I would do that with my own world. Bastian must have made the decision to move forward with our public displays of starting a separation.
So, I would too.
I wouldn’t care that he stood next to another woman. No, instead, I wanted to rock his world too. I wanted to drown him in jealousy and make him feel what raged inside me.
He wanted me to blend in and not draw attention to myself as his Untouchable. I’d never blended in. I flowed through the town and breathed life where I went. I may not have ever committed to anything but I was committed to being me.
Free. I sunk my feet into the sand and breathed in the salty air. The waves washed to shore again and again. They were slow and tranquil, unlike the one building deep in my heart. The tsunami was about to crash and it would feel like hell. Riding a wave like that would be dangerous. Falling in love with Bastian was the same.
A surfer always wiped out and I knew this would be the biggest wipeout of my life.
Still, I was ready to hit every high point before then.
I glanced at a man who had been at the board meeting. “Quinton.” I smiled at him and pulled the black string at my neck. “Can you help me?”
I turned slowly and he didn’t hesitate. He untangled that knot like a man on a mission to defuse a bomb.
The thin triangles over my breasts fell. Instantly the sun warmed my skin and my nipples puckered.
He didn’t even look down at them because he was smiling so wide as I faced him again. “You’re going to cause havoc with Bastian today, aren’t you?”
Quinton had introduced himself to me at the gala not too long ago and it seemed he knew just what we were getting ourselves into. From his smile, I knew he’d play along. I swung a leg over the lounge chair and sat down. I took my time unfolding onto it, closed my eyes, and waited.
Let the chaos happen around me. I was on top of my wave. I was above them all now.
If Bastian found his way here, fine. If not, I had others who would talk to me.
Most importantly, I was back to myself. This was me and would always be me. I wouldn’t be an Untouchable forever, not in the way Bastian thought.
The sun reminded me of who I was. I had the ocean talking to me, the seagulls cawing at me, and the sand between my toes.
“You’re really pretty like this, Morina.” Quinton’s voice sounded above me. I cracked an eye to stare at him.
His eyes were a deep blue, almost like the midnight sky, and his hair was that dark blonde I imagined a Ken doll would have in real life. “I’m not sure what you mean, Quinton.”
He tsked. “Your husband is watching. His mouth slammed shut and his hands fisted the moment he figured out what you were doing.”
I didn’t show any emotion but my stomach knotted up and my heart pounded. I closed my eyes again so as not to give anything away.
My husband was obviously flirting with the woman on his arm, and had probably already been with her. I’d been the naive one sitting in our penthouse as if we were creating some bond.
Instead of trying to pursue any more conversation, I just said, “Interesting.”
My mind was all tangled up with new feelings and I wasn’t sure how to act now that I knew Bastian was watching.
“What’s really interesting is how he hasn’t made his way over here yet.”
“It’s mostly about pride and appearance,” I told him and myself. Bastian didn’t care what I was doing but he did care if I was making a fool out of him.
“Is that what it’s about for you?” Quinton asked me quietly.
I stared out at the water and waited for the waves to rock and soothe me with their rhythm, the rhythm of the world. It didn’t work this time, my heart was beating too fast and my frustration roared to life in my veins. “It has to be just that for me.”
He nodded. “Well, then, I’m here to entertain and, honestly, I’m here to stare as long as you’ll let me.”
I laughed at his honesty. Most men would have tried to keep their eyes above my shoulders or been creepy about it. Somehow him admitting that it was fun to look had me relaxing a bit. In another world, I would have liked him, I would have wanted more with him.
In a world without Bastian.
“When did you get the tattoo on your shoulder?” Quinton asked as he took a seat in the lounge chair beside mine. He offered me a bottle of oil and I rubbed it over my chest and stomach before answering.
“I got it when I was sixteen after I came to terms with my parents being gone.” I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy his company, even if it wasn’t the company I really wanted.
“Where did they go?”
Something about today had shifted my heart, and something about this man being so honest with me, had me wanting to be honest with him. “They were always runners. They would leave me for weeks at time. When my mom was home, she was vibrant and full of life and my dad just adored her. Then, they’d say they were going to the grocery store and not show up again for weeks. I didn’t really understand it until I was a teenager…” I stopped because I was babbling.
“So, what happened? Don't stop now. I need to know the whole story.”
I sighed, eyes still closed. “They were addicts and I sort of hated when they came back. They would blame my being hyper or not doing well in school on them leaving over and over. I resented them and myself.”
“I hope you learned different.” Quinton sighed, like maybe he understood some part of it.
I shrugged, “Maybe I sometimes still blame myself. I don’t know. You know, one day they just didn’t come back and we got a call to say they’d been in an accident a couple states away. It wasn’t big news. Everyone just wrote it off as another sad story of how drugs overtake people. And I agreed. Except I was still a kid. I still felt like they were coming home for a long time. When I finally understood they weren’t, I got the tattoo.”
Quinton sat and listened intently, even though I was topless in a lounge chair at this stupid party.
“Morina.” Bastian’s voice sliced through the air in a way that said I’d finally gotten a reaction from him. “Time to go.”
My eyes flew open and I met the dark stare of my husband. His strong jaw was hard enough to cut stone. His full lips pursed as he broke eye contact and scanned up and down my body.
It felt like lava on my skin as he perused every curve. I lifted my chin, ready to fight if that was what he intended. “Bastian. This is a great spot on the beach. Quinton and I were just enjoying the view.”
“I have a feeling you were enjoying different views.”
The man behind him chuckled and unfolded from the lounge chair. “Morina, next time you need company, feel free to give me a call.”
“My wife has my company, Quinton. Don’t be disrespectful.”
“What is respect, Sebastian? Letting another man entertain your wife and not coming over yourself? Or is that neglect?”
I saw the moment Bastian’s stance shifted. His muscles rippling in a way they didn’t usually. Quinton must’ve witnessed the transformation too, because he stepped back, raising his hands.