by Carly Morgan
“No,” she whispered. “I’m definitely not all right.” Fresh tears clung to her lashes. It hurt that her fiancé had obviously been cheating on her, that his feelings for her didn’t reflect the way she felt for him. But seeing him with another woman? That was the icing on an already crappy cake. Her life was in shambles. She’d never felt so out of control.
“Is there anything I can do? I’m a great listener.” Max’s vivid eyes revealed the genuineness of his words.
Katie took another deep breath, met his gaze, and did something completely out of character. She kissed him. As soon as her lips touched his, she blanched, but he’d placed his hands on her arms and held her to him. When she froze, he pulled back. “Is that it?” He smirked, giving her a lopsided grin.
She studied him, gauging his thoughts. She had no idea what she was thinking, but knew she wanted to block out all the pain radiating through her body. “No,” she said, placing her hands on his face and pulling him back down.
Max’s kiss was different than Bentley’s. His mouth was hungry for her. Max didn’t even know her, yet she felt more desired by him than she ever had by Bentley. The whole experience was heady and she got lost in it, in him. He tasted like strawberries and smelled like sweat and cologne. The combination was intoxicating.
After several long minutes, he released her. His eyes sparkled. “That was incredible.”
She noticed his bare feet and focused on them, surprised by how amazing the kiss had been. The best kiss of her life. Not that she had a lot of experience kissing random men. “Yes. Thank you.” She couldn’t look at him, feeling embarrassed and completely torn apart. “I should go.”
He tucked his hands into his pockets. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind trying that again.” His eyes danced with mischief.
She paused. It was apparent he wasn’t embarrassed by their kiss, but then, he wasn’t the one who’d been engaged up until ten minutes ago.
“I met you on the elevator earlier this evening, right?” He studied her a moment. “Katie, right? You’re the beautiful woman who wants to be a lawyer.”
She nodded. “Thanks for saying I’m beautiful. I’m sure I don’t look it right now.” She remembered she’d been crying before they kissed and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.
He took off his shirt. “May I?”
“What?” Once again, her mind went blank. It seemed to be doing that a lot tonight. She couldn’t stop staring at his chest.
“Here.” He used his wadded shirt to dab her face. “Nothing could mar your beauty. It shines through your eyes, brighter than the sun.”
Her lips twitched. If she weren’t so devastated by the loss of her future, she would’ve smiled at his sappy but sweet comment. “Thanks.”
“Did you enjoy the show?” Apparently, he wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Oh, yes, it was wonderful.” She leaned against the railing, needing the extra support. “It’s funny, I didn’t recognize you in the elevator with your suit and slicked back hair, but your group is one of my favorites. I listen to your songs all the time.”
He smiled, and it warmed her insides. “That’s awesome. Which song is your favorite?”
She thought a moment, grateful to be able to ponder something other than what’d just happened.
“Probably ‘Don’t Say Good-bye’.”
“Wow, you really do know all of our songs. That one isn’t very popular. We weren’t going to sing that one tonight but now, maybe we will. For you.” He smiled and she could tell he was trying to help her feel better. “Why do you like it?”
His voice filled her mind and she immediately felt peace. “Probably because it brings comfort to my soul. Also,” she shrugged, “the lyrics have a great message. My family served in Africa and even though I haven’t seen the people there in a long time, I still consider them some of my dearest friends.”
He came close so they were almost touching. “That’s beautiful. You really got the message behind the lyrics. When I wrote them, I’d just finished a tour in Kenya. The song poured out of me because of my love of the landscape, but especially the people.”
She nodded, completely understanding, though she hadn’t known he’d written the lyrics.
Max touched her arms. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t know you, but can I give you a small piece of advice?”
“Sure.” They’d just kissed. A piece of advice couldn’t hurt. She clamped her lips together to keep her teeth from chattering, afraid she might be going into shock.
“God has all the answers. Go to Him with your problems. Ask for His guidance. He’ll show you the way.”
