Chapter 53

We spent a relaxing day on the beach. Well, I spent a relaxing day on the beach. I think the others were bored. They wanted to go shopping and try out the jet skis. But I needed a day to just do nothing.

Liz seemed to understand that – or, at the very least, she wasn’t going to fight with me over it – so the others were left to find something to occupy their time. Dom and Brian had to be with Liz and they said Skye and Jill would be safe if they wanted to wander around. Their only caveat was that they go together and stay together.

I offered to just head back to the suite. The balcony would permit me the same opportunity to unwind as the sand but Liz wanted to sit on the beach and play in the surf so that’s what we did.

I found I was not entirely unhappy with the concept of private waterfronts. The hotel catered to upscale tourists (as did a lot of the small city). We had a cabana to store our belongings, and to offer a bit of shade as the temperatures rose.

There were several other recognizable faces nearby (none belonging to werewolves or heirs to dwindling fortunes, I’m sad to say), but everyone was content to offer a wave and keep to themselves.

Jill explained that everyone around us believed themselves the most famous person in the area and they expected others to come to them. I wasn’t positive that she was correct ... but I had to admit the concept was certainly feasible.

In deference to the photographers (who had stationed themselves not only on the public areas nearby but also on small boats in the water), Liz had worn a very conservative bikini. The bottom actually covered more of her skin than the shorts she’d worn off the boat a day earlier. The top was a halter that offered a bit of cleavage but had an elastic band at the bottom that was thick enough so that only a few inches of her midriff were visible.

Skye and Jill more than made up for the skin quotient. Jill sported another Brazilian cut bikini – this one in hot pink – and Skye went with a daring string number that left no doubt in anybody’s mind that she had done a good job of shaving that morning.

The ladies had switched from margaritas to daiquiris for the day, perhaps thinking 151-proof rum would cause less of a headache than 120-proof tequila. I decided that some lessons were better left to be learned instead of taught.

Liz seemed content to leave me to my thoughts. We still talked and joked but our interaction didn’t really start until we hit the water. She jumped on my back on the way in and then spent a quarter of an hour trying to dunk me or splashing me. The smile she wore was genuine so I didn’t mind.

We stayed in the surf even after the others had left. Dom and Brian were close enough that Liz was in no danger (unless a shark came near shore). I caught her off-guard and pulled her under. I was used to the water. My Oakley sunglasses had a wraparound strap that let me tighten them so they didn’t bounce or jostle. It was a lesson I learned playing baseball. Liz had not learned this yet. Her glasses came off but I caught them as they floated toward shore.

She came up sputtering and spitting and trying to wipe the water from her face. I had my back to the ocean as she tried to stalk me for revenge. I tossed her sunglasses back to her (and, because she lacked my cat-like reflexes, she promptly dropped them). While her attention was diverted, I moved in again.

I quickly learned that Liz was just playing possum. She waited for me to get close before snatching her sunglasses up and jumping on me.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

“I should make you carry me to shore this way,” she said. “Big Meanie!”

We were deep enough that our shoulders were the only thing above the water so I had no problems using her butt as a handhold. Liz appeared to have no issue with where I’d put my hands.

“I’m really committed to making this work,” she said after she affixed her sunglasses in place again.

“I know you are,” I said. “I am, too. I didn’t mean to be so pissy about things.”

“Jill can get on your nerves,” Liz said.

“That’s part of it,” I admitted. “I like her. Don’t get me wrong. There are just some times I’d like her more if she were somewhere farther away.”

Liz laughed and squeezed me tighter. When she had first jumped on me I had wondered if this was just a photo opportunity for the paparazzi. Since she’d made no offer to move after we’d stood there for three or four minutes I decided it wasn’t.

“I like spending time with her,” Liz admitted. “That’s why I hired her. I mean, yeah, she’s competent but she’s also a lot of fun. She keeps me from becoming too serious, too focused. She’s a nice counter to Stephanie. I don’t want to ... get rid of her.”

“Why would you get rid of her?” I asked.

“She gets on your nerves,” Liz said.

I laughed and shook my head.

“Oh, shit,” I said. “Everyone gets on my nerves. I like Jill a lot. I would never ask you to get rid of anybody that you need or even want to be around you. If she gets on my nerves, I can go somewhere else or tell her to get lost. I’m not dating Jill.”

“You’re dating me!” Liz said in her little girl voice.

“Yep,” I agreed.

“I know that sometimes it feels like you’re dating all of us, though,” she said, returning to her normal tones.

“It can, but it’s that way with anybody,” I said. “It’s no different with my friends. When we go someplace, we go together. The only difference is that we’ve all been around each other enough to know when we’re starting to piss somebody off. Jill and I will get to that point. You and I aren’t even to that point yet but we’ll get there. It just takes time and patience.”

“I wish we could be together – alone – in public,” Liz said. “I wish we could have a night like we did in San Diego.”

