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Once outside, he said, “I only had a phone call I needed to make. As I said, I’m free for a good part of the day. Tonight, I will be taking Orion out. You know, guy time while the ladies do their girl stuff.”
“Yes, Kathy mentioned a bachelorette party tonight.”
“Are you attending?” he asked.
I shook my head. “That is something you do with your closest friends.”
He opened the door to the car and said, “I’d invite you to hang out with me and my brother, but that would defeat the purpose of guy time. Do you want me to reach out to Raya and see if you can join them?”
“Goodness, no! I feel bad enough for already intruding into this precious time. I will be fine at the resort. Besides, I brought some books that I have been dying to read and never have time to do so. And my room has a jacuzzi tub that has been calling my name. Now I will have time for a long soak,” I said.
And time to think about when and how to broach the subject that I need to.
“Are you sure?” I nodded. “Okay. Then how about we grab dinner, and I’ll drop you off?”
That sounds very familiar.
I couldn’t let that woman’s warning get into my head. There were no similarities between us. What he suggested just made sense for our situation. We had no time for anything other than dinner.
“That sounds great. But I have eaten so much these last few days. Is there a place we can get something light to eat?”
“What are you looking for? A salad?” I nodded and he said, “That’s not something normally served in the restaurants here. They cook Tabiqian foods, and we don’t eat salads.”
“How about at the resort?” I asked. I should know but hadn’t spent enough time there to really experience what they have to offer. I seemed to be at Orion and Raya’s a lot. And from what I’d experienced there, Mayson was right. Not one salad on the table. Granted, everything I ate had been delicious.
“I would think so because they cater to tourists. Let’s give it a shot. I know they have a nice dining room. Not that I’ve eaten there, but I know people who have.”
I was glad that he hadn’t taken one of his many girlfriends to eat there. Of course, I did feel uncomfortable knowing one of the ladies who worked there had dated Mayson. I wouldn’t want any of them to be angry with me and do something...disgusting to my food. The problem was from the saleswoman’s comment, it sounded like that could be the case anywhere we went to eat.
Mayson, the ladies' man. Figures.
“The resort sounds good.”
It didn't take us long to get back and be seated in the dining room. The Henderson family that owned the resort, knew how to cater to their guests. If Anya wasn’t paying for this, I didn’t know if I could afford such luxuries.
The waitress came over smiling and took our order. I couldn’t help but watch Mayson to see what his reaction was going to be, but there was none.
“You mentioned books. What do you like to read? Romance?” he asked.
I chuckled. “You would think so because I believe in soulmates, but I love autobiographies. I find the life of others so fascinating.” This just opened the door for me to ask about his life. Perfect. “It’s amazing that you think you know a person and what they have been through, but there is always so much more than one could ever imagine.”
“Probably all bullshit made up to sell books,” he said.
“I don’t know about that. I mean, who wants to open upabout the pain or tragedies they have experienced? It must be real,” I said. “Then again, I noticed you don’t talk about your life. Is that a Tabiqian thing?”
“It is, for the most part. We like to keep our personal affairs private.”
“Is that your way of telling me not to ask you any questions?”
“No. Feel free to ask. Just know that you might not always like the answer,” he stated.
I needed to start slow. Simple. Nonthreatening.
“Okay. Growing up, did you play any sports?” That wasn’t something that should cause a negative response.
“We didn’t have sports in school. Just played with our friends. Mostly what you Americans call soccer. How about you?” he asked.
“I was on the volleyball team. Pretty good. But that all ended when I blew out my right knee and was on crutches for months. After that, the season was done, and my parents said so was I. My parents were a bit...overprotective. How about yours?”
