Chapter 16 - Blair
“The Bahamas?” I say in surprise.
“Yes. I booked us a beachside villa for a few nights. I thought it would be nice to get out of the city after that horrible gala. We need a reset and to shake off that negative energy,” he explains.
“I’ve never been there before,” I tell him, still in shock that he has planned all of this for us.
“You’re going to love it. It’ll be peaceful and beautiful. The afternoon thunderstorms at this time of year are really amazing to witness,” he smiles, and his eyes light up as he waits for me to look excited about it.
The idea of going to the Bahamas is awesome. I’ve always wanted to go. But being alone and in close quarters with Simon makes me nervous.
I bite my lower lip. It’s been difficult to stop obsessing over the things Lindsey said at the party. It broke me down quite a bit, and while Simon did explain that I misunderstood the situation, which I believe, it doesn’t change the fact that Lindsey and he have a very intimate past. I might have misread why he didn’t want me there, but I didn’t misread what she said and their history.
She spoke with such confidence about knowing what he likes. She’s clearly a woman with experience, someone who knows how to please a man. And I’m sure she really did give Simon everything he desired.He told me she was the first woman he ever loved.
My inexperience and cluelessness are weighing heavily on me. It’s embarrassing. I even Googled a little to try andlearn what men like, but the information was overwhelming, and I’d be too shy to try most of those things with someone as experienced as Simon.
I’m just not confident enough.
I imagine that the difference between Lindsey and me is glaringly obvious to Simon.
“We’re leaving this afternoon,” Simon says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Oh, wow, already,” I blurt out.
“You’d better go pack. Bring clothes for hot weather, but throw a jacket in case the evenings get cool,” he says. “We will leave here at two. The pilot will be waiting at the airport for us.”
Packing some things into an overnight bag, I am still thinking about Simon. There is no way I would tell him how insecure I feel around him now, regarding the physical things that happened between us. I’m almost terrified of getting into another situation with him where things get intimate. Going away alone and staying in a beach villa sounds like I will be spending a lot of one-on-one time with Simon. My stomach knots with nervous anxiety. I’m probably overthinking. I wish I didn’t have to think about it atall.
***
When we arrive at the airport, the driver stops the car right on the runway next to a pristine white jet with two black-and-silver stripes running the full length of the plane. Someone opens my door for me and smiles, offering me a hand. I climb out of the car, and Simon follows me.
I’m constantly surprised by the level of wealth he has, and finding a private jet waiting for us on the runway was something I did not expect.
“Right this way, you can leave your luggage, we will bring it for you,” a young woman in a very neat navy-blue air hostess uniform smiles at me and gestures for me to walk up the boarding stairs.
“Wow,” I whisper to myself as I enter the jet. It looks like a luxury apartment inside. There is a living room, a bedroom in the back, and a little bar against one wall.
“You like it?” Simon grins, leading me to the sofa. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get them to pour us some champagne when we’re in the air,” he says.
He’s been so sweet to me since the gala, since we came home, and he saw how upset I was.
He’s been putting in the effort to reassure me that things are good between us, and this trip adds to it, so I want to try too. While we’re away, I want to make a conscious effort to stop stressing over things I can’t control—like my jealousy toward his ex and me uncertainly about myself.
Maybe all of my worry is a complete waste of time because he and I will never be intimate again anyway.
I smile tightly as I take a seat on the sofa, and Simon sits opposite me.
I will make an effort to relax. Even if it’s not for him, I should do it for myself because I can’t keep stressing the entire time.
Arriving at the beach villa, I am filled with excitement. The Bahamas are as beautiful as I imagined, if not more. The ocean is bright turquoise; the giant palm trees have massivegreen leaves and tower high above us, framed in a bright blue sky scattered with white clouds.
Simon brings the car to a stop. It’s a Rubicon Jeep Wrangler. But it’s not the newest model. It’s an older model, bright neon yellow, and covered in stickers. It’s full of character and screams of adventure.
“Did you rent this car?” I ask, climbing out and glancing back at it, curious because everything else is pure luxury, and this… this seems out of place.
He chuckles. “Why do you ask?” he muses, raising one brow.
