by Nella Tyler
“That you are,” she thought.
She didn’t speak her thoughts, but she was shocked by them. Was she in love with Drake? It was a crazy notion. She had just come out of a broken relationship a month ago. Could she be in love so soon afterward? It was beyond rational reason. She pulled her scattered thoughts together.
“Your family loves you, but you’re still spoiled,” she teased. She stood and looked down at him. “Show me where your business center is, Mister New Owner. I need to print out my design.”
He stood.
“Right this way.”
He led her through the suite but stopped at the door to push her against the wall. He then captured her mouth in a delicious kiss. After several moments, he pulled back.
“Now we can go,” he grinned.
“You were determined to get your way. And you say you’re not spoiled!” she said in disbelief.
He only laughed then pulled her out of the suite.
*****
Meg had printed out the design and Drake had spread it out on the conference table in the business center.
“I especially like how you incorporated a children’s pool just through these open doors. It’s ingenious,” he said.
“Parents will not have to leave the area to take their kids swimming. It will resemble a water park with all of the slides and a lazy river. Adults can enjoy it too while keeping an eye on their children,” she said.
“It’s a wonderful idea, but we have to keep it safe,” he noted. “Kids will be running in and out. Someone is bound to fall.”
“The flooring in the arcade will be a non-slip surface to prevent falls as the kids run from the pool to the arcade. That should help keep the accidents to a minimum,” she said.
He nodded.
“And the refreshment stand near the pool area is a plus as well. Activity produces hunger. It’s a fantastic design, babe. When will it be complete?”
“There are only a few more touches I want to add. I can have it finished by this afternoon. Will that work for you?” she asked.
“Of course it will. That means I can begin demolition by tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“Mmm hmm. Everyone is contracted and ready to go,” he said.
“You like to move fast.”
“Time is money. That may be cliché, but it’s true nonetheless,” he said. “The sooner renovations are complete the sooner we can target families to stay at the resort. And I want to remodel the gym. It needs to be enlarged and new and better equipment brought in.”
“In other words, I need to add the gym to my list of designs,” she said dryly.
“You are such a smart girl,” he complimented.
She punched his arm playfully.
“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked seriously.
“No. Not at all,” she smiled.
“Can’t stop working even when you’re on vacay.”
The voice was too familiar. Meg spun around.
“Doug Murphy!”
“In the flesh,” Doug grinned.
“And Denise.” A tall woman rushed to Doug’s side. Denise Whittaker slipped her hand through Doug’s arm and smiled smugly. She was a pretty enough girl with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. But she wasn’t what you would call slender. Far from it. She had meat on her tall frame, which made her a thick girl. Her height allowed her to carry the weight without being considered fat, but she needed to count calories. Something she rarely did.
“What are you doing here?” Meg said in shock.
“We needed a break. So we decided to come to Hawaii to relax,” Doug smiled.
He decided to come to Hawaii out of all the vacation destinations he could choose? Meg doubted him. She knew him well and could tell when he was lying. He was doing that right now. But why? Why was he here? To rub salt in the wound that he created? Seeing him with his new fiancé was the last thing she wanted to do.
“I happened to overhear Benita speaking about this place and I Googled it. I simply fell in love with it and insisted that we come here,” Denise gushed.
“So you knew I would be here and you came anyway. After breaking our engagement to be with that bimbo, you came here?” Meg spat.
“I am not a bimbo,” Denise objected.
“If that were so, you would not have come here,” Meg snarled.
Drake was seeing Meg’s fire roar to life. She had a temper. He hadn’t asked her about her past. From what he’d overheard from her friends, Meg’s fiancé had broken their engagement just before the wedding. He’d been concerned about it initially. He didn’t want to be a rebound for her. But he no longer considered that an issue. Looking at how Meg was reacting to Doug, he had nothing to worry about. Doug was a douche and he didn’t care that Meg was laying into him. He deserved it as did his new fiancé.
“It’s a very romantic place and we were certainly free to come here,” Doug said.
“And romance is what we were looking for,” Denise gloated.
“If you wanted romance, then you should have gone to Maui. Any bimbo would know that from Googling the islands,” Meg snapped.
Denise gasped in outrage.
“There’s no need to hurl insults at Denise. She innocently chose this place with no ill-harm intended,” Doug said.
“She is far from innocent. And her intentions are as malevolent as sin,” Meg returned heatedly.
Doug moved toward Meg.
“I will not allow you to malign my fiancé,” he thundered.
Drake moved to stand in front of Meg.
“Back it up, bro.” Doug’s tone and stance was menacing.
Doug had to look up at Drake, who stood and good four inches taller than him. He tried to put on a fierce face, but Meg knew he was probably quaking inside. Drake appeared a formidable force.
“I will not have Meg demeaning my fiancé,” Doug spouted.
“She already did that to herself when she attached herself to you,” Meg retorted.
“Shut up, Meg!” Doug yelled.
Drake moved to stand a foot in front of Doug.
“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. You will not utter another derogatory word to Meg. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever! Is that clear?”
