CHAPTER 21
Jackie sat in a beach cabana listening to the ocean waves. Unlike the sofas in the suite and the chairs in the lobby, the cabanas were extremely comfortable. That didn’t make sense to Jackie from a resort design perspective, but she wasn’t going to question the heavenly cushion beneath her.
Mo was dismissive of her talents, again.
Why did she bother even trying? Then again, she had come at him pretty hardcore.
She couldn’t imagine what kind of damage control Antonio was attempting right now.
That was a problem too—she could admit she’d messed up, but she hated this idea of having to be saved from herself.
Like she’d told Ant during their failed attempt at mindful communication, she wasn’t a damsel in distress.
Yet he somehow found a way to be there, always. It was annoying. Sweet, but annoying.
As she stared at the sand, a large shadow of a figure appeared next to her.
She didn’t have to look up to know who it was.
The ocean air had mixed with his cologne, announcing Antonio’s presence.
Jackie looked up at him, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
He looked sheepish with his hands tucked in the pockets of his short-shorts.
Jackie slid over on the cabana to make room for him to sit.
When his knee brushed against hers, Jackie felt that same spark and pulse she’d felt during breathwork.
“This is the quietest beach I’ve ever been on,” remarked Antonio as he looked around. The only other people nearby were quietly reading, meditating, or journaling. “Guess no alcohol does make for a peaceful scene.” He nudged Jackie slightly. “You good, Jack?”
Jackie sighed, then pulled out her phone. She didn’t have service on this side of the beach, so she had to use her Notes app. She typed.
Why do you care?
“Nah.” Antonio shook his head. “That’s not gonna fly right now. You’re hurt, and you’re pissed. Acknowledge it.”
Jackie swallowed and wrote: I am, but it doesn’t matter. He won’t sign with me. I’m sure you tried to save the day—let me guess, he’s going to sign with you now?
“You make a lot of assumptions, lady,” Antonio said.
“You know what they say about when you assume things.” He dug his toes in the sand.
“I actually told Mo I’d never sign on to be his agent.
You’re way more qualified to handle him.
You came in kind of hot, you have to admit that.
But you’re passionate. I let him know he’s making a mistake. ”
Jackie bit the inside of her lip. She hadn’t expected him to say that.
Antonio continued. “Listen, we just have to come up with a different approach to get Mo. We got a couple more days here to figure it out.”
Jackie wrote: There is no different approach. We struck out.
“Your dad played baseball. You know this is just strike one, Miles. It’s not over. We just have to appeal to Mo. We have to give him something no one else can.”
Jackie rubbed the nape of her neck as she thought.
Mo was seven million in the hole, and she wasn’t sure she could recover that.
Landing endorsements was tough, even for the most popular clients.
But despite his recent absence from major bouts, Mo was still in the best shape of his life.
She’d seen clips of him training on social media.
He was keeping himself ready. There was only thing that could entice him to sign with her.
Jackie typed and held out her phone. She watched as Antonio read, his eyes widening.
“A title fight? Mo hasn’t stepped in the ring for a title fight in two years.
The only person he could go toe-to toe with and have a bankable fight is Ramón Rodriguez.
And Ramón’s people aren’t going to go for that.
They’ll say Mo’s washed-up. Jackie, I know you can do a lot of things, but that may be damn near impossible. ”
Ye of little faith, Jackie wrote.
“You’re right. If you can almost get Paco Jimenez out from under my nose, then you can get Mo a title fight.”
SO YOU ADMIT YOU STOLE PACO FROM ME?
Antonio chuckled. “I swear, I didn’t. Just know, I respect your hustle. A lot more than you realize.”
Thanks, Jackie typed.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the quiet lapping of the waves against the shore.
A light wind blew the curtains of the cabana, and the air smelled like salt and Jackie’s hair oil, plus the faint hint of Antonio’s cologne.
Jackie couldn’t remember the last time she actually, purposefully, sat still and did absolutely nothing.
“When’s the last time you did something like this? Just… chilled?” asked Antonio.
Jackie blinked. How’d he get in her thoughts like that? She shrugged.
“I’m not sure what else Graciela has up her sleeve for us today, but I think you should take advantage of this. I know you, Jackie. You push yourself to the brink. It’s probably why you lost your voice.”
Jackie gave Antonio a stern look for attempting to psychoanalyze her. And yet, she thought, he might be right.
“We are in paradise right now. Well, semi-paradise, cause ain’t no bar.
Why don’t you go to this overpriced spa they told us about?
Get a massage. Dip those pretty toes in the ocean.
” She watched as his eyes dipped to her bare feet.
His breath hitched, then recovered. “Those very pretty toes. You’re a French pedicure girl, huh?
” Antonio bit the corners of his lip. “Classic pink and white. Very nice.”
Hmm…a foot fetish, huh? Jackie didn’t recall him focusing on her feet last time they were together. Then again, Antonio’s focus that weekend had been on literally every part of her body.
Antonio jumped up from the cabana as if it were on fire. “Uhm, yeah. Go get that massage, Lucky. I’ll find something to get into.”
Jackie watched him nearly trip past the beach chairs as he headed back to the villas. She looked down at her toes, wiggled them in the sand, and smiled.
ALTHOUGH ALMA Y TERRA LACKED PROPER MEXICAN FOOD AND tequila, Jackie had to admit that the spa was top-tier.
