Page 40 of Charming
We agree to head back to the boat and finish up, keeping our faces in the water the whole time. Suddenly, Asher yanks on my hand and points. Far below us, making wide zigzags in the water, is a shark. Granted, it’s small, but I don’t give a crap and I take off like the shark is already biting my ass. Complete panic engulfs me and I start swimming like Michael Phelps.
Once I get to the boat, I’m out of the water, being helped back inside by the men there. Ripping my gear off, I turn around just in time to find Asher climbing into the boat behind me. He’s laughing so hard he falls to his knees trying to catch his breath. “Oh my god,” he pants.
Placing my hands on my hips, I glare at him knowing automatically he’s laughing at me. “What’s so funny?”
“You! That shark was probably the size of your arm. And it wasn’t one you needed to worry about.”
“Whatever. Speak for yourself. It may have been small but I betcha it still would have enjoyed chewing on your dangly bits.”
His face turns serious immediately, “Don’t even joke about that.” His hand automatically covers his crotch and I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it.
“That’s what I thought. Not so funny now, is it?”
“Well… at least now I know that if we’re ever in a life or death situation, your thoughts are every man for himself.”
“Uhh, oops?” I reply at a loss for words to defend my actions.
We stare at each other then simultaneously start laughing until tears fall down our faces.
“It sounds like the two of you really hit if off,” Faye says as we both laugh at how much fun Asher and I had together.
“We did. I know that I will never forget my time with Asher,” I smile but inside I would swear my heart just broke a little more.
“You’re really hurting. Is talking about this making it worse for you?”
Considering her question, I pause, “Talking about our time together gives me mixed feelings. It’s so fresh that sometimes the pain feels so potent that I can’t breathe. But at the same time, talking about it confirms my feelings and I know that I have reason to feel the way that I do. Leaving Asher is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Somehow, it’s harder than when my mother passed away – I was so young when that happened, the pain then was on a different level than it is now. It hurts as much and feels as crippling as when my father died, but again, it’s not comparable as they are both unique in their own right. It hurts deeper than Jeremy’s betrayal and I was with Jeremy much longer than Asher. Even though I didn’t love Jeremy, that still seems odd.” Looking at Faye in wonder, I ask rhetorically, “How can that be? We only spent a short time together yet the loss of him is something profound; I know it will take me a long time to get over.”
“But, did you really lose him? I mean he’s not gone in the way your parents are.”
“No, he’s not, but being with him would hurt him. And I can’t do that to him. I…I love him too much.”
“You love him?” A soft smile is upon her lips and her eyes twinkle. “After only a week?” While she asks that question, it’s not with disbelief in her tone or on her face. Instead she almost seems… amused, unsurprised. I feel like she’s asking me not in judgment, but rather because she wants me to say it again.
“Yes. I love him. And I have learned that love is limitless. There’s no time, boundary, rhyme or reason to love. It just simply is.”
Her smile widens, “Why are you so sad then?”
“Because I think with love also comes sacrifice sometimes.”
“And your leaving is a sacrifice?”
“Absolutely. I’m sacrificing my happiness for Asher. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“And does he agree with that?”
“I don’t know.” Her brows raise and I cringe. “I’ll explain.”
“I’m listening.”
And so I begin telling her the rest of my story.
When Asher and I get back to the room after our boating excursion, I suggest that Asher jump in the shower first and tonight, I’ll order us dinner. With a smile, he agrees and saunters off to the bathroom losing his clothes along the way. I raise an eyebrow pretending it doesn’t affect me as much as it does, and he laughs. Moving to the phone, I grab the various menus of all the restaurants on both resort properties to make my decision. I want to take care of Asher tonight. He’s been surprising me every day so far and it’s a small thing I know, and doesn’t come close to what he’s done for me, but I want to take control for the evening.
I’m glad to see that while Mexican food is definitely a consistent theme, there are many other cuisines to choose from. I consider Japanese for a moment, but then decide pasta is a safer choice. I select baked ziti, and a garden salad, dressing on the side knowing it’s likely to be good – who can mess up pasta sauce. I forego the garlic bread, despite that it is likely to be tasty and elect Italian bread instead. For obvious reasons. I grin as I add strawberries, whipped cream and champagne to the order.
I’ve barely hung up the phone and I hear Asher shut the shower water off. Moments later, he emerges wearing nothing but a towel. Sporting a mischievous grin, he walks toward me and my mouth waters watching his muscles shift with each step. Random drops of water trail down his body and I lick my lips. Immediately a scene from one of his movies flashes through my mind, and I remember women in the theatre sighing at the sight. I wonder if I should tell them that the real thing doesn’t even do the image on the screen justice.
With every step Asher takes toward me, I take one back. His grin turns downright wicked when my back meets resistance from the wall. Placing a hand on either side of my head, boxing me in, he moves close to me. Oh god, he smells mouth watering.
