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As she spoke in a morose tone of voice, I heard a bell ding in the background, followed by a collective cheer. I frowned, trying to figure out why that sound jogged something in my memory.
“Goodbye,” she said and the line went dead before I even had the chance to reply.
I had to wonder why she even bothered to pick up the phone, but I hoped it was because she longed to hear my voice the way that I longed to hear hers. I was counting on all of this being some noble act of a woman that cared about me and my reputation. She just needed to know that I didn’t give a damn about that. I was used to the paparazzi picking me about for everything real or fake. What I cared about was her.
I wasn’t sure what else to do, so I headed back down the hall. I had reached the elevator and pushed the button to call it to me when it hit me. The bell in the background, that just might have been at the pub I heard about on the boardwalk. Water’s Edge Eatery. I’d gotten to know more than just Michael during my time spent at the hotel bar and I had heard about the place because they had a popular tequila shot challenge. When someone successfully completed it, they rang a victory bell.
That could be where Marlee was. It was worth a shot, so when the elevator arrived, I got in and pressed the button for the lobby. I was going to the boardwalk, and if I got really lucky, I might just find Marlee there.
CHAPTER13
Marlee
The menu at this bar was impressive, full of fresh fish and unique sandwiches. I’d come here after helping decorate the wedding venue. The wedding party went to their rehearsal dinner, and I declined an invitation to join my friend Ashley for dinner again. I wasn’t in the mood to be sociable, especially with someone that was bound to grill me about my “sexy movie star friend”.
So, I wound up on the boardwalk where I’d eaten lunch with Bowen a couple of days ago. But I wasn’t going to revisit the taco truck. I didn’t want to relive what I considered to be our first date.
This bar caught my attention because it was brightly lit and I liked the tiki bar decorations I could see through the window. It was crowded, which wasn’t surprising for a Saturday night, but I was able to get a table to myself near the window.
“We have another tequila challenge winner!” Freya, one of the bartenders, shouted out as she rang the bell for the second time in the last hour. The crowd cheered, and I couldn’t help smiling slightly at the excitement of everyone in the bar. Apparently, this was a big attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Coming out from behind the bar, Freya approached my table. The place was small, so there were only two people working, and I’d watched her rushing around the place since I arrived. She was wearing an attention-grabbing tank top and push-up bra that probably got her tons of tips.
“Everything okay, honey?” she asked, looking at my untouched plate of food. I’d ordered fish and chips, but it had been sitting in front of me for the last ten minutes and all I’d done was push things around on the plate with my fork.
“Oh, yeah. It’s fine, really. The food’s great.”
I hadn’t actually tried it yet, but my stomach was churning with unease. I knew that I shouldn’t have answered that phone call from Bowen. A clean break was best, but when I’d seen his name on my caller ID, I couldn’t resist talking to him, even briefly.
Now, I was just full of regret and seriously considering leaving the island as soon as possible. But Faith’s wedding was tomorrow, and I came here for her. The two of us had reconnected so much over the last few days, and I didn’t want to blow that by skipping the wedding.
“Okay,” Freya said, shooting me a curious look. I was sure that my melancholy attitude was obvious to her. “Just let me know if you need anything.”
She walked away and I turned to the window, looking out at the darkness. I couldn’t really see anything, but that didn’t matter. My mind was mulling over everything that I didn’t want to think about. Losing my job was at the top of that list. I would have to find something else that worked with my school schedule since I would be starting my next semester in August. I wasn’t looking forward to job hunting. I liked the one I already had, and I had planned to keep it until I graduated with my bachelor’s degree.
My table was jostled, drawing my attention away from the inky nothing outside the window. My eyes widened as I took in the sight of Bowen taking the seat across from me. For once, he wasn’t wearing a hat in public, and I hoped that no one paid too much attention to us. The last thing I wanted was to see more pictures of myself online.
My first instinct was to leave, but I stayed in place instead. He would probably just follow me. He was obviously determined to talk to me, and I had to give him some credit for finding me here. I had no idea how he did it, but he was persistent. I decided that I should reward that with the truth. Faith was right, he deserved to know, even if it was embarrassing for me. But before I could start to come clean, he spoke.
“I know your secret,” he said, folding his hands on the table in front of him. “And I’m going to help you.”
“What are you talking about?” He couldn’t know about the pictures, could he?
“I know you have naked photos online. I’ve seen them.”
Unexpected tears filled my eyes at his words. I had been so worried about how I was going to tell him, but it was almost worse that he already knew. What must he think of me?
I couldn’t hold his gaze, especially since I blinked and the tears ran down my cheeks. I hated that I was crying in public. Just when I thought that my mortification was maxed out, something like this happened. I picked up my napkin, planning to wipe my face, but Bowen reached out with both hands and cupped my face. He used his thumbs to brush my tears away, and I met his eyes again. There was a warmth there that stole my breath.
“Don’t be upset,” he said softly.
“That’s easy for you to say, but I can’t help it,” I replied, my voice a hoarse croak. “I messed up my whole life just by snapping a few selfies for some guy that turned out to be a complete jerk. You must think I’m such a fool.”
“No, you’re not.” There was a conviction in his voice that made my heart clench. “You just trusted the wrong person. You don’t deserve to be punished for that.”
“Don’t I?” I asked, sniffling.
Bowen lowered his hands to mine, grasping them on the center of the table.
