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My newfound optimismcrashed as I took in the surroundings at the top of the ramp. The bubble was enormous—maybe a half-mile high—but crystal clear. No matter what direction I looked, no matter how amazing the architecture or design, the impending enormity of the dark water beyond cemented my view. It was a million times worse than the pod, and I didn’t know if that was because of the size ratio, the depth, or what. It hardly mattered when every time I looked out beyond the AC glass shield, my heart threatened to escape through my throat.
I was still squeezing Jackson’s hand with my sweaty one. Thankfully, he hadn’t complained yet, but he would eventually. Maybe if I did it in baby steps I’d get used to it.
I turned so my gaze fell more toward the middle of the crowd and lifted my eye level enough to spot the familiar leather jacket I’d used to force myself out of the shuttle. Travis chatted with tangerine-romper girl, who was all but bouncing on her heels with excitement. He once again focused on me, which caused a flood of excitement to rush all the way to my pants. It was probably from the fight or flight response I was stuck in and my hormones being in overdrive because of it. I didn’t usually go around getting physically excited by random guys staring at me.
“Damn,” Jackson whispered from my side. “He does move fast.”
I followed his stare and ended up at the same couple. Travis was competition for my brother for sure.
“You know him?” I asked.
“Just by reputation,” he said, doing a double take as he realized Travis was staring at me. “So stay away from him. Trust me, he’s not your type.”
“Player?” I asked. “Do you just recognize each other by scent?”
“Very funny,” he said, prying his hand from mine.
“Maybe if I distracted him you’d have a chance with tangerine romper.”
Jackson huffed. “Her name is Tasha Graves, and she works in the botany department. For somebody so into treating women right, you sure have a funny way of showing it.”
He was right. Damn that pissed me off. Luckily, I didn’t have to respond because the squelching sound of good old-fashioned feedback demanded everyone’s attention. Wincing, I turned toward the noise to find a platform with a polished lectern on top. The woman responsible for everything perched behind it. Not just Paradise Atlantis Resort, but my father’s workaholism and ultimately him cheating on my mother. Stacy Bennet stood regally behind the mic, though even with six-inch heels, she was barely tall enough to reach it. It didn’t matter. I’d seen her intimidate men over six-feet tall with her steely eyed glare, power suits, and short cropped, two-tone hair.
“Welcome!” Her voice carried throughout the open pavilion. Her red lipstick was visible from all the way back here. “My family and I are delighted to join you for a much needed and well-deserved vacation.”
I followed her gesture outward to find her tall, tan trophy husband and two adult children, Nicole and Mason. The former was a young version of her mother but with long blond hair that must have included extensions, and a designer dress that, while professional, didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. Not that she had an ounce of body fat on her, but who knew how much of her was real with all her mother’s money and company innovations.
Mason was more a mirror of his father but with a young surfer vibe. He was dressed far less formally than the rest of his family, with a Hawaiian shirt, muscled arms folded across it, and white Bermuda shorts that made his smooth, tanned legs stand out even more. I didn’t have to see them to know his cerulean eyes could’ve melted me at a glance.
Oh man, maybe I needed to get laid so I didn’t keep falling to pieces when I saw a hot guy. Next thing I knew I’d be carrying around binoculars. I did notice another difference from his family, as far as Mason went. He wasn’t happy, or at least wasn’t politely smiling for the crowd like the rest of the Bennets. That piqued my curiosity.
“I want to get to know you all better while we’re here. After all, we’re family,” the she-devil continued. “So let’s start with personal introductions, shall we? And Friday night we have a get-to-know-you gala in the Oyster Ballroom at Mermaid’s Cove. Attendance is mandatory because I have a few more surprises to present. Let’s get this party started!”
Stacy backed away from the microphone to applause as Candice took her place.
“Please form one line and limit your hellos so we don’t keep everyone from finding their hotel rooms. The staff will escort you to your rooms after your greeting with the Bennets.”
I gawked open mouthed at Jackson, who grinned ear to ear and slowly clapped in response with everyone else. What the fuck? So now we had to form a line like these people were actual royalty? Screw that. Also…what staff? I thought we were the only ones down there. I was tempted to go find the hotel on my own as a protest, when Dad and Alyssa appeared out of nowhere.
“Let’s get in line,” Dad said, leading the way to the rapidly forming string of people snaking its way toward the spot we all came in.
When I looked, I realized the ramp entrance was gone. The grass-covered ground was perfectly manicured, uniform, and level all the way to the edge of the shell, with no sign that anything but dirt existed below us. I was distracted enough to be ushered along by the group, but I couldn’t help feeling trapped. I hugged myself to quell the shivers.
“What do you think?” Dad asked, beaming with expectation and pride.
My stomach cramped. It was a look I used to crave so badly that I would have done almost anything to receive it. Until I realized it only appeared when I demonstrated my aptitude for science and engineering.
“Impressive,” I said, measuring my response. I wanted to scream for him to take me home because this was a big mistake, but I had to control myself. “How does it work? I mean the ground cover. Clearly there are parts below, since the docking ramp seems to have vanished.”
“Absolutely. The action is all down below. The offices, machinery, everything you can imagine, but the idea is for the guests not to notice any of it. It should feel like magic when you’re here.” He smiled at Alyssa.
“Effortless,” she agreed. “Wait until you see the sliding tubes.”
“Sliding tubes?” I repeated.
“Yes. They’re exterior arms made of clear polycarbonate that extend out from the resort and provide tours to the guests. You can follow whale pods or sea turtles as they move in their natural environments.”
