Page 36 of Places I've Never Been

The room was empty. He’d gone out before she got there.

The wretched man.

Today would be the fourth work session Adam had missed or sidetracked since they’d arrived on the island.

They had songs to write, and they couldn’t do that if he refused to work. One way or another she had to get him focused on the task at hand. But first, she had to find him.

She used Adam’s house phone to call Abayomi.

“Yes, Miss Mattie? What can I bring you?”

“Do you know where Adam is?”

“One moment, Miss Mattie. I will check for you.” After a muffled exchange, Abayomi cleared his throat and continued. “It appears Mr. Adam is scheduled for deep sea fishing at ten a.m. Would you like to join him?”

She blinked. “He’s leaving for the whole day?”

“Yes, Miss Mattie. The boat will return at sunset.”

Adam was playing some kind of game, but she didn’t know the rules. When they spokeaboutthe songs he sounded sincere, but when she tried to actually work on them, he dodged or changed the subject. And there was always something in the way of getting the job done: a meal, a guided tour, a game of volleyball…something.

Every time he distracted her from the project, he had that manic, I’m-winning twinkle in his eyes.

The first couple of days had been amusing. She’d played along since she’d desperately needed to unwind, and she’d enjoyed getting to know the entire band better. But this was getting ridiculous.

“Yes,” she said. “I would like to join him.”

“I will bring the buggy to you right away.”

“Thanks, Abayomi.” She double-checked her bag to make sure she’d included the notebooks with her latest lyrics, several colored pens, and sticky notes. Perfect. She had everything she’d need for a day of battle with the uninspired and reluctant.

She climbed into the golf cart with a determined smile. “Thanks for the ride, Abayomi. Has Adam left yet?”

He pulled onto the path toward the docks. “No, Miss Mattie. The captain will not depart until you arrive.”

“Good. I think.”

A debate about whether she should be doing this or not raged in her head. On the one hand, at least Adam wouldn’t be able to run off or distract her with anything whilethey were trapped on a boat. On the other, she’d be trapped on a boat. With Adam.

The more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she felt around him. She wanted to find out even more about him, like how his hands would feel if they massaged her shoulders, or how soft his lips would be if they touched hers.

She shouldn’t be thinking things like that.

“You like fishing, Miss Mattie?” Abayomi asked.

“I won’t be fishing.” She patted her bag. “I’ll be working.”

“Work. Who needs that?” He waved a dismissive hand at her. “Be where you are. Enjoy the moments. The days spent here are not like any others.”

There was something about his words that triggered a spark in her thoughts.

Be where you are. Enjoy the moment. These days are not like any others.

She fished a notebook out of her bag and wrote them down before she forgot them. “I could enjoy it more if Adam would focus on the project we came here to do.”

“Oh, I think heisfocused, Miss Mattie.” He nodded and grinned. “He is focused like the sea at high tide.”

“What do you mean?”

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