“Thanks,” she said. There was a little bitterness in her voice but she couldn’t help it. Why hadn’t God been there all these months while Bentley was so obviously cheating on her?
He was. The words whispered through her mind.
Max squeezed her lightly. “Goodnight, Katie Green.”
She grinned, pleased he’d remembered her name. “Night.”
Katie watched him make his way through a throng of people who’d gathered on the balcony. Her face heated as she realized they’d had an audience for the kiss and their conversation. Bentley was one of them. “So that’s the kind of woman you are,” he said, his voice like battery acid.
Before she could respond, he went after Max who’d just gone inside.
Through the window she watched them. She had no idea what they were saying, but it looked like they were yelling at each other. Bentley shoved Max, and laughed before walking away. It wasn’t like Bentley to get physical. Peace filled her and she knew she’d made the right choice by breaking things off with Bentley, even if it had been a bit more dramatic than her usual way of dealing with her problems.
Katie went back inside, determined to steer clear of both men. She just wanted to go home.
Chapter 5
Katie settled into her assigned seat in first-class. After buckling her seatbelt, she pushed her oversized sunglasses farther up her nose while the flight attendant stored her carry-on in the overhead bin.
“Thanks,” she said when the woman finished.
“Sure.” The woman gave her an overly sugary smile. Katie looked out her window, happy she didn’t have the aisle seat. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, and with the window she would have an excuse to keep her glasses on and her head turned away from possible conversation with a neighbor. It wasn’t her normal attitude toward strangers, but since the breakup with Bentley, and the fallout that went along with it, she wasn’t capable of pleasantries. Plus, she didn’t want to have to explain why she was going to Maui by herself. It’d been an easy decision, really. Her parents had already paid for the trip. It was to be her and Bentley’s honeymoon and her parents had been unable to get a refund. So here she was, sitting on a plane headed for one of the most romantic destinations in the world, by herself. It’s going to be great, she thought, hoping if she repeated it enough, she would believe it.
While waiting for the plane to take off, she pulled her new sunflower yellow leather journal from her bag as well as her favorite pen.
Dear Diary,
A lot has happened in the last month. I broke off my engagement with Bentley. The reason is simple: He’s a dirty, rotten cheater. The same night I found out about Bentley, I also met someone new: Max Legend, lead singer of Look No Further. He’s extremely gorgeous and so kind, but he’s also a musician. And that’s #1 on my PEOPLE I WON’T DATE list. Never, ever date a singer. It’s even written in bold letters. It was nice to meet him, but it can’t go further. Not that it would anyway… Okay, there’s a part of me that’s imagined what it would be like to be his girlfriend, to have him kiss me on a regular basis.
That’s right. We kissed. It was amazing!
Never mind though. It doesn’t matter. I won’t ever see him again and we won’t ever kiss again, and I’ll probably never feel the way I felt when he kissed me again.
She glanced out the
window with a sigh. There had to be a way to experience that kind of a kiss again. With someone new. Someone who wasn’t Max. She went back to writing.
Then there’s my job situation. It isn’t good. All my life, all I wanted was to become a lawyer. Now that I’ve graduated, I’ve gone to so many interviews, but I haven’t been hired. Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe they see something I don’t. Maybe I don’t have what it takes. I don’t know. Nor do I have any answers. My life is in shambles, but I’m going to Maui. I’m actually on the plane right now. The trip was supposed to be a honeymoon present. Instead, it’s supposed to help me heal. At least that’s what my mom says. It’s probably a bad idea to go, but it’s too late now. We’ll see what happens. I hope it’s something adventurous and beautiful.
She thought about her discussion with her parents after telling them the wedding was off. Both had been relieved she wasn’t marrying “that wealthy, egotistical jerk”, as they’d called him. Apparently, they’d never liked him. She’d been surprised by their feelings. They’d hidden them well. And she felt bad she hadn’t known.
