The lady thanked him and smiled at me as she vacated the chair, and I handed over the ten-dollar bill I had just fished from my purse. I couldn’t believe I was actually letting a stranger run his fingers through my hair, but I had to admit the feeling was rather nice.
“Blending in, are you?”
I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see the handsome bartender from the previous night. My heart fluttered in my chest. He looked just as handsome today in cargo shorts and a green t-shirt. “Uh yeah, I figured I should try some of the local culture.” Why did I lose the ability to speak coherently around this man?
“Well, Sammy here is the best braider around, so you are in good hands.” He clapped a hand on the shoulder of the man and flashed another charming smile.
My pulse drummed in my ears. What was it about this guy? Why did he have such an effect on me? “Are you not working at the bar today?” I hoped the question sounded nonchalant, though I feared my attraction to him was showing through.
His head tilted as he regarded me, his eyes twinkling. “I don’t work here; I was covering a shift last night, for a friend.”
Something in the way he answered led me to believe there was more to that story, but as he didn’t seem inclined to share, I decided not to push. “What do you do then?” I asked, finally recovering the ability to string intelligible words together.
“I manage a few companies back in the states.”
“Are you vacationing then?”
“I guess you could say that.” That twinkle in his eye was so distracting as was his uncanny ability to give vague answers to my questions. “Listen, do you want to get some lunch after Sammy finishes your hair? I’d like to show you a fantastic, local eatery.”
Yes. My heart flip-flopped, and my pulse revved, accelerating in my chest, but I took a deep breath to regain control. “I don’t even know your name.” I glanced up at him, and Sammy smirked.
“It’s JD, and people around here can vouch for me.”
“I’m Callie, but I don’t know people around here so them vouching for you doesn’t mean much.”
“He’s a good guy,” Sammy interjected.
“See? I’m a good guy.” JD smiled. “Come on.” His bottom lip protruded in just the hint of a pout, and desire flickered in my veins again. I wanted to gently nibble on that protruding lip and then . . . I squeezed my eyes shut, stopping the tempting thoughts. What was wrong with me?
“Okay, fine, but just lunch.” Of course, if it turned into something more, I wasn’t sure I would be upset.
Sammy finished the braid and tied it off, and JD stretched out a hand to me. It was large and masculine, as Owen’s had been, but there were also callouses. He had probably never had a manicure in his life.
I placed my hand in his, enjoying the roughness that rubbed against my smooth skin. Tingles raced up my arm at his touch, sending another flush crawling up my neck. I lowered my eyes, afraid of what he might see in them, but as soon as I was standing, he dropped my hand. My eyes shot to his face, but he was already walking on. Ignoring the empty sensation pulsing through my hand, I hurried to catch up to him.
“You aren’t a vegetarian, are you?” JD asked as we strolled past various shops.
“No, I like to eat—I need the protein,” I laughed, “because I work out a lot.”
“What do you do?” He turned into an eatery on the left side of the street.
“I kick box.”
His eyes widened, and a laugh escaped my lips. I was used to that reaction. Though athletic, my 5’7” frame did not scream ‘heavy hitter.’
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding up his hands in apology, “I don’t know many women who kick box.”
“I don’t either,” I agreed, though more women were joining my gym every day, “but it’s the only workout that I have continued for any length of time; I’ve been training for ten years. I guess I get bored easily, but it’s never the same workout, so it stays fresh.” A furtive glance at his well-toned body sent another flame of heat across my face, forcing me to look away. “What about you? Do you work out?”
“Mainly running and lifting, but I’ve been known to hit a bag now and then.”
Images of JD shirtless flooded my mind. I pictured the two of us in one of the small changing rooms in my gym icing each other’s wounds in between stolen kisses or crawling into an Epson Salt bath together after a hard workout. My ears burned with heat, and I shook my head to clear it. What was wrong with me? I didn’t even know him, and I had just warmed the bed of another man I didn’t know.
