Escape To Paradise: A Perfect Escapist Sweet and Spicy Summer Beach Read For 2024

Chapter 12

The Curveball

I helped Maverick make breakfast. I made omelet and toast. He squeezed the oranges. I wanted to make a lighter breakfast because I didn’t want to feel too heavy during the scuba diving. I was a bit nervous about it since I would be doing it for the first time.

Maverick and I didn’t mention what happened last night again. It was as if we completely ignored what happened, focusing instead on the day ahead. Maverick had a washer with a dryer, so I did my laundry after breakfast. When I was ready, we hopped on to his SUV and drove to the Moliner Underwater Sculpture Park. Maverick knew one of the tour operators there. All he needed was to call, and he got first priority.

“You could literally run for mayor here, Maverick,” I joked.

“Yeah, he owes me a favor. I helped advertise his scuba diving and boat tours. So, he owed me.”

“Cool. You surprise me every day.”

When we reached our destination, he met up with his contact person—a tall, bald local man, with a muscular figure.

“Hey, Maverick, what’s up?” They hugged each other.

“Hey, Joe, this is Harper,” he introduced me to his friend. “Harper, this is Joe.”

Joe was a charming man with a nice smile. “So, this is your first time scuba diving?” he asked me.

I nodded.

“You’re in good hands. I used to dive with Maverick before. But the guy’s been busy. Barely has time for myself.”

“You could always visit me at The Flamingo, Joe,” Maverick reminded him.

“I’ll definitely take my next batch of clients there. And is your villa operational? A lot of tourists have been asking for lodging recommendations.”

“Yes. It’s not fully operational yet, but there’s a few villas that are available for rent.”

“Great. I’ll send customers your way. Just text me the link.”

Maverick texted him the link to his website. “That’s the booking site.”

“Okay. Now, let’s give Miss Harper her first scuba diving lesson.”

We followed Joe to his scuba store, which was by the waterfront. It had a lot of gears. In an hour, he was able to fit me with a wetsuit, scuba gear, and proceeded to give me scuba diving lessons by the shore. I was nervous at first, but Maverick assured me it was safe. After our lessons, we got into a boat. I was already questioning if I did the right thing.

Maverick, sensing my apprehension, said, “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

Joe helped put the gear on me, and then I sat at the edge of the boat. Maverick put on his scuba gear too. He held my hand as we jumped overboard. With the weight of the scuba tank, it was easy for me to descend in the water. I followed Maverick as he led me to the sculptures.

The sculptures were shaped like humans and had different faces. Some of them had sea moss, and in some of them, I could still see the shape of the faces. There were many fish that were swimming around the sculptures. As we swam around, we found a sculpture of Jesus and of a man writing on a desk.

We were almost twenty minutes underwater, when Maverick pointed out that we should head back up. I followed him but stopped when I saw a shark. It was a twelve-foot, silver-colored shark with big eyes. All I could see was the sharp teeth. I froze and panicked when the shark started swimming towards me. Maverick suddenly came in between me and the shark, which I found very heroic. I held my breath until the shark glided past us, and only then I was able to breathe normally again. We swam back up to the surface; I couldn’t wait to get out of the water.

Joe helped us back to the boat. When I took off my gear, I asked Maverick what type of shark it was. He wouldn’t answer, but I kept on pressing him that Joe became curious.

“What kind of shark was it, Maverick?” Joe asked.

“It was a mako shark.”

“Shit, that’s scary! I’ve never seen them in these waters in a long time.” Joe shook his head.

“What’s a mako shark? Does it eat people?” I asked Maverick. Then I turned to Joe.

“Yeah, if it’s hungry, it sure will. You guys got lucky,” Joe answered.

“Maverick? You came in between me and the shark. Are you crazy?” I got mad.

“It’s better it eats me than it eats you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something bad happened to you.” Maverick gazed at me, with a serious look on his face.

“Well, I’d be traumatized if it ate you too! Are you kidding me!”

“They don’t attack unless provoked. That’s why we didn’t move,” Maverick assured me.

Joe laughed. “Let’s get out of here!”

I was still shaking. I didn’t know if Maverick was crazy, or if he was out of his mind.

When we got back to the shore, we returned our gears at Joe’s scuba store. We invited him for lunch, and he obliged, saying he had to leave by 1 p.m. since he had a dive around that time.

We went to the restaurant bar next door and got ourselves a good lunch. Maverick got grilled fish, and I ordered fish and chips. We also ordered cocktails. I noted that Maverick’s cocktails were better.

“Are you a good bartender now?” Joe asked Maverick.

“Was I really that bad?” he asked.

