She could see her whole future laid out. She was good at nursing. Heather would talk her into going to school and getting her license, and before she knew it, twenty years would pass, and she’d still be stuck in Grand Rapids doing a job she hated. Was this what she wanted? No. But it was her only option.
By the time the evening rolled around, she still hadn’t made a decision. She headed to a small restaurant she’d been meaning to try.
She walked in and spotted Julia and Liam. Anna tried to backtrack, but Julia saw her and waved her over to the table.
Anna approached slowly.
“I thought you’d already gone home,” Julia said.
“My flight isn’t until next week. I didn’t tell Hayden. I hope you won’t tell him you saw me.”
“Only if you eat with us,” Liam said. “Sit.”
She did as she was told. She had no reason to leave, but she wished she did.
“This is the best restaurant in town,” Liam said with his usual wide smile.
Anna looked around at the dingy walls and furniture. Restaurants like this were often fantastic.
“Why can’t we tell Hayden?” Liam asked.
“She probably doesn’t want to talk about that. Are you enjoying Patong Beach?” Julia asked.
“I am.”
A waitress brought her a glass of water, and Anna fiddled with it. An awkward silence fell around the table. She wondered how much Julia knew. She wanted to ask about Hayden, but she didn’t want to know the answers. She needed something safe to talk about.
“Did you always know you wanted to be surgeon?” Anna asked.
“Yeah. From the time I was a little girl, I was taking apart insects.”
“Wow. That must be nice to have known right away. I have no idea what I want to do.”
“You’ve got time.”
Anna let out a breath. “I guess. I got a job offer today, but I’m not sure if I should take it.”
“What is it?” Julia asked.
“A nursing assistant. I don’t like nursing.”
“Then don’t take it,” Liam said.
“But I have to pay the bills. It’s good money.”
“Well, what do you want to do?” Liam asked.
“That’s part of the problem. I have no idea. Everything I’ve ever done has been because it was convenient or what I was supposed to do.”
“Were you supposed to come to Phuket?”
“No.”
“You’ve enjoyed this, right?”
“You mean aside from the fiasco with Hayden? Yeah. This has been amazing. But I can’t make a career out of traveling to exotic lands.”
“That’s not true. What do you think pilots and flight attendants do?”
She’d never thought about doing something in the travel industry. But she could definitely handle having the chance to see new places.
“That’s a good point.”
Julia put her hand over Anna’s. “You have to do something you love, or your life will pass you by, and you’ll have lots of regrets. Trust me. Go home and research some different career paths. Try different things until you find one you love. Where are you staying now?”
“A little hotel down the street.”
Julia shook her head. “No, you come stay with us until you leave. Liam can help you figure out your dreams.”
Anna laughed. “Thanks, but I don’t want to stay that close to Hayden. Plus, a friend of mine is coming to town tomorrow. I’ll be fine.”
That night, Anna got online and googled how to become a flight attendant. Several posts popped up. She browsed through a few sites that were basically just ads and went directly to a major airline website. They didn’t require a college degree. She filled out one application and then went to bed. Maybe she didn’t have to be a nurse after all.
Chapter 23
The night Anna left, Hayden stayed up for a long time. He sat down by the beach with a beer and that note she left him. He read the words over and over again. What an idiot he’d been. For the first time since Faith, he had someone worth fighting for, and he’d blown it.
The waves crashed on shore. What the hell was he doing? He loved his job. Or at least he did until he moved here. He’d never imagined this job would lead him to question everything he’d been doing with his life. Though his questions might just be because of Anna.
Una nudged him, and he patted her head. “You ready for bed?”
She jumped up and ran up the path. He dusted off his slacks and dragged himself up to the house. He didn’t want to go to bed. There were too many reminders of Anna in there.
Una was halfway up the stairs to his room.
“Not tonight, girl.” He opened the door to one of the guest rooms. Anna had never been in there. Maybe he wouldn’t miss her so much.
Monday morning, Hayden got to work early with a box. Before his colleagues arrived, he put all of his pictures away and then waited in Mike’s office. Over the weekend he’d decided to quit. He couldn’t do this anymore. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he refused to work with a man who represented all that he hated about plastic surgery. Especially one who essentially ran off the only good thing that had happened to him in a long time.
Mike walked in and startled at the sight of Hayden.
“Hayden, what’s up?”
Hayden stood. “I quit.”
“What? You can’t.”
“Yeah, I can. I’ll be out of the house by the end of the week.”
Hayden didn’t wait for Mike to make any other arguments. He wasn’t sure what his next move was or where he would go, but he would not work for Mike anymore. Not after what he said to Anna.
Ubon ran out of the house when he got home, but her face fell when she saw him.
“Yeah, I wish Anna was here too.”
Ubon pulled out her phone and sent a message. He felt his phone buzz.
Where is Miss Anna? She gone two days now.
Like Hayden needed reminding. He sent a quick message. She’s not coming back.
Ubon frowned and went into the house.
