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Flustered yet again, she responded, “Call information for it, please.” She directed the cab driver in the direction of her home.
*
Not knowing whatelse to do with herself, Payton decided to go for a run on the beach to de-stress and think. At some point today she realized that she would need to call Lilly. But she was a creature of habit, putting off everything and anything that was unpleasant to her. Nothing was truly wrong if she did not admit it and talking to Lilly would make it real. She was never good at hitting problems head on. In fact, Lilly did that for her most of the time.
The sand was already warm from the morning sun; seagulls flew overhead, circling an unwanted bun that lay covered in sand. Payton loved the control she felt while running; it was the only time she was able to think of nothing but whatever surrounded her. Today, it was the sound of waves and the smell of wet sand. This brought back memories of her and Lilly when they were younger; she must have been ten years old when they were on vacation in the Hamptons. Their parents were in love with the Hamptons’ social nightlife. This left Payton and Lilly to fend for themselves until the early afternoon. Payton had developed her first maddening, heart-thudding crush. She remembered how she thought she would die if Jimmy Daniels didn’t notice her.
Payton was in her glory when Jimmy grabbed her hand one day and began running. She was holding his hand when all of a sudden he stopped in front of an antique shop by the beach. He had told her he would give her a kiss if she went into the store and took a sparkling dragonfly pin that lay near the counter. She had wanted him to like her so much that she agreed. Just as she was exiting the tiny store, Mr. Lin, the old storeowner, grabbed Payton by the shoulder, demanding the pin back. It just happened that Lilly was chasing butterflies past the store and saw Mr. Lin haul Payton back inside. If it weren’t for Lilly sweet-talking Payton out of trouble, her parents would have had to pick her up. This seemed to be the story of her life. Men who used her and ended up getting her in trouble. Nothing had changed from then to now. She would have thought somewhere along the path she would have caught on and changed her self-destructive behavior. Why was it now that she just realized this?
She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she ran directly into Jack. The impact was so hard it tossed Payton on her bottom and Jack had to stagger back to catch his footing. The sun glistened off of his torso, showing off his six-pack, highlighting what she liked to call his hip-arrow muscle that pointed the way to his massive cock. Even now, after her revelation, she could not help but have her old thoughts invade her. He was silent for a moment, trying to sense Payton’s mood.
“Jack.”
“Payton.”
Figuring that Payton must still be in the dark about the situation, he decided to stay and talk. After all, she was looking good in her Lululemon short shorts and the almost nonexistent so-called workout top. Maybe he could use her lack of knowledge for his personal gain.
*
More flustered thanever, Lilly had tried to get information from Dixon. The only useful bit was that Payton must be alive because she had called him. Resting her back on the brick wall of the building she placed her hands on top of her head and closed her eyes. Why was this happening, she questioned herself.
“Would you like my help?” Ryan asked.
Opening her eyes Ryan stood in front of her looking as masculine as she had ever seen him before. It was not fair how attracted she was to him. As much as she tried not to be, she caught herself having these moments. She hated how it softened her toward him.
Needing a moment of quiet so she could think she replied, “Sure,” in hopes it would silence him. Letting her figure out their next move.
“Well, if you were Payton, where would you go to feel safe?”
Lilly’s eyes lit up, knowing precisely where she had to be. Ryan, being handsome and right, did not help her stay mad at him. Instead of voicing this to him she replied, “The Hamptons. We used to go there as kids.”
*
“Fancy meeting youhere,” Payton said, once Jack helped her back onto her feet.
“My secretary forced me into taking a vacation.” Jack lied. “What brings you here?”
“Same thing. Shannon wants more control, so I thought I would come out here. Why have an assistant if you can’t take advantage of her.” Payton laughed.
“Want to do lunch?” asked Jack.
Payton had to figure out what was happening around her. Jack was the only commonality with her deals. He was the clue. “Sure. Why don’t we meet—”
Jack cut her off before she could finish. “I can meet you in your suite.”
Not wanting anyone to know where she was staying, she quickly answered, “How about your hotel room?”
“Sure, room 1010. See you in two hours,” Jack said matter-of-factly. Before she could respond he continued off on his morning jog.
Once Jack was out of sight, he stopped and looked down at Payton’s phone. He wasn’t sure how he could use it to his advantage but he was sure that it would come in handy somehow. Now what to do about lunch? He could just fuck her and leave town. He could dispose of her—after he fucked her, of course. He could break into her room and leave a note demanding she move far away, forever. Somehow she had to disappear or be caught red-handed with evidence of all of the fraudulent deals he had been doing with her help.
Interrupting his thoughts, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking down he saw that it was Shannon calling.
“Hi, sugar.” Girls like Shannon needed just a few compliments and they became putty in his hands. A picture of her voluptuous breasts popped into his head, making him smile.
“Payton’s sister just stopped by to see her. I told her Payton was away on a family emergency.”
So no one knows where she is, Jack thought to himself. “Thank you, Shannon. And thank you again for making my hotel reservation.”
