Chapter 80
"Well, to be honest, I do enjoy my work. I'm a workaholic, that sort of thing. So I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy myself at all, just that I never did any of the tourist things, and I actually really enjoyed it today."
"Well there we go, now this trip has a new first for you as well."
Just then we arrived at the restaurant. Being far more casual than Cay West, Blake and I fit in perfectly, much to my relief. I had some more questions about Blake's work though. Up until today, I hadn't realized he was actually in charge of the company, I just thought he was a high up executive. But dates weren't really the right time to quiz people about their jobs, were they?
As the hours pa.s.sed, Blake and I enjoyed a delicious meal, some even more delicious wine, then made our way back to his room where we had pa.s.sionate s.e.x once more. I loved Blake's dominant streak; I had never realized just how hot and bothered I got when I lost control, when he did whatever he wanted with my body. It was always loving, it was never too much, and it turned me on like nothing else.
When it was all over, the moon was well up into the sky and I rested my head on Blake's shoulder as I caught my breath.
"Up to you, of course, but you're always welcome to spend the night," Blake told me.
"That sounds great. I can't guarantee you that I'm not going to panic and leave at some point, but at least you know now that it's got nothing to do with you. It's my brain that's broken."
"You're not broken, you're perfect just the way you are," Blake replied, leaning over and kissing the top of my head. I closed my eyes, blissfully aware that I had found the perfect man. I fell asleep feeling more comforted, more relaxed than I ever had before.
For the next three days Blake and I spent all the time he could spare together. Sure, he had the occasional business meeting that he had to attend, or just needed some time alone. And I was happy to hang out at the bar with a drink, or go down to the beach and enjoy the view, swimming by myself among the beautiful waters, just relaxing. The rest of the time was spent with Blake, either lounging by the pool together, going for a walk on the beach, for a swim, or, as was becoming more and more frequent, enjoying each other's company in our villas.
The more time pa.s.sed, the more I began to realize that this was all going to end, however. In just a few days I would have to fly back to cold, dreary Columbus, and the next day Blake would fly back to what I a.s.sumed was a slightly less cold, but probably equally dreary New York City, though at least he lived in a city that was actually interesting. We would, in all likelihood, never see each other again.
When I thought about that, I definitely felt depressed. This was more than just a fling for me, the more I got to know Blake, the more I realized I was genuinely falling in love.
I tried to talk myself out of it. Of course I couldn't be in love, I was just in l.u.s.t because he was the first man I'd been with since Tom. I couldn't be in love with someone I'd only known for a couple of days. It was just his hotness getting in the way of my emotions. I tried rationalizing it to myself, but nothing worked. I had to come to grips with reality: I was falling in love with Blake Andrews, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was my last day on the Island. Blake and I woke up, and we went out to breakfast, enjoying pancakes while sitting on the veranda of the restaurant, watching the soft waves lap against the sh.o.r.e in yet another day of perfect suns.h.i.+ne.
"You know, I couldn't have asked for this week to be any better," I told Blake as I reached for his hand. "Everything about it was absolutely perfect. The weather, the company..." I trailed off, giving him my best bedroom eyes that I serious hoped conveyed 'l.u.s.t' and not 'serial killer'.
"I agree. It really has been. Don't talk about it in past tense though, we still have 24 hours before you're going to the airport. Listen, why don't we go into town, I'll take you to the markets and we'll get some souvenirs before you go?"
"That sounds great, I spent that whole afternoon shopping but it was looking for something nice, I never really got to go into the real streets of Georgetown."
"Good, it's settled then."
We finished our delicious breakfast, then ordered a car from the front desk to take us into town. Georgetown was absolutely amazing. I had never seen anything like the back streets of it, where colors, colors and more colors abounded. The colonial English architecture melded perfectly with the colourful traditions on the people, and I wandered through, taking photos of a million things, as we slowly made our way towards some markets on the street up ahead.
Blake and I made our way through stalls filled with souvenirs, but also with linens, clothing, photos, spices, everything you could possibly imagine.
