The Rules In Paradise (Playing By The Rules) (4 page)

"Um, I had anticipated hearing you had a great time as well, or you're glad you came, or you're happy to see me. Unless that is untrue then perhaps I should go?" He was watching me anxiously, I knew he was trying to gauge my expression.

             
"Who the hell are you?" The question escaped my mouth before I could stop it, or before I could make it slightly less intrusive.

             
"I'm sorry? Did we not go over this last evening?" His expression read as slightly annoyed.

             
"What I mean is, who are you? You're here for business with your friends? You pop up out of nowhere followed by your friend asking my friend out where you just happen to be."

             
"Olivia, nobody put a gun to your head to board the boat. It was of your own free will. I have my suspicions that it was your hope, as much as mine that we would run into each other here. This is not some weird cult. This is my friend's boat. We have traveled together and I am simply enjoying one of our adventures. However, being accosted by a woman at the bar is not my idea of fun." His tone was even, but so matter-of-fact.

             
"I didn't mean that, I just, I'm sorry." I took a sip of my drink. I felt embarrassed. His overbearing attitude was stifling and I didn't know how to handle it.

             
"Don't apologize. I quite like to hear you speechless, almost as much as I like to hear your challenging tone." I looked over to him to see him taking in the deck. He had the hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.

             
"So you wanted to see me tonight." It was more of a statement than I would have liked.

             
"You seem almost as surprised as I do. It was a very short time I got to spend in your company last night, yet I spent the remainder of the night thinking of you. It is quite rare that anyone, let alone a random woman, has that effect on me. Which is what I meant when I said I had to meet you."

             
I felt the blush take over my cheeks. His admission was shocking considering I could hardly get a name out of him last night.

             
"How long are you here?" The question seemed unrelated, but it fit perfectly with my train of thought.

             
"Well I will remain on the boat until we dock. I am not quite a strong enough swimmer to make it back to shore at this point." Though his lips did not say he was being funny, his eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement.

             
"I guess you're counting on the fact that someone doesn't take your dry humor the wrong way and throw you overboard." His eyebrows raised at my comment and looked at me over his glass as he took a sip.

             
"I'm not entirely sure what has put a bee in your bonnet but I assure you, this someone would have to be exceedingly strong and quite clever to pull a fast one over on me."

             
"A bee in my bonnet? What are you, like 80?"

             
His smile was broad this time."

             
"Not quite 80. Closer to 29. Just a cultured 29. Again, I thought we covered this last night." The way he said it, almost snooty made me roll my eyes.

             
"Tell me about you Cole. Why are you so cultured?"

             
"Well, Olivia, we don't have all night but I have been raised that way. I am my own boss and I have learned how to be successful. My mother raised me to treat ladies with respect. Although she never taught me what to do in the case of an unruly female.  I am well traveled, I'm well educated. I know what I am worth Olivia, and I take no less than that from people."

             
Well that explained part of his bubble of overbearingness.

             
"Now that you've heard way more than I am accustomed to revealing, I want to hear about you Olivia." His gaze was on me and I felt almost nervous. He was intense to say the least.

             
"Well I am not nearly as interesting and you heard a lot last night. I'm an art history major. I am currently going for my Master's degree in Boston. Originally from Ohio, but I've been in Boston since I graduated high school. I was raised by my mother who still lives in Ohio. I don't really know my father. This is the furthest I've ever been from home. We come every year for a month."

             
"You're here for a whole month?" He sounded surprised.

             
"Yes. We come every year for the month of June. Charlotte's parents own a condo and let us stay there at the resort."

             
His eyes glanced to his pocket and checked his phone which was lit up. He hit a button and the screen went dark.

             
"I thought my two week stay was long. I can only imagine what trouble you ladies can get into in 30 days. I am scared how to survive the next ten." That number became ingrained in my mind. Ten days. "The group of us are going to go on a little adventure tomorrow. I'd love it if you joined me." His gaze was focused on the glass in his hand.

             
"You're not going to tell me what this adventure is?"

             
"I didn't need to explain. I knew you'd ask. We're taking a short drive just outside of town. Nice hiking trail. You may invite your friends if you'd like. I assure you my intentions are innocent, I'd just like to spend time with you."

             
I didn't know how I felt about that. I knew I felt a certain way about him, though I was still not sure what that was. I was mildly disappointed by the thought that he had only innocent intentions. Not that I was looking for anything else but I couldn't help but go there for a second.

             
"Count me in." Again, his smile was broad and it made me forget about my uneasiness.

             
"You place an awful lot of trust in me."

             
"Should I reconsider?"

             
"No, I am just not used to you coming so quietly. I was all set for a battle of the wits. I feel kind of let down."