“I know I’m your friend, but yes, you were terrible.” Joe laughed heartily.

“Glad I taught him.”

“It’s part of the reason why I didn’t go back,” Joe confessed.

“Well, you should come back. He’s better now,” I told Joe.

“I’ll try next time. But can I trust you, or are you biased too?” Joe asked me.

“You can trust me.” I winked at him.

Joe was an affable man with a big personality. I was starting to like the people Maverick surrounded himself with. After our lunch, we bid Joe goodbye. Maverick wanted to take me around town to visit the shops. Admittedly, every time we went to town, we only had one goal—to buy groceries and supplies. It was different to just walk around town and enjoy the atmosphere.

We went to an ice cream shop. I got two scoops of peanut butter and chocolate, while Maverick got strawberry and banana. I tried his ice cream, and he tried mine. Then, we went into the shops and even visited a spice shop. Grenada was known as the spice capital of the Caribbean. I bought a box of twelve different spices.

We picked up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and drove back to Maverick’s place. When we got there, we took a dip in the pool before we had our dinner. I tried to avoid swimming close to Maverick. The urge to kiss him was still strong, and so was the urge to have sex with him.

During dinner, we feasted on the chicken. It was well-seasoned. Maverick paired it with salad and wine.

“Tomorrow may be my last day here. I have to go back to the yacht to prepare for the next charter. And also, to book my flight back to the States.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a couple of weeks.” I sipped the red wine. From the taste, I could tell it was expensive.

Maverick paused before saying, “I want to go with you.”

“I’m a big girl. I can go by myself.”

“I promised you. I’d be there for you. I’ll make sure your ex doesn’t screw you over.” He sounded stern.

“I don’t think he will.”

“I want to be there for you. As a friend.” Maverick sounded so sincere and determined. I couldn’t say no to him.

“Okay. I mean, we’ll go to Savannah, then to Colorado to visit my friends.”

“Good. I’d very much like to meet them.”

On my last day in Maverick’s villa, we spent it by getting a massage. He hired masseuses that went to the villa with their massage table. They gave us a Swedish massage and hot stone massage. Maverick tipped the masseuses after our one-hour long massage. Afterwards, we just sat on the couch next to each other and drank tea. Maverick turned on his TV, and we ended up binge-watching a TV show. But I might’ve dozed off and when I woke up, it was already eight episodes long, and I was on Maverick’s chest. He just allowed me to rest on his chest.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to turn your chest into a bed.” I was embarrassed.

“You can use me as a cushion, a pillow, or a bed anytime, Harper. I don’t mind.”

“I don’t want to go to bed yet. Is there anything else we can do around here?”

Maverick started thinking. “We can go in a hot tub.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Maybe even with a glass of wine?”

“If you like.”

I got up and went to my room to change into my bikini. Maverick removed his shirt and just wore swimming trunks. He handed me the wine glasses to carry while he carried the wine bottle. I followed him as he led me to the hot tub. It was in one of the unoccupied villas.

This villa was bigger. Aside from its own hot tub, it had a small lap pool overlooking the oceanfront. Maverick turned on the lights; the villa was not fully furnished yet, but the king-size bed was already added.

“Why don’t you stay in this villa instead?” I asked him.

“It’s meant for a couple, you know. King-size bed, bigger kitchen. It’s a honeymoon suite. There are three other suites such as this.”

I looked around. It looked fancier with its marble floors, bigger tv, all stainless-steel appliances. I saw an odd chaise lounge. So I pointed it out to Maverick.

“What is that?” I pointed to a red chaise lounge in front of the window.

Maverick blushed a bit. “It’s a love-making chaise lounge for more comfort in different positions. And the window, the glass is one-way. You can see out but those outside can’t see inside. And the walls are made of sound-absorbing wall panels. It’s all my idea so couples can have their privacy.” Maverick seemed proud of this.

“So, a couple can make love without being seen and can make loud noises without being heard? Great idea.”

Maverick led me to the bathroom, where there was a garden tub and a spacious walk-in shower. He added, “For couples to have a fun time on their honeymoon, including bathing and showering together. The floor is non-skid. And there’s mood lighting.”

“You really put a lot of thought into this place. I’m impressed.”

“I want the couples to have a memorable time here.”

I joked, “They’re going to have a hell of a time.”

The lap pool was in the back with an outdoor shower. We stepped outside to the front patio. Maverick turned on the hot tub, and when it was warm enough, we stepped in. He then opened the wine, and I handed him the wine glasses.

“I’ve had the most amazing time with you, Maverick. Thank you.”

There was still a lot of tension between us. We never mentioned our first kiss again, and I didn’t want to sit next to him for fear we might kiss again. Maverick was a very good kisser; an even better kisser than Julian.