I found a gorgeous s.h.i.+rt that I wanted to buy, but it was a tad more expensive than what I wanted to spend.
"Maybe I'll come back for it later."
"Are you sure? Let me buy it for you as a gift."
I was tempted (and thankful) for Blake's offer, but I also wanted to buy the s.h.i.+rt on my own.
"No, thanks. I'm not against you buying me things, not at all, but I also don't want to come running to you whenever there's something I want that's a little bit outside my price range."
"Well, then if you won't take my charity, we'll have to get you that s.h.i.+rt another way. I'm not letting my lady leave here without the thing she wants."
Did he seriously call me his lady? Like I was his girlfriend? I got so giddy about it that I almost didn't notice when he started haggling with the stall vendor.
"Seriously man, $25 Cayman dollars for a t-s.h.i.+rt is too much. I want to buy it, but I can't do it at that price. That's over $30 American and this s.h.i.+rt isn't exactly Ralph Lauren."
To my surprise, the shopkeeper immediately began bargaining with Blake. I knew negotiations and bargaining in markets was a thing, but I had never had the guts to actually try it. And yet here was Blake, negotiating the price down on my behalf.
"Well, just for you sir, I can lower the price down to 22 dollars, but I cannot go lower than that," the shopkeeper replied, smiling. "You understand, I have to make a profit on the s.h.i.+rts as well."
"I understand completely, yes. But unfortunately, I cannot go higher than $15, so if you cannot make a profit on that, then we're not going to be able to make a deal today."
"Fifteen? Good G.o.d man, you're trying to rob me. But listen, maybe I can go down to $20, just for you, but only if you buy the s.h.i.+rt now."
"Meet me in the middle, how about $17?"
"$18."
Blake looked at me and I nodded, stunned and not too sure of what had just happened, but I was pretty sure Blake had just gotten the price down to 18 Cayman Dollars, which was absolutely a good price for me. Blake and the shopkeeper shook hands, and I took some bills out of my wallet and handed them over. The shopkeeper handed me a plastic bag with my s.h.i.+rt in it, and
"How did you learn to do that?" I asked, referring to the negotiation.
"Well, when you spend your entire life doing business, you learn how to negotiate. You should try it sometime, it's actually pretty exciting."
"I don't think I'd ever dare to."
"Well, didn't you say this trip was all about new experiences? I dare you. Next time you see something you like, try to haggle a bit with the shopkeeper. I'll tell you the basics of it."
As we walked through the markets Blake explained to me the very basics of haggling, how he tried to get the best price, but he definitely told me that the key was to keep it simple. Start lower than what you want to pay, and move your price up with the negotiation. Always be willing to walk away if you don't like the price, and never be rude. Haggling is still about being polite.
With that lesson instilled into me, we wandered around some more, and when I found some beautiful prints that I thought would look great on my wall, I decided to try and put Blake's lesson into practice and get myself a deal. The matted prints were listed as being $10 each, and I wanted to get three of them.
"Excuse me," I told the shopkeeper, somewhat shyly. She immediately came over, happy to help a potential customer.
"Yes miss, how can I help you?"
"I'm looking at buying these three prints, but unfortunately the price is a little bit high for me. Because I'm buying three of them, would it be possible to bring the price down to $5 per photo?"
"Ah, unfortunately that is too low for me. However I would be happy to offer you a discount, how about we make a deal, three photos for $8 each?"
Already my heart was pounding in my chest. This wasn't the sort of thing I normally did, and I could feel the adrenaline pumping. A part of me wanted to accept her $8 offer, be super happy about it and get my photos at the $2 discount I'd gotten just by asking. But another part of me looked over at Blake, and decided I was going to take it further. I'd seen him do it, and now I was going to try.
"Can we meet in the middle at $6?" I asked.
"How about $7?"
"You've got yourself a deal!" I replied, and as I walked away with Blake I was so incredibly giddy and pleased with myself. I had never, ever negotiated for anything before in my life! I wrapped my arms around Blake and kissed him, thanking him for the great lesson.
