Chapter 10
Whichever Way the Compass Spins
My job had become easier and more routine. Six months had passed since I left Savannah, and I’d changed so much. Even my appearance had changed. I had developed a tan, which I attributed to my Moroccan heritage. Julian had encouraged me to start working out, so every night during our charters, I would work out in the game room. I bought dumbbells, a stationary bike, and a stepper. Funnily enough, Zofia and Kathleen would also join me on my workouts.
Despite my hectic work schedule, on my days off, I would always spend it with Julian. Recently, though, Julian was getting more prospective clients. He would organize tour groups, charters, and hikes to attract potential buyers. His strategy worked as he would book two or three prospective clients every week. That meant our time together was limited.
It was a Friday night when we finished our charter, and the Sea Eagle docked at the marina. We would be spending five days in Grenada before our next charter. The crew had decided to go to The Flamingo for a Friday night out. I informed Julian of this, and he said he would pick me up later that evening.
I had finished my consultation obligation with Maverick. After our misunderstanding, I saw him two other times. He had paid me handsomely; it was too much for my services. I tried to return some of the money, but he wanted me to keep it. Ever since, we’d had an awkward interaction with each other. This night was no different.
Maverick was making drinks. We acknowledged each other but gone were the days of long conversations and friendly banter. What stood before me was a Maverick that was cold to me and transactional.
“What drink do you like?” he asked.
“A hurricane,” I ordered.
“One hurricane coming up.”
He took Kathleen, Zofia, and Paul’s orders and made the drinks. His skills behind the bar were getting better. Gone were the days of awkward drinks mixing and awful-tasting cocktails. He also had a slicker demeanor about him. A quiet confidence that wasn’t there before. He gave me my drink.
“So, how’s life treating you nowadays?” I asked while sipping my drink with a straw.
“It’s been good.” He seemed distracted, looking at something, or someone, behind me. I turned to follow his gaze.
A slim, petite blonde girl walked towards the bar. She was pretty but had a tad too much makeup.
“How are you doing, good-looking?” Maverick said to the girl.
“Rick, my favorite bartender.” The woman was wearing short shorts and a tube top that showed her toned belly. She had a belly button ring. Reaching the bar, the woman leaned forward and gave Maverick a very sloppy and wet kiss.
I glanced at the crew; Zofia and Kathleen’s eyebrows were raised. And we looked at each other. I was a bit taken aback. It seemed that Maverick had found a fling. He flirted with the girl all night and ignored me for the rest of the night.
Julian arrived, and I got up and said my goodbyes to the crew. I looked at Maverick; he was still chatting with the girl, but I noticed he was looking in the direction of where Julian parked his jeep.
“Goodnight, Maverick.” I waved at him. He waved back.
When I got inside Julian’s jeep, he greeted me with a passionate kiss. “I haven’t seen you in a while,” he said.
“That’s just been a few days, Julian. I haven’t been gone that long.” I was glad he missed me, but we literally talked every day on the phone.
“A day feels like a week.”
When we got home, Julian offered to make me a drink. He made good cocktails, so I didn’t really decline another drink. We sat by the outdoor patio facing the pool.
“So, how did today go?” I asked him.
He poured himself a whiskey and replied, “I had to woo the couple. They’re very likely to purchase a second home in Grenada for investment purposes. We’ll be ironing out the details with them soon.”
“That’s great. I’m glad.”
“Of course, I had to put on my charms. Take them around Grenada. Dine them. It’s actually a lot like wooing a girl.”
“Did you use your charms on me too?”
Julian started peeling my dress off. “Most definitely.” He started sucking on my breasts and biting the tip of my nipples. Then he stopped. “Before I forget.”
He left me hanging. He stepped in the house and came back with a rectangular box. From the looks of it, I was sure it wasn’t an engagement ring. But I knew it was going to be special.
Julian opened the box and revealed a gold necklace with a pearl pendant. He took it out and put it around my neck, securing the clasp. The irony was not lost on me. I remembered so vividly how I discovered Benoit gifting our bartender with a necklace. Although this was a sincere gift, I couldn’t forget that moment.
