"Will, if I took your room where will you stay?" I asked, feeling guilty.
"Don't worry, Emmalay, my parents are back in London for the summer, so I will be taking residence in their house. Right over there." He was pointing to a magnificent villa nestled high in the mountain overlooking the resort. "My family owns a few resorts on the island. If you grow bored of this place I can take you to another property, if you fancy that."
I smiled and heard my stomach make the loudest, most unladylike sound. Will must've heard it too; he quickly suggested we go and get something for me to eat.
"Emmalay, do you mind if I join you for breakfast?"
"No, I don't mind. Thank you."
After sitting down and sipping my first cup of coffee, it felt like maybe tomorrow would come after all.
Will broke our awkward silence by saying, "Emmalay, why don't you tell me why a beautiful American girl comes to a romantic island like St. Lucia alone and sad."
He got right to the point and since he was a total stranger who didn't know me and couldn't judge me or my choices, I decided to tell him the truth.
"My husband is cheating on me after almost ten years of marriage and two kids. I have known him since I was eighteen years old. He is my whole life. I only existed knowing he loved me. Now I'm almost thirty and lost. I don't know who I am and how I will ever move on from this. I came here so no one could find me. Not that he would even notice I'm gone. I need some time to compartmentalize my emotions and deal with the pain that I'm in. Thank you for giving up your room for me, I really need a place to stay." I have no idea why I felt the need to say all that out loud to a perfect stranger, but I needed to get those words out of my head.
Will had the opposite reaction of what I would've expected from him. He was livid.
"That fucking bastard. Don't apologize, you are very welcome, mate. I would like to offer my services as a friend to you. If you need to talk to someone I could listen. I just broke up with my betrothed because I found out she and my good buddy from school were shagging. Believe me, we can start our own support group."
That made us both laugh. The cheating thing hit a nerve with him; that's why he got so mad. I fished into my pocket for my iPhone and saw that it was completely dead.
"I didn't bring a charger. My family has no idea where I am. They can't reach me. I'm sure my sister and Mom are worried."
"Would you like to call them? Here, use my phone." Will handed me his cell phone. It was now nine o'clock in the morning. I called my house; it rang twice before my housekeeper, Pam, picked up.
"Bruel residence, how can I help you?"
"Hi, Pammy, it's me. How are the kids?"
"Emily, where are you? Your mom slept here last night. Jenna's been calling since last night. They're all looking for you."
"Why did my mom sleep over? Pam, are the kids okay? Where is Louis?"
"The kids are okay. They just want to know where you went. Louis didn't come to sleep at home last night so Adele came to sleep in the house. But your parents left this morning very early before any of us got up."
Hearing that Louis never made it home last night was like another nail in my coffin. Why should Louis come back home when he didn't need to pretend to be a loving husband anymore? Now he could be the asshole he always promised he wouldn't be to me.
"Pam, I'm fine. Call my mom and tell her I'm fine. Tell Rose and Eric that I love them and will see them soon." With that I hung up the phone. I tried to avoid the clear blue eyes that were boring into me. I drew my eyes to his reluctantly. We'd only known each other for a few minutes but we were having a silent commiserating conversation with our eyes.
"Is it too early for tequila?" Will asked trying to make me smile. "The bar is not open, but I have the keys."
"I could use some vodka. That may possibly knock me out again, if I'm lucky," I said, hoping I could drink my heartbreak away. He got up and stretched out his hand for me. I accepted it and followed him.
****
I had never had so much to drink in my entire life. I don't think I left out one nuance of my life talking to Will that night. I can't recall everything I told him but I do remember something about us acknowledging that we both love the ‘80s and enjoy anal sex. Yeah, I was that drunk! My head had a special beat that didn't subside. When I finally forced my eyes open, I was in a beautiful room that I'd never seen before. The bed was so massive that I didn't notice I wasn't alone in it until five minutes later.
Please God, don't let me have slept with whoever is in this bed with me,
I thought desperately. I may have been soon to be divorced but I didn't want to be an adulterer like Louis. I lifted the covers to see that I was still in my panties but no bra.
