by Nia Arthurs
“My apologies, Mr. Levy,” Errol piped up from the seat behind his. “I assumed that you would prefer to be away from the bustle at the back of the bus.”
“You’re disappointing me, Errol. Mr. Levy, why don’t you come to the back? Are there any vacant seats?” Harley asked innocently.
Benjamin wasn’t blind. He knew good and well that the only vacant seat available was beside her.
“Come on, Mr. Levy!” The rest of the office yelled, urging him to join them.
“Alright.” Benjamin followed the woman down the aisle when Kelly sprung out of her seat and flew into Harley’s bench.
“What are you doing?” Harley asked, glaring at Kelly.
“Both Rene and I prefer the window seat,” she said, stretching her arms wide. “You don’t mind if I sit with you?”
“You can sit with me, Mr. Levy,” Rene said, her hazel eyes sparkling over at Kelly. “We don’t want any problems.”
“It doesn’t matter to me where I sit,” Benjamin said with a shrug.
Liar. You wish you could dive into that seat beside Kelly and neck her all the way to the resort.
Benjamin struck the thought from his mind and slid into the spot available beside Rene. She welcomed him with a big grin and an eye roll.
“My best friend is acting like a teenager. I apologize on her behalf.”
“What?” Benjamin looked over his shoulder to where Harley and Kelly angrily eyeballed each other. “They look like they’ll have fun together.”
Rene laughed. “She was right. You are funny.”
“I’m guessing that’s an underhanded compliment?”
“I love your ability to pick up on social cues, Mr. Levy.”
“The sarcasm, Ms. Williams. Is it always so blatant?”
“Only when I’m trying to figure someone out.”
He glanced at her. “Do you want to discuss personal matters in such a public space?”
“I want to make sure the Benjamin Levy I see in public doesn’t magically change when he’s in private.”
“You’re trying to gauge if I’m good enough for your friend.”
“I’m trying to test if you can handle my friend. I’m, obviously, no professional in the love department, but just because I can’t deal with my own romance doesn’t mean I can’t see the flaws in others.”
“What flaws have you observed?” he asked, truly interested in Rene’s opinion. Where before she had seemed a staunch resistance, he felt that Renesha had gotten to know him over the past few weeks and perhaps her views had changed.
“You care about her,” she said, her eyes narrowed as if she was scanning him at that very moment. “A lot.”
“That’s true, but it’s not a flaw.”
“Despite how much you love her, you’re keeping secrets from her, Mr. Levy. That’s the flaw.” She swallowed and peered up at him. “Is someone after you?”
He froze. “W-what did you say?”
“I watch the movies, and I know from experience. If someone has a lot, there will always be another person who wants to take it away from him. Being rich has its own headaches.”
“What drew you to that conclusion?”
“Your warnings a few weeks ago.” She lowered her voice in a poor imitation. “Don’t let her go running alone at night. If you feel like someone’s watching you, call the police and then call me.’” She scoffed. “I’m not an idiot.”
“It’s nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“So there is something going on.”
“I’m handling it.”
“Mr. Levy, I know a bit about personal problems. I’m going through a little something of my own right now.” She inhaled a deep breath. “Like you, it’s something I’m keeping from Kelly too.”
Since he had no response that seemed fitting, Benjamin sat quietly and let Rene continue.
“The thing with keeping secrets is that you face your problems alone when it would be much better if you would endure it together.”
“If you know that, why are you handling it by yourself?”
“Care to look in the mirror, sir?”
He turned his face away and stared straight ahead. The threat Kelly faced wasn’t her fault. If he could keep her in the dark for just a little longer, keep that burden from off her shoulders, Benjamin would deal with the culprit. He would clue her in when she was safe.
Great plan, buddy.
Together, Renesha and Benjamin sighed and remained silent for the rest of the trip.
Two Can Play That Game
Kelly bounced on the bed and watched her friend wave the wand of her eyeliner against her lashes. Rene then smeared lipstick against her plump mouth and squashed her lips together.
