by Aubrey Parr
Nicole wasn’t usually a jealous person. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if he had bought that same dress for another woman before. He said he’d been there for a while. She couldn’t remember how specific he had been. She was going to ask him more about his business at dinner. This relationship was starting to feel life-changing to her and before she got herself in too deep emotionally, she figured she better learn a little bit more about Derek Stone.
She glanced over at the clock: 4:15pm. She was going to meet him for drinks at his hotel this time. She had forty-five minutes to get ready. By the time she was ready, she had ten minutes to spare. She looked in the mirror to survey the results. The dress was a bit more daring than she would ever buy herself. It was the type of dress you see and think, that would look fabulous on someone else. Derek had begged her to try it on, said it was made for her.
It was a champagne color, with one thin strap over her shoulder. The back was practically nonexistent. The strap wrapped back under her arm almost like a bathing suit. The material came to an elegant knot almost at her tailbone, leaving her entire back bare. The dress was so long that it almost hit the floor. She got a pair of strappy high heels so that she wouldn’t trip over the material when she walked. She kept her hair down, sweeping it over to one shoulder to show off the back of the dress, or lack thereof. She couldn’t believe she was wearing this thing out in public. Still, she had to admit that it was flattering on her.
She felt extremely self-conscience when she stepped off the elevator. She did see a few heads turn and she hoped she didn’t look like she was trying too hard. She was very glad it was such a neutral color and not bright red or something. She was relieved when she saw Derek leaning against the bar, watching her. His expression was worth all of the unease she felt about wearing the dress. He walked up to her, taking her hands in his and spreading them apart to admire her. He kissed her cheeks and whispered in her ear something about being the luckiest man in the world.
He immediately led her towards the street. Hector stopped to say hello to them both and tell Nicole how beautiful she looked. He said he would have the car ready for their dinner reservation. It was still bright out and she was instantly blinded when they walked out onto the sidewalk. Derek noticed and hurried them across the street to the cover of the lobby of his hotel.
When her full vision was restored, she realized that this hotel was much larger than it appeared from the outside. It was a rather small entrance that opened into a large courtyard with a quaint little bar and tables scattered about. She liked that Derek chose the bar over tables; it was always her preference as well.
“I had him chill a bottle of my favorite white wine,” he told her as the bartender began to open a bottle when they sat down. She loved that Derek looked so tough, covered in tattoos, and yet enjoyed wine.
“I’d love a glass,” she said. It was a Château Haut-Brion, again a very nice bottle. Andrew only drank red, so when they shared wine it was almost always a bottle of red. Nicole loved both. With all the sun she got during the day, a nice glass of crisp white sounded so refreshing.
“Fun fact about Nicole,” she said after tasting the wine, “I’m a list maker.” She pulled out a small piece of paper from her purse and showed Derek. “It’s a list of all the things I still want to do and see. Tonight, we’ll get to mark off another with dinner.”
He reviewed the list and replied, “You let me know which ones where you’d like company and I’ll be there.” She had hoped he’d want to go with her. It would feel as if her dad would get to meet him.
“I can’t really think of anywhere I’d need to be alone,” she said, “I’d love for you to come.”
He reached his hand behind her back and mindlessly rubbed along her bare skin. Even his touch could drive her crazy. If she had more guts, she would have told him they should skip dinner and go to his hotel room. She bit her tongue though. Not only was she not ready to say something like that to him, she really wanted to have dinner in this restaurant for her father.
This was already her fifth night in Mexico. Was she really prepared to go home in just over a week? She was pretty certain that she couldn’t take any more time off of work, especially if she might be looking for an apartment by herself. And her boss, Nathan, would be sick of getting her column covered for any longer. Not like he would write any of them. That man could never make anything sound enjoyable and she had no faith that he could write about a wedding. She was surprised that he was ever passionate about journalism; he seemed to hate what he did. Maybe that happened when people get promoted above what they really enjoyed doing. That would never be her. She just wanted to write and leave all that other crap to someone else.
“Why the concerned look?” Derek asked, “What are you thinking about?” He moved his hand from the small of her back to brush a stray piece of hair out from her face. God, did everything that man do turn her on?
“I’m sorry, just thinking about work. Not ready to leave you or this paradise yet.” She leaned over and softly kissed his lips. He used his tongue to slowly part hers. Perfectly in sync, she stood up and he parted his legs to pull her against his body. Luckily, there was only one other couple sitting at a table and they were off in their own world. But at this moment, Nicole wouldn’t have cared if the entire place was packed with people. All she wanted was Derek.
This was so unlike her and she liked it. She kissed him deeply and passionately, trying to burn this moment into her brain forever. The kiss only lasted a minute or so, but she knew she’d remember it forever. She wasn’t even sure why. The day had been fun and playful, but this was their first serious kiss since she had realized it was most likely over with Andrew. Even though she hadn’t told Andrew yet, this kiss didn’t feel like she was cheating on her boyfriend. Instead, it felt like she was kissing a boyfriend and that scared her a little.
