Page 30 of Wild for You
“Tennessee,” he answers. “Yeah, although I don’t visit them as much as I probably should.” A warm smile spreads across his face, “I’ve got four sisters, too. And three nieces and two nephews.”
“Wow. And you’re close toallof them?” I ask, a bit surprised. I can’t imagine having a family that large.
“Oh, yeah. My parents are the coolest people. My mom’s a high school history teacher, and my dad just retired from the fire department last year.”
“The All-American family,” I add.
“I guess you can say that. I grew up with two loving parents. I’ve always been close with my sisters. Growing up and seeing them all go through puberty and rage with hormones taught me more than I cared to know about women.” He grins. “It’s why I’m such a ladies' man. I understand the way it all works.” He gestures over my body, and I laugh out loud. The arrogance of this man. He truly believes he’s got some kind of superpower that other men will never know.
“Ok, Casanova. You can stop your bragging,” I mock him, looking around. “I don’t think there’s anyone around to overhear the bullshit. You’re safe to drop the act.”
“It’s not an act, just the truth. Anyway, I know I’ve had a leg up on most people, and I think that’s why I had the confidence to break away from the traditional workforce so young.” He shrugs. “I’ve always been lucky knowing that my family would support me no matter what. It’s unfair, but it’s why I do what I do. I want to inspire people, show them there’s another way to make a living, but mostly to show them just how awesome this world actually is … if only they’d slow down long enough to see it.” He smiles, pulling his hands behind his head as he looks up at the stars.
A strange mix of jealousy and endearment crash together in my chest, and I don’t know what to make of it. Lying underneath the stars with Jack Manning, sharing pieces of myself that I’ve never spoken of to anyone, isn’t something I ever expected, but it’s somehow exactly what my calloused heart needed. I wipe the lone tear that falls from the corner of my eye, hoping Jack doesn’t notice as the crackling of the campfire fill in the space between all the words left unsaid.
Maybe in another life, I could be so lucky to be born into a family where I didn’t have to earn love, but the more time I spend with Jack, the more I realize maybe things don’t always have to be such a struggle. Maybe it really is okay to let myself rest every once in a while?
“Why don’t we sleep out here under the stars tonight?’ Jack’s soothing voice breaks me from my thoughts. It’s as if he knows I’ve shared more than I feel comfortable with and need some time to recover from my vulnerability hangover.
“That sounds nice.” I turn on my side and pull my knees up to my chest, sinking into the sandy earth. It’s a far cry from a five-star hotel, but somehow, I find comfort grounded in the earth blanketed by a sheet of stars and moonlight.
I let myself relax into the warm sand, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t dream of work but rather sandcastles, waves, and forest green eyes that seem to watch over me as I sleep.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Gwen
I squint openmy eyes as the morning sun peeks over the horizon. It’s still dark out, but there’s a pink and purple hue to the sky that you just don’t see in Chicago … or maybe I’ve just never made time to see it?
Regardless, it’s a beautiful day. Perhaps it’s the sunrise or the brisk ocean breeze, but this morning, I feel hopeful. I roll on my side, straight into Jack’s enormous chest. If it wasn’t for my screaming bladder, I think I’d curl into him, stealing whatever comfort I could get away with. Besides, who could blame me if I were sleeping?
The thought of Sandra’s onboarding process flashes through my mind. A whole day devoted to HR protocols and case studies about employee/client relations. We even had an acting segment where we had to resist the charms of some extremely attractive male strippers while Sandra watched behind double-sided glass. You’d be surprised about how many we lost that day.
It’s never been an issue. Until now.
It’s almost comical, really, that I was so concerned about losing my job over fraternizing with a client when I’m literally stranded on a deserted island with him. Even if we manage to make it out of here alive, somehow, the idea of losing my job isn’t as scary as it was before. I don’t know if it was my near-death experience yesterday or last night’s confession, but I feel like all the annoyance I felt for Jack is quickly being replaced with something else … Curiosity, maybe?
Everything about the man’s everything’s-going-to-be-ok demeanor infuriates me, but at the same time, I’ve never met someone who makes me feel so safe and whole. I feel like I can breathe when I’m around Jack, but maybe it’s just the whole deserted paradise island thing? Or maybe someone’s finally getting through to my tiny little Grinch heart?
My bladder spasms again, bringing me back to the urgency of the situation. I have to hold in my whimper of frustration. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so comfortable, but unless I want to piss myself, which I don’t think Jack would be too happy about, I need to find a bush … fast.
I roll over a few times until I’m far enough away to stand without jarring Jack awake. I see his backpack from the corner of my eye and remember the small package of tissue. I know it’s probably a waste, using the last of the rations for a number one emergency, but this day feels like something that should be celebrated. I think it over and decide to treat myself. I mean, who knows what tomorrow will hold anyway? Jack could accidentally fall in the ocean or something and get the tissues wet. Then I’d wish I’d splurged.
I carefully unzip the backpack, squatting just a few feet away from Jack. I don’t want to wake him. Between building new shelters, fishing, and making fires, it seems all he does is physical labor. I guess that’s where all his muscles are made. Jack Manning is sculpted by the land, not the gym, and somehow, I find that incredibly attractive.
I stick my hand into the deep, dark backpack, feeling around until I find the nearly empty bag of tissues. It’s wrapped around something firm, and when I pull it out to examine it, I’m holding the barrel of the flare gun.Our only hope of survival, I hear Jack’s words.
Just as I start to place the flare gun back in the bag, something moves across the sky, catching my eye.
No. It can’t be. I hesitate for a moment, remembering how my wandering off almost got me killed the day before. I glance over at Jack and bite my lip, he’ll be furious with me, but this may be our only chance of being rescued.
I grab the flare gun and take off in a sprint toward the beach. My adrenaline kicks in, giving me a temporary distraction from the urge to pee my pants, and I watch each step as carefully as possible, making sure to look for any signs of snakes along my path.
I squint, shielding my eyes with my hand from the bright morning sun that’s now peeking through the clouds, and I see the faint hint of what I think is an airplane. “Oh my God!” I cover my mouth in disbelief. “We’re saved!”
I watch the plane slowly move across the sky, and it’s like a timer counting down the seconds until our ultimate demise. I wave my hands in the air, screaming like a maniac for a few seconds, but the plane keeps flying in the same direction.
Okay, that was stupid. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I need to get their attention while I have the chance. I square my shoulders, knowing exactly what I need to do. I sprint in the direction of the waterfall because that’s the island's highest point that I know of. Bursting through dense grass and trees, I feel myself earning more whips and cuts on my bare legs with every step I take, but I don’t care. I can tend to my wounds on my cushy ride back home, where I will never set foot on a campsite ever again. This will all be behind me, and I’ll make Jack swear to never speak of last night … or the engagement party ever again.
