Chapter Fourteen
Ryan
The papers on my desk blur into a sea of meaningless words as Meredith's face shimmers in my mind. Her amber eyes, her sexy smile, the way she throws her head back when she laughs. God, I want to find her right now, pull her into my arms, and kiss her until we're both out of breath. But I can't. There's no time for romantic daydreams when a cyclone might be barreling toward us.
I rub my eyes, then return to studying the weather radar, refreshing it for the hundredth time today. The swirling mass of angry red and orange images on the screen seems to be veering away from Heirani Motu, but I know how quickly these storms can change course. The island's last close call happened during the resort's opening, back when James Bythesea was general manager and Holly wasn't his wife yet. The island got lucky back then. I pray we'll be as fortunate this time.
With a heavy sigh, I push away from my desk. Time to rally the troops. As I stride down the hallway toward the staff room, I smooth my features into a mask of calm authority. No one can see how worried I am, how my thoughts keep drifting to Meredith's safety.
"Okay, everyone," I holler as I enter the staff room, clapping my hands to get everyone's attention. "We've got a situation brewing. There's a cyclone heading this way."
Emilio's eyes widen. "Like the one from the grand opening, boss?"
"Similar, but potentially more severe. We need to be prepared for anything."
As I outline our storm protocols, I can't help but scan the room, half-hoping to see Meredith's familiar face among the staff. She's not here, of course. She's a guest, so she's probably out enjoying the island's beauty, blissfully unaware of the danger. But I have other priorities right now. I'm sure Meredith is fine, probably hanging out with her friends.
I straighten my posture and look directly at each of my employees in turn. "Marley, I need you to start battening down anything that could become a projectile. Emilio, coordinate with housekeeping to ensure all guests are accounted for and informed of emergency procedures."
Everyone nods. Any anxiety they might be feeling has been tamped down, determination replacing the initial fear in their eyes. I couldn't be prouder of my team than I am right now.
"Remember," I continue, "we're prepared, we're capable, and we'll get through this together. Any questions?"
As the staff disperse to their handle their assigned tasks, I still have work to do too. But Meredith's face flashes through my mind. Where are you, Mer? Please be safe. The thought of her out there, exposed to the elements, makes my stomach churn. But I push the feeling aside. I have a resort full of people counting on me. I can't let my personal feelings interfere with my duty. With one last deep breath, I stride out of the staff room, ready to face whatever this storm may bring. But even as I focus on the tasks ahead, a part of me remains acutely aware of Meredith's absence, hoping against hope that she'll appear, safe and sound, before the first raindrops fall.
The laptop screen flickers to life, revealing the concerned faces of James, Holly, Eve, and Val. Their furrowed brows and tense postures betray their worry, even through the pixelated video feed.
"Ryan, we've been monitoring the cyclone's path," James begins, his tone solemn. "How are things on the ground?"
I lean back in my chair, projecting an air of calm I don't entirely feel. "We're as prepared as we can be. The staff's been briefed, and we're implementing our emergency protocols."
"What about the guests?" Eve asks in. "Are they panicking?"
"So far, so good," I assure them. "We've closed all the storm shutters, secured loose items, and covered the pool and the outdoor hot tubs. The guests have been informed, but we're keeping things low-key to avoid alarming them."
Holly nods approvingly. "Smart move. And the bungalows?"
"Wind and impact-resistant windows, just like in the guest suites," I reply, ticking off points on my fingers. "We've removed all patio furniture and umbrellas. Anyone in beachfront accommodations will be moved to the main building along with everyone else."
Val, ever the pragmatist, leans closer to the camera. "And you, Ryan? How are you holding up?"
The question catches me off guard, but I recover quickly. "I'm fine. Focused on the job at hand."
A low rumble of thunder punctuates my words. The others exchange glances, but I maintain my composure.
"We trust you, Ryan," James finally confirms. "Keep us posted and watch out for your own safety too."
"I will. Thanks for checking in with me."
The call ends, leaving me alone with the growing sounds of the approaching storm. I turn to the stack of paperwork on my desk, more for something to do with my hands than out of any real need.
A soft knock at the door breaks my concentration, but I keep my attention on the documents I'd been pretending to study. I call out, "Come in."
The door swings open, and I hear the unmistakable sound of bare feet padding across the carpet. My pulse quickens, but I keep my eyes fixed on the papers before me.
"Ryan?"
Meredith's voice, soft and sweet, causes the hairs on my arms to lift and tingle. I glance up, and for a moment, I can't breathe. She's dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt with sneakers too. Her sun-kissed skin almost seems to glow in the dim light of my office. She sashays toward me, hips swaying, before perching herself on the edge of my desk.
A flash of lightning illuminates the room, casting Meredith's silhouette in sharp relief. In that brief, brilliant moment, I see the vulnerability in her eyes. We both know the danger that's approaching. But the storm isn't the only problem. I still haven't found the time to tell her the truth. As thunder crashes overhead, I realize I'm standing at a crossroads, caught between duty and desire. And as Meredith sits there waiting for me to speak, I wonder if I have the strength to resist the storm that's been building between us since the moment we met.
"Ryan, I can't pretend anymore," she begins. "This time with you...it's changed me. You've changed me. And I need to know if my feelings are reciprocated. Whether I should go home or..."
My heart pounds against my ribs, a rapid drumbeat matching the intensifying wind outside. I should speak, I must speak, and the time has come to act like a man. So, I jump out of my chair. "Maybe I have been anxious about telling you how I feel, but that's over."
