by M. J. Duncan
“Yeah, she's scary like that sometimes,” Regan agreed.
Dana smiled and tipped her head at Gwen. “It was nice meeting you, Gwen Harrison.”
“You too.” Gwen nodded. “Good luck with that one,” she added, waving at Regan.
“Eh, come five o’clock tomorrow, she’ll be her wife’s problem,” Dana quipped with a wink. The elevator doors finished opening and she said to Regan, “Come on, Waterman. Time to find you a bed.”
“Yay, bed,” Regan cheered sleepily. “Do we get to cuddle?”
Dana rolled her eyes. “We’ll see.”
“I call dibs on being the big spoon!”
Gwen huffed a quiet laugh at the idea of Dana being spooned by the smaller woman, and held her right arm across the open door to give Dana time to lead Regan out of the elevator. Once they had safely exited the car, she let her arm fall back to her side. “Have fun tomorrow.”
“You too,” Dana said, stopping their progress to turn and smile at Gwen as the doors began to slide shut so the elevator could complete its trek to the top of the tower.
“She’s really hot,” Regan declared in a thundering whisper.
Dana’s electric blue eyes sparkled with laughter and just a hint of disappointment as she stared at Gwen through the shrinking gap between the doors.
Gwen’s heart lodged itself in her throat as she stared at Dana, unable to look away as she remained frozen in place, holding Regan tight against her side to keep her from toppling over. The elevator doors moved at what seemed like twice the speed they had for the entire trip up, and Gwen bit her lip as more and more of the hallway beyond the elevator disappeared from view.
Three feet.
One.
Six inches.
Two.
“Yeah, she’s stunning,” Dana agreed softly a split-second before the doors closed completely.
Before Gwen could respond, the elevator doors had sealed themselves shut and the car was already in motion, lifting her higher into the air. She shook her head as the elevator stopped at the eleventh floor a moment later, and reached for the handle of her suitcase, the exhaustion that had left her while she had been chatting with Dana and Regan once again settling heavily on her shoulders. She adjusted her cello case on her back as she turned right and went in search of her room.
She had spent plenty of nights hotels thanks to the numerous tours she had been on with whichever symphony she was playing with, but never in her life had she ever had an elevator ride like the one she had just experienced.
And she was pretty sure that she never would again.
That thought was both reassuring and more than a little depressing, because for as strange as the entire thing had been, she had found the entire trip thoroughly enjoyable.
She stopped in front of her room and tapped the electronic key card to the lock, and sighed as she pushed the door open to her home away from home for the next thirty-six hours. She flipped the locks on the door before wandering further into the room that had an airy feel thanks the pale golden carpet and stark white bed linens that were complemented by the light beige paint on the walls. Large sliding glass doors that led to her ocean-view balcony spanned the far wall of the room, revealing a midnight blue sky lit by a full, hanging moon.
Too tired to appreciate the view, she slipped her cello from her back and leaned the case against the side of the armoire that served as both a dresser and television stand. Free of the weight of the instrument, she sat on the edge of the bed to remove her shoes.
Her thoughts lingered on Dana Ryan as she undressed, folding each article of clothing as she removed it and setting it on the edge of the armoire until she wore nothing but her favorite pair of pink polka-dot patterned bikini briefs. She opened her carry-on to pull out the pair of black capri workout pants and worn blue and red Juilliard T-shirt that she liked to sleep in, and once she was dressed, she took a long, deep breath to try and calm her pulse that was still beating far too quickly for comfort as she climbed beneath the sheets.
She wasn’t blind to her better attributes; she knew that to some her willowy frame and angular features were attractive—Luke liked to call her Audrey whenever she was in her concert blacks with her hair pulled up in a tight bun because he swore she was the reincarnation of the famous actress—but compared to Dana’s tall, muscular build, she couldn’t help but feel like the gangly, awkward teenager who had fought tooth and nail to be respected as a severely underage underclassman at Juilliard all those years ago.
