Romance: One Perfect Holiday (5 page)

Chapter Thirteen

With a heart full of hope, I rush to the bar where I saw Grayson the other day.

It’s worth a shot and the only place where I think he might be.

So this is what it feels like to do something for me,
I think to myself.

I’ve never done something this crazy before. Every decision I’ve ever made in my life has been about other people.

Soon the bar comes into view, but once I’m standing next to it, it’s clear that Grayson isn’t around.

Damn it.

“Hi,” I say to the bartender. “I don’t suppose you happen to know where Grayson is?”

“Grayson?”

“Yeah. You know, the guy that works here. I was talking to him at the bar a couple of days ago.”

“Works here?” the bartender laughs. “Oh, he doesn’t work here.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, utterly confused.

“He doesn’t work here,” the bartender repeats.

My confident, living-in-the-moment and crazy buzz just fizzled out.

Grayson doesn’t even work here?

What a liar!

“Oh, well, that’s just great!” I say, throwing my hands up in the air. “Man, I can’t believe I’ve been duped.”

“Well,” the bartender shrugs. “I suppose, strictly speaking, you could say he works here,” the bartender adds.

“Sorry? Now, I’m doubly confused. Does he work here or not?”

The bartender puts down the glass he’s polishing and stares at me. “Listen, I’ve known Grayson for a long time now and I’ve never seen him so taken with a chick before. Usually, girls fall at his feet and they don’t interest him. But this past week, he hasn’t shut up about you. Every day it’s been Claire this and Claire that. But then…”

“What?”

“Well, yesterday, he looked pretty shattered. He said he had to leave and I haven’t seen him since. He’s gone.”

“Gone? How long for?”

“No idea. He said he needed to some space and wasn’t sure when he’d be back.”

“So he just quit his job – just like that?”

The bartender laughs again. “You really have no idea who he is, do you?”

Shaking my head, I throw him another puzzled expression. “Please, put me out of my misery and tell me already.”

“He owns the resort.”

“He
owns
the resort?!”

“This one and quite a few others around the world.”

My mouth widens out in an O while I try to process what I’ve just heard. “But he lives in this one?”

“Yeah. His mansion is on the next hill over.” The bartender points towards the compound Grayson had led me to the other night.

Cheeky bastard.

“He lied to me. He said he worked here. That’s not true at all,” I whisper to myself.

“Listen, when a man has as much money as Grayson has, girls can be quite overcome by the power and prestige. I can understand why he hides it – he wants to know if a girl likes him for who he is, not just his money.”

I thank the bartender and walk away in a daze.

Grayson is certainly not who I thought he was.

The carefree hospitality worker I met on the beach is actually the owner of the resort?

And a billionaire?

My life is getting crazier by the second.

Chapter Fourteen

Back in the resort’s apartment, I burst into tears in Zoe’s arms.

Her shoulder is completely soaked by the time I pull out of the hug.

After I tell both her and Rachael the whole saga, they both comfort me as best they can before we begin to pack for our trip home.

As I cram my clothes into my suitcase, I curse myself for falling for Grayson.

How could I be so naive?

Grayson is just a player.

I should’ve known that all along.

And there’s always that saying, ‘If something is too good to be true, it probably is.’

A holiday fling?

What a mistake that was.

Damn it!

Why couldn’t I have just viewed him as a guy with a hot body and nothing more?

That would have been so much easier.

After we arrive at the airport, I start to calm down.

While we wait at the gate, Rachael pulls out her phone and shows me all the highlights of our trip.

Most of them are smiling selfies of the three of us with the pool or beach in the background.

They remind me of why I came on this trip: to reconnect with the most beautiful women I know.

And, despite Mr. Billionaire-in-Sheep’s-Clothing, it has been wonderful - the cocktails, the laughter, the day spa, and the beach.

Yes, they are all fond memories that I will treasure forever… 

Chapter Fifteen

Three months later…

The world is gray again.

My daily routine has reverted back to what it was before the holiday: waking up alone in my apartment; jumping on the subway; slaving away at work until I’m left feeling soulless; and then returning home again to have a glass of wine on the sofa.

