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Bayli eyed Christian and Rory, and while wagging a finger between the two of them, asked, “Did you both … with Lily?” Her brow crooked.
“Just Christian,” Rory told her. “She’s not my type.”
“It was very casual,” Christian said. “And over before it was even officially over.”
“Huh. Not sure I know what that means, but okay. Anyway, I need to call Joyce and tell her it’s back to Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, and Bergdorf’s for us in the morning.”
Rory’s arm wound around her waist and his head lowered to hers. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Not exactly thrilled my personal belongings have been reduced to rubble and all those outfits we bought for the show are nothing but strips of cloth and unraveled thread. And, yes, I am pretty angry. Mad as hell, to be honest. But mostly, I’m just devastated that I didn’t think to put my bracelet back on. I always wear it, but I didn’t want it to get caught on the rim of the washer and then I was in a hurry and didn’t remember to get it from the jewelry box.”
“Was the bracelet insured?” Rory asked.
She smirked at him. “Come on, Rory. This is me you’re talking to. It was maybe worth twenty-five bucks. But it was a birthday present from my mom and I cherished it. Now it’s nothing but fairy dust.”
His jaw worked, and she could see in his eyes that he wanted to tell her he and Christian would buy her a new one. But he also understood the significance that particular bracelet held for her and that it truly couldn’t be replaced. So he didn’t say a word.
Bayli went to the foyer to retrieve her cell from her coat pocket and placed the call to Joyce. Then tried to find ways to distract herself so that she didn’t dwell on the fact that some guy in a Japanese prison just might be miffed to high heaven that she had a boyfriend.
Thank God he didn’t know she had two of them!
* * *
“This scenery is absolutely breathtaking,” Bayli said as she sat in a window seat of the private jet and marathon-snapped photos of the coastline with her iPhone.
From beside her, Rory told her, “Brian’s taking photos with his high-tech digital camera. I’m sure he’ll be happy to share some with you.”
“Sure, if I pay him royalties when I want to post his copyrighted material on my Web site or Facebook page. But beyond that, the point is that I’m here, taking these shots myself. Get it?”
“Got it.” Rory chuckled. Then he said, “So that’s our cove right there on the end.”
“And such a beautiful resort.”
“Actually, we’re staying in a house in the hills,” Christian chimed in. “That house, to be exact.”
There was only one tucked into the tree-covered hillside and it faced the ocean. Completely out of eyeshot of the resort, where the production crew was staying. Bayli had assumed she, Rory, and Christian would stay at the hotel as well, but it was exciting to know they’d have a whole house to themselves. She took a few pictures of it, along with the cove, with one large mound of rocks rising above the water and several smaller conglomerations the waves broke against, sending whitecaps shooting into the air. Then the water smoothed out to form the semi-circular lagoon.
The beach was pristine, though she’d read in a travel magazine that the sand could be a bit rough on the feet. Not to mention hot. A heat wave rolling through the region didn’t help matters, and the forecast called for high temps and humidity. She figured hotel guests would be spending most of their time in the numerous pools sprawled across the vast property, including the swim-up pools edging the bottom-floor rooms and the spas on some of the patios.
The entire area was gorgeously scenic and Bayli was racking up the photos. Even as they landed at the small airport and stepped off the plane into the blazing heat, she snapped shots of the palapa-topped terminal. It wasn’t air-conditioned, unfortunately, but they were whisked through Customs and into an SUV with the frigid air blasting in no time. The crew followed in three vans with their equipment and luggage.
They wound through the cozy town and Bayli made dozens of notes in her book. She mostly had her logistics plotted out with the cameramen to capture the unique features of the region, but it was something altogether different to be here in person rather than home using the Internet for research.
Plus, Bayli planned to spend time interviewing locals while Rory was meeting with his chefs. They’d end up with a lot of decisions to make after a few days, but she had a feeling it was going to be a rich, fruitful endeavor.
The vans split off at one juncture to head to the resort, and the SUV continued on to a private gated drive.
They traveled to the very southern tip of the cove and passed through more gates that opened to a lush lawn with vibrantly colored flora and full palm trees. There were fountains and beautifully trimmed topiary. And an enormous two-story house that stretched before them.
Staff assisted with their luggage as Bayli, Christian, and Rory passed through the glass doors and crossed the marbled floor, taking in the open, spacious quarters. Rory inspected the gourmet kitchen. Bayli admired the ocean view from the wall of windows, and the long, narrow infinity-edge pool that flowed from one end of the house to the other.
The patio was laden with comfortable-looking rattan lounge chairs with turquoise-colored cushions. There were tables and chairs scattered everywhere. Several large hammered-bronze cauldrons served as fire pits.
“Nice little getaway?” Christian asked from behind her as his arms slipped around her waist.
“Sensational little getaway. I could live here and be a very happy girl.”
He laughed. “You’re easy to please.”
