The Rules In Paradise (Playing By The Rules)

by Woods, Lindsey

  Jason is not an obstacle Olivia. He was cranky, it was early and I was late. Give him some credit, he had left someone he cared about as well. He is only looking out for me. I did explain to him that he was wrong to speak a word of anything to you on the boat. What you and I are doing is none of his concern. He does it because he is my best friend. He’s known me for so long and there are things that I am now having to deal with that he wouldn’t expect me to change. I have explained how I feel about you to him several times. He understands that there is nothing that could come between the two of us that I would not fight tooth or nail to overcome. He understands that I intend to pursue something with you when it becomes possible. He accepts how I feel about you and is on our side. He and I will be traveling to your town the weekend of the wedding. I have already booked my tickets. You cannot change your mind now.

  I am simply making sure that you and I have the opportunity to be happy together if that is our decision. I care a great deal for you. I never imagined getting to meet someone like you. For all of my arrogance and my harsh side, I never dreamed someone would still show me so much kindness. You’ve given me chances even when I was being very unfair to you. You’ve challenged me on why I am the way I am. Nobody has ever been brave enough to point out my flaws. I don’t profess to be scary or tough, I just am the way I am and have always accepted it. But you have met me head on and made me think past who I am, and into why. You have made me into a better person because of it. I miss your psychiatric games. Here’s one:

  Beach or boat (again) next time?

  Your blush looks sweet.

  C.C.

  To: Cole Cooper

  From: Olivia Adamson

  Subject: Playing Fair

  Date: June 14th 2012 6:54 PM

  Cole,

  You don’t play fair. That is something else you should know about yourself. Besides the fact that you brought up a very, earth-shattering moment in my (our?) life(ves?) While you’re doing all of this soul searching, let me help. You don’t play fair. You always have to have it your way. If something goes off of your plan, you get angry. You kissed me the first time. I don’t think you planned that. You were an angry lunatic for an hour afterwards. Why? I still don’t understand. Why would you regret kissing me? That’s one thing I cannot figure out about you. I’ve tried, believe me. That has nothing to do with me, that isn’t be borrowing any arrogance, I just don’t understand. What was so wrong about that happening? Anyway, you got to brood over that all afternoon. I had to walk on eggshells just to get you back to a decent mood. I don’t get it, please explain?

  I also don’t think you are scary or tough. I just think you’re stubborn and unruly. You try to be tough and scary. You command attention. The day I saw you, you were sitting at the bar and all of the guys around you were listening to you talk. You command everyone’s attention Cole. You are intense and charismatic and people come around for you. I still think back to the night of the party. You had met with these people who you wanted to do business with. Not only did they agree to meet you, knowing that you wanted to make a deal where they’re forking over the money. But they came to a place you decided just to spend more time with you, to continue to work with you. It amazes me to think about how you have created such a strong business and you’re still not thirty. (When are you going to be thirty anyway?) You have a power, to get people’s attention without hardly trying. I respect that about you. Really. My turn:

  Dress or no dress?

  Two can play at that game

  Olivia

  To: Olivia Adamson

  From: Cole Cooper

  Subject: Re: Playing Fair

  Date: June 16th 2012 11:42 PM

  Olivia,

  That question is impossible to answer. It is just as wonderful to look at you in that dress as it was out of it. Earth-shattering huh? I will give myself a pat on the back for that one. I never have had to play fair Olivia. My job is to not play fair. My job is to used every means necessary to end up with the prize. This time though, my prize is much more valuable. I am doing everything in my power to make sure that I win. I know you did not appreciate when I likened you to business transaction, but that is how my mind works. I’ve invested time and interest into you. I have grown to the point where I feel the need to make sure that time and interest pays off. I like you too much to let you get stolen away to some other company.

  Understand this - YOU HAVE NEVER WALKED ON EGGSHELLS AROUND ME SO THAT COMMENT WAS A COMPLETE AND UTTER LIE. Understand?

  I appreciate your respect of what I try to do. In my position I am the first one people see. Jason is not naturally inclined to reading people and figuring them out. I am. I go in and try to figure out what the person wants. He is the one who is good with the execution part of it.

  I regret kissing you. I do not regret the act of it. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of that kiss. I could begin to describe it to you but I will refrain for several reasons. I was not sure I was really believing how incredible you were at that point. I needed to try to stay away from you. Think about it, I have lived 29 and a half (30 in January)years one way and then suddenly, you come along and everything I know is different. I have made decisions in my based on the idea that you do not exist. Suddenly this woman who has everything appears, I wasn’t prepared for you, but I’m getting there.

  C.C.

  To: Cole Cooper

  From: Olivia Adamson

  Subject: Rain

  Date: June 20th 2012 1:34 PM

  Cole,

  It’s raining. We only have a week left. This weather has darkened my mood. I am so close yet so far from being home. I am honestly sad without you. I miss you, a lot. I wish you were around so I could just spend time with you. I’m feeling needy today, humor me?

  Richest person on the planet or immortal?