Work has been as crazy as ever. I’m still the head assistant on the G.R Winter file. He only communicates via email and boy is he becoming demanding.

My days have stretched out to being fourteen hours long just so I can keep my head above water again.

But this is what I’m used to. 

Work is my safety net.

Even when everything else seems hopeless, I know that I’m great at my job. I can disappear into it and forget about the rest of the world.

And the future.

I don’t have to worry about dating or settling down or having kids like Zoe or getting a puppy like Rachael.

I can forget about everything.

Until… Grayson pops back into my mind.

Every damn time he does, I can’t help but carve a bittersweet smile

The last time it happened, I was in a meeting and was being told by my boss that I need to work harder on the G.R Winter file.

I lost all focus in what he was saying, I was thinking about Grayson… and then I just started smiling.

My boss must have wondered what the hell came over me.

Another reason for the fourteen-hour workdays is because I don’t like going back to my apartment at night.

At home, the reality of loneliness hits me like a cement truck. I have nothing, but a crappy microwaveable dinner and a semi-cheap bottle of wine.

Each time I doze off to sleep, I dream of Grayson’s toned, seductive body…

A part of me knows that I was lucky to have met him.

Extremely lucky.

Most women only get to dream about being with a man like that and I got to experience him first hand, and with an out-of-this-world connection that, to this day, is unexplainable.

I spend a lot of time thinking about whether the chemistry between us was real.

And the only reliable conclusion I can come up with is – yes; at least, it was real for me.

It was more than just lust.

Love?

Well, maybe time would’ve given me the answer to that too…

“Claire, I need the G.R Winter file!” Mr. Gregory, my boss, demands.

He’s standing in the doorway to my office, his nostrils flaring while his red cheeks puff out.

“Yes, um, here they are,” I reply, rising from my desk and handing him the manila folder with the file.

Our bank has been working on the G.R Winter file for about two years, but nobody has ever met Mr. Winter.

He is as elusive as he is wealthy.

But today all that changes.

Mr. Winter has finally agreed to come into the office for a face-to-face meeting.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’m a little nervous. Not just because he’s a billionaire, but also because this is the first time I’ve been asked to sit in on a boardroom meeting with a client.

This bank is finally starting to have faith in me.

That has to count for something, right? 

“Now,” Mr. Gregory states. “Mr. Winter is single. He’s never married and has no children. And because he’s such a recluse, I can imagine that when he comes out to the city, he might… well, get excited by certain things. So, if you can… you know.”

“No, Mr. Gregory. I don’t know. Please, explain it to me.”

He’s not suggesting what I think he is… is he?

“All I’m saying is that you be nice to him. His assistant said that he’s a lonely man, so don’t hesitate in fluttering those pretty eyelashes of yours at him.”

I want to slap him in the face.

My boss wants me to flirt with the client?

Seriously?

“My value to this bank is not as a flirty plaything, Mr. Gregory. I hope you’re not suggesting otherwise?” My words are firm and venomous.

Nothing makes me angrier than transparent sexism.

“Hey,” he recoils, raising his hands in surrender. “I just meant for you be nice…
really
nice to the guy. Anyway, I’ll be off. See you in there.”

He winks and walks out the door, leaving me to take a long, slow deep breath in.

Then out…

I need to be calm again before I enter that boardroom in five minutes.

Relax, Claire, and go to your happy place…

Suddenly, I’m transported back to the resort.

Back into the strong and safe arms of Grayson.

Opening my eyes, I feel somewhat more relaxed and head down the hall towards the boardroom. When I walk in, I greet my fellow team members and executives before taking a seat and flicking through my notes on the G.R Winter file.

After a few minutes, the door to the room opens again and Mr. Gregory walks in.

“May I please have your attention, everyone,” he begins. “This is Mr. Grayson Winter.”

I look up from my notes…

No, it can’t be…

Chapter Sixteen

What?

This is not happening right now.

Standing at the entrance to the boardroom, in a tailored, expensive Italian suit, is Grayson.

As in, the resort Grayson.

Mr. Billionaire-in-Sheep’s-Clothing.