I pretended to smile and feigned happiness. I was grateful for the gift, but of all the gifts someone could give me, why a necklace? It was as if the universe was playing games with me.
“Do you like it?”
“Of course. I love it.” I appreciated his gift, but it was the association that I had with necklaces that made me feel uneasy.
“One more thing.” Julian took out something from his pocket. It was a keychain with a key. “You get to get my spare key for the house. You can come and see me anytime. I’ve been getting more clients recently, so, whenever your ship docks, you can go here anytime.”
“That’s so sweet of you.” I accepted the key.
I kissed Julian on the lips, and he went back to what he was doing, kissing me all over my body. He was already rock hard when he carried me. He laid me on the kitchen counter, but I complained about how cold the kitchen counter was. He grabbed a clean kitchen towel and placed it on the counter for me to sit on.
The counter was just the right height for Julian to enter me without straining his back. And he penetrated me right there and came inside me. After, we went to the bedroom and had another round of making love before we went to sleep.
I spent the rest of my days off with Julian. We spent it going to the beach, swimming in his pool, and making love. I was already falling in love with him even if I didn’t admit it to myself. I had no intention of falling in love so soon after my split with Benoit, but Julian made me feel so safe. It was almost inevitable for me to fall in love. It was getting harder and harder to leave him as I left for work.
When I got back to the yacht to prepare for the next charter, the girls and I gossiped about Maverick. We were in the kitchen, doing prep work when Zofia joined in. I was in the middle of chopping vegetables when she walked in.
“Did you see that girl Maverick was smooching, Harper?” Zofia started.
“I think everyone saw.”
Kathleen butted in, “She was really hot. I wonder where they found her.”
“But that short shorts though, it leaves nothing to the imagination,” Zofia pointed out.
Kathleen giggled. “That could be the reason why she bagged him.”
“I wonder how they met,” I uttered.
Zofia teased, “Are you jealous?”
“No, I’m not. I’m not attracted to Maverick at all. Besides, I’m dating Julian.”
I don’t know if Zofia detected something. Admittedly, I got bothered that he was dating that girl.
Kathleen started to speculate. “I mean, we could always ask Paul when we get back. I’m sure he’ll tell us. But my guess is he met her at the bar. That’s the only place he ever goes to. I have never seen him not hanging out by the bar.” Kathleen was peeling potatoes and carrots.
“You’re right,” Zofia agreed. “I just wonder how long it’s going to last. I don’t like to speculate, but she didn’t seem like his type.”
“How do you know what his type is?” I asked.
Zofia told me. “Isn’t it obvious, Harper? He likes brunettes like you. He was practically ogling you the first time you met. That hasn’t changed.”
“What do you mean?” I was curious about her observation.
“When Julian picked you up, he stopped kissing the girl and was just looking at you. That guy still likes you.”
“Zofia, we don’t know what’s on Maverick’s mind,” I said. “Besides, who he dates is his own business, not ours.”
Kathleen giggled again. “It’s fun to gossip. It’s no fun without gossiping.” She went back to peeling more potatoes.
“You girls are too much.” I focused on chopping the onions and garlic.
Kathleen changed the topic. “So, Harper, what’s your plan? Are you renewing your contract, or are you going to go back to the U.S.?”
It was a good thing Kathleen reminded me. My contract renewal was due soon, but I had already decided to renew, I just hadn’t told anyone yet.
“I’m going to renew for another three to six months. How about you?”
“I’m going to renew for three more months, then take a break. I may even work for another ship,” Kathleen revealed. “How about you, Zofia.”
Zofia was sitting by the dining table. “I’m going to renew but will take a break after the next charter. I’m going back home for a few weeks. Paul will be joining me.”
I gasped in surprise. “Zofia, you and Paul are getting serious. Congratulations.”
Kathleen stopped peeling the vegetables and said, “Yeah, I’ve been the third wheel for a while. It’s not fair.”
“It just happened.”
“He’s a really nice guy.” I was genuinely happy for Zofia and Paul.
