Chapter 45
Out With It – Jack
A s Kayla reads, I lie down and close my eyes. The sun reflects in my closed eyelids a hue of green.
Was Dimitrios incredibly happy with my decision to cancel on Yannis the last minute? No. But I also didn’t think it was my business to tell him what a piece of scum his client was either.
That, I figured, would be up to Yannis to explain—if he had the nerve, that is.
“Oh, my god,” Kayla exclaims, and I pop my eyes open before shading them with my hand.
“What is it?”
She on her belly and facing me. “This is amazing stuff. No offense, but it’s even better than Yannis.”
I grin. “I’m glad you like it.”
“The way she depicts sex between Seth and Alanna is so beautiful and natural. It isn’t forced or overly grotesque. It’s just… sensual.” She’s exaggerating her point with her hands, and it’s adorable.
I also flip to my belly as she continues to rave about Danai’s work.
“The way she writes, and not just the sexual scenes, it’s like she was born to do it.” Is that weird of me to say?”
I shake my head. “Not at all.” I’m not exactly the demographic for Danai’s stuff, so I didn’t get exactly what Kayla is getting out of it, but I’m happy to hear praise from her female perspective. Personally, I feel that way about more obscure writers, like Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Choke, and many classics, so I understand what she’s saying.
I then raise my bent arms and rest them on either side of me before resting my cheek on my hands.
However, I’m interrupted when a beach ball flies up and hits me on the back.
“Oops! Sorry, boss!” Callie calls out.
I sit up and take it. “Was this you?” I ask, pointing at her?
“Yeah, I’m sorry!” She’s wearing a pink swimming suit with white frills and has her short hair tied in low pigtails.
Feeling like having a little fun myself, I then run into the water and fling her over my back. As I know Callie knows about us, I don’t fear that Kayla will get jealous or anything. She and I are merely friends as well.
In response, Callie flails her arms and legs.
“Put me down!” she pleads jokingly.
Kayla then joins us and tickles at my sides in an attempt for me to release her friend.
“Fine,” I say before holding Callie like a baby and tossing her into the water.
“You jerk,” Kayla mutters while laughing and clutching around my waist. I’d just been in close proximity to Callie, so our nearness doesn’t seem to elicit a reaction from the rest of the crew. But she also releases me quickly after that.
“Hey Jack!” Denver calls out, and I turn to face him.
“What’s up?”
He has a volleyball in his hand. “Wanna play?” He then points at an empty court nearby.
“You’re on.”
He grins. “Let’s do it.”
As I follow him, I notice that his hair is resembling a mullet these days, and I wonder if that’s the ‘do his lady, Maria, who is constantly going on about, prefers. It isn’t a bad look for him, honestly.
“Boys vs. girls,” he announces after we reach the net.
So, that means it’s he and I against Callie, Gwen, and Kayla.
I’d protest that three against one was unfair, but Callie is so tiny, I figure she will hardly get any blows in.
… but boy was I wrong. The girl is a powerhouse, and her first overhand serve whizzes right past both of us.
“Dang, girl! You’ve got a cannon!” I applaud.
She flexes proudly. “I was the girls’ volleyball champion, three years in a row, baby!”
“We’re screwed,” I utter to Denver.
“No, come on.” He’s resting with his hands on his knees. “We got this.”
Next up to serve was Kayla, and the jiggling of every inch of her body distracts me from moving appropriately after she launches the ball into the air.
“Dude!” Denver calls out.
“Sorry, man.” I clap my hands. “I’m focused now.”
In the end, the girls completely dominated us.
“Way to go, ladies.”
They celebrate their defeat by cracking open a champagne bottle someone brought.
“To vaginas!” Callie proposes with her glass in the air.
Denver’s shoulder knocks against mine. “I can cheers to that, too,” he says before pressing his tongue against his cheek and raising his eyebrows.
I smile and raise my glass as well. “Cheers.”
Then, we all go back to the hotel together and change for lunch.
“Ready?” Kayla asks after knocking on my door. “Oh! That’s a new look for you.”
“Yep.” She’s in a light, white sun dress, and I’m wearing a striped, white, tan, and dark brown polo and khakis. Just to be different, I also put a Panama hat on my head. For her, I do a little spin. “You like?”
“I like!”
I then look out in the hallway, ensure she’s alone, pull her inside, shut the door, push her lightly against the wall before kissing her.
Wesley has already gone down to meet with the others, so it’s just the two of us.
“Ooh, Jack.”
“I just had to do that,” I say, breathlessly.
Her arms are wrapped around my neck. “I don’t mind.”
“Listen, what would you say about us just finally coming out and telling everyone about us?” I know she’s had reservations in the past due to the target it might put on her back, but if she’s okay with them knowing, I am, too.
I’m sure some people will have their own snide remarks about how I’m repeating the same mistake that I made with Harper, but I don’t care. They can say whatever they want to say. What I have with Kayla is different.
