“Oh, my God,” I laughed. “Did we all just fall asleep?”
“It’s morning?” said Byron, looking at the clock. “Oh, it’s only 5am.”
“Not only was it the sex,” said Dominique. “I think it was all the stress between us too. I hadn’t slept really good in a few days.”
“Is it too early for room service?” I asked. “Because now I’m thirsty and starving.”
“On my island?” said Byron. “Never. What is it you want?”
Byron ordered us all food. We grabbed a shower, got into our robes and by the time we had sat down breakfast had arrived. It was a great way to start the day.
Chapter 23
Savannah
After a great breakfast, we got dressed. Dominique wanted to do some scuba diving. It wasn’t something I was really into. Plus I wasn’t sure if I could do it in my condition. Byron had to take care of some business on the island, so he went to a meeting with the general manager. I decided to go for a walk in the island gardens while they had their fun. I was sitting in the sun, reading my phone, when it rang.
“Madame, this is Aaron,” said Aaron over the phone.
“Oh, hello, Aaron,” I said. “How’s everything back at the embassy?”
“Fine as always. A lot cleaner since the princes left,” he joked. “But I have some news for you. The doctor has your test results.”
“Oh, my God. Finally,” I said.
Then I hesitated. One of the princes would be crushed. Oh, no!
“Madame? Are you still there?”
“Sorry, Aaron,” I said. “Drifted away for a sec. What’s the results?”
“Beginning your pardon, Madame, but they would not tell me over the phone,” he explained. “Only you can call the doctor.”
“Thanks Aaron.”
“Good luck, Madame. I hope…all is well.”
“Yeah, me too. Bye.”
I hung up and immediately dialed the doctor. I looked around to make sure neither of the princes were around. For that matter, I had to make sure none of the paparazzi were around. It was a miracle the story hadn’t been broken. I heard nightmare stories about paparazzi breaking into doctor’s offices or bribing the staff to get this kind of info. Thankfully, the doctor I went to had his shit together.
“This is Ms. Kelly,” I said when they answered. “I was told the doctor had results for me.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Kelly, we’re not supposed to do this over the phone unless the doctor does it,” she explained.
“Oh, please. I’m out of the country,” I explained. “Look, you know who I am. It’s just a matter of time before this goes public. Someone could get very hurt if they find out the information from anyone else. Please get the doctor for me?”
“Hold on, Ms. Kelly. I’ll get him,” promised the nurse.
“A few minutes later, the doctor got on the line.
“Doctor, I’m so sorry to drag you away from other patients,” I said. “I’m just--- Things are very complicated with my relationship now. Can you tell me the results?”
“Yes,” he said. “Dominique Edwards is the father.”
“Okay, thank you,” I said.
“Good luck, Ms. Kelly and congratulations to you both.”
I hung up. Dominique was going to be over the moon, but Byron would be crushed. I had to do this delicately. Byron couldn’t get the news in front of Dominique or anyone else. I needed to do this in private.
Byron was such a good person! I felt awful for having to tell him, but he deserved to know the truth. I only wished I was pregnant with two babies, one from each of them. Imagine that!
Walking back to the resort, I found the office area for the staff. Byron’s meeting was just wrapping up. He looked so happy. God, please don’t let him be crushed! I composed myself and went inside.
“Savannah, hello,” he said, pleasantly surprised. “I thought you were in the gardens.”
“I was,” I said. “They’re very beautiful.”
“The meeting was about expanding them,” he explained. “But you would not believe the upkeep involved. Oh, my!”
“Could we go some place private and talk?” I asked.
“Sure-sure,” he said. “Let me take you to where we are expanding the gardens.”
We walked back to the gardens and then over another sandy, beach hill.
“Here and here is where we will expand. The garden path will loop around this way and then come over here,” he explained.
“That sounds great,” I said. “I know the gardens will be perfect with you supervising. You should’ve been a gardener or a botanist.”
“Ah,” he dismissed. “I have a black thumb. I don’t actually know how to take care of the plants. You water too much, you water too little--- All I know how to do is hire someone else to keep the plants nice.”
“Well, that’s still something,” I said. “At least you care about plants and this island. I mean, there’s no endangered species on it or anything, right?”
“No-no,” he assured me. “It’s just a really nice island. We actually had to bring some animals to it.”
“You did?” I said momentarily distracted. “What kind?”
“Oh, just a few lizards to eat the bugs,” he explained. “Then when the lizard population got to high we had to bring in--- I don’t know. Chickens or something. We ended up bring like six different animals, all so the bugs would get eaten.”
“Who brought the bugs?”
“That’s the first thing I said,” he laughed. “There weren’t even sand fleas when we first came here. But then you build the buildings and the people come. As soon as you bring fruit or any food--- Boom, you get bugs. You’d think they all die from the heat or the wind, but no.”
Byron was easy to distract, which was both good and bad. Good because I didn’t want to tell him the bad news, but bad because I would eventually have to tell him. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to read about it in a tabloid or see it on TV. Maybe me telling him would soften the blow somehow.