"Emmalay, are you checking to see if you still have your knickers on?"
Fuck, that was Will's sexy British voice. I was in bed with William Knight. No fucking way. He continued talking, "I'm not a bloody arse. I wouldn't bang you after that bender yesterday."
Fuck my life. I lost a whole day with no recollection.
"Will, why are we in the same bed together?"
"You don't remember? You begged me not to leave you. Emmalay, you were really pissed. I didn't want you to be alone so I offered to stay and rest with you. I had a few shots myself; a gentleman doesn't let a lady drink alone or sleep alone. We were both shitfaced. You do remember giving me the concert of my life … right? The way you sang to me
Only Time Will Tell
by Asia was wicked. Then you stripped your clothes and got into bed. It was a brilliant night. Don't worry, we didn't shag." He looked up and got his head off the pillow. He was even more handsome than I remembered. "Not because I wasn't up for it," he said with a sexy-as-sin smile.
I fucking sang naked and drunk … to a perfect stranger in St. Lucia. Will's voice brought me back to my current crazy situation.
"You are the sexiest thing I've seen in a very long time. I just didn't want our first time to be when we're both zonked."
I was about to have another breakdown.
"Will, I'm not ready to jump into bed with anybody right now. My life is really fucked up. I don't want to complicate things further. Thank you for not taking advantage of me while I was piss drunk and thank you for calling me sexy. My ego is on life support right now so I'll take any words of encouragement—even if they're lies."
He was enjoying my discomfort. He lay sideways facing me with his head propped up in his right hand. I swallowed, which felt like rubbing sandpaper in my throat, then I continued my speech, "I came here to find myself, not to find another man. I obviously couldn't keep the attention of the man I love. I need to figure out what's wrong with me first."
He sat up on his side of the bed. He pulled the covers off and stood up. I think he wanted to give me a better view of what I was turning down. He was gloriously naked and very well hung. I was staring at his cock as if I'd never seen one. In my defense, I hadn't had sex with my husband for over three months. I must've forgotten what a big dick looked like. He was semi-hard and had the biggest balls I'd ever seen. His body was all muscle. Tan, lean, defined washboard abs. He had a tattoo over his left nipple. It was a word or maybe a name, I couldn't make it out. He reminded me of a younger version of
Sawyer
on my favorite TV show,
Lost
.
He put his hands on his hips, enjoying me staring and taking him in.
"Not sure what's wrong with the bloke who's supposed to be your husband. But luv, if you were mine I wouldn't let you within bloody two feet of me and my cock."
I smiled. That was crude but very much appreciated by my wounded, almost extinct, ego. Will was good for me.
"If your Louis has half a brain he'll come find you before I pull every trick in the book to show you how a real man would treat a beautiful woman like you."
"I'm still in love with my husband. Even if he doesn't want me I can't just turn off my heart. He is my soul. I've never been with anyone but him. You deserve to be with a nice girl. I have two kids and too many issues. Do yourself a favor, Will, walk away from me. I'm not worth the lay."
"I'm giving the tosser two days. If he's not here in forty-eight hours I won't stop myself from taking you for myself."
"Will, he won't come. He has no idea where I am. I didn't use our chauffeur or any of our jets to get here. I paid cash and my phone is dead. I've never been to St. Lucia before. Louis would never think that I would come to a place like this. I'm as stranded as Brooke Shields was in
The Blue Lagoon.
But the most obvious reason he won't find me is that he doesn't want to. He doesn't want me anymore."
Knowing how true those last words were, I couldn't keep the fucking flood of tears from falling again. I don't even know how it's humanly possible to shed as many tears as I have in the last few days. Will walked over and sat on the edge of my side of the bed. He turned toward me and cupped my face with his warm hands. He wiped my tear stained cheeks with his thumbs.
"Emmalay, how could someone not want you? I've known you for five minutes and I want you more than anything. I give him forty-eight hours; after that fuck the bloody arse. I'll make sure you never have that look on your beautiful face again. I will teach him a fucking lesson on how to treat beautiful girls."