He picked up a book Anna had left and settled into one of the lounge chairs. He was half way through it when he saw someone walking up the path. He let out a breath of relief. Julia.
She sat down next to him without a word.
“What are you doing off work? It’s only”—he looked at his phone—“two.”
“I heard you quit.”
“Where the hell did you hear that? It just happened.”
“I ran into Maria at lunch. She couldn’t wait to spill the news.”
He rolled his eyes. Of course news traveled this fast. He shouldn’t have expected anything less.
“Why’d you quit?” Julia asked.
Hayden sighed. There were so many reasons, but one topped the list. “I lost Anna.”
She creased her eyebrows. “I’m not sure what that has to do with your job.”
“It’s the vanity of everything and all that’s expected of those of who live in this field. Mike said some things to her, and I couldn’t face him every day.”
“You want to come work with me? I’m bringing on a full-time partner in January, but I could use an extra pair of hands until then. I probably can’t pay you as much as Mike, but you can keep the house.”
Hayden contemplated the offer. He liked and respected Julia immensely, and he imagined she did business quite a bit differently than Mike. He’d figured he’d have to go home, but he liked it here. He had no idea what he would do when he got home because he was supposed to be gone for another several months, and this would be a good compromise.
“Can I still have Tuesdays and Thursdays to work at the hospital?”
“Of course. I’ll see you Wednesday?”
“I’ll be there. Thanks, Julia.” This would help. He wasn’t ready to go home. Anna was supposed to go back to Michigan over the weekend, and if he left now, he’d go hunt her down and make things worse.
“No probl
em. Do you want to talk about Anna?”
“No.” Anna stirred too many feelings he didn’t want to confront. It was easier to not think about her.
Julia stood and scratched Una behind the ears. “She’s worth fighting for.”
Julia disappeared before Hayden could respond. Of course Anna was worth fighting for. The problem was that Hayden did know if he was worthy of her. His phone buzzed, and he jumped.
He was disappointed when he saw the number. It wasn’t Anna.
“Hey, Mom,” he said.
“How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Not good.”
“Why not?”
“There was this girl. I blew it.”
His mom didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “I was under the impression that you’d given up on women because of Faith.”
“I had. But Anna changed that.”
“Tell me about Anna.”
He spilled the whole story for her. His mom was an excellent listener, and she never passed judgment. He loved that about her. Ubon hovered near him, cleaning the area around the pool. Hayden was glad she couldn't speak English. He wouldn’t be nearly as forthcoming with his mother if Ubon could understand.
“Where is she now?” his mom asked.
“Michigan, I’m assuming. She was supposed to fly home this weekend.”
“That’s probably good. Letting her have some space.”
“What am I going to do?”
“You come home, so I can retire.”
“What does that have to do with Anna?”
“When you’re done with your job there, you’re going to come home and take over the practice. Then you can call Anna up and see if she’ll give you a second chance.”
His mom had offered him the practice several times in the past few years, but he’d never seriously considered it.
“Can I think about it?”
“Sure. Also, sweetie, if Anna won’t give you a second chance, there are a lot of other girls who can make you happy. I’m just glad you’re willing to get out there.”
He didn’t want to tell her that Anna had sealed that coffin shut. His heart had taken enough of a beating. He was done.
By Thursday night, Hayden was feeling better about his job. Julia’s clinic was still plastic surgery, but the surgeries were low key and not as dramatic. No one came in and asked to look like a celebrity.
He hated coming home though. Ubon cooked for him, but she often burned the food or added spices even he couldn’t tolerate. He wondered how much she understood about what happened with Anna.
Just as he finished dinner, Victoria came walking up the path from the beach.
“Where’s Chloe?” he asked. He didn’t like Chloe much better, but at least together they weren’t a threat. Alone though meant only one thing.
“She’s with her husband. Did your little Anna go home?” Victoria strolled toward him, rocking those hips.
“She did.” He didn’t want to think about Anna or where she was. Every time he thought of her face or smell or voice, his heart squeezed too tight.
Victoria sat next to him and scooted so close that her knees pressed into his. She ran her fingers through his hair. He almost pulled away, but he was lonely. And Victoria was different from Anna. She was already part of this world, and he couldn’t ruin her. He needed to move on. Anna wasn’t coming back.
He leaned closer to Victoria, and she didn’t hesitate. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him fiercely on the lips. He waited for the feelings of desire to crawl up his chest, but there was nothing. No part of him wanted this woman. Forget him ruining Anna. She had ruined him.
He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. Go home.”
Victoria jerked away as if she’d been slapped. She was silent as she stormed down the path to the beach. Hayden watched her go.
Ubon plopped down into the chair.
“You idiot,” she said.
“What?”
“You deaf? You idiot.”
What the hell? “You speak English?”
“I always speak English.”
“But.” Hayden thought over the times they’d been together. He said a lot of things with her around that he only said because he thought she couldn’t understand.