“You seem pensive, my sweet,” said Byron. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”
I looked into his big soulful eyes. How could I tell him? How could I crush his spirit? No, he had to know. I owed him the truth, if nothing else.
Chapter 24
Byron
“I got the test results back,” Savanah said starting to tear up. “Dominique’s the father.”
The news hit me like a punch in the chest. I put my hand on my chest and staggered back a few steps. I lost my balance and flopped down into the beach sand on my ass. I thought I would be relieved, but the news was devastating.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “You shouldn’t have had to go through this. It’s not fair! And, for the record, I wish I was having two babies so yours could be one of them.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s fine. I knew this was a possibility.”
“Byron, I---“
“No, don’t,” I said. “I just need to be alone now.”
She ran away crying, but what could I do? We had no future now. She had to be with Dominique. He was the father. He had to raise the baby. I sat in the sand staring off into the horizon for a while. I pictured a little Byron playing nearby. That image was a ghost now. One that might never happen.
I decided to walk around the island. The beauty, the plants, the waves--- They did nothing for me now. They were as hollow and as empty as a city street to me. What was the point of all this beauty if you were alone? I could see now the emptiness of passing personal pleasures. This is what I had pursued for years, but now--- I needed more in my life. I needed meaning.
After several minutes, I found myself far from the resort. I was in the section of island the staff told me not to venture. There were rip tides and no security here, but I didn’t care. Maybe I’d disappear into the ocean and become a mystery for all time. The vanishing prince, they could call me and people would wonder. Was I kidnapped? Did I fake my own death? Ha! That
would be something. At least it would be a legacy to leave behind. Without the child, what would my legacy be? Just another name on the wall of my family’s castle? Just another body for the crypt?
As I continued to walk, I made it past the point which was the furthest from the resort. There were rocks and waves and little else. I saw no danger here. What danger was there for a man who had nothing to lose? In some respects, I felt invincible. Would pirates come and take me? Ha! I’d kill them with my bear hands! Would I break a leg and be stranded? No, I would survive. I’d crawl back despite everything.
Continuing up the beach, I looked out over the crystal blue water. There, in the distance, I spotted a small fishing vessels. There were other inhabited islands nearby and the restaurants in the resort needed fish. It was just a man and a boy working the nets. A father and son, no doubt. Perhaps I could disappear and take up a simpler life. It seemed like the common folk built their lives around family, not just for emotional reasons but for financial ones. Here I was, rich as sin, looking out over the water wondering how the other half lives.
I walked up to the beach and back to one of our beach bars. This is where I belonged--- Drowning my sorrows in a river of alcohol and empty platitudes from the bartender. I sat down. I was the only customer at the moment.
“Hello, sir,” greeted the bartender. “Can I get you something?”
“Yes,” I said. “Something strong. I don’t care about the taste.”
“How about sea water and vermouth?” he joked.
I smiled despite myself. He was funny.
“Okay, perhaps I care a little about the taste,” I admitted. “Were you the ones that made those Hurricanes?”
“Yes, sir. How about a Hurricane?”
“Fine then, thank you,” I said.
He pulled out a clean glass and the ingredients and started to mix. He worked quickly and efficiently. It was like there were fifty customers and he had to make the drink in time to serve them all. In less than two minutes, I had my Hurricane. I tasted it and it was indeed perfection.
“Good,” I said. “What’s your name?”
“David, sir,” he said, gesturing to his name tag.
“Of course,” I noticed now. “Sorry, I am--- My mind is--- Rough day.”
“Rough day in paradise?” he smiled. “Could be worse, I suppose. Don’t want to pry, but if you want to talk about it. I am a licensed bartender.”
“There is this woman,” I said.
“We get that a lot in here,” he quipped.
“I am in love with her,” I said sadly.
“But she doesn’t love you?”
“No, I think she does. Maybe. I’m not sure.”
I drank the entire Hurricane. It went down so smoothly. He was immediately mixing another. I marveled at his skill at being able to conduct a conversation while mixing the drink so accurately. My HR people had really done a good job at hiring the best. It almost seemed a shame to waste his talents on me on this empty beach. But then again, this was a high end resort. Only the richest could afford to come here and they only wanted the best.
“Okay, she loves you and you love here,” he said trying to wrap his brain around the story. “So what’s the problem exactly?”
“She is having my best friend’s baby,” I revealed. “I cannot be with her.”
“Oh,” he said, understanding. “That’s rough. Does your friend know? I mean, is he in love with her too?”
“Oh, yes, definitely,” I said.
I took the second Hurricane. My God. How does he make these? I knew the ingredients. Why could I not make them like this? Everyone has a talent. What was my talent? Spending money and looking good, I suppose. I drank the next Hurricane almost completely. He started to make another.
“Is he still your friend?” he asked, trying to understand.
“Yes, it is his not his fault,” I said. “I love too easily, I think. At first, I did not love her and the baby. But then I thought and thought and thought about it. I started picturing myself as a father. I liked what I saw in my head, now I am disappointed the baby is not mine.”
