It feels nice.
The hand-holding.
Richard, my ex-boyfriend, was never one to hold hands. And I hadn’t been in relationships long enough with the other guys I dated to qualify for hand-holding status. So holding hands with Jayden is definitely new territory for me.
The main level of the resort is like most hotels. It has a classy restaurant, reception area, and numerous high-end stores. There’s even a counter for booking excursions organized by the hotel: scuba diving, helicopter rides, paragliding, hiking.
We walk up the stairs to the second level and find several small conference rooms. All are currently unoccupied.
“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Anthony asks, strolling toward us. He and Demek have changed into causal walking shorts and are sporting bright Hawaiian shirts.
Both are the type of men that straight women bemoan are gay, because the guys are hot compared to the majority of straight guys. They look like they’re Calvin Klein models.
Or maybe they are, and that’s how they met—during a fashion shoot.
“We were just walking around. Seeing what else is in this place,” I tell them. We’re supposed to meet Bernard in his office soon. We’re just getting a lay of the land until then. “What about you?”
“Looking for the men’s room because we’re too lazy to go back upstairs,” Anthony says.
“Have you made reservations for dinner yet at the restaurant?” Demek asks.
“Not yet. We were thinking of wandering around town and seeing what we can find,” Jayden replies.
The truth is, we haven’t even discussed dinner. We’ve been more focused on the upcoming meeting with Bernard.
“You’re more than welcome to join us. We have a table booked in the resort’s restaurant for seven p.m. I can always go ask the hostess if they can accommodate the change.”
“Thank you, but maybe another day. We’re looking to have a romantic dinner our first night here. Maybe find a place that has a chocolate dessert for Isabelle.” Jayden’s tone holds anIf-you-know-what-I-mean?lack of subtlety that makes me want to elbow him in the gut. He’s never going to let me forget my answer to Gabrielle’s question.
Anthony and Demek laugh.
“If you want a rain check for another night,” Anthony says, “just let us know.”
They walk away, leaving Jayden and me alone.
We find the main hotel office a few minutes later. Closed blinds cover the glass wall, blocking our view of the inside.
The rest of the wall contains framed nature photos and photos of marine life. Bernard’s office—along with the ones responsible for the resort’s operations—must be on the other side of the glass door.
Jayden opens it, and we step inside. From the looks of things, the receptionist has gone home, and all the office doors are closed except one. The lights inside both the reception area and the office are still on.
I exchange glances with Jayden. He nods and gestures to the office, indicating to go there.
We casually approach the open door.
A man who reminds me of a storm cloud, with his white hair, gray suit jacket, light-gray knit pullover, and an even lighter gray shirt, is sitting at the desk. Bernard Bradshaw. But his attention isn’t on his computer.
He’s beaming at us.
He pushes himself out of his chair, studying me like I’m his long lost relative. His office is clutter-free and organized. Unlike the furniture in the reception area, the pieces here are antiques, each with a story to tell. Photos of various celebrities and places around the world adorn the walls and the bookshelf behind him.
He comes around to our side of the desk. “Isabelle. You’re the spitting image of your grandmother. I’m so excited to finally meet you. She’s told me so much about you.” He turns to Jayden. “And you must be Isabelle’s colleague and close friend, Jayden Price.”
Jayden steps forward, placing himself slightly between Bernard and me. “Josephine said you want to talk to us about a case you need help with.”
I step around him because no matter what he might believe, I can take care of myself. He’s just too much of a stubborn alpha male to see it.
A photo on the wall of a vineyard and a Spanish-style building catches my attention. In front of the building, gazing into the fountain, is my grandmother.