“Why are you going through all that trouble? We’re going cave tubing. In water. We have to hike before we get there which means we’ll be sweating buckets. Or does that not matter to you?”
Rene’s reflection frowned at her. “Just because some people don’t need to try as hard to look good doesn’t mean they should judge.”
“You’re gorgeous. Without makeup. Don’t you know that? What is Randal doing? He should be thanking God he got so lucky.”
“Just because your man can’t keep his eyes off you doesn’t mean you can drag mine into this conversation.”
Kelly’s jaw dropped. “Man? What man?”
Rene smirked at her and then turned around. “I’m ready. Let’s go get wet and dirty.”
Kelly winced and rapped her knuckles against her temple. “I have such a nasty mind.”
“Don’t we all?” Rene tilted her head coquettishly and grabbed Kelly’s hand. “Onward!”
The friends stepped out of their rooms and waltzed into the hallway. Sunlight greeted them with a hearty kiss and nature bloomed like a gateway to heaven.
The Banana Boat resort was set amidst huddles of palm fronds and coconut trees. A large pool beckoned on the ground floor two stories below, and mysterious hills rose like frowning gorillas in the distance.
“What a gorgeous view,” Rene mumbled, throwing her arms wide and inhaling a deep breath.
The door on the other side of the resort opened and Benjamin stepped out in a white tank, exposing his muscular shoulders and cross tattoo. The collar of his shirt dipped, allowing a bit of dark hair to peek out. He wore a pair of shades on his face and his hair was brushed back away from his forehead.
Gorgeous was too tame a word to describe him.
Yummy.
“Close your mouth, Kel. You’re drooling.” Rene nudged her in the side. “Remember, you have fifteen eyes watching you and Mr. Levy at all times. If you want to keep deluding yourself, don’t do anything stupid.”
Kelly tore her gaze away from Benjamin and sucked her teeth. “I’m a reformed woman.”
“If you say so.”
When she glanced back over, Benjamin had disappeared. Kelly sighed and linked arms with her best friend. The sky was blue. The birds were twittering and she was on another free trip to a beautiful location.
Instead of whining about the eyes that would keep her from enjoying all the romantic things she would love to do with her boss, she should be grateful for the opportunity.
“What do you think they’ll serve for breakfast?” Kelly asked as they strolled leisurely to the dining hut. A large, thatch roof hovered over a cement platform. A long table, dressed in a royal blue cloth, was already filled with the other group members.
“I don’t know,” Rene said, her voice turning squeaky. “But thank the good Lord if it’s him.”
Her eyebrows furrowed and Kelly glanced at Rene’s goofy expression. “What are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, Rene grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her around until she spotted the man standing beside Benjamin at the head of the table. He was tall and broad with the kind of face that belonged on magazines. She appraised him in one fell sweep—blonde hair, a jaw that could cut steel and a commanding, yet cheerful presence.
“Hubba, hubba,” Rene said. “Is there some kind of Sexy White Men convention happening in Belize lately? Where are all these hunky tourists coming from?”
“Stop it,” Kelly giggled, slapping Rene in the side. “You have Randal.”
“And you have Benjamin, but I don’t see you looking away.”
By the grace of a Higher Power, the girls found their seats in the middle of the table without stumbling all over themselves. Benjamin acknowledged them with a smile and a head nod. Kelly briefly returned his grin before she continued her perusal.
“I trust you all slept well.”
Half-hearted mumbles rose from the crowd.
“Who’s your friend?” A brave woman asked before ducking her head.
“This is Rick Trevalto. He’s doing a personal study here in Belize and I invited him to join us.”
“Good morning, everyone.” Rick smiled, flashing a dimple. He had a chocolaty voice, a timber that fit his masculine appearance.
Rene could barely contain herself. The squeal that escaped her mouth drew the attention of their co-workers and Kelly face-palmed.
“Calm down, girl.” Kelly hissed, throwing a nervous smile Errol’s way. Their supervisor cleared his throat and pinned them with a stare.