“I was thinking that maybe one night this week we could send the kids out to eat by themselves,” I said. “You and I can have a nice dinner on the balcony, split a bottle of wine and watch the sunset.”

“That sounds ... really nice,” she said. “Of course, you know that all these assholes on the boats will be taking pictures of us the entire time.”

“I know but that only becomes an issue if we make it one,” I said. “I’ll try to keep my hands off of you.”

I gave her butt a squeeze and her smile broadened.

“I’m going to make some calls to see how other people manage to keep their private life off everybody’s radar,” Liz said. “I know it can work. I’ve seen it.”

“Maybe,” I told her. “But you seem to forget that you’re a lot more famous than anyone else in your genre. In fact, you might be the most famous – and most visible – singer since Frank Sinatra. We’ll deal with it. OK?”

“I just don’t want you to ... get fed up and leave,” Liz said.

“I’m not planning to leave you,” I admitted. “If it reaches that point, we’ll talk about things before we make a decision.”

“If it gets to that point, I’ll walk away from all this,” Liz said. I could see that she was completely serious.

“Whoa!” I said. “That’s not an option for you.”

“It is an option,” Liz said. “If we find out that this sort of life is too much ... too stressful ... for you then we won’t live this life any longer. I’ve been thinking today about what I am willing to sacrifice to keep you. Well, this is what I’ve decided. I am willing to sacrifice everything to have you with me.”

“No!” I said firmly. “First off, you’ve worked your entire life to build what you have. I’m not going to let you give it up for me. Secondly, that would make me the most despicable guy in the world. People would throw rotten tomatoes at me on the street if I took you away. We’ll find a happy median, Liz. I mean that. We’ll talk and we’ll listen. We’ll negotiate and we’ll compromise. We’ll find a way to make things work without you giving up a career you love.”

I carried Liz toward the sand until the water level was lower and then put her down – lest anyone see me fondling her in public. The photographers had gotten pictures of us kissing (or canoodling) so I didn’t feel obligated to let them have a picture of her butt in a wet bathing suit. I followed close enough behind her on the way to the cabana that it blocked their views.

“You were totally fucking out there,” Jill said when we sat down. “Admit it!”

“We were not fucking out there,” Liz said as she took a large draft from her chilled drink.

“But only because she wore these stupid bottoms,” I said with a wink. I had actually untied my sunglasses and taken them off so she could see my eyes. “If she had gone for the dental floss look like you, I would have probably given it a shot.”

Jill gave me antler ears – her way of flipping the bird in public. I put my wrist below my chin and wiggled my fingers at her – my way of saying “right back at ya, Toots.”

“If you’re not going to fuck me, how about you feed me,” Liz said. “I think there’s a lot more A than B in my BAC right now.”

“We can order something light,” Skye suggested.

“I’m talking a rack of ribs and a baked potato,” Liz countered.

It was almost five in the afternoon (time has a way of slipping by when you don’t get out of bed until noon) so that led to a discussion about dinner plans and reservations.

By the time everybody had showered and dressed it was after seven. I decided it was a good thing Liz wasn’t starving to death (although she did decide she wanted a dose of protein while we showered together).

As with much of Liz’s life, dinner was a production. We were going to one of the best restaurants in town so Brian, Dom and I were wearing lightweight suits, mine black, Brian’s tan and Dom’s dark gray.

The ladies stunned in their small, tight dresses. Jill wore a clingy green knit dress that highlighted her tight body. Skye’s dress was peach and satiny but still hung on her like a second skin. Liz wore a black dress with spaghetti straps and light sequins.

I looked down the row of guys and smiled. I immediately unknotted my tie (a green one that matched Liz’s eyes) and passed it to Brian. He gave me a strange look until I gestured to where Jill stood. The shade was close to the color of her dress. He nodded and took off his tie to replace it with the one I had selected for me.

Dom was already pulling his plain black tie free.

“You knew,” he said.

“Knew what?” I asked.

He didn’t answer. He just walked down the hall and came back knotting a black tie with light orange swirls that were almost the same tone as Skye’s dress.

“Awesome!” Skye said, running her hand over the silk. “Can he have this?”

I was about to answer in the affirmative. I used different color shirts and ties to offset the fact that (until recently) I only owned a few suits (coincidentally in the same colors we were wearing now). I had 15 dress shirts and almost 50 ties (because they were the cheapest part of the set).

“He needs to keep that one,” Liz said. “But I’ll find one that looks close and make it a present.”

I looked at her.

“That’s the tie Travis was wearing when I saw him again,” Liz said with a wink. “I think it has aphrodisiacal powers.”

“I think so, too,” Skye said.

“Our guys look so handsome,” Jill said. She stopped in front of me to straighten the tie Dom had discarded. I didn’t own black ties except for the one that adorned his neck now.

“Once again, we could have shown up in clown shoes and big red noses,” I said. “No one will give us a second glance.”

“We decided that since we weren’t going clubbing for a few days that we can wear our outfits to dinner instead,” Skye said. “That means you can blame Travis for having to wear suits and ties.”