Page 11 of Chasing Forever

She couldn’t wrap the towel around herself fast enough, and then she plopped down on the chair and pretended to relax while she watched the rest of the show.

Chase was leaning against the opposite side of the pool now with his arms spread out along the ledge. At first, Callie thought he was holding himself up, but then she realized he was standing in the six-foot section. Reaching into her tote bag, she pulled out her notepad again and jotted “Over six feet tall” next to the list of her hero’s attributes.

In the meantime, blondie was happily clinging to his side. It was either that or drown since she wasn’t over six feet. If Callie had to guess, she’d put her at about five feet seven. Everyone was taller than her.

Trying not to be too obvious, Callie observed them in between taking notes. Chase appeared to be torn between looking at her and the wet, clinging woman at his side. Then the brunette rose from her lounge chair and walked over to join them.

This should be interesting.

Instead of getting into the pool, the brunette sat on Chase’s other side and dangled her legs in. He was the meat in a bikini sandwich, but for some reason, he didn’t look thrilled about it. The poor guy didn’t know where to look, but Callie didn’t feel sorry for him. She was more curious than anything, and a tiny bit jealous if she were being honest.

She and Chase had been close to having a real conversation before blondie had interrupted. When they’d been talking, he’d given her his full attention, and she’d liked it. He’d seemed genuinely interested in her, even if she’d looked like a drowned rat compared to the bikini models beside him.

The brunette leaned in and whispered something in Chase’s ear. Whatever it was made his eyebrows raise above his sunglasses, and then the brunette laughed. Blondie, not to be outdone, whispered in his other ear, and Callie swore she saw his face turn red. Maybe the redness was from being in the sun too long, though she doubted it.

At that point, she decided she’d seen enough. She stood up, dropped her towel, and reached for her cover-up. Somehow it had fallen off the chair and was lying on the ground, forcing her to bend over to retrieve it. Once she’d put it on and was zipping it up, she glanced over at Chase, and sure enough, he was looking straight at her.

If he’d thought she’d given him a butt shot on purpose, he was dead wrong, but she smiled at the idea of it. Maybe she’d even write that into her story. She didn’t look at him again until she’d gone out of the pool gate and turned around to latch it.

His girls were back by their chairs, packing up their belongings and chatting happily while Chase stood apart and dried himself off with his towel. Callie couldn’t help but stare for a minute. The man was an object of beauty, which was why he made the perfect muse. But there was something else there too, something she suspected the two Barbies weren’t interested in, but she was.

What made him tick? What had happened this past year that made him come here alone? And why did he seem more curious about her than his friends? Who was this man she’d chosen as her hero? And the most perplexing question of all—why did she care?

Chapter 8

After lounging around the resort for a few days, Chase decided it was time to get out and do something “touristy.” He consulted Google and decided to go snorkeling at Poipu Beach, which was nearby on the south shore of the island.

After stopping in town to rent some equipment, he pulled into the beach parking lot, which was already filled with cars. Supposedly, it was one of the most popular beaches on the island, and aside from the excellent snorkeling, there was a good chance of spotting monk seals sunning themselves on the warm white sand.

Chase grabbed all his gear and headed out to claim his own patch of sand. He laid out a towel, sat down, removed his shirt, and stuffed it into his bag. Leaning back on his elbows with his shades on, he surveyed the scene.

Beaches were made for people-watching, and for a while, that was what he did. This was a family-friendly beach, and he smiled at the children splashing and playing at the water’s edge. Farther out, heads bobbed in and out of the water, and snorkeling tubes jutted into the air. Every so often, someone would motion excitedly to the water where they must have spotted an exotic fish or interesting sea creature.

But he wasn’t in a hurry to join them. He had all day and the next several weeks, and he could take his time. It was refreshing not having to answer to anyone, and he planned to take full advantage of his freedom. All too soon, he’d be back at the office, dealing with other people’s problems. But for now, he was going to adopt the Hawaiian slogan “Hang loose!” Maybe he’d even break down and buy a T-shirt with the phrase on it.

He could have used that philosophy a few nights ago when Kelsey and Tina had propositioned him…

After hanging out at the pool, they suggested going for dinner and drinks at a local bar. Not seeing any harm in it, he agreed, and they drove there together—his first mistake of the evening.

At first, everything was fine. They talked over appetizers and drinks (fruity cocktails for the women and beer for him). It wasn’t riveting conversation, but it was pleasant, and the atmosphere was energizing. He discovered that both women worked at the same salon in Dallas, thus their big hair and perfectly manicured nails. He told them he was a lawyer, leaving out the specifics, which they didn’t seem interested in anyway. Kelsey and Tina were like the cover of a glossy magazine: their primary goal to attract attention. And that they did.

He received several envious glances from other men in the place and a few women too, but as the evening went on, he grew weary. Yes, they were nice to look at, but it wasn’t enough. He kept getting distracted by thoughts of Callie and their earlier conversation in the pool.

His conservative next-door neighbor with her glasses, ever-present notepad, and curious glances seemed much more intriguing than these two women combined.

The evening took a turn for the worse when a band started playing and an area was cleared for dancing. He allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor, where Kelsey and Tina took turns gyrating against him. By then, they’d each had a few drinks and not much food, and the alcohol was taking effect.

He’d nursed two beers over three hours, and he barely felt anything except the beginnings of a headache and the urge to escape. In his head, he kept hearing Eric egging him on: “Come on, man. These women are into you. Go for it.”

But as attractive as they were, and as easy as it might have been, he wasn’t remotely tempted.

He recalled thinking, What the hell’s wrong with me? and I wonder what Callie’s doing right now? which was ridiculous because he hardly knew her. They’d only exchanged a few sentences, yet he found her more appealing than these two.

At one point, he left them on the dance floor, stating he had to use the restroom. Truthfully, he just wanted a break. Afterward, he’d gone back to their table instead of returning to the dance floor.

A couple of young guys approached the women and chatted them up, but then Kelsey and Tina turned and pointed at Chase, and their would-be suitors wandered off. Chase wished the women had ditched him for the other guys, because he was done.

When they came back to the table, flushed and slightly out of breath, he said, “Are you two ready to get out of here?” Using that phrase turned out to be his second mistake of the evening.