“I’m trying.” Rene fluttered her eyelashes and leaned her chin on her elbow. “His face is just… it’s too perfect.”
Kelly glanced around and found that the other women at D&T were reacting in similar, albeit more subtle, ways. Sighs fluttered like butterfly wings on the morning air.
She had her hands full with her Benjamin drama, but even Kelly had to admit that Rick was incredibly attractive. Rene had a point. Was something in the Belizean water drawing all these handsome foreigners? Surely they’d reached their sexy men quota for a lifetime.
Her gaze landed on Harley and for a brief, sparkling moment, Kelly thought that the pushy architect would abandon her pursuit of Benjamin and chase after a new, shinier toy. To her dismay, when she tracked who Harley was looking at, it wasn’t Ricky.
The man-stealing jerk!
A small reminder that she was the last person to throw such stones filtered through her mind. Kelly destroyed the thought and kept a close eye on Harley and Benjamin as she forced down her breakfast.
Fifteen minutes later, the group headed to the cave tubing site. Thick clumps of greenery shaded a huge building that was peppered by three tiny huts. Though the first floor of the main structure was crafted from cement and steel, the upper-story was made entirely of wood. It looked like a giant tree house.
The sound of the river rushing in the distance leant the entire field a magical, other-worldly air.
Vendors in colorful clothes hawked their wares, inviting the group to check out beautiful art pieces, jewelry, and clothes. They sweetened the deal by promising to give the D&T employees a special price.
Before anyone could peruse the tables of wooden statues and beaded necklaces, a man with thick black hair, a thin moustache and tan skin jumped in front of the group.
“Hello!” He wiggled his hands and grinned, revealing a gold tooth. “My name is Stuart and I am your guide on the ‘You Better Belize It’ tour. Who is the lady in charge?”
“Oh!” Harley raised her hand and smiled charmingly. “I’m not in charge, but I’m the one who made all the reservations. This is the man in charge.” She wrapped her arm around Benjamin’s hand and brought him forward.
Kelly seethed. The slimy octopus…
“Perfect!” Stuart beamed. “It’s nice to meet you all. I hope you’re wearing comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes. If not, we have a lovely shoe rental establishment for you.” He indicated the huts.
“We’ve come prepared,” Harley said, her ponytail bouncing. “We’ll go cave tubing first. I heard it’s exciting.”
“You better Belize it is!” Stuart yelled. Kelly barely restrained her eye-roll. Their guide’s catchphrase was already getting old.
“Can you Belize this guy?” Kelly whispered to Rene.
“Kel?”
“Hm?” She looked at Rene who was chomping on her fingernails. “What’s wrong?”
“Is this thing safe?”
“I’m sure it is,” she said dismissively. Kelly cracked the nicks in her neck to catch a glimpse of the couple in front of her. She’d been staring a hole through Harley’s head on most of the ride to the riverside. The pretty weasel had slipped right into the seat beside Benjamin and chatted him up the entire way.
“Kelly, are you listening to me?”
“What?”
Rene sighed in frustration and stormed off. “Forget it.”
“Wait! Rene, I’m listening now.” Kelly charged after her friend, but their opportunity for conversation was cut off when Stuart slammed a large orange, life vest just inches from her face.
“Sorry about that,” he whispered to her. She did not accept the apology, but Stuart didn’t seem to care. “Listen up, everyone! Please fasten your life vests. We will now begin the hike to the entrance of the caves. Stay close and step smartly. You better—” He twirled his hand in front of his ear.
“Belize it!” The D&T group yelled excitedly.
“Belize it,” Kelly muttered beneath her breath.
“You’re sure this isn’t dangerous?” Rene asked again, her hand falling to her stomach as if she was going to be sick.
Kelly opened her mouth to reassure her friend, but someone else cut her to the chase.
“You’ll be fine,” Rick said, walking away from his flock of D&T fangirls to join them. “It’s nice to meet you, ladies. What are your names?”
“I’m Rene and that’s my best friend Kelly.”
“Best friends at the same workplace. Must be nice.”