The Russians are here...
Two days earlier in New York City
Louis
S
ammy, keep the car up front. I don't think this meeting should take more than half an hour."
"No problem, Mr. Bruel, I'll be right here when you come out."
I can't believe I'm doing this shit. I haven't seen this cocksucker for ten years. He hears from our mutual business acquaintances that I'm in the hole and calls me. He fucking calls me as if ten years ago he didn't almost cost me my wife. If Em knew I even spoke to him she would be hurt. Now here I am, on my way to meet the fucker.
I never thought it would be this bad. I need to get Bruel Industries in the black again. God, I've taken a beating. How could I have trusted that wealth management business with so much of my hard earned money? It was a big deal for Jonathan Stein to agree to manage Bruel Industries' investments. It was just too good to be true. For years they were growing our money at inconceivable volumes, until six months ago when my world got turned upside down. Jonathan Stein was arrested and charged with securities fraud by the FBI. The fucker pleaded guilty to over twelve federal felonies, and admitted to turning his wealth management business into a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of billions of dollars. I fell for a Ponzi scheme! Well me, and thousands of his other investors. We were at least able to keep our name out of the news, but what a monumental fuck up. For years I managed my own money and then I just got lazy and greedy. I learned my lesson and lost over seventy percent of my net worth.
If Em only knew how close we are to losing our townhouse, she'd think I'm a total loser. My job is to provide for my family and I'm about to lose everything. If the deal Phillip is proposing checks out I can at least buy back from the bank our SoHo building, or as Em likes to call it, the treehouse, and
The Blue Lagoon
Villa in Turks. I promised Emily almost eleven years ago that I'd give her and our family the world. What kind of man am I? I gave her gifts and now I'm forced to take them back.
I'm ashamed of who I've become. I don't deserve to be her husband. I haven't even been able to make love to her in months. I'm worthless. People only see me for my wealth; once I lose that, who could possibly see me as anything at all? Will Emily be able to forgive me for losing all our memories? The
treehouse
is our love pad. Every room in that building is her; the bedroom where I had my first taste of her; oh God, the roof where I ate her out for hours under the 4
th
of July fireworks; the pool where we made love countless times; the theater room where we made out like teenagers while watching
Great Expectations.
She told me we were having a baby while I had her spread out on the kitchen counter. God, how can I look her in the eyes and tell her I lost our first home? The place where I knew I would love her forever. I need this fucking deal Phillip comes up with like I need my heart to keep beating. I need to sell five of my dad's buildings.
Here we go; it's time to make a deal with the fucking devil. There he is with that smug look on his face. The last time I remember him he was spitting venom at my wife. Saying all that dirty crap that made her cry. The last time I saw him he tried to apologize by hijacking a private lunch meeting I had with Max. I listened to his bullshit about how he was just kidding. That we shouldn't fight over some girl, that once I worked her out of my system I'd want my old life. He just didn't get me. He didn't know me at all. Max was listening to this shit and didn't say one damn word to Phillip. I told them I loved Emily. I told them I planned to marry her and these bastards still had the gall to invite some 'hos to our private lunch. One of the sluts, at Phillip's request, got naked and started sucking him off right at the table. Max came behind her and started fucking her from behind. I got a glimpse at the man Emily saved me from being. No one even noticed when I got up and left. That was the end of our long fucked-up friendship.
I want Emily to be proud of me. I want to be the kind of man my dad was. He loved my mom and me until the day he died. I would be that kind of man. Thank God Emily and I found each other. I have a beautiful woman who's my whole world. All I need now is to be the man I promised her I'd be.
"Lou, man, look at you. Did I really not see your pretty face for ten years?"
You fucking douchebag
, I think,
I could've lived without seeing that smug face for at least another ten years.
Why did I ever love this guy? Every memory I have of him involves something I could never share with anybody. I fucked so many women with him and in front of him. God, what an imbecile I was back then; too much money and no morals. After we do this deal I'm done with Phillip Dashell forever, so help me God.