One of the best she’d ever been to. The agave sugar scrub, vanilla bean and hibiscus oil massage, and Mexican chocolate mud bath were heavenly.
By the time she returned to the suite, she’d never felt so smooth or smelled so delicious in all her life.
I wonder if Ant would want to see how good I taste…especially my toes.
Jackie dismissed the thought, turning her focus to room service. It was nearing dinnertime, and she was starving—though the only thing on the menu that was remotely appetizing was a salad. Her phone buzzed.
TANIKA: So…how’s it going? You sign Mo yet?
brONWYN: Are you feeling Zen?
Jackie rolled her eyes. These two weren’t slick.
JACKIE: Struck out with Mo. And if you all are texting to see if I got some, the answer is no.
TANIKA: Damn. Well, Bron, you owe me $50
brONWYN: Dang, I guess I do!
JACKIE: I know you all weren’t taking bets on my sex life! Tanika, I’d expect that from you. But you, Bron? I’m appalled.
TANIKA: I honestly was hoping I’d lose. But you still have a couple more days there…
brONWYN: Nik is right. Let’s extend the bet until the end of the trip!
JACKIE: Hello! Are you all serious right now?
TANIKA: A lot could change in 48 hrs.
brONWYN: Exactly. Paradise hasn’t had time to work its magic.
Not them texting each other as if she couldn’t read every message.
JACKIE: That’s it. I’m not speaking to you all for the rest of the trip.
Jackie closed the group chat. She’d had enough of their shenanigans.
A knock on the door signaled that room service was there with her food.
Jackie opened the door to find Lupe wheeling in the cart.
A silver cloche covered the food, along with a large carafe of hibiscus tea, avocado dressing, and multigrain tortillas.
“Something special for you tonight,” Lupe said with a wink before she exited the suite.
Curious, Jackie approached the cart and slowly uncovered the heavy cloche.
Her mouth watered at the sight of a nice, juicy, seasoned-to-perfection grilled chicken breast on top of her salad.
Where the hell Lupe found this contraband chicken, she’d never know, but Jackie was thankful.
That definitely earned Lupe the additional $100 Jackie had slipped her.
As Jackie was devouring the first decent meal she’d had in this godforsaken resort, she heard the keycard beep. She looked up to see Antonio stroll in.
“Damn, you could have ordered me something. And wait…is that chicken I smell? Hold up! How’d you get chicken?
Did you slide Lupe some dough for this? Let me have a piece!
” He reached out to take some, but Jackie slapped his hand.
“Ouch, your little hand hurts, woman. It’s cool.
I already ate anyway. Just to let you know, the mushroom tacos suck ass. ”
Jackie wiped her hands on a napkin and typed in her app. “Dinner alone?”
“Who else would I have dinner with?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a certain blonde with terrible loc extensions?”
Antonio placed his copy of King of Ashes down on the repurposed wood coffee table. “You jealous of Locust, mama?”
Jackie put her fork down. Was he serious?
“No need to be jealous, Lucky. You know I’m all yours, baby.” He gave Jackie a wicked smirk.
Jackie stabbed at her salad. He was so full of himself.
Antonio threw up his hands. “I’m kidding. I did see her and Shane at dinner. They asked me how I was enjoying my stay, and I said it would be better with tequila. We just had some conversation, that’s all. You know, some people do find me entertaining. Interesting, even.”
Jackie stared at Antonio, deliberately chewing slowly. Right now? She didn’t find him remotely entertaining or interesting. Simply annoying.
Antonio grabbed a piece of tortilla off Jackie’s tray. “For the record, I wouldn’t be into someone like Locust. She didn’t know who S.A. Cosby was. She asked me if he was an actor. That’s when I knew she probably didn’t read.”
Jackie snorted a laugh and typed. “Of course that tumbleweed for brains wouldn’t know one of the greatest crime writers of our generation.”
Antonio looked surprised. “Wow, you read crime fiction? I would have taken you for a nonfiction girl. You know, memoirs of powerful women and stuff like that.”
Jackie pursed her lips. She typed, “Don’t stereotype me. I like memoirs, but I also love a good mystery.”
“Let me guess. You comfort-watch true crime on Friday nights.”
“I’ll neither confirm nor deny,” Jackie typed. She most definitely watched true crime marathons, snuggled up with PeeWee, most weekends when she wasn’t working. It was her happy place.
“Bet.” Antonio held up a finger. “I got something for you. Hold that thought.”
Jackie watched as he rounded the sofa and headed into the bedroom. After a few minutes, he returned with his iPad and settled next to her on the sofa.
“I may or may not have downloaded that documentary about that serial killer family up in Oregon. You know? The ones who lured delivery drivers to their demise. You want to watch?”
Jackie began to nod emphatically but then tempered her response. She didn’t want to seem too eager. She’d put that documentary on her watchlist as soon as it dropped. Hell yeah, she wanted to watch it!
“Cool.” Antonio started the show and leaned back against sofa, trying to find a comfortable position on the unforgiving furniture. “You think if I slip Lupe another $200, she’d bring me some chicken too?” He nodded toward her salad. “Don’t think them tacos hit the spot at all.”
Jackie handed Antonio a clean fork and put the salad between them to share.