“When you come back from your charter, you can stay here again. Your friends can stay here as well.”

“I’ll let them know. It would be a nice idea. It seems that we’re going our separate ways for a few weeks, or months.”

Maverick was already halfway in finishing his wine. “How long do you intend to work on the luxury yacht?”

“As long as needed. I hope to get a substantial amount of money from my restaurant. That’s going to take a while. Maybe I’ll set up shop someplace. But I’m not in a hurry. I have to find the right place for the restaurant.”

“Are you open to having a partner again?” Maverick asked.

“It depends. I am not ruling it out. I mean, Benoit was a really good business partner. We made a profit. He’s a good restaurateur, and I learned a lot from him. Only thing is, I couldn’t stay with him after what he’s done to me.”

“What if he asks you back?” Maverick was getting into the hypothetical now.

“I don’t think I would want him back. The trust was broken.”

“It’s going to be hard to resist once you meet up with him in person. I’m not saying you’ll experience the same thing as me, but my ex-wife tried to plead for me to go back to her.”

“Why didn’t you go back?” I asked.

His eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to recall a painful memory. “Just like your ex, my wife was unfaithful. I was working too hard. She wasn’t happy.”

“And she still asked you back?” I said incredulously.

“She was remorseful.”

After our swim, we went back to the villa and bid each other goodnight.

***

The following morning, Maverick dropped me off at the Sea Eagle. Before we went off, he had fixed me breakfast, and drove me in his Porsche. We were quiet for most of the drive. He was almost introspective, and I just looked outside the window, enjoying the view.

When he dropped me off at the dock, he had a sad look on his face. I hugged him really tight, glad I had the emotional support I needed. I valued our friendship, but after our kiss, there was an undeniable sexual tension between us.

I waved him goodbye and got on the yacht.

The crew had not come back yet, so I was alone with Captain John. We had a chat over coffee, and I learned more about him. He was a really friendly person, but I still missed Captain Youssef’s fatherly figure. After our morning chat, I went back to work. I checked the pantry for our supplies, checking what ingredients we needed to stock up with on our next supply run. Then, I checked on our upcoming menu.

Spending time with Maverick had been healing for me. He did offer a distraction, and I had stopped thinking about Julian. But now, I kept thinking about the kiss Maverick and I shared and how much I wanted him to kiss me and touch my body again. I shook off the feeling.

I went to the office to check my email. I talked to the recruiter, informing him that I needed to go back to the States for a week, and then rest for another week in Grenada before signing for another three months of work. The recruiter was okay with me taking a break and told me he would hire a temporary cook for the next two charters. Next, I called my lawyer and told him about my plans. He said he would set up an in-person meeting with Benoit after I’ve booked my flight. I just had to email him the date and time of my arrival in the U.S.

When the crew came back that evening, I was happy to be reunited with them. I told them that Maverick had invited us to his villa, and they seemed pleased by this.

“Glad he recognizes us as loyal customers,” Zofia said.

“What’s his private resort like, Harper?” Kathleen asked with eagerness.

I described the private resort in detail, skipping the part about the honeymoon suite.

“So all this time, Maverick was a secret multi-millionaire. Who knew? I really thought he was just the bartender,” Zofia added. “You should have hooked up with him from day one. I told you he was into you.”

“Yeah, he seems to really like you, Harper,” Kathleen said. “Especially since he invited you to his private resort.”

“I don’t know about liking me. We’re just friends,” I lied. I failed to mention that we had kissed. I really wanted Maverick to just be my friend for now. I wasn’t in a good position to be dating again.

Zofia raised her eyebrows. “Friends? The guy invited you to his private resort. You stayed at his home. I don’t think he wants to be just friends with you, Harper.”

Kathleen joined in. “Yeah, just friends wouldn’t invite the girl to their home. I mean, we didn’t get invited.”

“Well, he’s inviting you now,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but he invited you first. He’s inviting us because we’re your friends.” Zofia was making a good point there.

It was undeniable; Maverick was really interested in me. But I was still healing from Julian, and I didn’t want Maverick to be my rebound. I still had feelings for Julian, and yet I couldn’t help feeling this way.

We gossiped for a while. I, however, noticed that Julian had sent me text messages. Most of them were apologies. The first two messages were very long, asking for forgiveness for leading me on. I didn’t even read the rest of them. He was just feeling guilty because he got caught.

I had cooked dinner for the crew. After dinner, we had music, dancing, and drinks. I tried to shake off my sadness at losing Julian, and hanging out with the crew really helped to lift my spirits. Before I retired that evening, I deleted all of Julian’s text messages.