2. Sarah
Chapter two
Sarah
Rubbing my temples, I try to ease the headache that's pounding against my skull, but nothing seems to help. "Gosh, today has been the longest day of my life. Or maybe it's been this year. Everyone needs fricken something," I mutter to myself, feeling as if I'm being pulled in too many directions.
The phone rings through my office. "This is Sarah Norman," I answer without even checking to see who would call me this late in the day.
"It's about time. I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks," the woman on the other end tells me but doesn't stop, not even to take a breath. "Sarah, why did I have to call your office to get a hold of you?" Closing my eyes I try not to feel exasperated while my friend Hazel sasses me over the phone.
When she lived here, we became close. A bit because she was my neighbor at my apartment complex, but mostly because she has this way of getting under your skin. She's the nicest person ever, and it was hard for even my prickly self to not like her. We bonded over yoga and books. But this was not her home, and she was never meant to stay in California. Moving back to her hometown a few years ago, she reunited with the love of her life and is now married.
"Sorry. It's been busy," I say, giving her my readymade excuse. You know, the one that's always on the tip of your tongue, no matter the situation. It's not that it's not true, I'm always busy. But we both know that if I wanted to, I could've made time. I try not to say too much right now because Hazel always has a way of seeing through me, and I'm not ready to explain the real reason I've thrown myself into my work more than ever.
"Have you taken a vacation lately?" she asks, throwing me off a little and giving me that twinge of guilt in my chest. I wasn't expecting her to inquire about me. I had been waiting for her to lay into me, about how I haven't made time for her. But I should've known better. That's not Hazel's way.
"Not since you've moved," I admit, wincing because I know what's coming next.
"Sarah, I moved three years ago," Hazel scolds me.
"I know, I know. It's just that I got promoted right after you moved, and I have a few new clients who need me."
"You always have clients who need you. But tell me, who are your new clients?"
"A few actors and actresses. One stunt double guy." Working as a publicist at Star Surge PR had been my dream job since I got out of college. I started as an intern and worked my way up to where I am now. We help small time actors, actresses, and stunt doubles, clients that still have fire within them. And because they're not super famous, they tend to not be too egotistical. The operative words being ‘tend to.’ Of course you still have that small percentage that think their stuff doesn't…stink, so to speak.
"A stunt double?" Her question pulls me from my thoughts but leads to a picture of Barrett flashing through my mind. The man who has piqued my interest, but one I can't have.
"Yeah," I breathe out, hoping that she can't hear the shakiness in my voice. It's obvious I'm unsuccessful when she asks, "Why did you say it like that?"
Maybe I should just come clean? Hazel is really the only person I could talk to about this, especially since I don't really have any other friends. My life comprises of working and working some more. Or maybe I should just keep my tiny crush to myself. Nothing could ever come of it anyway, no reason to breathe life into it.
Shaking my head as if she can see me through the phone, I sigh, "Nothing. I'm just tired."
"Again, Sarah, it bears repeating you need to take a vacation. You could go to a beach somewhere and relax. Just for a day or two?"
Taking a deep breath, I slowly let it out through my nose. Crap on a cracker, it has been a while. Maybe I need a break. Then I can figure out how I'm going to keep Barrett as a client while maintaining my distance. Why you ask? Only because he's the most attractive guy I've ever met. The fact that he is a grumpy asshole and forbidden should deter me and my libido, but it hasn’t seemed to have any bearing on it. Every time he's close to me, I seem to light up like a freaking Christmas tree.
"Star Surge PR gave me a ticket for a cruise when I got promoted," I grumble through the phone.
Hazel squeals as she claps her hands. A smile spreads across my face as I feel her excitement through the phone. "You need to go. You'll have so much fun! Maybe you'll even meet someone."
"I don't want to meet anyone," I mutter under my breath. She doesn't need to know that I already have my sights set on my forbidden client.
"Well, you don't need to find anyone, but you do need to relax," she tells me in a stern tone, the one I love to refer to as her ‘mom’ voice.
"Fine. Let me pull up the email." Grabbing my keyboard, I open up my email and search for the one that has the details in it. Once I find and I click on it open I read the message out loud. "Book dates on a three-day cruise to the Caribbean on the Infinity Voyager. Includes a luxurious cabin but can upgrade to a penthouse for extra cost. Enjoy specialty restaurants along with three different bars, a twenty-four-hour casino, an infinity pool, a state-of-the-art gym, and the best ice cream on the seas."
"That sounds like fun. You should see when the next time it leaves the port."
"Okay, let me look." I skim the email some more as I scroll down. "It looks like there is a website here. Let me see."
Once I click the link, it opens up to a website filled with tons of pictures showing the cabins on the cruise ship. Photos of couples at the pool, doing excursions, eating at restaurants. The whole thing leaves me feeling a little uneasy. "Hazel, the entire website is full of photos of couples. I'm not in a couple. Maybe this is a bad idea."
"Pish posh. It doesn't matter. They’re probably not even actual couples. Besides, you're just going to go and relax. Even if you never leave your room, it's better than what you're doing right now. If you keep going at this rate, Sarah, you're going to have a heart attack by the time you're forty."
"I hate that you're probably right. Okay, it looks like I need to call a number to book it. Let me get off and I'll send you a text once it's done."
"Sounds good. I'll look forward to your text." I can almost hear her smile.
"Love you, Haze."
"Love you, Sarah," she says as we both hang up.
Letting out a breath, I mutter to myself, "It's now or never." Putting in the number for reservations from the bottom of the website, I wait while it rings.
"Good evening. Reservations for the Infinity Voyager," a feminine voice sing songs.
"Yes. I have a voucher from my job allowing me to book a three-day cruise on your ship," I let the woman on the other line know.
"Great. When are you thinking about going?"
"A month from now?" I form it as a question, not sure if that's too soon or too far away.
"It looks like we have one room left for that weekend. Would you like to book it?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay. Let me ask you a few questions, and we'll book that room for you."
"Okay, thank you."
Once she's done asking me all the questions to secure my reservation, we hang up, and I lay my head back against my office chair. I hope this vacation helps me relax and I'm not making a huge mistake.