“Chance,” Amy called with a wave.
But his eyes were on Claire, who gave him an odd look and a half-smile and walked to a table. Apparently, she didn’t care about him, and he hated being at a disadvantage. He waved at Amy, who was walking towards him.
“Hi, Amy,” he said, his eyes still glued on Claire.
“Would you like to join us?” she asked, pointing to their table.
Had it been just Amy, he would have refused. But he accepted any invitation that brought him closer to the woman who made him feel something he had never experienced before: rejection.
“Sure,” he said as he followed her to the table where Claire sat, but Claire didn’t seem at all pleased to see him.
“Forgive my intrusion,” he said as he pulled the chair out for Amy, then sat between her and Claire.
“Maybe you should eat at another table,” Claire said as she stuck her knife aggressively into the omelet.
“Claire!” Amy looked at her, appalled, and kicked her under the table. “You’re being rude.”
“Rude? I’m just enjoying my breakfast.”
“That’s not new,” he said to her, and Amy looked at the two of them.
“What?” Claire asked, her tone raised.
“I’m just being honest,” Chance only smiled and dug into his omelet. “So, how’re you enjoying your trip so far?”
“It’s been great,” Amy responded. “You know, I haven’t yet explored the island the way I want to. Maybe you should take me around. And we could have dinner maybe?”
Chance looked at her, unsure how to respond. Her suggestion was rather awkward with everyone sitting there, but hey, at least she was forward. More than he could say for her friend. Maybe it was time he made Claire just a little jealous.
“Dinner would be nice.” He smiled at her and looked sideways at Claire, who didn’t even show the slightest inkling of emotion to him agreeing to dinner with Amy.
Nothing much was said after that throughout breakfast, except when he thanked them for entertaining him and left. He had to get away from them, from her, before she drove him mad. He had never come across a woman who had walls so high he couldn’t breach them, and it unnerved him. For the entire day, he searched the annals of his mind to figure out what made her tick. He came up empty. She was a mystery to him.
She was still on his mind when he met Amy later that night at the same restaurant for dinner. He had bought her flowers, as he always did on a first date. But he wasn’t interested in wooing her, or for that matter breaking her heart. She was a beautiful woman, but she was too easy.
“You look lovely,” he said to Amy as he kissed her hand.
“Thanks.”
“Here,” he said as he offered her a seat.
After a few minutes of conversation with Amy doing most of the talking, they fell into an awkward silence until Amy spoke.
“How bad is it?” she asked. “Your food. You’re picking at it.”
“Huh? Oh,” he said, glancing down at his food. “It’s alright, I guess.”
“You make it look like prison food,” she laughed.
“How would you know what prison food tastes like?” he asked, smiling. Amy laughed at his joke. “Glad I made you laugh,” he said, laughing along.
“So, what’s with you?” she finally asked him.
“What do you mean?” he asked, sipping some water from his glass after answering.
“This. I mean, it’s like you are here, but really not,” she told him. “Did you really want to go to dinner with me, or was that to get Claire’s attention?”
Chance looked at her with shock. “Why would…”
Amy held up her hand to stop him. “Don’t deny it, Chance. You know, I was wondering why you agreed to have dinner with me when we both know you’re not interested in me. I’ve seen the way you look at her. Be honest with me.”
“That obvious, huh?” he asked and tapped the glass on the table. “I’m sure you can imagine a man like me isn’t accustomed to being rejected.”
Amy smiled and swirled the mixer in her glass. “It’s hard for a woman with a broken heart to notice another man, no matter how handsome he is.”
“An ex?” he asked. “I thought she just hated me.”
“No, it isn’t you,” Amy said. “I shouldn’t be saying anything, but this was supposed to be her honeymoon, not a girls’ trip.”
“Her honey…” Chance fell back against the chair and raked his hand through his golden mane. “Fuck! Now I feel like an idiot.”
“You shouldn’t. The day before her wedding she found the asshole with another woman, so trust me, right now, it doesn’t really matter how hot you are, or how nice, or how rich—Claire won’t notice you in the way you want her to.”
But Chance’s mind was already working. Now that he knew what he was dealing with, he could more easily adapt to the situation. He had been blowing in the wind for days, but Amy had given him something to hold on to.
“So, what do you plan to do?” she asked.