Chapter 37
A Glimpse at the Future – Kayla
I try to have fun on the beach with the others, but I can’t shake yet another disagreement—and about Harper, of all people—I’d had with Jack.
I’m sitting on my towel and leaning back on my hands when Callie sits next to me, her sandy legs being clutched to her chest.
“What gives?”
“Nothing.” I’m thankful for my sunglasses for concealing my eyes.
“Bullshit. Come on. You’ve been in a funk ever since you ran into Jack.”
With the others screwing around in the water. I feel more comfortable confiding in her with them so close.
“It’s just so frustrating. We aren’t even officially dating, and it just feels like thing after thing after thing keeps getting in between us. And guess who that ‘thing’ usually is?”
“Hmm.” She pushes her heart-shaped glasses up and squints. “Let me guess. Does it start with an ‘H?’”
I pretend to be shocked. “Oh, wow! How in the world did you know?”
“What did the bitch do now?”
I pound my hand against the sand between us. “He’s practicing his Greek with her as we speak. Can you believe that? While we were in Morocco, sure. I understood. But we’re in freaking Greece!”
She glares at me.
“Well? Don’t you think that’s weird?”
She then shrugs one of her shoulders up and down. “I don’t know.”
I gasp and can hardly believe what I’m hearing. “That ‘H’ we were talking about was for Harper,” I say, in case there was some misunderstanding.
“No, I know that.”
“Then how can you act as cool as a cucumber when I tell you he’s on a video call with her… the woman who quite literally sexually assaulted him.”
She sits back and rubs her hands together, causing little tan particles to fly everywhere. “I’m not excusing his actions in any way. I just—”
I shake my head. “It sure sounds like some excuses are about to come out of that little mouth of yours.”
“Have you ever tried to learn a second language? Even a few short sentences?”
“Yes. I learned several in anticipation of being in Morocco, and a few in Greek, too.”
“Okay, but were you learning them to impress random locals or someone who could bring literally millions if not billions of dollars into your company?”
Well, I obviously don’t have a company, so the former.
When I tell her that, she nods. “Exactly. Now imagine you are the boss of that multi-billion-dollar company. Are you imagining it? Close your eyes if you need to.”
I do as she suggests, and I try to put myself in Jack’s shoes as well as I can. “Okay?”
“Do you feel all of the pressure you’d have—think of all the salaries and mouths that depend on being fed based off of your performance in a single meeting.”
Just pretending makes my heart rate go up.
“Now, if you could learn some Greek phrases from someone who you’ve already been working with and know won’t judge you if you get something wrong, wouldn’t you continue to do that leading up to that big meeting?”
I open my eyes again and want to knock her over. “I hate it when you’re right.”
With that added clarification and understanding, I stop sulking and allow myself to have some fun.
“Denver! Over here!” I yell out, requesting for him to throw the beach ball, which we were competing to keep away from Gwen and a few others. We make a successful pass, and I throw it over to Callie before one of the guys charges me.
“Ah!” I yell and laugh as he dives right past me, causing a huge splash to hit my face.
Later that night, we all make our way over to a traditional Greek restaurant nearby.
“Have you ever had Ouzo?” Callie asks me.
I scrunch my nose. “What is it?”
“Ouzo. It’s like Greek vodka, kind of.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think so.”
“Wanna try it?” she gets the bottle from one of our dinner mates.
Shrugging, I say, “I suppose. But just a little.” She then fills a little in a glass, and I swig it back, with the feeling of fire pouring down my throat.
“Well?”
I was reserved at first, but then I remind myself that I’m kind of on vacation, at least for now, and I’m with people who I know I can trust. So, I say what the heck, and accept another round.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the falafel I had was not substantial enough to combat the liquor, and I’m much drunker than I believe I should be after only a few shots…but then again, how many shots did I take? I try to count on my fingers, but things get fuzzy after six—or is it seven?
I even stumble once or twice as we’re walking along the beach.
“Don’t worry, Kay,” Denver says, wrapping my arm around his broad and strong shoulders. “I gotcha.”
“Woo! Go, Kayla!” some of the others cheer me on, having never seen me like this before. Sure, I got a little drunk in Morocco but never sloppy.
“What do you say, guys? The bar?” Gwen suggests.
“Oh, no,” I protest.
My vision may be hazy, but I can still see that she’s scowling. “You’re no fun,” she mutters, “booping” my nose.
“Leave her alone, Gwen!” Callie says, pushing her away. “Denver, let’s get her back to the room.”
“You got it.”
“Thank you for being such a good friend,” I hear myself slur.
“Of course,” she responds, lifting my other arm up and over her tiny frame.
Then, realizing at the different angles my appendages are in, I start cracking up. One is way above my head and the other is below.
But before I know it, I’m face planting into the bed, and Callie is telling me where a bucket is that she’s placed next to me.
