“Guilty as charged.” He smiled. “Gus will be waiting for us when we dock. Does that timing work for you?”
“Sure, I’m up for a shopping spree, plus it’ll be nice to see Gus again.” I laughed. “You’re clearly no fan of these clothes though, are you?”
“Oh, no, they’rereal keepers.” He cringed playfully, his forehead wrinkling . “And yeah, I’m glad you’ll get to see Gus again. He’s retiring soon. I don’t know how I’ll ever replace him. He’s been underpaid for years, so I decided to give him the Jaguar as a parting gift. He’s obsessed with it.” He smiled lazily.
“That’s so awesome, he’ll love that.” I rested my hand on his bare chest, watching it rise with each breath. “You know, Maurice might not be the best stylist, but he’s a great chauffeur. Maybe he’s your guy.”
“Hmm, he’d be pretty much perfect. Good idea. I’ll reach out to him when the time comes.”
***
A series of thuds sounded before the boat bumped against something solid, then we heard the crew throwing the lines onto the mooring posts.
Our trip was over.
We showered and dressed, then headed to the deck where the crew was gathered. After thanking them, we said our goodbyes and walked hand in hand out onto the street.
“Karson, my boy!” Gus said with a huge grin. “What a relief to see you on dry land again. It makes me nervous when you’re out at sea.” He shivered. “Can’t you just stick to your supercars?”
“Gus, you do realize more people die in high-powered car accidents than drown at sea, right?” Karson smirked, pulling him in for a hug.
“Well, I didn’t say it was a rationalfear, I’m just glad to see you on dry land.”
“Gus, you remember Ivy,” Karson said, tilting his head toward me. “And Ivy, you remember Gus.”
“I do indeed, and welcome back, young lady.” He took my hand in both of his, shaking it gently. “Perhaps you can knock some sense into that head of his.”
“It’s great to see you again, Gus.” It was impossible not to adore him as he stood there beaming at us. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I hope it was all good things.” He grinned over his shoulder as we climbed into the Jaguar. Gus sang the praises of the car as he and Karson talked nonstop.
Karson snuck a peek at me and we shared a knowing smirk. It really would make the perfect retirement gift.
The car slowed to a crawl along a street overlooking a beautiful beach. On one side, nothing but sand, blue water, and on the other, a row of magnificent homes.
And not a store in sight.
“Why are we stopping here? I thought we were going shopping,” I said, glancing at Karson.
“You’ll see,” he replied cryptically as I watched curiously. “No spoilers.” He pretended to zip his lips shut before turning away.
I lowered the window enough to catch the salty air on my face as I took in the scenes unfolding around us.
On one side of the street, a group around our age walked barefoot toward the café on the corner, surfboards tucked beneath their arms as they laughed and dripped seawater across the pavement. On the other side, a mowing service trimmed the grass outside one of the beautiful homes overlooking the vast blue sea…
Next door, a group of kids sang happy birthday as they bounced on the trampoline in the front yard.
“Wow, what a beautiful place this is,” I cried out. “Look at these homes. And that view!”
Gus drove slowly up the street as I turned toward Karson. “But seriously, why are we here? Is there some underground shopping center for you crazy billionaires?” I poked his ribs.
With a confidant smile, he took my hand in his, pressing his lips together in silence.
“That’s all you’re going to give me? A cute smile and silence?” I whacked him lightly on the bicep. “Gus, help me out here,” I pleaded. “Where are we going?”
“Sorry, Ivy, my lips are sealed.” Gus flashed me a grin as the car slowed. “But here we are.” He pulled the Jaguar into the driveway of a huge white Hamptons-style house.
“Oh?” I took in the elegant facade and the gum tree towering in the front yard. “Are you friends with the owner or something?” We stepped out of the car.