“How about you, Kathleen?” I didn’t like to ask personal questions, but it seemed like it was the right time to ask something like this.
Kathleen hesitated but finally confessed, “I do have a long-distance relationship. We had a fight a few months ago, but we got back together. He might visit me here, or I’ll visit him.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“He’s based in the UK for now. He’s a nurse.”
“Good for you. How long have you guys been dating?”
“Three years. But it’s been on and off.”
“You’ve been keeping a secret from us,” I told her.
Zofia said, “She had told me this a few weeks ago, but I had to press her for answers.”
“Secretive girl. Anyway, let’s focus on the task. We’re still cooking dinner.” I said.
As usual, we ate together. Captain John wasn’t religious so he didn’t lead the prayer before dinner. I wanted to keep Captain Youssef’s tradition alive, so I volunteered to pray over the food. After dinner, the crew hung out. There was dancing and laughing.
Before I went to bed, I had read an email from my lawyer. The email said that Benoit wanted to see me in person to discuss some details of the business split. I replied that I was overseas and would not be able to discuss it in person.
This new development had upset me. I might have to take a few days or weeks off to get this sorted out. I could only hope it wouldn’t take too much of my time. We went to work as usual, but I couldn’t shake off the thought of returning home to see Benoit again.
During the rest of the charter week, I tried calling Julian, but he wouldn’t pick up his phone, which concerned me. I had sent him several text messages but gotten no response. This was unlike him. What if he got ill? Or worse, what if he got hurt? I still tried to focus on my work, but it was proving to be hard.
As soon as the charter ended, and we went back to Grenada, I called Viktor’s cousin, Barry. He picked me at the dock and dropped me off at Julian’s driveway; I was still wondering if Julian was okay. I told Barry to wait for me.
I went inside using the key Julian had given me. I could hear his voice and an unknown woman’s voice. My heart started pounding. I walked to the kitchen, and there they were—Julian and a woman standing beside him. They were cooking something. The woman was chopping vegetables, and Julian was heating up the pan. He was wearing only his boxers, and the woman was wearing one of Julian’s shirts. I could tell it was his because I’ve seen Julian wear it before. The woman was tall and had a shimmering, waist-long red hair.
They heard me walk in and both turned around. Julian’s face went pale.
“Who’s this, Julian?” The woman had a questioning look on her face.
“Oh, a prospective client,” Julian stammered.
“Oh, okay.” The woman turned back around.
“Can you take over cooking for now? I have to talk to this woman.”
“Okay.”
I was still in shock when Julian grabbed my wrist. He led me outside.
“Who is that woman, Julian?” I asked.
Julian looked at me with his blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Harper. That’s my wife, Sandra.”
“Wife?” My heart dropped to the floor. I was in a daze.
“We’ve been on a trial separation for months. But she came back a few days ago and said she wants us to work things out.”
“Work things out?” It was as if someone took a dagger and pierced it into my heart. “Why didn’t you tell me over the phone?”
“I wanted to talk to you in person. I didn’t want to talk to you over the phone about this
matter.”
“So all this time, you were married?”
He didn’t answer.
“You lied to me, Julian. You strung me along.” Tears started flowing down from my eyes. “You made me believe you cared for me.”
“I do care for you. I do.” He tried to hold my hands, but I stepped back.
I looked him straight in the eye, but Julian averted his gaze as if ashamed. With hot tears trickling down my cheeks, I said, “Goodbye, Julian.” I removed the pearl necklace Julian had given to me, and I gave it back to him. At first, he didn’t want to accept it, but I took his right hand and placed the necklace on it. I also handed him the key.
I turned and walked away, wiping my tears.
“You okay, Ma’am?” Barry asked.
“Yes, I’m okay, Barry.”
“Where to?”
“The Flamingo.”
I looked at the rearview mirror; Julian was still standing there, watching me leave. I tried to repress my tears, but they kept rolling down my cheeks.
Barry handed me a tissue. “You’re going to be okay, Ma’am.”
“I know.”