Birdy had been relieved as well. She’d explained that she’d never liked Bentley, not even when they’d gone to high school together. It’d been an eye-opening conversation to realize Birdy had this whole other life when she was younger, with Max, Wolfgang, and Bentley. Katie hadn’t known and Bird hadn’t wanted to share. But it wasn’t like Birdy kept that part of her life confidential out of spite or because she harbored secrets. It was just that she’d seen the kind of teen he was. Turned out Birdy dated Bentley a few times in high school, or more appropriately, they’d partied together.
On the other hand, Birdy and Max hadn’t ever been more than great friends. Birdy had worried about him, and had treated him like a brother. She explained she’d never been attracted to him then, though she thought he’d become incredibly gorgeous over the last eight years. “He’s matured,” she said. “Unlike Bentley.”
Bentley handled the breakup with Katie like a toddler. The first thing he’d done was to have his lawyer call and tell Katie he intended to sue her for assault. Apparently, throwing his engagement ring at him could’ve damaged his eye and ruined his life. Before things could escalate, Birdy had her dad send over one of his associates to calm Katie’s nerves. The lawyer, a guy named Troy, told her not to worry. Bentley didn’t have a case, and their law firm would handle everything. Katie took his words to heart, recognizing she was at her wit’s end and couldn’t handle additional stress.
A few days later, Bentley had the nerve to show up at her brownstone, asking her to reconsider. By the time the whole mess was over, Katie knew without a doubt she’d made the right decision in dumping him.
She hadn’t prayed since the night of their breakup, either. Every time she tried, she would just cry. A great well of bitterness festered inside her and with each passing day, it got stronger, especially when she still couldn’t find a job. She didn’t know what to do about her life.
Katie pulled her sunglasses over her eyes and rested her head against the headrest, feeling a little nervous. She hadn’t ever been on a vacation alone. She’d always had her friends, her parents, Birdy, and Bentley.
This trip was the first thing she’d done all by herself. It felt weird. Scary, even.
“Hey.” The male voice called her out of her thoughts as she felt the seat beside her fill.
“Hi,” she responded, but didn’t turn from the window. She wanted to make it clear she had no desire to engage in conversation.
“Are you stalking me?”
That surprised her. She swiveled her head around, recognizing him immediately. Max Legend grinned at her. Without meaning to, her face lit up. “Hi,” she said again, flustered. She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head. “What are you doing here?” She’d thought about him so many times over the last month. Each time one of his songs came on, she regretted not spending more time talking to him that night. “I’m not stalking you. Are you stalking me?” She tried to wipe the smile from her face but couldn’t.
Max leaned back in the seat, closing his beautiful eyes a moment. “You caught me.” He met her gaze, giving her another lopsided grin.
Katie watched him, unable to stop herself. “But really, what are you doing here?”
He crossed his arms, the twinkle still in his eyes. “Our band just finished recording our latest album. After the first five years of vacationing together, we realized it would be best for the group if we took time apart to rejuvenate.”
“Oh?” That surprised her, but it also made sense. “How’s it working out?”
“We’ve been together eight years. I’d say it’s working great.”
“That is a long time,” Katie agreed. “Longer than most marriages, even,” she added. Then blushed nervously. She hadn’t meant to say that.
Katie felt like a marshmallow in her white jeans, tennis shoes, and poplin top. When she’d put on the outfit earlier, she’d felt summery, even putting her hair up in a messy bun with tendrils hanging in front of her ears. Now she just felt like she wore too much white. Like a cloud, or a cotton ball. She should’ve worn yellow. She always felt pretty in yellow. Oh well.
“Can I get you something to drink?” The flight attendant stopped at their aisle. She only had eyes for Max as she shot him a sultry, seductive grin. Katie didn’t blame her. Max was incredibly good-looking. Today he had on jeans and a bright blue tee shirt that had seen better days. She would go so far as to call it ratty. Katie guessed he bought it that way and it probably cost a fortune. He also wore tan loafers without socks. His bangs hung over his dark eyes. He kept flicking them out of his face while he talked.