             
"I wouldn't want to disappoint you so early in the evening. Here's another one: hot or cold?"

             
Cole smiled at me as he took a sip of his drink.

             
"Are you sure you are not a psychiatrist? I believe these questions of yours are some kind of symbol of some deep unrest I have. But I choose hot."

             
"Care to elaborate?"

             
"No."

             
"No? Come on."

             
"Not until I hear your choice."

             
"Cold."

             
"Interesting. Hot symbolizes passion. I am passionate about many things. Hot also has a better connotation." His explanation did nothing for my thoughts that I was trying to return to the land of the innocent but fair was fair and I had to provide my own answer.

             
"When you're cold you can warm up. You can put on layers, get under a blanket. Cold is comfort."

             
"Ok, I have one for you Mrs. Freud. Dreams or reality?"

             
"Hands down dreams. Anything can happen."

             
"What you're forgetting Olivia is that if you play your hand correctly, the same is true of reality." He nodded in my direction and took a sip from his glass. His tone, the look on his face and the nearness of him made my jaw feel like it was dying to unhinge. There was just something about him I couldn't quite place but found exceedingly attractive.

             
"Is that what you've done Cole, made your dreams a reality?"

             
"I'm sitting here with you with a plan to see you tomorrow aren't I?" I blushed a deep scarlet. I felt the heat radiating off my face.

             
"Oh good heaven, Eric get the girl a drink. Ms. Smartass has been outwitted into a scarlet oblivion. I feel like this is a victory for me. Shall we celebrate?" Cole raised his glass waiting for me to clink it against mine. Instead I steadied myself and drank the fresh drink down in a sip. As I drank I watched his face go from  overjoyed to disbelief with each bit of liquid that disappeared. "I suppose not, touche Olivia." His smile was present just enough so his dimples were present as he took a sip from his glass.

             
"I'd like to show you something. Put your glass down and follow me." He took off toward the front of the boat. He took my hand as he led me down a short flight of stairs onto a lower deck of the ship. He didn't let go of my and as we walked a few more feet to the steel railing.

             
"Take off your shoes," He said as he slipped off his flip flops and climbed over the steel railing. As he jumped I couldn't help but reach from him, thinking he had fallen. "There's a small dock right here. Come on." He stood below me on the platform and reached out. I climbed on the railing, as he did and he grabbed my hand and my waist as I lowered myself down. He sat on the platform, letting his legs dip into the water. I followed his lead and sat next to him. I hesitantly put a few inches of one foot in.

             
"It's quite warm you know."

             
"It's not the temperature I'm worried about."

             
"Well then?"

             
"Sharks, fish, propellers."

             
He laughed one of his loud laughs again and smiled at me.

             
"No propeller. Everything is pretty much underneath the boat and in the back. We are in the front of the boat. It's pushing us forward. And no sharks or fish would dare come this close to a moving object of this size. You're safe, trust me."

             
I slowly sunk one leg into the water and then the other.

             
"See, no nibbles yet."

             
We sat in silence for awhile. It was surprisingly not awkward. Behind us you could hear the music and chatter from the guests.

             
"I do believe Jason is smitten with your friend. It was about all I could bear on the walk back to the rooms."

             
"She has that effect on men," I said.

             
"You say that like you do not."

             
"You'd be right. I don't. Adrian is a free spirit. She has flocks of guys to be in her presence. I don't begrudge her that, I don't mean it meanly. It's something you get used to." Cole went quiet as if pondering my statement.

             
"For what it's worth it is your presence that I have sought out tonight."

             
I smiled at that but did not make eye contact.

             
"You know what I don't understand about you Olivia?"

             
I looked at him and could barely make out his face in the night.

             
"You wear your heart on your sleeve. It is no secret what you are feeling, but I cannot ever make out why. To just spend a few minutes inside your head would be terribly insightful I think."

             
"I'm not sure how to take that."

             
"You're perplexing. Like I said, it is my job to know people, what they are thinking and what they want. I have to know what someone wants before they do. It is very rare that I cannot get a read on someone."

             
"You sound disturbed by this." I saw the flash of smile in the night.

             
"Not disturbed, no. More like captivated."

             
I was thankful that it was dark as I knew my cheeks were flushed again.

             
"Night or day?" Cole asked after a few minutes.

             
"Night."

             
"Why?"

             
I shook my head even though I knew we were both staring out onto the water. "You first."

             
"Night also."

             
"Anything can happen at night," I started. "Things change into other things at night. It's like anything is possible at night, and then the sun comes out and shows you what it really is," I said kind of wistfully.

             
"Night makes us feel safer because we get to hide under darkness. Like you said, in the light we have to take a true form."

             
"That's very mysterious and cryptic of you Cole."