Chapter 17 #2
“How were sales?” Gregory asked Sascha, holding her hand in the backseat. He figured they had lost lots of sales after the firework incident.
“They were surprisingly good,” Sascha said. “You’re not having money troubles, are you?”
Gregory laughed. “No. The money you make at your shows is all yours to play with.”
“Even the three thousand you paid for me entertaining your guests?”
“Especially that. So how did you get that amount out of Raymond?” He had never asked Raymond, and he was curious whether Sascha had held out until Raymond said that was all he had to offer her.
Sascha smiled. “I asked how high you would go.”
Smiling, Gregory shook his head. Not only had Sascha won him over, but she’d also won over his staff.
“Do you still want to do the show at the fairgrounds tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. They’re juried shows. If you miss one, you’ve lost out.
You won’t be invited back. Everyone is trying to get space at the fair.
I think we’re so popular that they let Lucy come to the fair at the last moment to set up next to my booth.
We usually have more room between booths, and you can see we are squished together because we’re related and have similar services to offer. ”
“Ahh, that makes sense. I saw you started packing for your trip on Monday. Are you excited about your bachelorette party?”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I am. I will miss you for sure, especially in bed at night.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll miss you too.”
They finally arrived home, and Sascha said, “Let’s swim, shower, and then eat dinner.”
“I think you’re marrying me for my swimming pool.”
She laughed. “Did you read my mind?”
The time flew by. Thankfully, they had no incidents on the last day at the fairgrounds, finished packing that night, made love before they went to sleep, and got up the next morning, ready for their bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Sascha, the other women, and the bodyguards, Henry and Omar, rode in one of Mrs. Landry’s limos; the limo driver took them to the airport, then they got ready for their flight, bags in hand.
They had rented an SUV from the Brownsville airport for their trip to South Padre Island.
Once they arrived at the rental home, Sascha was excited to see the stunning oceanfront property, which featured five bedrooms and five baths, ensuring everyone had their own sleeping space.
Downstairs, the bodyguards could use the fold-out couches to sleep on, and there was a bathroom down there as well.
The ladies all chose their rooms and left their luggage there.
Then Mrs. Landry escorted Sascha outside on the back deck to see the swimming pool, hot tub, and the beach beyond.
She assumed the other ladies were busy decorating the house or doing something special for her since no one else joined them outside.
The salty breeze felt delightful. Seagulls landed on the beach and took off, calling out to each other. Farther out on the Gulf, she saw pelicans gliding across the blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds. They reminded her of flying dinosaurs, like pterodactyls or pteranodon.
The aqua pool looked inviting. So did the thought of relaxing in the hot tub later at night. They could even have a cookout at the outdoor kitchen and savor meals on the balcony while taking in the breathtaking view of the pristine Gulf.
She couldn’t wait to learn what Kat and the others had planned for the retreat. She would just enjoy swimming and walking along the beach the whole time they were there.
She loved it here and was glad they decided to come here for the party.
Aunt Meg opened the door and said, “Oh, my, this is beautiful.”
“I agree,” Sascha said.
“Well, come in, and we’ll have a bite to eat before we enjoy the beach.” Aunt Meg motioned for her to enter the house.
Kat and Lucy had hung up a colorful bachelorette banner with Sascha’s name, the date, and South Padre Island embroidered on it as a lovely keepsake. It had a champagne glass and bottle, plus a crystal ball, beach chair, and bikini hanging from a line.
They’d also hung up pink balloons and a bride balloon.
A seafood platter and fruit platter had been delivered, and the ladies had all changed into shirts that said Bride Crew, but Sascha's said Bride to Be. She changed, and they all sat down to drink watermelon daiquiris, except Kat’s was a mocktail. But she’d made the drinks from fresh watermelon.
Henry started taking photos of them.
Then they enjoyed shrimp, lobster, scallops, salmon on picks, just all kinds of great seafood. Grapes, watermelon balls, strawberries, peaches, and plums were arranged like a toucan on another platter.
Soft rolls and butter were scarfed up quickly. Each of the women had their own tray of dips—tartar sauce and cocktail sauce — and dipped away while sipping their cocktails.
“After we enjoy our refreshments, we’re going to play in the water and then walk along the beach and take pictures,” Kat said. “Henry said he’s a photography hobbyist, so he’ll take all our pictures.”
“That’s great.” Sascha wanted everyone in the pictures.
After they finished eating, they all went into their rooms and put on their bathing suits, pulled on their new shirts, flip-flops, hats, and sunglasses. They grabbed bags containing sunscreen, bottles of water, and their phones, then headed out the door to the stairs leading to the beach pathway.
The bodyguards wore beachwear too, to blend in, but they kept guns in holsters under their floral shirts. Sascha had purchased their clothes for the trip, and they looked ready to have fun while taking care of business.
Chaise lounges and umbrellas had been set up for them, courtesy of Aunt Meg and Mrs. Landry, so they would be comfortable on the beach. Even the bodyguards had chairs so they could watch out for the women.
“One of you can watch our bags,” Lucy told the bodyguards.
That was an advantage on the beach trip, so no one would steal their bags.
Mrs. Landry and Aunt Meg sat down on the chairs and got comfortable though, so they could watch things too. Omar went with the cousins so they could play in the water, while Henry took photos.
Sascha was having a ball, but she thought it would be fun to do this with Gregory, too.
They played in the water, getting dunked by rogue waves, crying out in surprise, and laughing like crazy.
“This is so much fun,” Sascha said. “I’m so glad we decided to come here.”
“We’ll have so much to do, we won’t even notice the time go by. Boy, being pregnant makes me even more buoyant. I thought I would be more like a heavy anchor,” Kat said, floating on top of the water until a wave washed over her.
The ladies laughed.
After playing in the water, they encouraged Aunt Meg and Mrs. Landry to join them to cool off.
They did, and then they all walked down the beach. Both bodyguards stayed with them to ensure they stayed safe. Lucy pointed to an ice cream shop off the beach. “Ready for a cold, frosty treat?”
“Oh, yeah, let’s do it,” Sascha said.