For one thing, we seem to mutually respect each other. That’s a big change. Plus, Kayla makes me feel good about myself. Harper always made it seem like she was too good for me, and that I should thank my lucky stars for every day she bothered to spend with me. Well, I’m happy to say with full confidence that Kayla Allen is nothing like that. Moreover, I know that my mother would love her, and that warms my heart above almost anything else.
I search her green eyes as she seems to think things through.
“Are you sure about this?” she finally asks.
“Yes! I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want, and I want to be able to act like any other couple. Like tonight, for instance, I want to be able to dance with you and proudly hold you in my arms for everyone to see.”
She beams. “Okay! Yeah, let’s do it.”
I kiss her again before we head out to a place called Calypso, a restaurant Denver recommended.
When we pull up, I see that it’s covered in pinkish purple flowers. They’re gorgeous. I bend down and find a few on the ground that must’ve blown off in the wind, and I place them behind Kayla’s ear.
She cups them and mouths, “Thank you.”
I just wink.
We all sit outside on the patio, and I take in the water view.
“It’s really hard to get tired of this place, isn’t it?” I say to her.
“Absolutely. It’s so gorgeous.”
Everyone orders drinks, and I take a few quick sips of my beer in the hope that the alcohol will help me gain the courage I need to make our announcement.
I think it’s working—but it might just be a placebo. Either way, I make eye contact with her, and we both nod before I take a knife and lightly tap it against my glass.
“Can I have all of your attention?” I call over their booming conversations.
Kayla stands up with me, and I notice Callie smiling at us. She must be able to tell what is to come because she also gives us a thumbs up. Bryant, too, looks on approvingly, and he dips his head to communicate that. The fact that he’s on board also speaks to the amazing woman Kayla is. Before that, he probably would’ve rather sawed off his own toe than see me end up with another employee.
I cough to clear my throat. “I’m not sure if some of you have caught on but, um. I’m happy to let you know that Kayla and I—” I can hardly believe I’m saying this in front of everyone. “Kayla and I are an item.”
To emphasize this, we give each other a peck. Then, I brace myself for their reception.
Denver is the first to raise to his feet and hug both of us. After that, everyone else around the table claps. Well, except Jenkins. But he hates my guts for firing him, so that’s expected.
“To Kayla and Jack!” Denver says after returning to his seat.
It feels amazing that I can finally just put my arm around her in public without fear of judgment.
We kiss again.
“That went rather well,” she comments quietly.
“Right?”
After that, the meal continues as if nothing happened, and I’m really proud of my crew for handling everything like adults and professionals.
However, Wesley makes it a little uncomfortable when he decides that he has to make it clear that Kayla is to be treated like any other member when on the yacht.
But she jumps in and confirms that. “I will have to continue cleaning toilets and all of that just like the other stewards.”
“Yeah, but you also get to sleep in Jack’s bed,” Callie jokes—it seems as though she’s had plenty of champagne today to lower her inhibitions.
Kayla’s cheeks redden.
“Okay, enough of that now.”
I pay the bill, and then we all head back.
Next, everyone heads out to the beach again while we wait to pick up Molly from the airport.
With our relationship out in the open, Kayla and I are able to sit on a chair together—her body laying against mine.
“Look at this place I just found,” Callie comes up and shows us this outdoor bar that has really cool green, blue, and purple lighting all around. “It’s called Edem Summer Cocktail Bar. Wanna go there tonight?”
I shrug. “Whatever you guys decide is fine with me.”
“I think it looks fun!” Kayla exclaims after shifting her hair from one side of her head to the other.
“Ooh! And it says they have dancing. So, our new ‘it’ couple can get their jollies off.” She sticks her tongue out and points at both of us.
Kayla pushes her fingers down. “Oh, stop that. You’re going to be too busy focused on Leander to notice what any of the rest of us are doing.”
Then, Callie gets more serious. “No, for real. I’m happy for you guys. What made you want to finally come out with everything?”
Kayla looks back at me. “That’s all on Jack.”
“I was just tired of the hiding around.”
Callie nods. “That makes sense. Now, if you don’t mind me… I’m going to work on my tan for Leander tonight.” She gets up and saunters back toward her towel on the sand.
“Who the hell is Leander?”
Kayla chuckles. “The man at the market we met this morning.”
“Wow.” I glance over at her friend. “She doesn’t waste any time, does she?”
Her nose wrinkles. “Nope.”
I then grab her face and kiss her. “I’m excited to meet your friend Molly,” I mutter after releasing her.
She wipes at her mouth. “Yeah, she’ll be an interesting addition to this already crazy mix of characters, I can assure you of that.”
As if she heard them, the rest of our rowdy pack start splashing each other and screaming.
“God help us.” I take her in my arms and hold her as we watch the chaos.