by Rye Hart
“We were no good together. Not for a long while,” I said. “Besides, it became pretty clear that you were using me for my money, Jessica. That was it.”
“No, Sebastian. Believe it or not, I loved you,” she said, her eyes filled with unshed ears. “I still love you.”
“You're only in love with my money,” I said. “We were never good together as two loving, caring people.”
“That's not what you used to say when I was the one you were fucking,” she said. “You used to tell me I was your world.”
“Because you were at one time,” I said. “But that changed once things between us got a little more real and we started to see each other for who we really were.”
The fact that I had to explain this to her again was killing me. We'd had these discussions before, countless times. I couldn't handle the clinginess, the neediness, the jealousy. Her pettiness and snobby attitude also turned me off more than I could say.
When we first met, she'd seemed like a different girl. She'd been kind, compassionate, confident. But as time wore on, I saw that it was all just a facade she had constructed. A mask she'd worn. She was nothing like that girl I'd met. And I started to feel like yeah, maybe she'd pretended to be someone she wasn't just to get me into bed and become part of my life.
The longer our relationship dragged on, the more I felt used by her. She always wanted to go on the expensive vacations, always needed the shopping trips, and the fancy dinners out. Everything about our relationship became what I could do for her or buy for her, not what we could bring to each other's lives.
That was exactly why I loved spending time with Violet. None of that material stuff mattered to her. Each time I did something nice for her, it was a surprise and something she appreciated. It wasn't something she expected or demanded.
With Jessica, things had to keep getting bigger or more lavish. She demanded the finest things from the most expensive places, otherwise she grew bored and pouted. I eventually grew tired of it, and it basically ruined everything between us. I finally saw her for who she really was – a gold digger.
She looked at me and though there were tears still shining in her eyes, there was a defiance and an anger in them as well.
“Well, I guess the rest of the world is finally going to be able to see who you really are too, Sebastian,” she said. “As you know, I have contacts in the media and I'm sure they'd love to hear my story. The story of how you, the greedy CEO tossed me aside for someone younger and prettier. Yeah, feminism is all the rage these days, and don't be surprised if women stop coming to your resorts or staging protests and boycotts once they hear about how you truly feel about us. We're nothing more than disposable toys to you.”
Gritting my teeth, I tried so hard to keep my cool. By “contacts in the media,” what she really meant to say was that she had friends who worked for those trashy supermarket checkout line tabloids. If she went running to them with this, they would do a hatchet job on me that would be brutal. I really doubted it would have any lasting impact on my company in the long term, but in the short term, it would create a lot of embarrassment and headaches. Not to mention, it would wreak havoc on Violet and our budding romance.
“None of that is true and you know it,” I said. “Again, what happened with Violet had nothing to do with her age. And it had nothing to do with you. We're two consenting adults.”
Jessica shrugged, pulling her feet from the water and put her shoes back on. “If you say so, Sebastian,” she said. “But that's not the way I see it. And I'm not so sure Violet can handle the backlash that's going to come from this, especially not so soon after her poor daddy's death.”
“Leave her out of this,” I hissed. “I'm warning you, Jessica.”
“I'll leave both of you out of this and turn over all copies of the pictures to you on one condition,” she said.
I sighed, knowing where this was likely going. “What condition, Jessica?”
“You cut things off with the little tramp, Sebastian,” she said, her voice firm. “Immediately.”
“She's not – ”
“Whore, trollop, whatever,” Jessica said flippantly. “Whatever she is, you cut things off with her and neither these pictures nor my story will never see the light of day.”
“I'm never coming back to you, Jessica,” I said. “Not even if I cut things off with Violet.”
“Oh, I know that now,” she said with a smile. “But if I have to hurt, I want you to hurt too. And if it means hurting your poor, sweet little Violet, then so be it. I'll do whatever it takes to ruin both of your lives and make you as fucking miserable as I am right now.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, sweetie,” she said, in that condescending tone of voice of hers that I hated so much. “It's not a threat. It's a promise. Now enjoy the rest of your trip. I've booked the bungalow down at the end so we're neighbors. Maybe we'll run into each other. We can have drinks and catch up.”
She sauntered down the dock and entered a bungalow not too far from us. I felt the need to punch something, anything, but without the risk of breaking something on my property that I'd have to explain. I also had to get ready. Paula and Steve were expecting us, and I had work to do. I'd have to handle Jessica, and Violet after that.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - VIOLET
Paula and Steve were already waiting for us in the lobby, but they made no mention of us running late. Perks of being the boss when it came to being on time to work-related functions, I supposed. Paula looked a little stressed as she outlined our itinerary, listing off everywhere we were going for the day.
I could tell Sebastian wasn't at the top of his game. Not that I blamed him, but what happened with Jessica really had really thrown him off. When he'd come back to pick me up before we left for the meeting, he hadn't even come into my room, choosing to stay outside the front door and wait for me.
And as we walked toward the resort, he stared straight ahead and kept the conversation purely to business-related matters. Even though I'd tried to bring Jessica up, he'd refused to talk about her, instead saying he'd deal with it.
