Page 35 of OneTime Lovers
Thesoundofahelicopter taking off has me letting out a sigh of relief … or is it a sigh of regret? It’s hard to know.
I need to forget about Scott, now he’s gone, and compartmentalize the memories of the last few days as a fun vacation fling. Behind my sunglasses, I watch the helicopter rise from behind the resort then fly off over the ocean till it’s no more than a small dot in the clear blue sky.
Flopping back onto the lounger, I tell myself it’s time to get back to real life, well almost as I still have a couple more days on this island paradise with Lily and Trudy. Cassie and Luke are still here too, but we don’t see them much, which is expected given they are officially on their honeymoon.
Saying goodbye to Scott was harder than I expected, but I’m not going to let it get me down. I’m not going to let the departure of one sexy Australian man ruin my last precious days of vacation.
Soon enough, I’ll be back in the city, buried up to my neck in profit and loss spreadsheets, new marketing campaigns, and the usual cutthroat world of residential sales in Manhattan. I expect already there are plenty of issues piling up on my desk. I love the pressure and demands of my role in the family business, it’s an adrenalin rush but boy did I need this break.
Lily asks from behind the current romance novel she’s reading, “Are you okay, Jas? That was a heavy sigh.”
I hadn’t even realized I’d sighed. I give myself a mental shake and say, “Sure, I’ll be fine now Scott’s gone. The man was a constant distraction to my planned relaxation. Mind you, I’m going to miss the spectacular sex. I was very relaxed after that.”
Lily giggles softly and buries her head back behind her book, seemingly satisfied with my response.
Trudy huffs, “Damn men. Why can’t they leave it at excellent sex? Why do they have to upset it all by asking for more?” She throws her cell into her beach tote in disgust and pulls her sunglasses back down over her eyes.
Swinging my legs to the side, I sit up and face her lounger, on the other side of Lily. I think our girl needs us, and I’m happy to have the chance to talk about something other than Scott and me. Lily peers at me over her book, we’ve both been wondering what was going on with Trudy the last couple of days but figured she would tell us when she was ready. Maybe it’s time for an intervention.
“C’mon, girl, talk to us. I know your last comment wasn’t about Scott and me. What has been going on with you and Hunter? Ever since you arrived on the island you’ve not been your usual bouncy self.” Lily closes her book and like me looks to Trudy to respond.
Trudy sits up facing toward us, sunglasses firmly in place. “Hunter wants more than I can give,” she confesses sadly. “I mean everything was going really well, casual and friendly with lots of big sex benefits. But last week he asked me on a proper date.” Lily and I exchange a frown but don’t say anything.
“Girls … you know I don’t date. It’s not my thing,” she grumbles, clearly exasperated with us or maybe Hunter, it’s not clear.
I’ve no idea why Trudy is so averse to dating, other than the dating pool is as shallow as a dried-up creek bed. I kind of get it as I’m not a huge fan either. However, I still date occasionally through my dating app, dip my toe in the water, to see who’s out there.
“Trudy, can I ask why you don’t want to date Hunter. You guys have been hooking up for a while now.”
“Five months. For five months we’ve been happily meeting up for amazing no strings attached sex. And now he wants to ruin it all by asking me on a date.” Her brows crease together.
“Where does he want to take you?” Lily asks.
Trudy sighs loudly again. “The family beach house in the Hamptons for a weekend.”
Cassie and Bec have both raved about how great the Carlson family beach house is when they’ve been there for dirty weekends away. I suspect Trudy is getting a little more invested in her relationship with Hunter, than she wants or even realizes.
“Maybe you could see it not as a date, Trudy, but instead as an extended hookup. I mean, who doesn’t need a whole weekend of amazing sex every so often,” I tell her, feeling like I can speak authoritatively from my own recent experience.
Trudy sits frowning silently for a few moments before saying, “Maybe you’re right. Thanks, Jas. I like the way that sounds. It’s just a whole weekend of amazing sex.”
“Exactly, my wonderful, carefree, non-dating friend.”
Trudy laughs, all traces of her frown gone in a flash as she stands up, announcing, “All this talk about sexy hookups, and I need to cool down in the pool. Who’s joining me?”
Lily jumps up to join Trudy at the pool as I continue to sit on the lounger, thinking about what I just said to Trudy. The words resonate with me as I begin to see the last couple of days with Scott as every so often amazing sex too.
Three Days Later
Traveling back to Manhattan was depressing, I mean any end to a vacation is depressing. Who hasn’t wanted to stamp their foot and say, I’m not leaving? But as responsible adults, Lily, Trudy, and I dutifully packed our bags, boarded the boat to Nassau, and then the plane back to Newark airport.
Cassie and Luke are remaining on the island for a few more days alone before jetting off to France for a three-week extended honeymoon. Lucky things.
As Lily and I drag our bags through the door of our apartment it already feels like we never left. An island paradise in the Bahamas is fast becoming a distant memory, especially on a gray, wet, miserable day in Manhattan.
Splitting off into our rooms, I can’t help thinking how it always feels a bit weird returning home, but this time especially so. I dump my bag on the bed and unlock it.
The smell of sun lotion lingers on my clothes, wafting up as I begin to sort the dirty ones into piles of darks and lights. My green bikini lays lifeless on the floor a physical reminder of my last afternoon on the beach with Scott.