“She was just being nice,” she told herself as she locked her arms around the fluffiest of the pillows in a tight hug as she made herself comfortable. The softness of the sheets and mattress were pure heaven after too long of a day spent awake, and she licked her lips as her eyes fluttered shut. “She’s the one who’s stunning,” she murmured as she surrendered to the seductive call of sleep.
TWO
Having her internal clock still set to Pacific Standard was a blessing in that Gwen was still up well before dawn the next morning, and by the time the workday had officially begun, she had already gotten in her usual three hours of practice. The acoustics in the ballroom were far from optimal, but she wasn’t too worried about how they would affect her performance. Odds were good there would be very few, if any, people in attendance who knew much about music.
She had no doubt that there were several local string quartets who could have covered the event just as well, but she was not blind to the fact that, for the Chang family, her performing at their daughter’s wedding was more about flaunting their wealth than anything else. Her appearance was an extravagance, pure and simple, and while she normally would have declined such an event, the offer of quadruple her hourly rate for every hour of the trip, plus accommodations and expenses, was too enticing to pass up.
Although the temperature had yet to creep much above seventy, the lime green loungers around pool area were beginning to fill with vacationers ready to soak up some vitamin D when she made her way outside after depositing her cello back in her room, and she smiled to herself as she watched a young mother try to wrangle her toddler son to apply his first coat of sunscreen for the day. She made her way across the narrow sidewalk bridge that cut over one end of the lagoon pool. She knew from having observed it from her balcony earlier that morning while she enjoyed her usual breakfast of coffee, a banana, and an English muffin, that it would take her to the beach. Her schedule was such that she rarely had the time to fight her way through traffic to make it over to the coast when she was at home, and she could think of no better way to begin her day of relaxation than with a long walk on Ka’anapali Beach.
She wandered north along the strand with no particular destination in mind, just enjoying the fresh, salty sea air and exchanging the occasional “good morning” with those hardy souls out running on the hard-packed sand along the water’s edge. The warm trade winds that tickled her skin and the sound of waves rolling up over the shore was incredibly relaxing and with nothing pressing to occupy her thoughts, they drifted to the events of the night before, and she found herself wondering what Dana and Regan were doing. She hoped that Regan woke up refreshed, with no sign of a hangover—something she was fairly confident wouldn’t happen considering how inebriated the redhead had been. She was pretty sure Dana had been joking about Regan’s fiancée killing her if she was at all hungover, and she just prayed that no matter what Regan’s condition was when she woke up, that she would be recovered by that evening.
A striking black lava rock formation jutting out from the coast drew her attention as she made her way past the Westin and Whalers Village, and she decided to wander further up the beach to check out the iconic landmark before turning around.
The growing crowd along the shoreline ebbed and flowed depending on the proximity of the many hotels lining the shore, and the closer she got to the hulking rock formation, the busier the beach became as three massive resorts were clustered together near the point. The sand was dotted with young kids
with buckets and shovels, happily digging and building while their parents looked on, and there were plenty of swimmers already out in the water, exploring the shallow reef in snorkel gear. Beyond the snorkelers there were a handful of people in bathing suits scaling the twenty-foot rocky outcropping, and it was easy to guess what the half-dozen people standing at the top were about to do.
She took off the light windbreaker she was wearing as she sat down in the sand to watch the cliff jumpers, and wiggled her toes into the soft sand. While she would never be the type to do something so dangerous, she enjoyed watching others taking that leap. The secondhand exhilaration was more than enough excitement for her, and she was so engrossed in watching the thrill-seekers that she didn’t even notice when somebody stopped behind her.
“Hey, stranger.”
Despite having only heard it for the first time barely twelve hours earlier, Gwen immediately recognized the voice, and her heart jumped into her throat in surprise as she turned around. Dana was standing behind her wearing nothing but a black sports bra style bikini top, a pair of slinky red running shorts, and a breathtaking smile, and Gwen felt her mouth fall open as she looked at her. She had noticed the definition of Dana’s shoulders and arms the night before, but her abs were on another level altogether, and she was helpless to keep from staring at Dana’s chiseled six-pack and defined obliques.
