Page 20 of Out of Office

“Stop trying to trick me into staying.”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.” She pressed one more soft, open-mouthed kiss on me, and I savored her spicy peppermint taste. Gen attempted to detangle herself, but I made sure to make it as hard as possible, holding on to whatever soft curves I could. My hand overflowed with her curves, and I gave her a tight squeeze for good measure.

“Stop! You’re a mess!” She separated herself, looking disheveled with one nipple peeking out from one bikini cup and her bikini bottom tucked into one side of her behind.

“I think between the two of us...” I gestured at her, my lower half throbbing in need, as she fixed her bathing suit and threw a cover-up on.

“Bye, sir!”

A cold shower fixed the growing tension Genevieve left behind, and a hot cup of coffee prepared me for the work ahead.

I found Claudia, Mario, the kids, and a couple of the townspeople that worked with them on housekeeping day all gathered in the back of the house cabana, where we stored all the cleaning supplies. Claudia drilled everyone with the steps to follow in cleaning up the cabanas. We divided ourselves into small groups; I got Yiya’s helpful company.

The cleaning of my assigned cabana was quick, and the guests in the room were very neat overall. In less than an hour, Yiya and I were back in the house area, where I bumped into Mario and Claudia, who were making out in the corner of the cabana.

“Yiya, go find Mirna, she is cabana #3,” I directed her; she just rolled her eyes at her parents and ran away whistling.

“So y’all put me to work, and both of you’re here exchanging body fluids?”

Claudia flashed me a finger, and not her ring one, then managed to part from Mario.

“Listen, you have had plenty of time to do the nasty with your guest. We weren’t complaining. It was your turn to take one for the team.” Claudia shrugged, and I wondered why I ever bothered to try to be right. Claudia’s accuracy for pushing my buttons was legendary. All through the week I’d worried about slacking around the hostel. I hadn’t pulled my weight and even though she had assured me all was well, I now worried I should have done more.

“Listen I can work for the rest of the day, y’all go somewhere, I don’t know... Spend some quality time.”

“Que? No! Why would we do that—you have your friend here for a few more days. Besides, anytime you’re here you’re working, it’s okay to relax a bit, you know? I swear you think you took a step back but you still work too much. Relax, hermanito. Enjoy your guest.”

The pang of alarm at her implication, that I was still working hard, made me want to push back on her assertions. I took days off. I had learned my lesson, but I had a responsibility to my family. We all needed to pull our weight and Claudia did so much...the least I could do was give her some respite when I was here. I was about to push back but Claudia’s fists had moved to her hips and Mario was doing his “now you fucked it up” face. There was no winning with Claudia when she got in this mindset.

“Fine. Yiya and I finished the room. I’ll check on the casita, then go to hang out with Gen for the rest of the day.”

“Mmm-hmm, see, Mario, I told you these two would end up attached to the hip. I just had a feeling.” Claudia raised her eyebrow at Mario, and Mario, dutiful, clever husband that he was, nodded along, sighing in relief at the change of subject,

“I never hid I was attracted to her.” I followed along, shrugging as if what I felt for Gen could be easily described with such a benign word. Attraction waved three bus stops behind, and the next stop ahead, longing, awaited my arrival. Better to pretend, because Gen and I had no future together. I’d known this from the first day I picked her up. She was going to be at the top of a very tall ladder someday, and I was happiest here around my people.

“No, you didn’t, but to be honest, I know I was all for it, but now I’m a little worried. What happens when she leaves?”

My stomach knotted at Claudia’s question, one I’d asked myself several times these past seven days even knowing all I knew.

“Nothing happens. I just keep focusing on living my life.”

Claudia’s question lingered in the back of my mind, and I took my time before going to Gen. I didn’t want to give too much color to the thought of saying goodbye. Every time I imagined it, my brain short-circuited, and nothing but pure static filled my mind.

Attempting to ignore the dread of parting ways, I changed into my board shorts, staying shirtless, and searched for her.

Warm sand cushioned my feet as I approached the family’s beachside, away from the guests. Genevieve sat in the middle of the cream sand, close to the water, her stillness reaching me from afar. The crashes of the waves lured me closer to her, the pull inevitable.

Announcing my presence, I ghosted my hand on her smooth shoulder, dark and luminescent under the sun; then I trailed my fingers across the elegant line of her neck. Genevieve trembled at my touch, and my heart slammed around my chest. Damn, less than a month ago, I wasn’t interested in any romantic entanglements, and now...

“Hey, you.” Gen finally turned her head; her eyes flickered over me.

“You were so still I thought you had no idea I was here.”

“Of course, I knew you were here.” She smiled and stared at the beach again, a deep sigh wracking her body.

Regardless of my concerns and fears, the only thing to do right now was to hold her close. I sat behind her, gathering her in my arms, and for the first time in the day, things felt entirely right again.

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