“She should not speak badly about Denise,” Doug blustered.
“Denise has a tongue. Let the women battle it out. But I will not allow a man to argue with my woman. Cross that line and you deal with me,” Drake threatened.
Meg gathered the plans from the table.
“Let’s get out of here, Drake,” Meg mumbled. Suddenly she was drained.
Drake turned to slip his arm around Meg’s waist and the exited the room.
“Well, it didn’t take her long to find someone else. I have to admit, he’s hot and manly,” Denise cooed.
“Shut up, Denise!” Doug snapped.
He walked quickly out of the room. Denise frowned fiercely at him as she followed.
*****
“How I wished I could have been there to see Drake shut Doug down,” Ashlee said.
The girls lounged in the cabana watching the sunset and sipping on Blue Hawaiian and Rum Punch drinks.
“I’m sure he deserved every word of it. How could he come to this hotel knowing you would be here? It defies all sensibilities of a compassionate being,” Beni said.
“That does not apply to Doug. He’s shown himself to be mean and heartless, and a liar. It wasn’t Denise’s idea to come here. It was his,” Meg stated.
“But why? Just to hurt you more?” Beni asked in disbelief.
“I don’t know. But what I do know is that Doug has a dark side. I tried to ignore it while I was with him. But I can’t deny any longer. It’s a part of him,” Meg said softly.
“Are you saying that he can be dangerous?” Ashlee asked incredulously. “I never saw that side of him. And I’ve known with him since high school. Everyone thought he was a quiet but likable guy.”
“He kept it hidden. I only saw it bec
ause I’d see him behind closed doors,” Meg explained. “I’m not sure that he’s dangerous. I just know that he can be mean-spirited and callous. And he is fixated on having more money. A lot of money. More than we would ever earn as teachers.”
“And how did he figure he would get the kind of money that he wanted?” Beni enquired.
“He wanted me to be the money cow,” Meg answered. “To quit teaching and go into the engineering industry. He didn’t harp on it. But he would bring it up every so often.”
“And did he ever think of what he could do to earn more money? Why did it have to be you?” Ashlee said. “He knew you were happy being a teacher.”
“And it’s no secret that he could care less about teaching,” Beni grunted. “He could have looked for alternate ways to bring in more money.”
“I guess he felt that it made more sense for me to do it because of my skills,” Meg said with a shrug.
“Well, Denise has no special skills. She teaches choir and she can’t sing.” Ashlee rolled her eyes. “Will he tell her to start dancing on a pole to bring in the big bucks?”
“And the sad thing about it is that she probably would do it to keep him happy,” Meg sighed.
“She began chasing him long before you and he became engaged,” Beni said. “But he always let her know that he wasn’t interested. That’s why it was such a shocker when he broke things off with you to be with her.”
“I’m no longer trying to figure out why he ended things with us. My question is why he came here. He has a reason. Doug always does,” Meg said.
“I guess he will show his hand eventually,” Ashlee muttered.
“Not soon enough for my taste,” Meg mumbled.
“Hello ladies. May I join you?”
They looked up to see Denise sashay into their tent. She pulled up an ottoman and sat down. She was holding a mixed drink and she took a long swig of it.
“Mmm! I love this Mai Tai. I could drink it all day long,” Denise gushed.
“You’re welcome to drink it somewhere else,” Ash snapped.
“Denise, it’s really not a good idea for you to be here,” Meg said.
“In Oahu? But I thought we explained why—”
“In this tent!” Meg snapped. “Leave. I don’t want to make nice to you. I don’t want to see you. Please. Just leave.”
Denise lowered her glass and looked at Meg.
“I want to make peace with you, Meg. I know things did not happen the way you hoped they would. But I’m hoping we can get past that and at least be civil to one another,” Denise said.
“I’m getting past it, Denise … on my own. I don’t need to reconcile with you to do so,” Meg said bluntly.
“Wow! You don’t mince words. That isn’t the Meg that I knew just a month ago,” Denise said.
“A lot has changed in a month’s time; as you well know,” Meg replied stiffly.
“I still think you’re still angry with me.”
“And why shouldn’t she be? Have you erased in your mind what you did to her?” Beni snapped.
“I’m not talking to you,” Denise retorted.
“But you’re in our tent. Therefore I can say what I wish,” Beni said sharply.
Denise directed her attention to Meg.
“I really want to patch things up with you, Meg. Will you give me the chance?” Denise sniffed as though she were going to cry.
Ash and Beni rolled their eyes at her performance. Meg looked at Denise with skepticism and dislike. They had never been friends and it wasn’t likely that they ever would be. Did Denise really think they could mend fences and sing Kumbaya together? How delusional was she? But Denise’s pitiful olive branch of friendship made her realize one thing: she was not angry anymore. Denise and Doug could go live happily ever after. She just didn’t care. She had found another man who was good to her. He had a kind, gentle and sincere heart. He was a man of integrity, compassion, and determination. He was the type of man to which she could give her heart. And she wouldn’t lose him over the likes of Doug and Denise.