“Just don’t roll over onto your back, okay? I’ll be back soon to check on you.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I feel so sleepy and so guilty for letting the night take such a turn. I thought I was having a little bit of innocent fun but then I was shit faced… kind of what seemed to happen to Jack that one night in Morocco when I was dancing with the guy he knew from college and that long-haired bartender.
Suddenly, a huge bout of nausea hits me, and I lean over and let the contents of my stomach out into the bucket. I’m glad I was able to make it because I would’ve felt even guiltier if I messed up the fancy white comforter.
“Uh.” I roll over, despite Callie’s warning for me not to, and watch the ceiling spin when it’s over.
Then, I soon hear knocking and a man’s voice calling my name.
“Kayla? Kayla? It’s Jack. Are you okay in there? Callie stopped by my room and asked for me to check in on you.”
Ugh. I know what I said about being appreciative for her help, but at this very moment, he’s the last person I want to see.
“Listen,” he continues. “Either you open the door, or I’ll go tell the front desk that we smell gas or something. Trust me. I will find a way. Especially if there’s a chance you might not be okay.”
I grunt and get myself up before stumbling across the room.
Then, I undo the lock and finally open the door.
He visibly sighs in relief. “Thank god. You’re alright.”
I squint at him. “If you consider just yacking in a bucket alright.”
After stepping inside, he guides me by the shoulders onto one of the many couches in the room. “Just take a seat. Which bed are you staying in?”
“That one,” I point.
“Okay.” He walks over and collects the trash can I just told him about. “Here we go.” He sets it at my feet before allowing me to rest against his shoulder.
“How’d your lesson today go.”
“Shh.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “Let’s not talk about any of that now.”
“No! I want to.” I pop up.
“Kayla…”
“No, I’m actually not mad. Not at all. Callie explained it to me.”
Again, through my impaired vision, I can still see that he’s surprised. “Is that so?”
Then, I go into everything she said about him having a lot of stress on his shoulders while running a company and being more comfortable practicing a foreign language in front of someone you already know won’t make fun of you for messing up.
He scoffs. “Wow, that’s very insightful for that little five-foot-nothing shrimp.”
“Yes, she’s very wise,” I comment, holding my hair to the side and again resting against his strong body.
Next thing I know, it’s morning time, and I’m waking up in his lap.
“Feeling any better?” he asks after stretching and looking down at me.
“Um…” I can’t be sure before I sit up. But I find that I am, in fact, just fine. “Callie?”
He points at her sleeping body with his head.
“Oh.” I suppose she wouldn’t have an issue with him staying in the room. She knows him well and about us, after all.
“Damn. I cannot sleep in weird positions like I used to,” he whispers while gripping his neck and moving it from side to side.
“I’m sorry.”
He smiles and reaches up and grabs my face. “It’s okay. It was worth it to finally have you wake up in my arms… kind of.”
That warms my heart.
“I’m also just glad you were safe last night.”
Oh, right. That. “I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “No need. I’m just grateful Callie came to get me.”
“Wait! Your meeting?” It would kill me if he dedicated any time to my drunken behind when he should’ve been utilizing the time for preparations.
“No worries. I’m ready,” he says, oozing with confidence—something I imagine a high-level professional needing him to be able to acquire in situations like this.
“That’s awesome. You’re going to kill it.”
“Thank you. I hope so.”
Soon, Callie wakes up and yawns loudly before sitting up.
“And just how was your night?” I ask while Jack brews some coffee for us.
She grins widely. “Let’s just say, ‘Dirk who?’”
My mouth drops. “Really? Who is the lucky guy?”
She shrugs with her lower lip pouted. “I have no idea. But he looked like a Greek Adonis and he… rocked my world.” She mouthed that last part, probably out of respect that our boss was currently in the room.
“Well, good for you.” The fact that she was able to do that and not reduce to hysterics over her ex is a good sign. At least, I think that it is.
“Coffee ladies?” he asks when it’s done.
“Thank you,” we both say after corralling our hungover bodies to the long table in the dining room.
He has some, too, but he drinks it while standing and leaning against the sink. “I hope it’s okay that I stayed, Cal.”
She flicks her wrist. “Totally fine. I’m just glad you were here, so I didn’t need to worry about her choking on her vomit all night.”
He grins before taking another sip and making eye contact with me. If I’m not wrong, I think I see a little bit of admiration in his eyes—like even after a night of me being stupid drunk and sleeping next to a trash can filled with my puke, he still finds me endearing.
Then, Jack jokes around with her. “A Greek Adonis, you say?”
“Oh, shut up!”
“What? Just because I’m technically your boss, I can’t be apprised of your fun sexcapades with random men?”
“Yes. In fact, that’s exactly what it means!”
They laugh together, and I wonder if this is what it would be like to truly be in a relationship with him—having him come over, sleeping next to him, and then waking up to him making coffee and talking with my friends or anyone else who was around.
If so, I like it.