forward.
"You don't want to know.” I stood and hung up the phone. Maybe she'd try and call back.
Sergio noticed my wild hair, ripped and dirty shirt, along with the scratches on my face and arms. “You look a little...disheveled. Did you get lucky? Tell me, tell me.” He licked his lips and waited.
"I need a shower, first,” I said, quickly gathering a change of clothes. “I'll tell you at supper. We've been invited to eat with Tom.” Then I escaped to the bathroom and locked the door before Sergio could ask any further questions.
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 17—Whining and...
Supper was served poolside. More tables had been moved down from the main dining hall and filled the afternoon's sunbathing deck. Long buffet tables surrounded the dining area with “Mediterranean Night” signs, even though Caribbean music played gently from tinny sounding speakers scattered around the pool. A small stage walled the far side of the pool.
I hadn't noticed the stage this afternoon, with all the “other” things running through my mind. “Maybe we're going to have some entertainment at dinner tonight,” I said to the back of Sergio's head, as he continued to pull me through the maze of tables. His grip never relaxed on my shirt. Was he afraid I'd bolt?
Then the thought struck me, and I prayed, please God, don't let it be a murder mystery dinner. Not tonight. That's all I needed, another body dropping dead at my feet.
Sergio scanned the crowd as he continued to pull me to the tables in the back corner, farthest from the stage. He smiled and waved at a few guys in the crowd, but paid extra attention to one in particular. “Doesn't he have the most fabulous hair?” he asked.
"He must've given you a big tip,” I teased.
"Better than that,” Sergio smiled.
"What's better...?” I realized what Sergio meant and said, “I don't want to know.” My eyes tried to scan the tables as Sergio's breakneck speed increased.
Tom sat alone in the corner near the first buffet table, watching the bright orange liquid swirl around in his glass. As he looked up, he smiled and waved us over. His body seemed to relax. He took a long sip from his drink and settled back in his chair.
"Mind if we join you?” Sergio asked, pulling out the chair next to Tom before he could answer.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, I thought Taylor invited you..."
"Oh, he did, or he was going to, but he just needed to take a shower after he got back to our room.” Sergio winked at him, “Must have gotten pretty hot in the sun this afternoon."
Before Tom could respond, Logan walked up to our table and asked, “Do you mind if I join you guys?"
"No, not at all.” I pulled out my chair and sat down. Sergio and Tom motioned for Logan to take the empty seat.
Logan pulled out his chair as Sergio scooted closer to Tom's. “Taylor, where's your camera?” Sergio put his arm around Tom's shoulder and pulled him closer.
Tom gave me a questioning smile.
"I left it in the room. I didn't think..."
Tom interrupted, “You'll have to wait until the end of the week to take pictures. That's when our tans will be the darkest."
"If we last that long,” I mumbled, under my breath.
"What was that?” Sergio asked.
"I really like this song,” I said as the trumpets started to blast, announcing another event was about to begin. “Can't we just eat supper in peace. This is like summer camp where they have things planned for us every second of the day. I just want to relax."
"So, therapist, aren't you healing yourself?” Sergio said, snidely. He glanced from me over to Tom. “Didn't you do any therapy this afternoon?” His eyes went wide.
"That's right,” Logan began. “You're a therapist. My fingers tingle after I've been writing for a while..."
"How much did you write today?” I asked.
"Only twelve pages."
"Did you warm up first? Stretch between pages? And are you using proper body mechanics?"
"In this climate I figured the
"You don't want to know.” I stood and hung up the phone. Maybe she'd try and call back.
Sergio noticed my wild hair, ripped and dirty shirt, along with the scratches on my face and arms. “You look a little...disheveled. Did you get lucky? Tell me, tell me.” He licked his lips and waited.
"I need a shower, first,” I said, quickly gathering a change of clothes. “I'll tell you at supper. We've been invited to eat with Tom.” Then I escaped to the bathroom and locked the door before Sergio could ask any further questions.
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 17—Whining and...
Supper was served poolside. More tables had been moved down from the main dining hall and filled the afternoon's sunbathing deck. Long buffet tables surrounded the dining area with “Mediterranean Night” signs, even though Caribbean music played gently from tinny sounding speakers scattered around the pool. A small stage walled the far side of the pool.
I hadn't noticed the stage this afternoon, with all the “other” things running through my mind. “Maybe we're going to have some entertainment at dinner tonight,” I said to the back of Sergio's head, as he continued to pull me through the maze of tables. His grip never relaxed on my shirt. Was he afraid I'd bolt?
Then the thought struck me, and I prayed, please God, don't let it be a murder mystery dinner. Not tonight. That's all I needed, another body dropping dead at my feet.
Sergio scanned the crowd as he continued to pull me to the tables in the back corner, farthest from the stage. He smiled and waved at a few guys in the crowd, but paid extra attention to one in particular. “Doesn't he have the most fabulous hair?” he asked.
"He must've given you a big tip,” I teased.
"Better than that,” Sergio smiled.
"What's better...?” I realized what Sergio meant and said, “I don't want to know.” My eyes tried to scan the tables as Sergio's breakneck speed increased.
Tom sat alone in the corner near the first buffet table, watching the bright orange liquid swirl around in his glass. As he looked up, he smiled and waved us over. His body seemed to relax. He took a long sip from his drink and settled back in his chair.
"Mind if we join you?” Sergio asked, pulling out the chair next to Tom before he could answer.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, I thought Taylor invited you..."
"Oh, he did, or he was going to, but he just needed to take a shower after he got back to our room.” Sergio winked at him, “Must have gotten pretty hot in the sun this afternoon."
Before Tom could respond, Logan walked up to our table and asked, “Do you mind if I join you guys?"
"No, not at all.” I pulled out my chair and sat down. Sergio and Tom motioned for Logan to take the empty seat.
Logan pulled out his chair as Sergio scooted closer to Tom's. “Taylor, where's your camera?” Sergio put his arm around Tom's shoulder and pulled him closer.
Tom gave me a questioning smile.
"I left it in the room. I didn't think..."
Tom interrupted, “You'll have to wait until the end of the week to take pictures. That's when our tans will be the darkest."
"If we last that long,” I mumbled, under my breath.
"What was that?” Sergio asked.
"I really like this song,” I said as the trumpets started to blast, announcing another event was about to begin. “Can't we just eat supper in peace. This is like summer camp where they have things planned for us every second of the day. I just want to relax."
"So, therapist, aren't you healing yourself?” Sergio said, snidely. He glanced from me over to Tom. “Didn't you do any therapy this afternoon?” His eyes went wide.
"That's right,” Logan began. “You're a therapist. My fingers tingle after I've been writing for a while..."
"How much did you write today?” I asked.
"Only twelve pages."
"Did you warm up first? Stretch between pages? And are you using proper body mechanics?"
"In this climate I figured the
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