Maya
“This is unbelievable,” Dad mutters as Taint and his buddies pass around beers on the bus. They bought a few cases of warm beer from some guy in the airport parking lot and they’re all getting hammered on the way to the resort. A few are puffing on cigarettes, filling the bus with smoke.
It’s already chaos. They’re so loud and obnoxious, I can’t even.
I close my eyes and plug my ears, trying to put myself back on the plane next to Adrian. I get all tingly when I remember the way it felt to have him holding my hands, his soothing whispers in my ears, telling me everything will be okay. I shiver when I remember how it felt to be kissed by him. It was incredible and so unexpected to have this rich handsome man kissing me like he was claiming my mouth.
I’ve never been kissed like that before. It’s something you don’t come back from.
I’m trying to remember every detail—the way his hardmuscular chest felt under my tingling fingertips, the way his hand was cradling my jaw like I was a precious work of art, the way his hot breath felt on my flushed skin… I’m picturing it all and am almost back there with him when I feel a hard jolt on my shoulder, yanking me out of my new happy place.
I look up in shock. Taint is standing over me with a warm can of beer, offering it.
“Wanna get fucked up?” he asks.
“No thanks,” I say, forcing out a smile.
He offers the can to my dad who’s sitting beside me. Dad just mutters something under his breath and turns to the window.
“More for us,” Taint says, cracking it open.
“Hey, hit me!” one of his idiot buddies shouts from the front. Taint throws the beer, even though it’s open, and beer rains down on everyone in the five rows between him and idiot number two.
The whole bus is our group, so it’s all friendly fire. My mom is sitting in front of us beside her sister Jennifer, and she gets the worst of it.
“Are you serious?” my dad snaps. “You just poured beer all over my wife.”
Taint chuckles like it’s all a big joke. “My wedding, my rules.”
Dad’s mouth drops open as Taint struts away, handing out more warm beers.
“This guy can’t get any worse,” Dad says as he watches him go with fire in his eyes.
And then Taint lights a big fat cigar, in the hot bus, and my dad shakes his head. “I stand corrected.”
I sink into the seat and try to ignore the chaos around me. My mind goes right back to the airport when we landed.
Adrian wanted me to come with him to The Aurelia. Practically begged. At one point, I thought he might throw me over his shoulder and steal me away—I think I would have liked that option.
But then my rambunctious group came out and I was absorbed back into the chaos. Dad complained about the service on the plane and my mom was appalled that Leah threw up all over the bathroom and she had to clean it with Jennifer.
I lost sight of Adrian as we went through customs and I never saw him again. Maybe he got stopped? I looked for him everywhere, but I couldn’t find him. He exited my life as quickly as he entered it.
My whole body gets numb and heavy knowing I’ll probably never see him again. I’m not ready to come to terms with that just yet.
I open my book and take out his business card—all I have left of him. I rub my fingers on the rough surface as I read his name in glossy black ink. Adrian Drake. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I have a piece of him, even if it is just a fancy business card. At least, I know he was real and not just a dream.
I slink into my seat and pull out my phone to do some research as the bus rolls down the road. I google Adrian and feel my whole chest light up when I see tons of articles, interviews, and photos of him with important people. Wow. He’s everywhere. Award ceremonies, keynote speaking at huge conferences, and there’s even a photo of him at the Super Bowl in a private box.
I click on the top article and suck in a breath when I read the title.
Adrian Drake the tech billionaire taking the world by storm.
Billionaire?
I’m not surprised. I could tell he was genius-level smart. There was something behind those dark eyes. A gifted brilliance. A way of processing the world that was entirely unique.
I google a few more things. Mainly,Adrian Drake wifeandAdrian Drake girlfriend.
