that why she felt weird about the whole thing?
Don’t even think about falling for him, Caryn.
What were the odds of liking someone who was as cold as he was?
“Looks like you’re staying at my place for a few more days,” he told her with a sigh, like he regretted saying that.
“I can move into a hotel or something,” she reasoned.
“What for? So you can waste money?” he eyed her, before looking at the road once more. “Or are you expecting a discount in the island’s only five-star hotel?”
She pursed her lips, forgetting that he owned it. Free was better, free was good. “You don’t have to be nice, just because something happened last night.”
“And you don’t have to remind me about it.”
“You mention it like it’s something disgusting,” she said, getting out of the car as soon as he parked in the open garage. She almost slammed the door as she did.
“Did it sound that way?” he snapped at her, exiting his car as well.
“We don’t have to talk while I’m here,” she said, facing him. She felt livid. She disliked arguing with people, yet here he was, ready for an argument any time.
“You’re right,” he said, holding onto her arm and pulling her close to him, “we don’t have to.”
She didn’t have the gall to protest. Moments later, all their clothes were on the floor.
Chapter6
He found her hours later, reading a book on the veranda, lounging on a sofa. She had taken a book from the library without his permission but he said nothing. A light breeze flipped through her thick, wavy hair, and she looked up to see him standing beside her.
“Hey,” he said, enjoying how relaxed she looked on the sofa. Her legs looked beautiful in those shorts.
He had wanted to sleep with her again, after seeing her angry. She looked beautiful angry. She looked even more beautiful in bed, with her tousled hair and radiant caramel skin. It was a 180-degree difference from her character out of bed.
“Hey,” she replied, closing the book and putting it down. “I didn’t see you anywhere.”
He was working, an excuse to get him out of the guestroom, so he could collect his thoughts once more. “I was in my office,” he told her. “Had to finish a few things. So, you like Charles Dickens, huh?”
“It’s the first time I’ve read this,” she admitted, “it’s been interesting so far, stressful, but interesting.”
Like how we are now? He thought. It wasn’t necessarily stressful being with her, but those thoughts kept playing in his mind, of how this was all going to haunt him, of how it was going to end up like his last relationship, not like he wanted a repeat of those three years ago,. “Do you have anything nice to wear?” he asked her. “Something fancier than day dresses and shorts?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I have a dress that isn’t for the beach, if that’s what you mean.”
“Good,” he said, “make yourself free later, at seven in the evening.” As if she had anything better to do. She would probably write, or read, but he was inviting her for dinner, a formal one. He surprised himself, actually. A formal dinner meant he wanted to get to know more about her, and that meant he was more open to exposing himself. Screw this, he thought, I’m just getting to know my lodger.
*
She felt nervous, knowing this was a more or less formal dinner date. She had worn her only decent dress, and she was surprised to learn that his house (which she hadn’t fully explored yet), had another more formal dining area, and even a little space for dancing.
Her dress was from a little store beside a grocer’s in New York, she shopped that way, frugally. Clothes defined a person, but it didn’t mean she had to spend thousands of dollars to look nice. Her mother had been dressed in expensive clothing, something she hadn’t grown accustomed to…
He was standing by the glass door as she walked in, and a faint smile broke on his lips. “You look nice,” he said. She didn’t know if he was mincing his words, or if that was the best adulation he had for her. She nodded and smiled back, careful not to grin.
A part of her felt giddy now, seeing him in a white linen button down shirt, and casual light-colored jeans. He was barefoot, as was she, despite cleaning up for a more formal dinner. Why? She still wondered, knowing curiosity wasn’t enough, nor was desire.
“I hope you don’t mind, I ordered take out,” he said. Caryn stared at the spread before her. Which restaurant served this kind of takeout? They were transferred onto silver platters and ceramic plates, and she could have been fooled if he had said he cooked it himself.
“Wanted to cook, didn’t have the time,” he added, almost sheepishly.
“Where did you get this?” she asked, curious.
“The hotel,” he replied.
Right, Caryn remembered. The island’s only five-star hotel. In fact, the island’s only hotel. If she wasn’t mistaken, he owned it.