She slowly leaned back to look at him. He was so incredibly handsome. She loved how he dressed. It was how she’d write “smart casual” if she needed to describe him as a guest at a wedding: off-white linen pants and a tattered-looking blue button-down shirt that could have been made specially to fit his body. Somehow he had mastered the beachwear look- casual but still dressed perfectly for dinner tonight.
The bartender walked up and set down a tray of different cheeses. Nicole loved cheese. Her motto in life could be “everything is better with cheese”.
“These all go great with the wine,” he said, “Try this one.” He picked up a small piece of the cheese and lifted it to Nicole’s mouth, again sexy as hell. “It’s a goat cheese from Sancerre called Crottin de Chavignol considered the classic perfect pairing with this wine.” Nicole tasted the sharpness of the cheese and then took a drink of the wine. She couldn’t believe the difference. She loved the wine alone but with the cheese, it took on an entirely different taste, smooth and fabulous.
“Let’s go to Napa sometime,” she said without thinking.
“Anytime love, I will take you there,” he snuck in a kiss on her cheek. Wow, anytime? She liked that.
They tried more of the cheeses with the wine and Derek helped explain how the different cheeses affected the taste of the wine on her palette. He told her that he had spent some time in Napa and knew the exact place to take her. This was a side of him that she hadn’t expected. A Napa trip was always on the back burner with Andrew. They talked about it occasionally, but had never pulled the trigger to plan anything. Three years and nothing was planned, only days with Derek and he knew exactly where to take her. This guy is exciting, she thought to herself.
CHAPTER TEN
Derek had called ahead to the restaurant. Every table had a spectacular view, but they had one that was in a private gazebo, down a pathway from the main building and with a view of the water all around. Of anywhere in the world, it was by far one of his favorite places to eat. He wasn’t surprised that Nicole’s father had felt the same way. He did wish that he had met him in the past, but he was pretty positive that he
hadn’t. So far he sounded like someone he would have loved; he was sure he would have remembered him.
Hector had pulled the car up at exactly 7:00pm so that they could make the drive up the coast and be comfortably seated to watch the sun set. Derek couldn’t wait to watch Nicole for the rest of the evening, to see how she soaked up the experience and remembered her father. He was a bit surprised at how important it was to him. Her happiness, especially on this level, was vital to him. “Hector, how is everyone at your hotel?” he inquired. He was only concerned about how one little woman in particular was doing; he hoped that Hector understood the question.
“Bien, Señor Derek. I heard employees complimenting your Nicole’s dress.” Hector gave him a sly look in the rear-view mirror and Derek realized that Silvia had either seen or heard about him picking Nicole up at the hotel. He was still nervous that Silvia would confront her if she was able to catch her alone. He knew he should give Nicole fair warning, but didn’t want to chance ruining their night.
Derek watched Nicole as she looked out the window over the extreme contrast in the scenery. To her right, outside her window was the gorgeous blue water. Then she would lean slightly and look out his side of the car and see more green than one could ever see, except in Ireland. The road climbed higher and higher the further they drove. Finally, they arrived at the restaurant. It seemed to pop out of nowhere from the middle of a jungle to a cliff at the edge of the water.
The restaurant looked like it was almost entirely outside. There were several large gazebo-style covers over the majority of the tables and it seemed to stretch over the water. Everything from the floors to the covers was made from beautiful wood and it seemed to stretch over the water. There was soft lighting dangling down (the steel stars with little holes all over that were such a popular decoration in Puerto Vallarta) and candles lit at each table. A popular decoration in Puerto Vallarta is steel starts with light inside and little holes all over. They were hanging everywhere around the It all looked magical.
Nicole had the most genuine smile on her face. She was surprised when the hostess led them off the large patio and down a set of stairs.
“Where are we going?” she asked him, leaning close.
“You need to experience this restaurant from their best table,” he told her. She squeezed his hand hard and squealed when they came around the corner and saw the gazebo lit up with stars hanging everywhere from different heights and white party lights lining the gazebo pillars and cover. The single table inside was covered with a crisp white table cloth.
“I thought we’d have an after dinner drink at the bar so that you can spend some time in the main restaurant as well,” he added. She looked up at him and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you! This is absolutely perfect.” She practically ran up the steps to the table, as fast as she could without tripping on her long dress. Derek darted after her, laughing, to make sure she didn’t end up falling. He pulled out her chair and allowed her to sit before going across to his own. One more time, as if by magic, wine arrived immediately at the table. This time he chose a bold red to go with the rich food the chef would prepare. He also asked it to arrive with two tall mixed drinks.
“I remembered that you like Crown & Sevens. I thought we’d take our time and enjoy both,” he told her, “Do you recall a dish your father liked best or shall we take a look at the menu?” Derek motioned toward where they were stacked on the table.
“I know he ordered a sea bass all the time, but not sure if they have more than one,” she said as she picked one up.
“Take a look, but I’m pretty sure I know exactly what he ordered,” he replied. He had had their sea bass numerous times and knew that locals loved it as well.
“Which one is it?” she asked.
