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Rose
The humidity of the southeast coast hit me hard as I left the airport to hail a cab. Dressed in a white sundress, strappy sandals, and oversized sunglasses, I was ready for the beach and a very large margarita. I held up my hand as I held onto my rolling luggage with the other hand. Most of the cabs were already accounted for, so I had to stand there for a good five minutes, waiting for a ride. I immediately regretted having my long hair draped over my shoulders like this. When it was clear I wasn’t immediately getting a cab, I dug around in my purse for something to pull my hair back.
I found a ponytail holder just as a cab was pulling up to the curb just a few feet from me. Quickly tying up my hair, I grabbed my luggage and made a dash for the door, but reached for the handle just as a masculine hand landed on it at the same time. I looked up, annoyed that this man was going to try and take my cab, but instead saw the most gorgeous brown eyes staring back at me. I immediately pulled my hand back, finding it suddenly very difficult to speak.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Um…did you need this cab?”
A slight smile curved his lips. “No, I was actually just standing here hailing cabs to see how many I could get.”
“You’ll piss off a lot of people that way,” I retorted, returning his smile.
“Well, you know, when you’re on vacation, you have to find ways to entertain yourself.”
“I would have chosen to go to the beach, but that’s me.”
“Hey!” the cabbie shouted. “Are you going somewhere or making a date?”
I turned back to the handsome man, prepared to argue that since he was just flagging down cabs for fun, I should take this one. But he surprised me.
“How about we split the cab?”
“How do you know we’re even going in the same direction?”
“Well, you said you would head to the beach. You’re wearing a sundress, and you have a beach romance sticking out of your purse.”
I glanced down at my purse, shoving the paperback further inside. “Read many beach romances?”
“Not at all, but the cover made it pretty clear.”
“Hey, I could have gotten ten other fares by now,” the cabbie grumbled.
The man pulled out a twenty and handed it over to the cabbie. “That’s a tip. Give us a minute.”
I was a little shocked by the gesture, but didn’t complain. “So, how are we going to work this out?”
“I have a place on the coast.”
“I’m staying in a hotel.”
“You got an address?”
I dug in my purse and pulled out my travel itinerary, thinking maybe that was slightly stupid. But the man had a kind face, so I went with my instincts.
He nodded slightly. “I’m going in the same direction. Come on, I’ve got the cab fare.”
He picked up my suitcase and waited for the cabbie to pop the trunk as I slipped inside. I didn’t need him to pick up the cab fare. I had plenty of money, but I wasn’t going to insult the man by refusing him. He slipped inside beside me and told the cabbie the address. We rode in relative silence for a few minutes. I didn’t know what to say to him. As handsome as he was, I wasn’t available for flirting. But the further we drove, the more I felt his eyes steady on my face. I turned to face him and caught him staring right at me.
“Do I have something on my face?”
I knew I didn’t. The man was attracted to me, but a lot of them were. That didn’t mean much to me. I wasn’t interested in a man that only wanted me for my looks. For far too long, I was only wanted for the arm candy I could possibly be.
“I was just thinking that for coming on vacation, you look awfully sad.”
Was I that transparent? I glanced out the window, clearing my throat. “I never said I was coming on vacation.”
“You didn’t deny it either.”
He was right. I wasn’t happy about being here. I came in the hopes of gaining some perspective. My life was not at all what I wanted, but I had no control over it, not for the foreseeable future, anyway. This was my last escape for a while, my last chance to get away from a man I despised.