  Olivia

  To: Olivia Adamson

  From: Cole Cooper

  Subject: Profound

  Date: June 21st 2012 12:05 AM

  I’m sorry you had a bad day. I will share my news with you and perhaps you will perk up? It also may go along with your question. That big meeting I came home for? Well we met with him as scheduled, obviously. He currently has fourteen hotels being built right now. All around the world. He is in Japan, The US, Canada, Rome, Lyons, Two in India, Sydney, four in the Caribbean, and the rest in China. He called me this afternoon and asked me and Jason to meet him for dinner. I just got home, he hired us! Olivia, this the biggest job we’ve ever seen. I am utterly astounded at what this means for the company. We have made a lot of money doing a lot of different jobs. This job is more than we’ve made in half of the time we have been doing this. This is the break we’ve been waiting for. I still can’t believe it. I am much too anxious to sleep. I want to celebrate with you. It is not the same as being there and treating you to champagne and spending the evening dancing with you, followed by getting you alone and taking all your clothes off. I just want to share this with you. I hate even more that you went to bed feeling that way, I assume. I miss seeing you. You’ve turned me into this gushy, romantic imbecile! I spend my time out in the city thinking of all of the places I want to take you and all of the things I want you to experience. I think of how you look at me when I say something you disagree with. I cannot escape you and it one of the most glorious feelings of my life. I don’t know exactly what this is that I feel, but I feel like I could do nothing but feel it for the rest of my life.

  Right now I feel like the richest person on the planet. The job has helped, but more than that, you. I am incredibly rich in the fact that you miss me even half as much as I miss you. I can picture your long hair falling over your shoulders and back and the sound of your precious laugh. I am so lucky that you feel like I am worth your time in vacation to communicate with. I am thankful you haven’t walked away yet. I am incredibly rich in the fact that you have made me a better man.

  I would never want to be immortal. I feel like if you are immortal you will take thin
gs for granted. I will try to never take you for granted. I cherish every single word I get to read from you. I remember every experience we got to see together. I could not survive it if I had to watch you decline and know that I have to live in a world where you do not exist forever. I pick rich, but in a much different way than I would have before you.

  C.C.

  To: Cole Cooper

  From: Olivia Adamson

  Subject: Departure!

  Date: June 27th 2012 6:04 AM

  Cole,

  Will be in touch when we get home. Thanks for the flowers, they were beautiful! See you soon US!

  Olivia.

  To: Olivia Adamson

  From: Cole Cooper

  Subject: Re: Departure!

  Date: June 27th 6:08 AM

  Olivia,

  Counting the hours.

  C.C.

  Chapter 13

  I dropped my bags on the floor of my apartment. I sighed loudly.

  “I never thought this place would look so good,” I said to Adrian who had just done the same with her bags.

  “I know. I’m exhausted. I feel like that trip was days long.” She turned and closed the door behind her.

  “She doesn’t let it show, but it was sweet to see Charlotte and Kyle together. I didn’t think about how much she could have missed him. She was so set on not changing anything that I don’t think she took into account that a month was a long time.” I dragged my bags to my bedroom and simply let them fall on the floor. I would deal with them another time. It felt so good to be home. Even though we were greeted by pouring rain, I felt thankful to be on the ground and somewhere familiar. I plugged my phone in, knowing it was dead. I then trekked back out to the living room.

  Adrian was dragging her bags into her room and I heard her plop down on the bed with a groan.

  “Can we make a pact, next time we cut down the time? I don’t know when we got so old, but I was ready like two weeks ago,” she called from her bed. I laughed and plopped down next to her.

  “I think our fun ended two Saturdays ago. Otherwise we would have been fine. Next time we go Charlotte will be a married woman, I doubt we’ll go for that long anyway. It’s hard to believe it’s like a month away,” I laid still, enjoying not feeling like I was suspended from the air again. Adrian’s phone rang and she reached for it on her night table.

  “Hello?…A package?…Um yes, please let them up.” She hung up and sat up.

  “That was the doorman. He said there was a package for me, to be delivered. They never call about that stuff, usually it’s just down in the main office.” Her brows were furrowed and she continued to look deep in thought.

  “What if it’s a madman who had a gun to his head and is now coming up to kill me?” She said suddenly.

  “Why would that be?” I asked, more confused now than ever.

  “I don’t know, it feels like this is how it goes in the movies. Maybe someone has been watching our apartment, waiting for us to come home so they could break in and kill us.” I turned over on my back and looked at her strangely.

  There was a loud knock at the door and we both jumped.

  We both scrambled off the bed. Adrian took a old softball bat from her closet and walked slowly toward the door. We both let out a small yelp as there was another knock at the door. I stood close behind her, I grabbed a knife from out of the drawer. Adrian stood and looked out the peephole.

  “They’re standing out of range of the peephole,” she whispered. “I’m going to unlock and open the door, I want you to be ready in case they charge us. Just stab them,” she whispered and her hand reached for the deadbolt.

  In a flash I heard the click of the deadbolt, another knock was interrupted by the opening of the door and a scream. I also heard the drop of the bat. My heart was pounding as my brain tried to take in what was going on. The door finally swung wide enough I could see outside and there was Adrian wrapped around Jason like a monkey. She continued to scream, tears running down her face. I took a few deep breaths and put the knife on the counter.