"No problem at all, it was adorable watching you haggle, you actually have a knack for it I think," he told me.
After an afternoon of shopping I did end up letting Blake buy me a few things, as he insisted we made our way back to the resort.
Well after dark, after we'd gone on our last date, Blake took me over to the water and undressed me, slowly.
"Oh my G.o.d, we're in public!" I exclaimed, looking around and trying to cover myself, but there was no one around. We were alone on the beach.
"I know, that only makes it more exciting," Blake whispered back into my ear as he undressed himself and led me into the ocean, both of us naked. It was so exciting, and the perfect, lasting memory of this fling that was going to end in just a few short hours.
Neither one of us wanted to ruin the moment the night before by talking about the future. But when I woke up the next day and started packing our things, there was no other time. Someone would come to pick me up from my villa at exactly 10am to take me to the car waiting to drive me back to the airport. The perfect holiday was over.
My heart felt like it was in my feet as Blake helped me pack up my things. That was it. My week of paradise was over, and the worst part of it was leaving Blake.
"So, trade phone numbers? You'll have to promise to hold on to your phone better," I joked sadly as the clock ticked closer and closer to 10.
"Yeah. For sure. Let's try and make this long distance thing work, I think."
"I'd like that," I said softly. I did like it. Nothing made me feel happier than the idea of being with Blake Andrews, even if we couldn't physically be in the city.
"I can come visit you over the winter break, that's only a few weeks away," I added, and Blake's face lit up.
"That sounds great. I know I have a business trip in Columbus in February as well, so I can see you then for sure, too."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Blake and I exchanged phone numbers, and just before leaving I ran into his arms, holding him once more. He kissed me, pa.s.sionately and deeply, and I closed my eyes, wis.h.i.+ng that moment would never end.
Unfortunately it did, and as we reluctantly pulled apart and I was whisked away back to the airport and my normal life, I couldn't help but wonder if that was the end for us. Sure, we promised to do the long distance thing, but in reality those relations.h.i.+ps never worked out. Would Blake end up being just a wonderful memory, a fling for a week in an island paradise that I would never see again?
I wasn't sure, but I hoped not. As the plane took off I tried to spot the resort from the air, but I had no chance. There I was, being whisked away from a man I'd fallen in love with in under a week at hundreds of miles per hour. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes, reminiscing about the perfect, perfect week.
Over the next couple of weeks, Blake and I spoke on the phone at least a couple of times a week. Or, every time he had a spare moment, he would text me either sweet nothings, or photos of things he came across in New York that he thought I might like.
It was nothing compared to actually being with Blake, however, and as soon as I got back to Columbus, I made sure to book a plane ticket to New York to go see Blake when my cla.s.ses ended.
Going back to my normal life in Columbus after meeting the man of my dreams was really quite hard. As soon as I got back I had Anna on my doorstep, wanting all of the info about my trip.
I showed her my pictures on my computer, and then told her all about Blake, and the amazing time we spent together.
"Wow, Jules, he sounds perfect," Anna gushed as I gushed about our snorkelling trip, how he came to make sure he hadn't done anything wrong the night before.
"Yeah, he's pretty much amazing," I replied, and I smiled involuntarily as I thought about the man, who was now thousands of miles away. G.o.d, I wanted to be with him.
"So what's happening with you two now that you've left the island?"
"Well we're going to try and make the long distance thing work."
"Oh sweetie, oh that's not a good idea. Sorry, but I don't want to see you get hurt again."
"I know. I know it doesn't work out, I know almost no one successfully has a long distance relations.h.i.+p, but I have to try, you know?"
Anna came over and wrapped her arms around me.
"I know, sweetie. I just don't want you to get hurt. You're my little sister, it's my job to protect you."
I laughed. "Like that time when those bullies started picking on me and you threw a rock at one of their heads and scared them off?"
"Exactly like that," Anna replied, laughing at the memory. Unfortunately for her she'd been seen by other students, who tattled to the princ.i.p.al, and Anna was suspended for three days. Our mother had been absolutely livid, but Anna told me in secret a few days later that she thought it was all worth it. And for what it was worth, those bullies never came near me again.
