Claire cracked the door and stuck her head out. “Yes?”
“Claire, I’m sorry for abandoning you the last few days or so, but Mario and I have been having so much fun, and I know how much Chance wanted you more than me, so I thought…” she paused when she saw Claire mouthing shut up to her. “What?” she asked as she tried to look past her.
“Sshh,” Claire said.
“Is he? He is!” she screamed and tried to push past Claire.
“Amy, get away from my door,” Claire said and pushed her away gently.
“Wait, so how about a double date? Mario and I were going on a little hiking expedition.”
“Goodbye, Amy,” Claire laughed and closed the door.
“Hiking might not be too bad,” Chance laughed too when she finally got the door closed. “I didn’t make an itinerary for today.”
“Hiking? Ugh! I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she said, and fell back against the bed.
He smiled and hovered over her. “There is a lot to see in the parks and gardens here.”
“I guess,” she said. “Fine. I’ll go over to her room and make final plans, then.”
“And in the meantime, I need to take a shower,” he said. “Though I hate to wash the smell of you off me.”
“Go wash up, you slacker,” Claire said as she raised on her tip toes and kissed him. “I need to shower as well.”
“Okay, see you in a little while. If I take too long, you know where I am.” He grinned as he walked out.
Claire fell back on the bed with the pillow on her chest, feeling light and blissful. If she had known she would feel this good, she would have listened to Amy’s coaxing on Chance’s island. But when she rolled over and allowed her thoughts to probe the future, the smile completely disappeared. What reason did she have to hope he would return with her to Miami? He was wealthy and had girls chasing him all over the world. And he had already conquered her, so what was left besides the rest of her vacation? And his? She was still deep in thought and dragging herself around the room when Amy returned.
“Knock, knock,” her best friend said as she burst inside. “I can see he isn’t here or the door wouldn’t be open.” Claire smiled at her. “So, you sneak.” She walked over to knock Claire on the shoulder. “You have been seeing him the whole time.”
“Not the whole time; you and Mom left me with nothing to do. Chance was there, so I passed the time with him,” Claire blushed.
“Passed the time? Hmm, I’ve never heard it called that before,” she laughed.
“Knock it off, Ames,” she laughed. “This is just for a time. We go home in three days, and Chance and Mario will be no more.”
“Maybe Mario won’t be, but why not Chance? The man has money coming out his ears. He even has his own private island. What’s to stop him from coming to you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe all the other women who have his attention,” Claire reminded her.
“Claire, he wants you for a reason, and that’s because you aren’t anything like those whores chasing him,” Amy told her.
“You mean like you?” Claire teased.
“Yeah, like me,” Amy laughed. “But I came around to invite you guys to hang out with us.”
“I was just about to come up to your room.”
“Mario is coming by in another…” she paused to look at her watch, “half hour, so get ready.”
“I don’t have a choice, right?”
“Not really. But please get lover boy,” she winked and backtracked to the door.
Claire tossed the pillow at her, but she desperately wanted Amy to be right. She was still smiling at the thought of Chance coming after her when he knocked on her door. She had a bright smile for him.
“Don’t tell me I caused that,” he said.
“Caused what?”
“Your smile,” he laughed.
“You did,” she said. “Amy and her guy are waiting for us.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Amy!” she called from the hallway. “You’re late.”
Amy opened the door. “Well, hello,” she said when she saw Chance.
Chance smiled and nodded at her. “Hi, Amy.”
“Ok. Well, let’s go,” she said. “Mario’s waiting in the lobby.”
Mario turned out to be quite a handsome islander with a body crafted in the gym; he had muscles bulging from every inch of him, and Claire found it hard not to giggle. “Just your type,” she whispered to Amy. Amy punched her gently on the shoulder, and the men looked on as they shared their private moment.
“Oh, my apologies,” Amy said. “Claire, Chance, this is Mario. Mario, Claire and Chance.”
“Nice to meet you both,” he said and reached out to shake Claire’s hand. She was surprised at how soft it was; it didn’t match his outward appearance.
“Okay, let’s go! I’m excited,” Amy said. She stopped walking and turned to the group. “Which car are we going in?”