Daniel. He was the reason. His leaving me at the altar had damaged my psyche and these lustful thoughts must be my way of regaining it.
The waitress approached, and I followed her, thankful that JD appeared not to have noticed my face or crimson ears. She led us to an empty table with a bright blue and orange umbrella attached to offer shade. Several similar tables sat throughout the restaurant, each with a different colored umbrella.
JD pulled out my chair, and I cocked an eyebrow at him as I sat down, unsure whether to be flattered or offended. I could pull out my own chair, but the gesture had been nice.
I picked up the paper menu and wrinkled my forehead. Everything was in Spanish. I have no idea what any of this is, how am I supposed to pick something to eat? Okay, pollo is chicken, I remember that; thank you Ms. Alvarez. So maybe I’ll order something with chicken.
JD scanned the menu before laying it down. “Do you trust me to order for you?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I considered his offer. Was he offering because he could sense I had no idea what to order or was he being chauvinistic and assuming I couldn’t order for myself? “I thought you were here on vacation. How do you know so much about the cuisine?”
He shrugged, “I come here every year.”
My eyebrow inched up my forehead. He must make a lot of money to afford a trip like this every year. While I wasn’t poor, most of the money I had spent the last few years had been Daniel’s. Even Junior Partners didn’t make as much money as people thought. The realization that I was going to have to cut back on my spending habits when I returned home slapped me in the face. “Sure, order whatever you think will be good.”
I placed the menu back on the table and removed the hat that I had donned after leaving Sammy. I placed it on the empty chair next to me as JD called the waitress over and ordered. Lifting my hair off the back of my sweaty neck, I twisted it up into a roll, so the cool breeze could hit the spot. With the other hand, I pushed a stray tendril behind my ear until I realized that JD was staring at me. My face flushed, and I released my hair.
JD dropped his eyes and cleared his throat. It was the first time he had appeared flustered. “So, are you seeing that guy from last night again?”
His question caught me off guard, and I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. It appeared I hadn’t imagined his interest last night. “Were you spying on me?”
“No, just observing. I see guys like him come and go while I’m here every year. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“You don’t even know me.” Defensive walls shot up at his insinuation, and my arms pulled tighter to my chest. “What do you know about how I might get hurt?”
JD softened his voice, “I could see the sadness in your eyes last night. I sense that you are dealing with some pain, but guys like that won’t make it go away.”
“Guys like what?” I didn’t know why I was arguing with him, I hadn’t been that attracted to Owen, but my eyes narrowed to slits anyway as I dared him to continue.
“You know the kind I mean.” He leaned back, folding his arms across his muscular chest. “Here for a week, hoping for a fling, never going to call again after that.”
“Well, how do you know that isn’t what I’m looking for?” It was a challenge, and I didn’t even know why I was throwing it.
He considered me for a long moment, his eyes never wavered from mine.
What is he looking
at? Frustrated, I broke his gaze and glanced away.
He leaned forward, propping his head on folded hands, still never shifting his eyes. “I don’t think that’s really what you’re looking for.”
I stared down at my wrists as I thought of the night with Brent again. Maybe he’s right; I can’t say I’m proud of that night, but who could blame me? Still, who I see is none of his business.
His words spurred my need to always be right and have the last word, and I raised my head, returning his stare and almost daring him to contradict me. “Well, as a matter of fact, I am seeing Owen again tonight for dinner.”
Though he couldn’t hide the flicker of surprise that flashed across his eyes, he managed to keep his voice even. “Ah, well, I am sure you can handle yourself, but do remember my advice.”
Before I could retort, the food arrived. A colorful mix of red, brown, green and orange tantalized my eyes as the savory smell delighted my nose. My mouth watered, and I grabbed my fork, scooping up a mouthful, but JD’s hand stopped my arm before it reached my mouth.
“Wait, can we pray over it first?”
“Are you serious?” I raised an eyebrow and stared at him, “You pray before you eat?”