“They have a ginger soy lacquered Chilean sea bass over a bed of sautéed vegetables. Other than Night at the Iguana, it’s what they are known for. “
“That’s the movie, I meant to ask you,” she said excitedly, “I remember my father calling me from one of his trips to Vallarta and telling me I had to go rent it.” She seemed as though she was going to continue on the topic, but her mind suddenly veered off in another direction. “Employees were talking about my dress? That is so embarrassing!” She rolled her eyes and put her head in her hands for a moment.
He immediately regretted asking Hector in front of her. He had just been nervous about Silvia since that morning. He didn’t mean to embarrass her. But Silvia had the potential to ruin this relationship if she said the wrong thing.
“No, love, it’s not embarrassing,” he reassured her, “I’m sure they were admiring you or wishing they were you.” He reached across the table for her hands and she instinctively put them into his. She rolled her eyes again, probably at the thought of other women wishing they were her. He loved that part about her. She wasn’t insecure, but also wasn’t conceited. She walked a fine line between the two and did it very well.
They stayed like that until the server arrived. Derek checked with Nicole first and then ordered them both the sea bass.
“Is this your first time your company has sent you to Puerto Vallarta?” Nicole inquired.
“Oh no. Like your father, I travel quite frequently,” he said, still holding back just a bit, though he wasn’t sure why anymore.
“Where is your favorite place?” she asked.
“That is a tough one.” Derek thought about the question. He loved places for different reasons. Puerto Vallarta may be at the top of his list now for sentimental reasons. Not only was Stone Hospitality, Inc. born there, but now he had met Nicole there as well.
“I love Italy, though work hasn’t taken me there yet,” he finally answered.
“I’ve always wanted to see Venice,” she said, eyes bright.
“You would love it. I haven’t been there in over five years. We’re due for a trip, huh?” He needed a filter with Nicole. The things he said to her before he had a chance to think would never cease to amaze him. She just laughed and took a drink of wine. Planning international travel may be moving just tad fast, even he could admit that. “Too fast?” he asked.
“A little, but it’s sweet that you’re planning,” she replied. He wasn’t exactly sure how to take that answer. Had she spoken to the Maybe Boyfriend? The thought hadn’t occurred to him until this moment. He could feel his blood starting to boil and he knew he had to get a check on his temper. She did seem open to a Napa trip, so it might be that somewhere as far as Italy seemed a little crazy, five days into a relationship. It was crazy; he knew it himself.
He decided to change the subject so things didn’t get weird. “How did your phone call go with your friend this morning?” he asked. He tried not to sound like he was prying, though the idea that she might have called the Maybe Boyfriend was still floating around in his head.
“You would think I’ve been missing for a month!” she laughed and he waited for her to continue “She left me so many voicemails and text messages. She ended up thinking I was mad at her. She understood why I left, but Kate is the worrying type.”
“She’s glad you’re safe then?” he prompted her to tell more.
“Yes…” She seemed to be considering telling him something and he could feel his blood pressure start to rise.
“I told her about you.” And without giving him a chance to respond, she went on as if she felt the need to explain herself, “She was worried that I was here by myself and said she would have come. I wanted her to know I wasn’t alone.” She gave him the sweetest smile.
“First, no, love, you’re not alone. And second, were you concerned I wouldn’t like that you told her?”
“No, it’s not that. I don’t really know why…oh, I don’t know.” Her face reddened and she shook her head.
“What is it?” He really couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
She sighed and closed her eyes to block out seeing him. “I’m worried it sounded like I was telling her about my new boyfriend. I don�
��t want to scare you off.” She opened her eyes enough to peek through her lids at him.
All in one moment, a plethora of thoughts ran through his head. Would he have liked her to call him her boyfriend? What did she really think about their relationship only five days in? Was this just a vacation fling? Would she go back to the Maybe Boyfriend? Would Derek recover if she did? Did she want to say it was serious?
“What did you tell her?” he asked, picking her hand up and kissing it tenderly so she’d know that he wasn’t at all upset that she had mentioned him.
“I told her that I met someone and it was intense,” she told him. He assumed that was a quick synopsis of what she really said.
“Intense is a pretty accurate way to put this,” he said with a grin. He wanted to ask about the Maybe Boyfriend, but wasn’t sure if he should. Luckily, she kept talking.
“She thinks that my father may have sent you to me.” A look of embarrassment came over her face. “Kate isn’t the hearts and flowers type either. It seemed rather out of character for her, but I did like the idea.”
“I do too,” was all he was able to say before the server arrived with their food covered in a domed silver cover to keep it warm from his walk to the gazebo.
He could tell immediately that Nicole was happy with the selection. Her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head when she took the first bite of the fish. “I’m not even a fish person!” she said.
“Can I try to make you look that satisfied tonight?” he teased.
“It’s no contest,” she smiled at him.
“Who wins? Is it me or the sea bass?” he joked with her again.
“You all the way, baby,” she laughed.
They ate their dinner and talked more about their pasts. She asked a little bit about his childhood and he was more open with her than any other person in his life. A close second would be Gael. He knew that for the business’ sake there were parts of his personality that should be explained. He told her about seeing his mother do drugs and moving from apartment to apartment whenever she’d get evicted. His accountant sent her a small amount of money each month, but he was completely removed from the situation. He knew his mother well enough not to send too much. He knew she’d spend it on drugs.