“Well, ya know, everything we build up in our heads is better in our heads then it is in real life,” he said. “You build up anything in your brain too much and then you get there and it’s like--- Meh. Even paradise.”
“You sound like you are speaking from experience,” I said.
“Well, take me and this job,” he explained. “Don’t get me wrong, I like it and I’m well paid. I’m not complaining. But in my previous job, I was in a busy hotel in Florida slinging drinks. It was loud with tons of people, music, women--- After a while, I became burned out. I wanted a quieter job, so I took this. I pictured this exact bar on the beach, watching the sunsets and just--- Well enjoying it all.”
“And now you hate it?” I asked.
“No, I just built it up in my head,” he explained. “I still love it, but I didn’t think it through, ya know. There’s not a lot to do on the island after work. I get paid plenty, but I’m stuck out here unless I take a 30 minute boat ride to town. The guests are great, but you guys live in a world far, far removed from me. Guess what I’m saying is, be careful what you wish for. Maybe not being the father was a blessing. Maybe you weren’t ready for a kid.”
“That’s true,” I said, finishing the Hurricane. “Perhaps I wasn’t ready for a kid, but you are always ready for love. This woman has changed me and that I will not be with her--- It is a crushing blow. That she is with my friend is also bad. How can I watch those two together? I will have to go away for a long time, I think.”
“You can find someone else,” offered my bartender. “When you find someone new, you’ll forget all about this woman. You’ll be focused on the new one. Isn’t that how it works?”
“Yes, perhaps,” I considered. “But not this time. This time I think my heart is stuck. Stuck with her. Perhaps I will be like one of those pathetic men who stays single his whole life. Bedding woman after woman with no real love. With no emotion.”
“I’ve heard of worse things,” smiled the bartender.
I laughed despite myself and took another Hurricane from him.
“No, it’s true,” I insisted. “You know. Sex without love--- What is it? It is just a bodily function basically. Empty and hollow. That’s how I feel now. Empty and hollow. Fortunately, you are here, David. Here to fill me with Hurricanes!”
“I have often found that drinking your problems away gives you clarity,” he joked. “And if not clarity, you don’t care about your problems at the end. Either way, it’s a win-win.”
“Win-win,” I repeated, toasting him. “I like you, David. If you want another job at one of my other resorts, I will get you off this island. Wherever you want to go, huh?”
“Thank you, sir,” he smiled. “I’ll definitely think about it.”
“Will you drink with me?” I asked. “No, you are on duty. What am I saying? You are an artist at what you do. You would never betray your craft. Perhaps that’s what I need. A craft! This is what I could throw my energy to. I could be the bartender prince.”
“Forgive me for saying,” said David. “But that would be weird. Cool, but weird.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “Who would hire me? The salary would have to be astronomical.”
“And who would drink at that bar?!” laughed David. “If a prince is a bartender, then you’d have to have kings as customers!”
“And queens as ladies of the night,” I added.
“The drinks would be like a thousand dollars and be garnished with gold!”
“Wait. There is such a drink?” I asked.
“Yes. The Goldschlager Goldfinger,” he explained. “You want one? I mean, I assume you’ve eaten gold flakes in your life.”
“Probably enough to make a whole gold bar,” I joked. “Ah, David, keep the Hurricanes coming. Why mess with a good thing?”
“So, you feel better about your lady friend?” he asked, mixing anot
her.
“No,” I said. “However, I am starting to get a little drunk, so that is helping. Me being very drunk should help even more.”
“This is the kind of logic bartenders love,” agreed David. “It’s drunk logic, but it’s logic.”
“To your health, David,” I toasted.
He had nothing to toast with, so he poured himself a juice.
“Here you go, sir,” he said. “I’ll drink with you. Just juice though.”
“Cheers, mate,” I said.
“Ching-ching,” he responded. “And don’t worry, you’re still young, sir. You have plenty of time to have children. We guys can always have kids.”
“It’s true,” I said agreeing. “Or perhaps I will donate my sperm.”
“Prince sperm? That would be a high commodity!” laughed David.
“It would! What woman wouldn’t want my royal genes in her child,” I thought. “It makes the child noble, her noble by default--- It’s a win-win.”
I started tearing. I could not help myself. I was thinking of Savannah. She did not want me now. Or rather she did, but could not have me, which made things worse. Why did this have to happen, God! Why?!
“Are you okay, sir?” asked David.
“It would’ve been worse--- I mean, this was worse. What would’ve been better is if I never knew this woman,” I insisted. “If I had never met this Savannah, my life would’ve continued without this pain. More Hurricanes, David. Many more.”
Chapter 25
Savannah
I left Byron on the beach and I just cried. I knew it was going to be emotional, but not like this. What could I do? There was no way to change the past. No way I could make this baby his and that would just leave poor Dominique out in the cold anyway.
Should I cut my losses here? Byron seems to be ready to embrace the child. Maybe Dominique will have changed his mind? I could just tell him the baby is Byron’s, he’d never know. No! I had to tell the truth. A lie like that could destroy all of us and it wouldn’t be fair to the baby. Even though this was hard, I had to fess up to the consequences of my own decisions.
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