“This is Claire Adams. She’s the head assistant on your file.”

I hadn’t even noticed Mr. Gregory introduce the rest of the team before me – but seeing as he’s stopped short he apparently has.

Grayson’s eyes connect with mine…

My heart skips.

My whole world stops.

Grayson’s mouth also twitches.

He’s just as taken aback as I am.

“Sorry, do you know each other?” Mr. Gregory asks, trying to kill the uncomfortable silence in the room as Grayson and I stare at each other.

“We might have met once,” Grayson says, breaking his gaze away from me. “But I can’t remember where.”

Bastard.

He doesn’t remember me?!

What bullshit.

Giving a weak smile, Grayson sits down at the boardroom table with his assistants either side of him.

Mr. Gregory begins to talk again, but my mind is racing just like my pulse.

The man that seduced me with his kind-hearted nature is actually a ruthless, discourteous and lying businessman.

Soon my shock gives way to anger.

Now, he can’t even look at me.

I grip my pen so tight that my knuckles turn white. 

The prick.

He used me.

And if I stay in this room any longer, I’m going to reach over and slap that smug businessman smirk right of his face.

“Excuse me,” I say to my peers and exit the boardroom with speed.

I race straight back to my office and slam the door shut.

Argh!

How infuriating!

I want to pull my hair out that’s how livid I am.

But instead, I pace around my office and tell myself everything is going to be okay.

Just breath, smother that anger and find your center, Claire.

Knock, knock.

Damn it!

There goes that calming notion.

How the hell am I going to explain my reason for walking out on the meeting to Mr. Gregory?

Sorry, but I slept with our most valuable client.

I don’t think so.

“Hi, Claire.” His suave, silk-like voice sounds in my office.

Okay, it’s not Mr. Gregory...

Crap.

Grayson shuts the door behind him and sighs. “I have some explaining to do.”

“Damn right you do,” I reply bluntly.

“Listen… Claire… I really didn’t expect to see you in that boardroom today… I guess it was a shock for the both of us.”

“A shock? Ha! That’s an understatement. We’ve been communicating for the past year due to business and yet it turns out you’re the ‘hospitality resort worker’ I had a fling with.”

“Look, you have every right to be mad. I should have told you the truth.”

“Yeah?” I say, shaking my head. “Well, why didn’t you?”

He pauses and looks out the window to the bustling city. “Because most people are just interested in my money. Nobody sees the real me. They just see the designer suit, the expensive car, and the multi-million-dollar penthouse. When I’m at the resort, I can be me. I can walk around barefoot and be carefree. Like I said to you when we were there – when I stand and watch that sunrise, nothing else matters. All this other stuff doesn’t measure up. I tried to explain that to you.”

“Then why even spend time in the city? Why are you even here?”

“I guess… after you rejected my offer to stay, I decided to head back. It was the first time in two years that I’ve been here. And, I admit, it’s addictive. The energy, the buzz, the action – it’s all very appealing. And it distracts me from my darker thoughts, which involve losing you. The city has helped fill that void. But it’s not for me.”

“How can I believe anything that you say? How do I know you’re not just a man that seduces random girls while they are on holidays at your resort,” I state with bitterness.

“I don’t seduce random girls,” he replies, his tone becoming graver.

“Do you honestly expect me to believe I was the only one?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “You can believe what you like. But you were the only one.”

His voice is laced with honesty and I want to believe him, but I’m not sure if I should.

“I went looking for you,” I whisper, trying to fight the tears welling in my eyes.

His eyes light up.

“You did? Why?”

“No-one has ever made me feel the way that you did,” I say, composing myself. “What we had was short and fast, but it meant something to me.”

“Then come back with me.”

“What?”

“Let’s go back to the resort.”

“When?”

“Now.”

I smile through the tears. “But what about the meeting?”

“Forget about the damn meeting. How many more times do I need to tell you this before you get it? I don’t care about money, Claire,” he laughs and fills the space between us. “I have everything that I want right here.”

He encircles his arms around my waist, his dark, azure eyes burning into mine.

Oh, yes…

I couldn’t agree more.