Rene arched an eyebrow. “It has its moments.”
“Mind if I hang with you two?” Rick asked.
Kelly glanced behind him to the beautiful ladies who looked crushed that he had abandoned them. Pealing laughter danced over the rocky trail and her eyes locked on Harley who seemed to have been blown over by something Benjamin had said.
Jealousy flared in her stomach. With a determined whip of her hair, she turned to Ricky and smiled.
“Yes! We would love it if you joined us.”
Two can play that game, Benjamin. Let’s see who wins.
A Wild, Wild Ride
Benjamin
He saw no one but her. Thought of no one but her. Kicked himself over and over again for not tiptoeing out of his room after the training last night, knocking on her door, and whisking her away to see the stars or some other romantic nonsense that women went ballistic for.
This trip had been a bad idea. Seeing Kelly everywhere, but being unable to touch her, sit beside her or even hint at how much she affected him was beyond the realm of his patience.
He peered at her from the corner of his eyes as they labored up a particularly steep hill. She wore a pair of short, neon-green swim trunks that stuck to her hips and drew the eye to her shapely legs.
The crop top hidden beneath her white T-shirt was more titillating than a full-blown bikini. That subtle hint of what could be if he discarded the shirt drove him mad. He had to force himself to keep standing next to Harley when all he wanted to do was abandon the group and go off in a quite corner with his woman.
“Benjamin, look at that!” Harley squealed. He glanced at her. Like most of the ladies on the trip, she had her hair up and wore a swimsuit and shorts. The netted material of her cover-up left little to the imagination, but Benjamin was not impressed.
Had he gone mad? Even though she was not the one he longed for, Harley was a beautiful woman and a necessary distraction on his path to faking apathy for Kelly Banner.
There should have been a spark of flattery, interest, something. Instead, he was completely unmoved—not because she wasn’t beautiful or appealing, but because Harley was not her.
Kelly Banner had ruined him.
“Good eye, Ms. Harle
y!” Stuart brushed up against them. “Those conical thorns on the trunk make this the ceiba tree. According to legend, an evil spirit who appears in the form of a beautiful woman lives in the trunk of this tree.”
“You’re kidding.” Harley grabbed her middle and huddled closer to him. “A ghost lives in there?”
“You don’t have to be afraid, ma’am.” Stuart wiggled his eyebrows at Benjamin. “But you, sir, should keep your eyes open. It is said that the spirit will lure you out late at night and lock you in a passionate embrace, one you never want to break from.”
“That… doesn’t sound so bad,” Harley said.
“When you wake up—if you do—you’ll realize that you’ve been hugging a spiny cactus all night long. What’s worse, the thorns will cause wounds that are most likely fatal.” Stuart wiggled his fingers and widened his eyes. “The spirit’s name is…”
Kelly Banner
“Xtbai.”
Harley followed Stuart and plied him with questions. Benjamin remained rooted in place, his body tuned to Kelly’s slow approach. She lingered at the rear of the group and was escorted by Ricky who was laying on his affable charm a little too much.
“No, you didn’t!” Kelly said, her brown eyes sparkling like gemstones as she looked at the broad-shouldered man beside her.
“I did,” Ricky responded, flashing his signature grin. “The camp went nuts. All the kids jumped straight into the lake to wash the ‘ticks’ off.”
“That’s hilarious.” Rene laughed. The trio seemed to be having the time of their lives. Which was fine. As long as Ricky wasn’t overstepping any bounds…
“Whoa!” Kelly hollered as she tripped over a rock. Ricky lunged, his hand grabbing her up by the waist to keep her from falling. The two locked eyes and Kelly giggled. They did not step back.
Benjamin’s temper unfurled, but he forced it down. He’d promised Kelly that he would fight the anger. Besides, pummeling his friend and the professional he’d hired to protect her wouldn’t further the end goal.
Someone bounced against his shoulder and Benjamin staggered back, stunned. His head whipped up and he glared at the man who’d knocked into him, recognizing Errol’s bulbous eyes and frowning lips.