“Of course, don’t you?”
Lifting my chin, I pointed my nose in the air, “I don’t pray at all; I don’t believe in praying to a God who allows someone to experience intense pain.”
“But you do believe in God?”
“I---” I stopped, unsure of how to answer his question. My forehead furrowed as I thought. Did I believe in God? “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “My mom does, and when I was young we went to church.” A vague memory of entering a church, holding hands with my mother and father before they divorced flashed across my mind. “Maybe I used to.”
“Well, I do believe in God, and I believe everything happens for a reason. I don’t know what happened to you, but I do believe that God had a reason for whatever it was.”
My body tensed as I clenched my fork, “Yeah? A reason to be stood up at the altar?”
JD cast his eyes down. “I’m sorry. That had to be painful, but yes, even in a situation like that; I think God has a plan for you.”
“Well, let’s agree to disagree on this point.” I shook his hand off my arm and brought the fork back to my mouth. Across from me, JD closed his eyes and bowed his head but remained silent. I opened my mouth to take a bite; then sighed, put my fork down, and closed my eyes as well.
“Dear Lord,” JD prayed, “Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us. Thank you for this food we are about to eat and for the hands that have prepared it. Thank you for new friendships, and Lord, please allow us to understand your reasoning regarding events that are beyond our control. Amen.”
“Interesting prayer,” I said, cocking my eyebrow at him when he opened his eyes. “Are you hoping that something will be revealed to me that will change my mind about who God is?”
The twinkle flared again in his eyes, and his lips formed a teasing smile, “I think it will in time.”
“How could you possibly know that? You don’t even know me.” Why was I even continuing this conversation? I’d heard enough religious mumbo jumbo from my mother; I didn’t need it from a stranger too. Yet, I couldn’t muster the desire to leave. Not only was I physically attracted to him, but there was something else about him that intrigued me as well.
“Not yet, but I know God and even though I don’t always know the way He works, I have seen people receive various truths from Him, and I know He works in mysterious ways that we don’t always understand at first.”
My gaze lingered on him a moment longer as I tried to decide if he were serious or playing me. Deciding it didn’t matter for now, I returned my attention to the food and took a bite of the delicious dish, savoring the flavors that exploded in my mouth. I sneaked a glance at JD curious if he just had good taste or if somehow he knew exactly what I liked?
The rest of the meal was finished in a comfortable silence; and after lunch JD paid for the meal and escorted me back to the hotel.
“Thank you for having lunch with me,” he said as we reached the front door. “I wish you well on your dinner tonight and the rest of your visit here.”
He bowed slightly and before I could respond, he turned and walked back the way we had come, leaving me battling confusion over his baffling behavior.
Chapter 6
I lay around the pool the rest of the afternoon pondering the time with JD. What was it about him? True, he was handsome with his toned body and tanned skin – I could picture myself enjoying being wrapped in his arms – but he was also obsessed with God, which I had no stomach for. So, why couldn’t I get him off my mind? I’d probably never even see him again after leaving the Caribbean, but I couldn’t shake the image of his face from my mind.
At four o’clock, I headed back to the room to shower and prepare for dinner with Owen, which I was no longer remotely excited about. For whatever faults he had, JD was right that I didn’t need another man like Owen, but I had promised to go, and I didn’t like reneging on my word.
I chose the new colorful maxi, which ended up hugging my hips, and a matching blue tank top I had brought with me for dinner. As I regarded the image in the mirror, I thought about changing because I didn’t want to look too good and lead him on, but a check of my watch showed 6:02. Perfect. I hated being the first one when meeting people, but if I were any later, it would be rude. Exiting the room, I headed to the hotel bar to meet Owen.
The music spilled out of the restaurant before I even reached the entrance. Well this isn’t going to be the best place to have a conversation. I scrunched my nose, coughing at the smell of cigarette smoke that permeated the air as I made my way toward the bar. Owen sat perched on a barstool, drinking a beer and surveying the crowd. His eyes lit up, and he lifted his hand in a wave when our eyes met. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and headed that direction. It’s just dinner, remember?