He apparently wasn't the only one off kilter, though. Paula looked over at me, a concerned look upon her face.
“Violet?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“I asked if you'd made the arrangements with the driver to pick us up?”
I tried to clear my head, tried to banish all other thoughts about Sebastian, Jessica, and the photos, but I couldn't remember. Had I made the arrangements? I could have sworn I'd booked all travel arrangements for the meetings, but for some reason, this one wasn't coming to me. As I was sifting through all of my paperwork in my file, trying to find it, I caught sight of a blonde woman sitting in the lobby with a glass of champagne, watching us closely, flashing a predatory grin our way.
“What is – ” But then I stopped myself.
I couldn't talk about Jessica with Paula and Steve here, so instead, I cleared my throat, tore my gaze away from her, and continued flipping through my papers until I found the reservation with the limo company.
“Oh, there it is,” I said, pulling out the confirmation sheet. “I knew I made it, wanted to make sure.”
“Great,” Paula said. “Looks like we have a few minutes to spare, maybe we should get a drink at the bar?”
Sebastian must have seen Jessica as well. “You two go ahead,” he said. “I need a little air, so I'm going to wait outside.”
There was no way I wanted to remain inside alone with Jessica, so I followed Sebastian outside. As soon as we were out of hearing distance, I turned to him feeling a surge of panic course through me.
“What is she doing here?” I asked.
“She's staying here,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “At the resort. As a guest.”
Raising an eyebrow, I looked at him, an expression of bewilderment upon my face.
“What? There's nothing I can do about it,” he asked, shrugging. “She's a paying guest. I
can't just kick her out.”
“And why can't you? You own the place?”
“Because it would look really bad if I kicked people out of my properties based on personal reasons,” he said. “Besides, I think I've pissed her off enough already. God knows what she'd do if I kicked her off the property.”
I was stunned. Seriously stunned. After what she had done to us earlier today, I would have suspected he would want to be as far away from that bitch as possible, but he just shook his head, an inscrutable look upon his face.
“I have to be able to separate business from my personal life, Violet,” he said, obviously frustrated. “I don't like it any more than you do, but that's the way it has to be. I hate that she's in the same set of bungalows we are, but there's nothing I can do.”
“Wait. So, you mean she's staying a few bungalows down from me?” I asked. “I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that.”
And I wasn't. What if she spied on me, or worse? She was crazy, we already knew that. The fact that she was staying only like a few yards away from where I slept only made things that much creepier.
At least now it all made sense, the fact that Sebastian seemed to be keeping his distance from me. But it made me wonder, was he doing it to keep the drama at bay? Or was it because he still had feelings for his ex? I wouldn't have thought it would be the latter, but now that I'd slept with him, I had to wonder. And I certainly didn't want any ex-girlfriends stepping back into his life, or mine. Especially crazy ones like Jessica.
“What do you want me to do, Violet?” he asked, turning to me with an annoyed look on his face. “I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I think for the time being, it's best if we just keep everything professional and get our work done, then head home. I'll deal with Jessica, but kicking her off the property after she paid for the room isn't how you run a business. No matter how annoying she is. Not if you have a reputation to maintain.”
A knot formed in my throat. In all the years I'd know him, Sebastian had never before taken that tone of voice with me, and it hurt to hear him talk to me like that. It was condescending and dismissive and not at all like him. As I stared up into his eyes, I fought back the tears because I was a grown-up and needed to act like one, crying in front of your boss wasn't what adults did; they sucked it up and carried on.
“I'm sorry, Sebastian,” I said, my voice flat. “I wasn't thinking. I let my emotions get in the way. It won't happen again.”
His eyes softened, almost like he wanted to comfort me, but the moment passed quickly. His gaze fell past me, and he turned away.
“The driver is here,” he said. “Can you run in and let Paula and Steve know, please?”
“Yes, Sebastian.” I did as I was told, and when I went inside, Jessica was already gone.
Maybe she'd made her point by being there, publicly, allowing me to see her. Or maybe she was outside with Sebastian now. Not that it was any of my business. What had happened last night was great, but perhaps there'd be nothing more that came of it. Maybe, for Sebastian, it had been a fun, one time only show. No repeat performances. How in the hell was I supposed to know what was going on in that head of his if he refused to talk to me?
I needed to understand that sometimes, things didn't always work out the way you wanted them to. I knew last night when I'd slept with him that we probably wouldn't hop into some hot and heavy lifelong committed relationship, and I'd slept with him anyway. Deep down, however, I was still hopeful.
“Stupid girl,” I muttered to myself, scolding myself for believing in happily-ever-afters. “Stupid, stupid, immature little girl.”
I hid my face so Paula and Steve wouldn't see my tears, and I did my job for the rest of the day. I did the work I was there to do and offered little more. And at the end of the day, Sebastian and I went to our separate bungalows and kept our distance. I had a hard time even relaxing as I sat out on the deck, trying to enjoy the ocean breeze because I was fearful that Jessica might be watching me.