The scent of her skin, like coconut and sea salt, envelops me. But it's the look in her eyes that does me in.
I grip her arms, dragging her into me, our lips nearly touching. "I love you, Meredith. No one has ever meant more to me than you do. I don't that you can't have children. I don't care that you're nine years older than I am. I love you ."
A deafening crack of thunder drowns out my words, making us both jump.
So, I tell her again, more loudly. "I love you."
"Yeah, I heard you the first time." Her lips curve into a playful smile. "But maybe we should go to the dining hall. That's where everyone is hanging out."
I smirk. "How can I fuck you in the dining hall? The elderly folks might have a heart attack."
"Sorry, sweetie, no sex during a cyclone. My screams of ecstasy might be mistaken for someone in distress."
Despite myself, I feel a smile tugging at my lips. But the moment of levity is short-lived as another gust of wind rattles the windows, reminding me of the very real danger approaching.
I loosen my grip on her arms. "We need to get you to safety. Your bungalow—do you have any weather-appropriate clothes there?"
"I packed some just in case. Jeans, boots, the works."
"Good. We need to hurry. This storm is getting worse by the minute."
As we move toward the door, I worry about the cyclone outside but also how the guests will handle being stuck in the main building for the duration. Before we head for Meredith's bungalow, I take us on a detour to check on all the guests and my staff. Many of the guests who have rooms in the main building had decided to stay in their quarters. The rest took shelter in the dining hall, the game room, and other public areas.
Inside the building, controlled chaos reigns. Emilio's voice rises above the din, his usual cheerful tone replaced by calm authority. "Everyone, please remain calm and follow the staff to the designated safe areas."
The staff volunteered to handle room service. The dining hall is packed with guests who were told to leave their bungalows or rooms in other parts of the resort. Every structure on the island has been storm proofed. But I'd rather have everyone crammed into the main building instead of spread out in various locations.
I catch Marley as she's dashing around helping guests. "You guys have everything under control. I'm taking Meredith to her bungalow. Call me on the walkies if you need me. Cell phones might not work."
"Yes, boss."
A deafening crack rips through the air as we reach Meredith's bungalow. The ground trembles beneath our feet, and I instinctively pull her close, shielding her body with mine as a massive palm tree crashes down mere thirty feet away.
Meredith gasps, her fingers digging into my arms.
"We need to move, now!" I shout over the howling wind. Without thinking, I scoop her up and sprint toward her bungalow. My heartbeat is pounding in my ears by the time I set Meredith down just inside her door and slam it shut. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Ryan, that was insane. Like something out of a disaster movie."
"I know."
Now that we're cocooned in her bungalow, the roar of the wind is less noticeable. The mountain and the trees muffle it just enough that we can relax a bit. We have no television, since the signals come from satellites and the storm is blocking them. I have a walkie talkie for communicating with my staff, but otherwise, we have no way to communicate until the brunt of the cyclone moves away from us. Meredith and I pass the time by playing gin rummy—she wins more than half the time—and also by talking. I want to ask about her past, but it feels wrong for me to start that conversation.
Instead, I tell her more about me. Maybe that will encourage her to open up too. We're lying in bed, fully clothes, while the storm rages, though less powerfully than earlier.
"When I took this job," I explain, "I had no idea how my family would feel about it. But they were surprisingly broad-minded about the nudist resort thing. Of course, they still don't know that I've gone naturist too, thanks to a certain bewitching guest."
She feigns innocence. "And that guest would be...Zara, right?"
"Ha-ha." I tickle her belly, which always makes squirm and laugh. "My family would love you."
"Even though I'm a post-menopausal woman who never had any children?"
"Once they meet you, they won't care about your age." I pull her closer. "We could visit family sometime. Then you could get to know my brother and sister, my parents too."
She lays her arm across my chest. "My parents live in South Dakota, but I moved to Seattle with my husband not long after we got married."
"You're divorced, then?"
"Not exactly." Meredith's face pinches up briefly, then she relaxes against me with a sigh. "Brian was very sweet when we were dating and for several years after that. But then he had a stroke and couldn't work, even had trouble walking and speaking. I had to get a second job to pay for his medical expenses. Brian would curse at me and even throw things at me. I knew it was the stroke, but I still felt...defeated. Four and half years ago, he had another stroke and passed away."
"I'm so sorry, Mer."
She shrugs one shoulder. "I know it sounds horrible, but I was...relieved when he died. I quit my second job and stuck with my bank teller position. Then I started going to group grief therapy. That's how I met Zara, Maya, and Lila. They lost their husbands too."
"It's great that you found friends like those ladies. They're amazing, just like you."
We fall asleep in each other's arms, hardly noticing the storm anymore. And when we wake in the morning, it seems like a new day, not just because the cyclone is gone but also because of our conversation last night. The morning sun streams through the windows. Meredith is still nestled in my arms, her warm breath tickling my neck. For a moment, I allow myself to savor this perfect stillness, to imagine waking up like this every morning.
I know this woman. I love this woman. Nothing else matters.
But duty calls. I carefully extricate myself from Meredith's embrace, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before slipping out of bed. She stirs slightly but doesn't wake.
Outside, the storm has left its mark—fallen palm fronds litter the beach, and the usually pristine sand is strewn with debris. There might be more debris in other parts of the island, but I have a feeling the resort will recover quickly. I make my way to the main building, surveying the grounds as I go. A few lounge chairs overturned, some downed trees, and scattered debris.
But now it's time to check to do a thorough, island-wide inspection. I leave a note for Meredith and then head out.