“I am no longer angry with you or Doug. You are not worth my energy. Go and be happy together or not. It makes me no difference. I just don’t care,” Meg said firmly. “Please leave our tent.”
Denise appeared nonplussed. Whatever her agenda had been, it hadn’t prepared her for Meg’s announcement. She slowly stood and stared at Meg for a long moment. Then she left the tent.
“Did you mean what you just said to Denise?” Ashlee asked.
Meg smiled brightly.
“Yes. I meant every word I said.”
“Well, hallelujah!” Beni cried. “This is cause for more drinks.”
The girls hugged it out then Ashlee ordered more drinks. They had a great time watching the sunset and talking about their future.
Chapter Fifteen
The three couples had gone dancing at a hot spot in Honolulu. Beni and Ashlee were dancing with their dates as Meg and Drake sat on stools at a bar table, sipping their drinks.
“This is a lot of fun. I’m glad you suggested it,” Meg said.
The music was a bit loud and Drake leaned in close to hear her.
“This is supposed to be the place to be for a night of dancing. I thought you deserved some fun after all of the hard work you’ve put in. I really appreciate your help,” he said in her ear.
“I love doing it. I’m anxious to work on the boutique design. Will the resort have to close during construction?” she asked curiously.
“I don’t think so. We should be able to cordon off the construction areas to keep people away. I think it’s a good idea for them to see the improvements that are being made. They can go home and tell their friends about it,” he responded.
“A good marketing strategy. You could even offer some kind of promotion to the first five hundred families who book their stay here after the renovations are done,” she offered.
“I like your thinking. In fact, there are a lot of things that I like about you,” he said huskily. He kissed her behind her ear.
She looked at him with sultry eyes.
“Ditto,” she murmured.
He groaned.
“I’ll be right back.”
She nodded and he moved away. Meg assumed he was going to the restroom. She happily sipped her drink and looked around the nightclub. The strobe lights were flashing everywhere casting multi-colored shadows on the dancers. The music was really good and she swayed on her stool.
“May I have this dance?”
She looked around to see Doug offering his hand. She could have barfed.
“No, Doug. I don’t want to dance with you. Go dance with your fiancé.”
“I am asking you,” he countered.
“And I have said no.”
“Don’t be angry with me, Meggie. You know we wouldn’t have suited. We would have been divorced within a year,” he said as he sat on Drake’s stool.
“As I told Denise, I am not angry with either of you. I no longer care about you,” she said firmly.
“I want us to be friends, Meggie.”
“How on earth do you think we can be friends? I’m not angry with you anymore but we will never be friends. That train has left the station,” she retorted. “And by the way, I did not invite you to join me. You should leave.”
“I saw Drake leave and took my opportunity to talk with you. Why can’t we hang together? We’ve been through some crap. Bad things happen. But we can move on from it and be good with each other,” he said persuasively.
Meg looked at him in shock. Had he lost his mind? What was with him and Denise? Why were they pushing for friendship from her? Something was up with them.
“Doug, we are out of each other’s lives now. And you’re right, it was for the best. But there will be no further alliance between us. We are done.” She tried to be as patient with him as she could. She wanted him to get it and leave her alone.
He reached across the table and grasped her hand tightly. She tr
ied to retrieve her hand but he wouldn’t release her.
“Meggie, we can be—”
“Let her go, Murphy. Now!” Drake grabbed Doug’s wrist and ripped his hand from Meg’s.
“I was just talking to her,” Doug exclaimed as he rubbed his bruised wrist.
“You have crossed the line. And I told you who you’d deal with if you made that mistake,” Drake snapped.
“She was my friend long before you knew her. I can speak to her if I want,” Doug bristled.
“Not anymore. You’ve lost that privilege when you broke your engagement to her. Now get the hell out of here and don’t come near Meg again,” Drake snapped.
“Or what?” Doug returned angrily.
“Or you’ll be nursing a black eye to go along with your bruised wrist,” Drake threatened.
“I will not be bullied!” Doug shouted.
“You need to walk out of her while you still can,” Noah ripped. Meg hadn’t noticed Beni and Noah standing behind her. “Shall I show you out?”
Doug looked at Noah belligerently then turned and walked away.
“Are you all right, Meggie?” Beni asked in concern.
“I’m fine. I just wish he and Denise would leave me alone. Why are they so bent on having my friendship?” Meg asked incredulously.
“That’s the million dollar question,” Drake muttered.
“I think it would be wise to keep a covert eye on them. I don’t trust them,” Noah said.
“I agree. I will have security watch their movement,” Drake returned.
“Too bad you can’t put a camera in their room,” Beni mumbled.
“Who says I can’t? I own the place, remember?” he smiled cunningly.
“Would you really?” Meg asked.
“Oh yes. They’re too anxious to have your friendship and I want to know why,” Drake said.
“You can’t suspect them of being involved in our mystery, do you? They just arrived in Oahu two days ago.” Meg was perplexed.
“I want to know the real reason why they are here. And putting a camera in their room will assist the investigation,” Drake grunted.
“I think it’s a great idea. Good going, Beni!” Noah said then kissed her cheek.
