24
Sleep, Money, and Other Things That Are Overrated…
Mac
It’s early evening,and I just caught and cleaned a good-sized sea bass for our supper. We found a few ripe mangoes earlier this afternoon, and Paige is in the house making a big pot of rice, so it’ll be a simple but tasty meal for us. I light the charcoal barbeque and get to work grilling the fish, smiling to myself, thinking about Paige.
Even though she’s just in the house, I miss her. I know that’s stupid, but I can’t help myself. It’s been less than a week since we first slept together, and since then, I can’t get enough of her — the way she feels and tastes, the way she talks and thinks, the way she looks at me, as if I’m the only man in the world. I want to be near her all the time, and I’ve never felt like this with anyone. Not even Lisa. Not even at the beginning. The sex was great with her, but I always had the feeling that I wasn’t quite enough for her, which, as it turns out, was her feeling as well.
I glance through the kitchen window and see Paige standing in front of the sink, deep in thought. Anotherplane passed by this morning without noticing us, and I know she’s feeling as if she somehow failed in her plan to get us noticed. I did my best to reassure her that it wasn’t because her plan failed, but because the plane was too high, which is true. But I can tell she’s still upset about it, and I find myself wanting to help ease her mind.
The door opens, and Paige walks out carrying a couple of candles. “I thought we could eat outside on the lounge chairs.”
“Sounds perfect. Do you need any help?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got it.” She sets the candles down on the side table between the chairs and walks over, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me on my back while I cook. I turn and kiss her, then rest my forehead on hers, wishing I could tell her I want her to belong to me.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Turning, I wrap my arms around her. “Liar. You’re still upset about that plane.”
She looks up at me. “I just … I’m worried that maybe I’m not as good as I thought I was at advertising. I swear Guy would have gotten us off this island on day one.”
Shaking my head, I say, “Not true. You’re amazing. That plane was just too high. No way could they see anything from that altitude. Trust me, as soon as anyone comes anywhere near this island, they’re going to see at least one of the things you came up with.”
“I hope so,” she says, lifting herself onto her tiptoes and giving me a kiss. “Well, sort of.”
I grin, knowing exactly what she means. “Say, while I’ve got you here, I was wondering if I could pick your brain for a little advice. I keep thinking about how you reacted to the name of my company.”
She wrinkles up her nose. “Sorry, I didn’t mean toinsult you. It definitely makes sense because of your name.”
“Yeah, but maybe I need to rethink it. Find a name that inspires confidence.” I nuzzle her neck and leave a trail of kisses along her collar bone. “I was hoping you might help me come up with a plan, just in case we do get rescued. I’m going to have to make some quick cash.”
Pulling back, she gives me a flirty look. “I don’t know … what’s in it for me?”
“What if I knock off some of your gambling debt?” I answer, grinning down at her. “You’re into me for a cool one hundred g’s already.”
She purses her lips. “I owe you one hundred thousand fake dollars. You’re asking for real advice. What kind of businesswoman would I be if I agreed to that?”
I look up at the night sky. “Okay, how about sexual favors?”
“I’m listening…”
“I could start with that thing I do with my tongue that you seem to enjoy so much.”
She gives me a very serious look. “I see. In that case, what exactly do you want to know?”
I burst out laughing and she does too. When we’re done, I say, “Everything that beautiful mind of yours can come up with.”
“Right, well, if you want everything I can come up with it’ll take a while. But just spitballing, if it were me, I’d want to focus on the experience of the flight itself. It’s not just getting people from A to B. It’s the journey. You want it to feel exclusive, luxurious, fun. Capture the excitement and romance of the Caribbean. The freedom of it all,” she says, running her hands up and down my back. “Also, I’d totally pimp you out, using photos and videos of you because you inspire confidence and you’re insanely hot.”
My face heats up a little and I laugh, then say, “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
The fish starts to smoke and I let go of her to check on it. “This looks ready.”