  “What the hell were you girls doing?” Jason finally asked, his face showing that he was completely bewildered. He closed the door behind him and gave me a sad look, telling me everything I needed to know. I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair nervously.

  “We just scared ourselves. We never get a call for packages so my mind started running wild. Stupid really. How did you get here? Why are you here? Not that I’m not excited,” Adrian said, her smile was so big on her face. Despite my shattered hopes I was excited for her. She was truly happy. I slowly walked down to my room and closed my door. I guess it was a good enough time to unpack.

  For the next hour I heard Adrian talk excitedly and loudly. I couldn’t help but laugh, she was utterly crazy, but she was so happy. Shortly after I had unpacked half my suitcase there was a soft knock on my door. I told them to come in and was surprised to see Jason peak his head around the corner.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey there,” I said, giving him a weak smile.

  “He’s really sorry, it was just impossible for both of us to get away. He told me to come.” His voice was quiet.

  “Hey, no biggie. I’m glad you’re here. She’s been going crazy without you.”

  “I’ve been doing the same without her.” He paused for a few moments, his eyes falling anywhere but on me. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like he shouldn’t be changing anything for you, it’s just, complicated. He’s crazy about you. It killed him to not come. But he’ll make it up to you he said.”

  “I bet you chewed your ass about it. I didn’t mean to tell him. It wasn’t like I went crying to him like a little girl.”

  “No, I know. And yes, he did. He gave it to me pretty good. But I’m sorry and I would be even if he didn’t say a word.”

  “It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it. I guess I’m sorry for the heel comment. Heat of the moment.” I gave him a slightly embarrassed smile. He laughed.

  “No you’re not. It’s ok. I understand.” I smiled and shrugged to show, well maybe I wasn’t kidding.

  “Look, I want you to come to dinner tonight with me and Adrian. Not a totally awkward third wheel kind of dinner, maybe more like a peace offering dinner. Anywhere you girls want to go. Please?” He gave a pathetic smile.

  “It’s ok Jason. Go have fun with her, she missed you. I’ll be fine.”

  “I won’t take no for an answer.”

  I rolled my eyes, it sounded like someone I knew.

  “What time?”

  “We’ll leave in about an hour. Nothing fancy, maybe some drinks?” I sighed.

  “I’ll see you in an hour,” I said, none too excited.

  I stopped putting away clothes and decided to use this time to shower and get ready. I was feeling slightly depressed and was not about to go over the top. I showered, blew my hair out straight and put on a pair of jeans, leather boots and a black, flowy top. Good enough. I splashed some make up on and met Adrian and Jason out in the living room forty-five minutes later.

  Adrian drove us to a bar a few blocks away, we pulled up shortly after eight and the place was full. We took a high top table by the pool tables and ordered a round of drinks.

  “So, I heard you guys scored big with your high profile meeting,” I said casually as Adrian excused herself to the restroom.

  “You can’t even believe. I’m still in shock. This what we’ve worked so hard for all these years. I can’t even begin to imagine what this will mean for our company. I feel like the sky is the limit now. There’s so many more doors open than there were before. This is the best thing to happen to us,” Jason spoke excitedly.

  “You love it just as much as he does don’t you?” I asked, smiling at his excitement.

  “I really do. I’ve got a partner who is in it just as much as I am. We love it for different reasons which is what makes it work even better,” Jason spoke.

  “Why do you
love it?” I asked.

  “I love watching people light up when they see what I’ve done. It brings me a lot of happiness to get the feeling that I nailed it. I really enjoy what I do and that makes a big difference. On the other hand, Cole is good at setting it up. He is the deal man. He likes to go in and talk. He’s the best at what he does. He’s so good at knowing what to say and when to say it. I watch him sometimes and I think he’s a genius. I’m amazed to see him do what he does. He loves it too.” Jason took a swig from his beer and smiled.

  “I’m sorry that he got on you. I know how he can be.” I said. Jason waved his hand with dismissal.

  “Don’t worry about it. I can handle it after all this time.” Adrian came back and took her seat next to Jason. They began talking, and I glanced around the bar. I had spent many nights in here over the course of my college education. I played tons of games a pool, drank tons of alcohol and ate tons of delicious bar food. But now it seemed so empty. I knew that it was missing his huge bubble of intensity to light the place up. I missed him. Seeing Jason and Adrian made me miss him so much. I slightly begrudged Adrian for getting to see Jason so soon. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and grabbed for it. I clicked on the e-mail icon.

  Olivia,

  By now I’m sure you’re upset with me. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. I had too much work to do and couldn’t get on that flight. I’m so sorry, I’m sure by now you’re watching them maul each other like hungry bears. I miss you terribly. I will call you tomorrow.

  C.C.

  I closed my e-mail app and put my phone back in my pocket. I ordered another drink and decided that I was not going to sit here and pout. I was about to make my own fun. Two hours later and several empty glasses I was nearly spinning. Adrian and Jason were up playing a flirty game of pool. I had switched from regular mixed drinks to doubles. I had kept my phone safely in my pocket. Refusing to give in to the magnetic pull it had begun to have on me. I would not make a fool of myself and drunk dial, text, or email him.