Barry dropped me off at The Flamingo. Maverick was at the bar, tending to the customers. I saw the girls and Paul sitting at the other side. I walked towards Maverick. As soon as he saw me coming, he stopped what he was doing.
“Harper, are you okay?” A look of concern was on his face.
“It’s Julian…”
He suddenly looked angry. “What did he do to you?”
“He’s been married all this time. He lied to me.”
“I’m sorry, Harper.”
“It’s okay, Maverick.” I told him what I wanted for a drink. “I’ll talk to you later,” I said before approaching the crew. They also looked concerned when they saw me.
“What happened to you? Are you okay, Harper?” Zofia asked.
“I’m not. I just found out that Julian hasn’t been honest with me.”
“Oh no,” Kathleen said.
Kathleen and Zofia hugged me.
Maverick gave me a cocktail. “It’s on the house,” he said.
I told the crew what happened. Kathleen started browsing on her phone. After a few minutes, she gave me her phone and showed me an Instagram page of the girl that looked like the one I saw at Julian’s home. Her name was Nikki, and she came from a rich family. I saw her wedding pictures. She was hand in hand with Julian. Except his name wasn’t Julian. It was Michael Julian.
“No wonder we can’t find anything on his social media. But in his wife’s though, she has him all over her social media feed,” Zofia said.
I handed Kathleen her phone back.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, Harper. This is just terrible,” she said.
“It’s okay. Thanks for researching him.”
We drank and chatted until closing time.
“You coming with us, Harper?” Kathleen asked.
“I don’t know. I want to talk to Maverick first. He warned me about Julian. You guys go on ahead.”
“Okay.”
The group left without me, and I walked over to where Maverick stood.
“Harper, are you okay now?”
“Not quite, Maverick. I’m sorry for not believing you before.”
“It’s okay. My approach was not the best approach. I should have not approached you that way. What’s your plan now?”
“I’m staying on the island for a few days to regroup. I just need to take a break from work for now. And I may go back to the States to sort out some legal matters. In the meantime, do you know a place where I can rent a space?”
“You can stay with me.”
I grew quiet.
“That’s not what I meant,” Maverick said, embarrassed. “I rent out spaces. That’s why I wanted to invest in Julian. I thought we shared the same interest. We became friends when I had this place, He started frequenting the bar. But he did bring many women here. I wanted to warn you about that as well.”
“It’s okay. It’s all in the past.” I was still hurting inside. In the six months I’d been with Julian, I had developed strong feelings for him. I just couldn’t tell Maverick that.
“It’s okay, Harper. He hurt you. He lied to you, and he hurt you. Don’t repress it.”
Deep inside, I couldn’t believe this was happening to me again. First with Benoit, then with Julian. I seemed to pick the wrong guys. But I cared for both of them. Julian’s betrayal tonight brought up the pain of what Benoit did. I tried to hold it down, but when Maverick said it was okay to feel this way, I started bawling. I was good at compartmentalizing work and my personal life because I felt I had no one else to rely on. But I felt so at ease with Maverick that I let it all out.
My heart hurt so much and my eyes were blurry with tears. And I was breathing hard. Maverick came closer to me and hugged me.
“Just let it go, Harper. I’m here for you.”
Then he did the sweetest thing; he kissed the top of my head. I felt so safe with him. Maverick took me to his home. We got in his car, and by then, I was already tired of crying so I had stopped. But I didn’t feel like talking.
Maverick’s car was an older model of a silver Porsche. We drove for twenty minutes, reaching a long driveway in a wooded area. There was an automatic gate that led to the driveway. After parking, we walked through a courtyard with a fountain. Maverick led me through a pathway illuminated by small solar-powered lamps. I could hear the sound of the ocean, but there was a long pool surrounded by tall palm trees. There were several outdoor chairs surrounding it as well. It looked like we were at a resort.
I saw several small buildings to my right and to my left. I followed Maverick to one of the smaller buildings. Did Maverick live at a resort? He took out his keycard to open the door. The building was spacious. There was a living room, a small kitchen, and a bar with bar stools. He led me to one of the rooms.