Dana chuckled and ran a hand through her hair, which twisted her torso just enough to give her abdominals a small flex, making her already defined muscles even more eye-catching. “My eyes are up here.”
Gwen bit her lip, her cheeks erupting in a furious blush as she looked away. “Sorry.”
“I was just teasing,” Dana laughed as she lowered herself to the sand beside Gwen.
It was then that Gwen noticed the prosthetic that extended from just below Dana’s left knee. The flesh-colored socket blended perfectly with Dana’s skin tone, as did the foot at the end, while the center of the prosthetic where Dana’s shin would have been was just a plain aluminum rod.
Not wanting to be caught staring again, Gwen forced herself to look up at Dana’s face. Dana was smiling at her and, though her eyes were hidden behind the reflective red and gold lenses of her white-framed Oakleys, Gwen had no doubt that they, too, were sparkling with amusement. “Still, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Really.” Dana hiked a brow over the frame of her sunglasses and leaned back on her hands. Her back relaxed, dipping back toward the sand, and the muscles in her shoulders flexed as they supported her weight. Even with her obvious disability, she was a physical specimen of athleticism and femininity, and Gwen could not help but marvel at her beauty. Unaware of Gwen’s gaze, Dana stared out over the water at the group gathered atop Black Rock. “So, you gonna jump?”
Gwen laughed and shook her head. “No way.”
“Aww, come on. It’s fun!”
Gwen glanced at Dana’s prosthetic. “Can you really climb up there?”
“Sure. It’s the swimming with this thing on”—Dana smacked the plastic socket—“that would be the real pain in the ass.”
Even after having heard Dana threaten to take her leg off and beat Regan with it, Gwen was still surprised by how freely she referred to her disability. “Yeah, I imagine that would be rather difficult.”
“You have no idea,” Dana confirmed with a smile. “Anyway, whatcha doing all the way down here?”
“Just enjoying the few hours of free time I have before I have to work later. How about you? I would’ve thought you’d be busy with wedding preparations.”
“Eh, I passed Waterman off to her parents this morning for brunch. I’m sure she’ll hunt me down sooner or later to go do something, but otherwise I’m free as a bird until around three when we’re supposed to start all the hair and makeup shit.”
“I take it you’re not a fan of all that?” Gwen chuckled.
“Not really, no,” Dana admitted with a small laugh. “That’s never been my thing.”
Gwen smiled. From the little she knew of Dana, she wasn't surprised by the admission, although she was such a natural beauty that she hardly needed the help. “How is Regan doing today?”
“Oh, she’s fine. I got a couple Advil and half a bottle of Gatorade into her before I let her pass out last night, so she’s pretty much good as new now.”
“Well, that’s good. I was worried about how well she’d recover. She seemed pretty hammered.”
“She was completely shitfaced. And, really, thanks again for just rolling with her shenanigans.”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Gwen assured her.
Dana hummed under her breath and stared out over the water to the rocks where a girl in a blue bikini was looking over the edge to the water below. “I used to spend entire days out there when my family would come here on vacation before I got hurt.”
“So you weren’t born…” Gwen’s voice trailed off and she smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”
“Nah, it’s fine.” Dana waved her off. “I lost it when I was sixteen.”
Gwen glanced over at Dana. She wanted to ask what had happened, but an air of wistfulness had settled on Dana’s broad shoulders, and she did not want to say anything that might dredge up painful memories. “You know, I can see you jumping off that thing.”
“You can, huh?”
“Sure.” Gwen bobbed her head from side to side and shrugged. “You seem sporty enough to do something like that.”
Dana snorted a laugh and nodded. “But not you, huh?”
“No, I restrict my adrenaline rushes to performing in front of large audiences. Less threat of physical injury.”