“No buts. Go get Anna. Anna a good girl. And pretty. She no like those bitches.”
Hayden stared at her dumbfounded. “So you understand everything I say?”
“Almost. No matter. Go get Anna.” Her lips formed a tight line, and she pounded the table with her tiny fist.
“I can’t. She’s already gone home.”
“So. You rich. You buy plane ticket. Bring her back.”
There was such determination in her eyes. Like nothing about that plan could go wrong. She had faith that he could fly to Anna and bring her here.
“And if she won’t come?”
“Then you fail. But you must try. She worth it.”
“You know what, you’re right.” He pulled out his phone and booked a flight home for Saturday morning. He was going to bring her back.
Chapter 24
Friday afternoon, Anna was looking up at The Shore. One of the best resorts in Phuket. Eileen engulfed her in a hug and dragged her up to the two-bedroom suite with a private pool. From the pool she could see the crystal clear sea. This was better than Hayden’s place. Her heart clenched. In spite of herself, she missed him.
“Nice view, huh?” Eileen asked.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Well, it’s yours for the rest of the week.”
“What? Eileen, no.” This was too much. Eileen always did stuff like this for her, knowing Anna would never be able to pay her back. Anna looked around at the marble and luxury. The view was to die for. She could stare at that all day.
“They book by the week, so I didn’t have a choice.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Go ahead. Ask them.”
“You know I won’t ask. I can’t accept this.”
“It’s already paid for. Are you telling me you want to go back to that skanky fifteen-dollar-a-night place?”
“It was fine.”
Eileen snorted. “Come on, the shops are calling, and I’ve got reservations at a super nice place tonight. We’re going to make you forget all about that asshole Hayden.”
Anna nodded, but wasn’t convinced. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him.
They spent the day shopping, and Eileen insisted on buying Anna a new dress for dinner that night even though she told Eileen she had one at the hotel.
Eileen had also booked them spa appointments. By the time they got ready to go down to dinner, Anna felt relaxed, pampered, and gorgeous. She very nearly forgot about Hayden.
Chapter 25
Friday night, Hayden was feeling optimistic. Tomorrow, he’d be on his way to winning back the woman who’d changed his life. Instead of going home from work, he decided to try out a restaurant that one of the doctors at the local hospital recommended. It was in a classy hotel across town. He handed his keys to the valet and stepped into the hotel lobby and saw a sight that made his stomach drop.
Anna stood there, looking gorgeous in a deep blue dress that had a plunging neckline. He thought she’d flown to Michigan last weekend. What was she doing here?
The young woman with Anna said something, and Anna laughed, looking beautiful. He couldn’t help himself. He had to talk to her. The women had their backs to him when he approached, and he touched Anna on her elbow. She spun and gasped.
“Hayden, what are you doing here?” Her jaw was tense, and she clutched at her purse.
“Having dinner. I thought you went back to Michigan.”
“I go home next week. If you’ll excuse us, we have reservations.”
Anna gripped her friend’s arm and pulled her toward the restaurant. Anna’s friend shook off Anna and slapped him hard across the face.
Anna’s mouth dropped open. “Eileen,” she h
issed.
He rubbed his stinging face. “I deserved that,” Hayden said, meeting Anna’s eyes. There was a torment there he wasn’t expecting.
Eileen got in his face. “Damn right you did. Now go eat someplace else so we can eat in peace.”
Hayden nodded and escaped out the front door. He needed to put distance between himself and Anna, or he’d do something stupid like try to kiss her, and although he had every intention of winning her back, he was certain hauling off and kissing her would be a bad idea.
He returned home and found Ubon cooking. Now he could finally ask her about it. She always cooked even when he told her he wouldn’t be home.
“Why do you cook even if I tell you not to?”
Ubon blushed. “My family eats leftover. If you no eat, they no eat.” Hayden was surprised by her response. Her family going hungry never occurred to him. He couldn't fathom that kind of poverty. He’d seen it at the hospital but he just assumed Ubon was well taken care of.
“Okay then. Cook all you want. I’m going over to Julia’s. Do me a favor and leave me a plate.”
He didn’t wait for a response and bounded down the beach and up the stairs to Julia’s back door. He knocked and Liam flung it open.
“Hey, man, how are you?”
“I need help.”
“Sure, sure. Come in.”
Julia was curled up on the couch playing with her phone. “Hayden, is everything okay?”
He plopped down into a chair across from her. “It will be. Anna is still here. She didn’t go home.”
“I know.”
“Wait, what do you mean you know?”
“We ran into her last night. She asked me not to tell you.”
Hayden wanted to argue with her about why she didn’t tell him, but he needed her help, and she wouldn’t if he started off yelling at her.
“Will you help me win her back?”
“How?” Julia looked at him skeptically.
“She’ll never go anywhere with me. I need you to take her out and leave her with me so we can talk.”
“That sounds sneaky.” She pursed her lips.
Monkeys and Mayhem (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 4) Page 14