“Did Leilani tell you anything about the hotel?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “Nothing too important, except for the fact that you own it.”
He almost laughed, but he stopped himself, she saw it on his facial expression. “You were about to laugh, but you stopped. Why?”
“I don’t think it’s right for me to laugh aloud,” he said, clearing his throat.
“Because?”
He shook his head. “I have my reasons.”
“This is a date, right? Can’t we be ourselves?”
“I am being myself. Aren’t you?” he said, looking at her.
It was her turn to shake her head. “I’m thinking about a lot of things right now…”
“Like why I initiated this?”
“That included,” Caryn admitted, knowing her reputation and her unbiased story about David James Pierce was now at stake. She realized that they had never called each other by name, not since she had begun to stay in his home.
“Hope you like fish.”
It was a welcome meal, something that she rarely had while she moved about the country.
“Why?” she suddenly asked, interrupting their meal.
“Why what? Why this? Why now?” he said, looking at her with his piercing blue eyes. Was that why his name was David Pierce?
She nodded.
“There aren’t many women in this island, none that have piqued my interest.”
“I’m your unwanted neighbor,” Caryn told him matter-of-factly.
“Correction, I thought I didn’t want neighbors, you’re pretty okay as neighbors go,” he said with the faintest of smiles.
“You slept with me and I slept with you,” Caryn said, not mincing her words.
He put his fork down and clasped his hands in front of him. “It had been that long. You?”
She bit her lower lip. “Same.”
“So, we’re even,” David said.
“I thought you didn’t want things to be even. You seem to be the competitive kind,” Caryn responded.
“There’s a place for competition, and it’s not here.”
“You’re not asking for my complete name, those details people normally ask for,”Caryn hesitated, realizing she didn’t want another argument. They were good with that, weren’t they? It was the only thing that bound them together so far.
“It’s best we leave it at that. You know my full name, but I don’t want to know yours. You said before that you were leaving as soon as you finished writing. Let’s not complicate things, right? This is just for normalcy’s sake.” “Normalcy’s sake?” she repeated, feeling her temper rise. “None of this even feels normal, everything feels forced. Are you doing this to make yourself feel better?”
“I’m not. I’m doing this so we can get to know each other on our own terms- the way we like it. We’re different, you and I.”
“You’re doing this so we can maintain this shroud of mystery between us? To make your
island life exciting?” she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I know you’re smart, but you’re an idiot.”
She saw his jaw tense a little.
“I’ve been called that before,” he said quietly. “I don’t like it, and I believe I’m not an idiot. There’s a reason those diplomas and those awards were there in that room I showed you. Let’s just say I’ve had previous experiences that made me guard myself.”
She closed her eyes. “At least we’re on the same page.”
“We’re not, except for the pleasure we’ve had,” David said. “I’d like another of that. It’s a good stress reliever. By the looks of it, you needed that, too.”
She felt her cheeks burn. “Yeah,” she said, trying to play it cool, “I needed it, but don’t you think, for the sake of our friendship-”
“We’re not friends,” he quickly corrected her. “We’ve been recently acquainted, and we’ve slept together.”
Caryn waved a dismissive hand in the air. She knew they were both headstrong, it proved difficult to adjust to. “However you call it. I just think it would be best if we didn’t do that anymore.”
His eyes narrowed, clearly disliking the idea of celibacy once more. “You don’t find me attractive?”
“What-?” she sputtered out. “I should ask you the same question.”
“I find you very attractive,” he said calmly. “I don’t think you can blame me for thinking that.”
Caryn took a deep breath, remembering the first time she saw him, and how she felt mesmerized at the sight of him in the water, how the water flicked on his hair, and how it dripped down to his face- those clear blue eyes like the arctic sea had formed in his eyes…
“You’re okay looking,” she said begrudgingly. “Not my type but--” “Why? You like your quarterbacks?” he said, his voice teasing.
She frowned. “You’re stereotyping-“
“I’m not, just guessing. Am I anywhere near it, though?”
She shook her head. “I’ve dated an English professor, grammar Nazi that he was. I’ve also dated a fellow writer. It didn’t end well. He stole my pieces.”