“Ah, but that carries the increased risk of public embarrassment.”
Gwen smiled. A packed house didn't make her nervous. She had been playing sold-out concert halls from the time she was five years old. The title of virtuoso had been attached to her name from before she could even spell it, but she gained nothing from that label. It was an expectation of greatness leveled on her by those who were older and wiser than she, and one that she had, mercifully, been able to meet—but she had never wanted the recognition so many musicians she worked with sought, as if those elusive kudos held the secret to their personal happiness.
She just loved music, loved playing music, but what she had grown up wanting more than anything else was a friend. The life of a prodigy was a lonely one, but she had learned as a prepubescent thirteen-year-old wandering the halls of the most prestigious American musical college that a little humor went much further to inspire friendship than citing one’s abilities and accomplishments. It was a skill she had mastered over the years despite the fact that it was far from natural for her, but she put it to use now, letting her smile morph into a smirk as she drawled, “Perhaps for lesser mortals…”
“Oh really?” Dana laughed and bumped Gwen with her shoulder. “I gotta say, cockiness looks good on you, Gwen Harrison.”
Gwen blushed and looked down at her toes that were buried in the sand. It was one thing to pretend to be flippant and cocksure, but all of her feigned bravado left her in an instant at Dana’s words. God, why do I even care if she likes me? It’s not like I’m ever going to see her again…
Dana smiled and wrapped an arm around Gwen’s shoulders. “I’m just teasing.”
Gwen blushed harder as her breath caught in her throat at the feeling of Dana’s arm around her. Still staring at her toes, she cleared her throat and rasped, “It was a joke. I was just kidding.”
“Was it, though?” Dana mused, her lips pressing into a contemplative line as she looked at Gwen. “Because, it seems to me that if somebody went to the expense to fly you out to play at their wedding, you gotta be damn good at what you do.”
Gwen closed her eyes to try to calm the butterflies swooping and diving in her stomach, and silently groaned when it didn't work. “I’m okay.”
“I’ll bet you are,” Dana agreed as she let her hand slip from Gwen’s shoulder. She sighed and
pushed herself to her feet. “Have you had breakfast? I’m starving.”
Gwen shrugged, grateful that Dana sensed her discomfort with the turn their conversation had taken and was allowing it to drop. “I had a little something earlier.”
“Would you be up for a little something now?” Dana smiled and offered Gwen a hand.
Gwen eyed Dana’s hand for a moment. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but the idea of spending more time with Dana was too tempting to resist, so she nodded as she grabbed the windbreaker she had been sitting on with her left hand as she slipped her right into Dana’s, letting Dana haul her to her feet. “Sure.”
“Awesome. You okay if we head back to the hotel?” Dana gave the sides of her running shorts a small tug, once again drawing Gwen’s eyes toward her magnificent abs. “These things don’t have pockets, so I don't have any money on me.”
Gwen bit her lip and forced her gaze higher, and rolled her eyes at the sly smile quirking Dana’s lips. “That works for me. I didn’t bring any cash along, either.”
“Sweet.” Dana’s right cheek lifted in what Gwen was sure was a flirty little wink, and she tilted her head toward their hotel.
Gwen tied her windbreaker around her waist as they walked back down the beach. Dana seemed content to let the steady crash of waves tickling the shoreline fill the silence between them, and Gwen was surprised by how easy it was to be with her like this. She was rarely so comfortable with anyone after just meeting them. In fact, the last person to have this effect on her was her best friend, Luke Benoist. Which, she mused as she glanced over at Dana, made sense. Dana reminded her of Luke in a lot of ways. They were both easy-going, with an air of unpretentious confidence that made them inherently likable. Luke was a little more out there like Regan seemed to be, but the way Dana had just rolled with Regan’s antics the night before had not been all that dissimilar from the way she was with Luke when he tied one on.
Maybe that’s why I find her so fascinating… She glanced at Dana, who was smiling to herself as she stared out over the water.