Katie relaxed, watching the interaction between Max and the flight attendant. Max was polite and kind to the woman, but didn’t encourage her or flirt back. “I’d love an herbal tea.”
“Right away,” she said, patting him on the arm. “I’m Elise, by the way. In case you need me. For anything at all.” She bit her bottom lip before starting down the aisle.
“So, hey, I’d love a sparkling water with lemon.” Katie waved her hand to get the woman’s attention.
Elise peered at her, irritated, but trying hard not to show it. “Yeah, sure.”
“You think she’ll actually bring me my water?” Katie whispered jokingly after the woman walked away.
“I hope so.” He propped a foot on his opposite knee.
“So you like tea, huh? You’re such a rock and roller,” she added playfully, her desire to stay silent the whole trip disappearing.
Max chuckled. “Yes. I like tea. It’s good for the throat, especially with a little honey.”
“I’ve never been much for tea myself.” As she spoke, Max moved so that the overhead lights hit his face. She noticed a scar crossing through his left eyebrow. Seeing it sparked a memory, but she couldn’t remember how or why it seemed so familiar.
“Oh, what do you like to drink? I mean other than water.” He lifted the eyebrow she’d been staring at.
Katie shrugged, feeling her cheeks get warm. “That’s about it. Sometimes juice.”
“Coffee?”
“No.” She wrinkled her nose. “I really don’t like coffee. It makes me jittery.”
“So water? Wow. You’re obviously a woman of peculiar tastes.”
Katie smiled. “I don’t know if it’s because water was so hard to come by in Africa or, maybe I do have peculiar tastes. Or, probably I’m just boring.” She shrugged again. “But I do like a little lemon or lime in it, too. That gives it some pizzazz.”
“You’re definitely not boring.” Max gave her a big smile and it was like a sunbeam permeated her heart.
The gloom that had overshadowed her lately dissipated, but only a little. “Thank you.”
“I mean it.”
She smiled as the memory of their kiss flitted through her mind. Her eyes took in his beautiful lips before quickly returning to his eyes. He did the same thing and she knew he was thinking about
their kiss too.
“Here’s your tea.” Elise was back and handed him a cup and saucer. The cup had hot water in it, a tea bag sitting on the side.
“Thank you, Elise.”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“Yes, Katie had a sparkling water.”
Elsie’s features became cloudy. “I’ll be right back with it.”
“You’re so kind.” He gave her his megawatt smile.
When she was gone, he focused to Katie.
“I told you,” Katie said, crossing her arms.
“Yes, you did.” He chuckled.
There were a few moments of comfortable silence between them while Max put the tea bag in the water to steep.
“Tell me about yourself,” Max said while he bobbed the tea bag up and down in the water.
“What do you want to know?” She faced him more fully.
He waited to respond while the captain announced they were getting ready to take off. Then the flight attendants showed them what to do in case of an emergency. When they were done and the plane was in the air, Katie finally got her water.
She thanked Elise and took a sip.
“You said you lived in Africa and I know you want to be a lawyer, but tell me something most people don’t know about you.”
Katie took another sip. The bubbles tickled her nose. “I love romantic movies.”
“Like what?”
“A Walk to Remember. The Notebook. The Holiday.” She paused. “Those are some of my favorites.
“Sure. Okay.” He didn’t seem too excited by her choices.
“What about you?”
Max smiled. “I haven’t watched a lot of movies.”
“Oh. Well, you really should check those out. They’re good.”
He didn’t seem convinced.
She decided to lead their exchange in a different direction. “I bet your mom and dad are so proud of you. It must be quite the life you lead.” She’d sworn off all musicians, but he didn’t seem quite so narcissistic as others she’d met. And even though she knew they’d never be an item because of his job, she didn’t think chatting with him would hurt.