“Well, hello gorgeous.” He grabbed my hand and his eyes traveled my body up and down. It was a gaze that left me feeling dirty more than desirable.
The hair on the back of my neck bristled with his gaze. “Hello yourself.” I flashed a tight smile and extricated my hand as politely as I could.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Sure; I'll have a Tequila Sunrise.” I was going to need quite a few drinks to get through this evening.
After the drinks were ordered and poured, we made our way to a secluded booth in the back. The low lighting set a romantic air and since the booth was surrounded on three sides, only the general buzz and not specific words of the conversations around us reached my ears.
“So, why did you decide to become a lawyer?” Owen’s eyes focused briefly on mine before trailing down to stare at my lips.
I placed a finger to my lips. Why had I become a lawyer? It seemed so long ago I wasn’t even sure. “Well, I always loved arguing when I was younger, and TV made it look glamorous.”
“Yes, it does. I bet you would be fantastic on TV.” He placed his fingers on my arm and traced an imaginary pattern.
My skin crawled, and I grabbed my drink, dislodging his hand. “What about you? How did you get into . . . what do you do again?” I took a sip, but as soon as I set the drink down, his hand resumed its position.
“I sell insurance. My dad owned the company, and I joined him.” He traced his fingers up my arm.
Stifling a shiver, I tried my best to ignore his hand. “You don’t want to sell insurance?”
He scooted closer and laughed, “No, not at all, but the money is good, so why change?”
Something in that answer sounded so wrong, but I wasn’t sure what. I loved money, too; it was one reason I had gone into law in the first place, though I wasn’t at the point where I was making good money yet. Still, money equaled power which equaled happiness, right?
“So, how long are you here for?” Owen changed the subject.
I focu
sed back on Owen and the current conversation. “Um, I’m here for about twenty more days.”
He pouted his lip, “Well, I leave in five days, but I hope we can spend a lot more time together.” As he inched closer, he winked and licked his lips. Unlike the wink that JD had thrown last night in the bar, Owen’s wink was leering and creepy.
“Mmmhmm,” I nodded, pursing my lips together and glancing around. How long had I been here? More importantly, how much longer did I have to stay before I could leave without appearing rude? As Owen continued rattling on about his work and his hobbies, I snuck a quick peek at my watch. 6:30, ugh I am going to need more tequila if I have any hope of staying here much longer. I caught the waitress’s eye, and motioned for another drink.
Tuning back into the conversation long enough to hear “Nascar is like the best sport,” I rolled my eyes and tuned out again. Oh Lord, does he have nothing intelligent to talk about? I stirred the straw in my drink and thought back to the afternoon with JD. He had been so easy to talk to and had intelligent things to say. True, he was a bit of a “Bible thumper,” but so was my mother and perhaps I could loosen JD up.
I jumped as Owen’s hand relocated from my arm to my knee. I don’t think so mister. Picking his hand up, I smiled and placed it back on the table. Owen never missed a beat, just kept rattling on. My second drink arrived, and I downed it, sighing as the alcohol relaxed my muscles. Maybe Owen isn’t that bad, after all. At least he’s cute and I could probably shut him up easily. The third drink arrived, and my lids grew heavy. I shook my head and took a deep breath, opening my eyes wide, but the spinning room stirred nausea in my stomach, and I blinked them closed again.
“Another round?” Owen leaned forward.
“I shouldn’t,” I replied, pushing my glass away.
“Oh, one more won’t hurt,” Owen pressured, signaling the bartender.
“No really---”
“It’s no problem.”
“The lady said she’s had enough.”
The commanding voice sliced through my fog, and I raised my head to see JD standing at the end of the table. Though the rest of the world spun, my eyes locked on his, relief coursing through my body.
The Power of Prayer Page 4