Everything good that had happened quickly crumbled away, leaving me feeling incredibly alone and sad. In the span of twenty-four hours I’d gone from the heights of elation to the pits of despair, and it had been my own damn fault. Sebastian had been trying so hard to fight his attraction to me, I should have just let it go. Now I was sitting alone in the most beautiful place on earth with a hole where my heart was.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - VIOLET
After another round of property tours the next day, Sebastian and I parted ways again. I asked him about dinner plans, if we were meeting with Paula and Steve and he avoided my eyes, giving me a brusque reply.
“No, we're on our own tonight,” he said.
“Should we grab something at the resort?” I asked, feeling hesitant to suggest it.
“I'm just going to call in room service and stay in,” he said. “I'm really tired.”
Biting my lip, I nodded. I didn’t argue with him because I didn’t want to face the rejection I was sure he would give.
“Okay, I guess I'll do the same then,” I said.
Sebastian looked over at me, and there was a sadness in his eyes. “Maybe you should go out,” he said. Go and have a little fun. See Bali, Violet. The company will pick up the tab.”
Truthfully, I didn't want to go out without him. The idea of eating alone in a place like this just made the heartache that was crippling me even worse. That last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by couples when I was alone and my heart was breaking. No, thank you.
I shook my head. “No, I think I'll just eat dinner on the deck outside the bungalow. It'll be nice. Maybe I'll go for a swim.”
He nodded. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”
I so badly wanted to stop him, to ask him what had changed or whether our night had just been a one-time thing for him. I didn't think so, not after what he'd said the next morning, but I was suddenly feeling insecure and uncertain. I wanted to fix things, to make them right, but I also didn't want to be clingy and crazy like Jessica either.
So instead of having a meltdown, we parted ways. I went to my bungalow and he went to his. As much as I wanted to sit on my bed and cry over how quickly my dreams had been shattered, I forced myself to put on my bikini. I was in Bali, goddammit, and the last thing I was going to do was lock myself in my room and cry into my pillow.
My bikini was a sexy two-piece, vintage style with the high waist that accentuated my curves. At one time, I pictured how hot I'd look wearing it for Sebastian and the effect it would have on him. But now, he wouldn't even see it because he was keeping his distance.
I stepped out onto the deck, walked to the edge, and dipped my toe into the water. The water was warmer than I thought it would be so I slipped into the ocean, dunking my head and staying underwater for a bit, just floating there and feeling all the tension in my body seeming to float away on the currents.
When I came back up for air, my eyes fell on Sebastian's bungalow. I caught him at the window, staring out at me. But the moment our eyes met, he turned and walked away from the window as fast as he could. I floated on my back, staring up at the sun, trying to relax as best I could. I wanted to forget all about Sebastian and Jessica and all of the drama. I was in paradise and didn't want to think about the real world and all of its bullshit for a while.
The sun set, and it was starting to get chilly, so I climbed out of the water and reached for the towel. As I wrapped it around my waist, I caught sight of Sebastian looking over at me again. This time, he was sitting on the deck by himself, eating what looked to be a very nice dinner.
He was close enough, I considered swimming over to him, but I could tell he wanted to be left alone. Still, when our eyes met, I could see that he was regretting that decision.
Dropping the towel, I decided to walk around in my bikini, just to show him what he was missing. Since I knew he was watching me, I figured that I'd give him a show. I'd make him regret pulling away. I picked up the room service menu as I sat down, cr
ossing my legs and looking it over. Once I knew what I wanted, I called the order in.
Sebastian was still across the water from me, staring at me as he ate. I stared back, hoping it might make him react, do something, say something. When it didn't, I looked away and stared out at the ocean.
My phone rang, and at first, I assumed it was room service calling to confirm my order. But when I looked down at the screen, I was surprised to see that it was Sebastian. I looked across at him, and saw him point to the Bluetooth in his ear. I grinned to myself and shook my head.
Picking it up, I teased, “You know, you could just walk your sexy little ass over here if you wanted to talk.”
He was quiet for a moment, as if he didn't know what to say.
“I can't be there with you, Violet. Especially with you looking like that,” he said. “It's dangerous.”
“What do you mean it's dangerous?” I said, scowling in his direction.
“Because I wouldn't be able to control myself. After the other night – ”
I knew exactly what he meant. “So don’t control yourself. We're both consenting adults, Sebastian. We did nothing wrong.”
“Violet,” he said softly. “I can't be with you that way . I just can't.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Is this about Jessica?”
Sebastian sighed, and for the first time since we'd started talking, he looked away from me.
“Well? Is it?” I pressed. “Because ever since she knocked on the door, you've been acting like a completely different person, so I assume – ”
“Yes and no, Violet,” he said, stopping me. “Yes, it does have to do with her somewhat. But not in the way you think it does. It actually got me thinking that I just can't do this to you. What about your family? Your mother? What would she think if she found out your dad's best friend was sleeping with you. Christ, I'm old enough to be your father, Violet.”
