“Are you always this nosy?”
“You do realize you need something from me, and not the other way around, right?”
“Fine. It’s makeup,” I say. “But it’s for my job, not because I care about this kind of thing. And I work sixteen hours a day. I don’t have time to be high-maintenance.”
He pockets his keys and turns away from me, calling over his shoulder, “Where do you work? Inside a tanning booth?”
What a jackass! I stand, frozen in place while he strolls toward the parking lot. My brain seems to have seized up and I can’t quite think of a response. He’s arrogant, rude, know-it-all-y, and just plain awful. But he’s also my very last chance. So instead of running up behind him and pushing him into the ocean (which is super tempting at the moment), I leave my suitcase on the dock and follow him like a puppy. “Wait! It’s just a very short ride, I promise you! Are you familiar with Azure Island? It’s only five minutes away. You can still catch almost the whole soccer game!”
“It’s seventeen minutes from here, and I have no interest in football, but I still can’t help you out.” He continues striding toward one of the few remaining vehicles here—a shiny motorcycle.
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Take your pick. The result’s the same.” When he reaches the bike, he mounts it with one quick move, then starts it up. Well, that was ridiculously slick. Why on earth do I find this awful man so attractive? I mean, yes, he’s tall, he’s got thick chestnut brown hair that I want to run my fingers through, and he’s devilishly handsome. Sure,he’s built like a tank. All muscles on his muscles. But still. Rude.
Oh, my God, Paige! Stop ogling him! You’re in the middle of a crisis!“I’ll pay you anything,” I yell over the engine. “Well, not anything. I’ve got nine hundred dollars left on my credit card. Okay, maybe a little closer to eight, but it’s all yours. For just one tiny piece of your day.”
He shakes his head. “Sorry, lady, that plane doesn’t move for under a thousand.”
I reach out and touch his forearm. “Please. I’m desperate. I need to get to my sister’s wedding. My boss made me stay back three extra days and then all the flights out of New York were grounded due to fog and I missed the charter. The ceremony is in two hours. I’m one of the bridesmaids, and if I’m not there, she’ll never ever forgive me.”
My desperation has no discernible effect on him. He shakes his head. “As much as I don’t wish I could help you, there’s a storm blowing in from the south. Too dangerous. There’s no way you’re getting to Azure today.”
Tears fill my eyes, but I’m too upset to be humiliated by them. That’ll come later, I’m sure, but for now, there’s only the soul-crushing defeat of having gotten so close, only to fail. I’m sweating and hungry and overheated and overtired and … and I’m a total disappointment.
I nod at him and whisper, “Okay. Thanks, anyway.”
Turning away, I slink back to the dock to get my luggage, looking up in time to see him pulling out of the parking lot. I settle myself on my suitcase again and dig around in my purse for my phone. I find my lip balm first, and stall for long enough to apply some before I take out my cell. Finally, I do what needs to be done and dial my mom’s number so I can fess up.
Crap. This is going to be ugly.
But only for the next twenty-five years of my life.
6
Terrible Decisions for All the Right Reasons…
Mac
I pullonto the highway and start for home, telling myself to forget all about that redheaded ball of trouble behind me. Yes, a woman like that can only do one thing—complicate the hell out of your life. Been there, done that, lost half of everything in the process. Alarm bells went off in my head the second I laid eyes on her.Run from the orange woman.Turning her down is one-hundred-percent the right move. I’ve been up since four in the morning to do a sunrise tour of the island, then I shuttled some rich people to Santa Luciana because they wanted to switch to a different six-star resort. All I want to do is go home, have an ice-cold beer, and fall asleep on my couch for a few hours.
I turn on the radio, and the DJ’s voice comes on. “The storm is set to hit Santa Valentina Island at 3:00 p.m. today. The Coast Guard has issued a request for all boats to come back to shore immediately…”
I glance at the clock. It’s five after one. I could totallymake it to Azure Island and back in plenty of time. An image flashes through my mind—it’s the high-maintenance woman who’s about to miss her sister’s wedding. I picture her sitting on her suitcase with her shoulders slumped. She’s probably crying her eyes out. I feel a pang in my chest as her face pops into my mind. The truth is, no one is going to show up. She’s stranded. It’s either me or no one.
Forget it. This is not my problem. Just go home and relax.
Eight hundred dollars, and I bet I can talk her into more. Thirty minutes of work, and Jack will have the extra fees covered for the month.
“Dammit.” I turn the bike around and go back, already regretting what I’m doing.
I spot High-Maintenance sitting on the dock exactly where I thought she’d be. She’s got her eyes shut tight, and she’s talking on the phone, too engrossed in the conversation to notice me pull into the lot. I cut the engine and walk over in time to hear her saying, “That is so unfair, Mom. I’ve spent the last twenty-six hours in airports and on planes! I haven’t showered in days! The last meal I had was a package of stale cookies they served on the flight yester?—”
Pause. “They don’t serve peanuts anymore because they don’t want to kill anyone.” Pause.
“Can we not talk about my issues with carbs right now?”
I clear my throat loud enough for her to hear. She looks up at me.