“You’ll be staying in the guest room,” he said.
The room looked like a hotel room with a queen-sized bed covered by a crisp white linen.
“Are you living in a resort?” I finally asked him.
“I own this resort,” he said confidently. “But it’s still under construction. You’ll see it tomorrow. It’s a private resort. Just a dozen private villas. I wanted all private villas to have a sea view.”
“Maverick, all this while, I thought you were just a bartender.”
“That’s just one of my hobbies for now. It’s the reason why I wanted to partner up with Julian. But he had other ideas. He wanted to sell houses, which was harder. I just wanted something less complicated. So, you know, private villas couples and families can rent short-term. I was able to partner up with a British businessman, but he’s out of the country at this moment.”
“Why are you running a restaurant if this is what you’re doing?”
“Essentially, this place is more passive for me. I just rented it out, and that’s it. But I plan on building a small bar-restaurant on the property for people who are renting. Maybe for locals, too. There’s plenty of space. You’ll see.”
“I hope you don’t mind me staying here for the night.”
“You can stay here for a month, if you have to. As long as you need. You’re welcome here.”
“Thank you, Maverick. I appreciate you.”
“There are towels and toiletries there. You can use them. And you’re free to use the pool.”
“Is there internet?” I asked.
“Yes, there’s a desktop inside the den. Feel free to use it anytime.”
“You’ve been such a kind person, Maverick.”
“Just let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
I went into the room and closed the door. I took out my nightgown from the weekend bag I had with me. I hopped in the shower first. The bathroom was clean and spacious with a tub and a walk-in shower. I decided to take a quick shower. The hot water felt so soothing to my skin. I just allowed the water to run down my body. I lathered myself with the small bar of soap that was in the nook of the walk-in shower. It smelled of lemon grass, which energized me.
I stepped out of the shower and patted myself dry. I slid into my comfy nightgown. I got thirsty so I went to get myself a glass of water.
Maverick was in the living room with his laptop. When he saw me, he said, “You’re not asleep yet?”
“How about you? It’s too late for you to be up.”
Maverick smiled. “I’m just reviewing a trade I made.”
“You’re into trading too?”
“Yes, stock options and forex. I just let them run all day.”
“You’re full of surprises.”
I went to get a glass of water and found that Maverick’s fridge was stocked with salad greens and vegetables. There was a water pitcher inside, and I found a glass in one of the cabinets. “You want water, Maverick?” I asked.
“No, I’m good. I’ll be sleeping soon.”
I went to sit across from him, totally forgetting I was wearing a skimpy nightgown. He glanced up at my leg briefly, and then went back to minding the laptop.
I drank the water. “Don’t you ever go on a break?” I asked him.
He put his laptop down.
“Come to think of it, I don’t. I’ve always been a workaholic.”
“I’ve been on that path before. I can tell you right now, it doesn’t end well.”
“You have plans tomorrow?” he asked.
“You mean today? It’s already past 2 in the morning.”
“Yes, I mean, later. You know what I mean.”
“I have five days, then one charter left. After that, I’ll probably head back to the States to sort out business stuff with my ex. He’s been giving me a hard time. “
“Don’t they all?”
“Thanks for letting me stay here. I hope your girlfriend doesn’t mind,” I said.
“Girlfriend?” Maverick looked confused.
“Remember the girl with the short shorts?” I reminded him.
He looked uncomfortable. “Yes. So, we were dating.”
“Past tense. That quick? What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“She’s going back to the UK. I knew it wouldn’t work out, so I ended it.”
“Maverick? Breaking hearts? I can’t imagine.” I smiled.
He said, “I want to take you around town.”
I tried to forget the events of this evening but failing. “I could use the distraction,” I said, and our eyes met.
Maverick’s eyes seemed to look more attractive tonight. And I liked the way he was looking at me, full of warmth, and fondness.
“I can distract you. Get some rest.”
“You too.”
I went to bed. It was soft, and the sheets were soft. The blanket provided ample warmth. My heart was still heavy, so I let the tears fall until I fell asleep.