When Anna left, I started to catch up on my readings. I had, like a diligent student does, asked my professors what I was going to miss during the week I was away, and I had a whole pile of things to read. I hadn't tried to convince myself that I would work on the holiday, I absolutely knew that despite my best intentions that wouldn't happen, so I took out my list of things to learn, cracked open a book and started catching up.
Over the next couple weeks, if I wasn't in cla.s.s, or eating, or sleeping, or texting Blake, I was studying. Exams were coming up quickly, and I wanted to be prepared for them. I had spent too much money I didn't have to fail at this, I needed to pa.s.s, I needed to make myself a career. I wanted to pa.s.s, too. I enjoyed the crazy life at the hospital, I liked that you never knew what would come through the door, I liked dealing with most of my patients.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions, especially knowing that once my exams were over, I would be hopping on yet another plane and going to visit Blake for two weeks. The thought made my body tingle, but I forced it away. I had other things to focus on.
The time flew by faster than anything, and the next thing I knew, I was packing up my suitcase for the second time in about a month, and heading to the airport once more. This time, unfortunately, the destination wasn't quite as tropical, but it also had the one thing no beach had: Blake Andrews, the man I had fallen in love with, the man I wanted to be with.
I was just as excited when the plane landed. Blake told me he had organized for his driver to come and pick me up, and sure enough, as soon as I pa.s.sed the baggage claim area a man was there holding a sign with my name on it.
"Hi, I'm Julia," I said, going up to him, far more confidently this time than when I'd been at Grand Cayman. After all, I was practically a seasoned traveller now! Two plane trips in a month! I was catching up on lost time.
"Hi Julia, I'm Mike. Let me take your bag," he replied, and led me outside to where a sleek, black Mercedes sedan was waiting for me. Mike opened the door for me and led me inside. On one of the pa.s.senger seats were a dozen red roses, along with a note.
Sorry I couldn't be here in person, business calls. I'll see you tonight. Blake.
I smiled to myself as I read the note. My flight landed at 2pm, I hadn't expected Blake to be able to make it to the airport to greet me in person anyway, so I didn't feel like I'd lost anything.
"Would you like to take the scenic route back, or just go straight to Mr. Andrews' apartment?" Mike asked.
"Oh, the scenic route would be great, thanks, if you don't mind. I've never been to New York City before!"
"Ah, first trip here then. You'll love it, I guarantee you that. Everyone I've ever met has completely fallen in love with the city after their first trip. It's got a charm to it you just don't get in other places. This city is completely unique, in its own way."
"I've heard that, you always hear about New York as being this magical place. I wanted to visit when I was a kid but never got the chance."
"Well, now you're here. Just relax, and depending on traffic we should be at Mr. Andrews' apartment in no time."
I was way too giddy to relax, but I stared out the window once again and watched as the world went past. Mike pointed out to me what neighborhoods we were in, when we pa.s.sed through the theatre district, drove past Times Square, it was all so incredible! To think that only a few months ago I never thought I'd get to visit New York for years, or anywhere else, really. Now here I was, being driven around in a luxury car, in one of the greatest cities in the world. I felt like a princess.
Eventually, Mike pulled the car into a spare spot in front of a modern high-rise block of apartments. Opening the door, he grabbed my suitcase from the trunk and handed me an electronic key.
"Mr. Andrews' owns the penthouse, you'll have to scan this on the sensor on the elevator to get in. I'll be waiting out here in case you would like to go anywhere before he arrives."
"Thanks, Mike," I told him. "I should be ok though, I think I might go for a walk and just explore the area if anything, I won't need a car."
"As you wish," Mike replied with a smile. "Enjoy the city!"
"Thanks!" I called out as I headed up the steps towards the entrance, where a man held the door open for me. Holy s.h.i.+t, a real doorman! I was pretty sure those only existed in movies I thought to myself as I smiled at him and walked into the building. I made my way past the elaborate lobby towards where I a.s.sumed the elevators were, and sure enough, I found them without any trouble.