“It’s the principle, Axel. Who raised these twats? What’s with the man competition? I can guarantee that you became even more interesting when you told her you were taken. It’s like these bitches have no identity of their own, other than trying to be the girl to take a man. What happened to actual life goals?” I take a deep breath. “And, end rant,” I huff, staring off into the water.
Axel pulls me onto the cushions with him until we’re lying on our sides facing each other. For a moment we take in the sounds of vacation: people swimming, and soft music from the bistro. We both know my irritation isn’t just about the girl at the bar. No, my irritation started a little over a year ago and has built like wildfire. I’d been so busy trying to be ‘fine’ and ‘over it’ that I’d never dealt with the anger.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened?” Axel inquires softly.
I roll onto my back and stare at the cabana. “I was with Dre for two years before we’d gotten engaged. I was working as a blogger for iFit Magazine, and he is a reporter for the local news station. Ashely is the daughter of the magazine’s founder, but that didn’t help her advance in her career. She’s a so-so writer, not terrible but not good at gauging her audience.”
I take a deep sigh and continue. “I was doing better than her. I was either being reassigned to stuff she botched or getting the stories and promotions that she wanted. And, instead of focusing on herself and improving, she would try to sabotage me. I used to think she was nice. She’s not. It’s all about having the upper hand. Anyway, one day it stopped. She didn’t harass me or try to undermine me at work anymore. I was relieved.”
Axel pulls me closer. I rest my head on his shoulder and continue. “I was supposed to go out of town to work on a story, but the flight was canceled until the next day. I was already leaving a few days early and didn’t sweat the cancellation. I went home to find Dre and Ashley packing up my stuff. They’d been sneaking around for months, and the plan was to pack my items into storage and send me an email. A FUCKING email, requesting that I give the ring he gave me back in exchange for the location of my belongings!”
My fists ball up in anger, and I could tell the tell-tale sting in my eyes. “She stood there the whole time smug and happy that she’d won.” I wipe an escaped tear. “We were five months out from the wedding. I ranted about how I had to cancel everything and would lose money on the deposits and the invitations that I’d already personalized and purchased. One day, I get an alert that someone sent me money. It was from her for the approximate amount I would lose and the bitch wrote, ‘Reimbursement for a failed marriage attempt.’”
Axel kissed my eyelids. “Don’t waste tears on that asshole.”
I nod. “It’s just I’m so angry. I didn’t confront them after I took the truck they were loading. At work, her dad was just like, ‘Oh well. You know what they say about love and war.’ I responded by telling him that he could send his no-writing ass daughter on his assignments and quit. The day I ran to you was the day I’d realized that they were hijacking my dream.”
“Your dream?” he asks.
“Yea. I told them at different times, and for different reasons, that I’d always dreamed of traveling outside the contiguous 48 states. I said I would start with Hawaii and add to the list until I was satisfied. I was researching this resort for our honeymoon when he dumped me.”
“I’m glad you did because I got to meet you.” Axel’s kind words take some of the sting out of my anger and embarrassment.
“I’m over him. I don’t want him back. I felt nothing but the desire to punch him in the face when I saw him. I guess deep down I knew we weren’t right for each other. I knew he was self-centered. I just never thought he would be willing to hurt me so completely. I thought he would at least respect me. That is the part that hurts. The bastard planned his wedding at the same place I was planning our honeymoon.” I sat up shocked when Axel laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s just that… I would have been the stalker in the bikini.” He sat up with me and grabbed our drinks. “Think about it. We get along like we’ve known each other for months. I would have been the single person chasing the taken one.”
I gulp my drink. “Axel, you’re so full of shit, but I feel better.”
He laughs and kisses my nose. “I guess we’ll never know.”
Axel
“Cannonballlllllll!” I hear someone yell.
It pulls me out of my lazy afternoon slumber right before I feel a few icy droplets of water hit my torso. I feel Heaven’s soft body stir next to me. We’d talked a little more while we finished our drinks, then fell into early afternoon naps—a good nap that was just interrupted by some cannonballing asshole. I peek over to discover the culprit.
Surprise. Surprise.
Okay, I’m not really surprised that Dre cannonballed so close to our cabana. It’s just this resort is massive; we could choose not to see each other at all. Yet, there he is being childish. I roll to my side, giving my back to the pool and scoop Heaven up into one of the most satisfying spoons on this side of puberty. But, I see Ashley before I close my eyes. She’s at the bar, facing us and staring at Heaven’s sleeping face with hatred.
I believed Heaven’s story; but if I didn’t, I would now. Ashely’s problem with Heaven goes beyond work jealousy. It may have started there, but Ashely has moved way beyond that. In that moment, I know without a doubt she likes Dre because he was Heaven’s. I would be willing to bet money that she’d spearheaded this whole Hawaiian destination wedding and honeymoon just to fuck with Heaven. It’s disturbing and sad.
My nap is officially ruined. I stretch like a cat. Hmmm, the spa is around here somewhere, maybe I could get them to squeeze us in. They can only cater to one couple at a time; it will be a great reprieve from the couple from hell. I jump up and adjust myself. I have a little nap wood or Heaven wood…who knows. I scan the perimeter and locate the door. I’ll have to pass the bar and the lurker.
Ashely watched me from the moment I stretched. Her eyes linger on my crotch. Now that I am closer, her gaze is warmer as her eyes molest me. I don’t know if she is attracted to me as a person or the opportunity to mess with Heaven’s man again. I don’t care to find out. I want no part of her game. She approaches me with the same seductive smile that probably landed Dre, but I’m not him.
I hold up my hand and shake my head, ‘no’ as I continue into the spa. I obviously care about Heaven more in two days than he did in two-plus years. I emerge a few minutes later with an appointment. Heaven still sleeps in the cabana. I know it shouldn’t but seeing her relaxing with paradise as a backdrop makes my heart swell.
“Calm down,” I tell myself. I don’t know anything about her beyond our insane connection and my desire to make her cum.
I rub her back to wake her gently. “Wake up, baby.”
She rolls onto her back.
“Or you could come back to bed.” The way she says it makes me throb.
“If we were in bed, I wouldn’t have gotten out.”
