Fire In His Eyes (Secrets & Seduction #1)(26)

When he came on the Wednesday before prom he teased me about his plans for our upcoming weekend together. Only four days away. I was excited to be able to have a whole weekend just the two of us. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but had told me what to pack; Bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts, and lingerie. Nothing fancy he said. A whole weekend. I couldn’t wait.

I had talked to my sister earlier on Friday morning and we were going to meet for coffee during my lunch break at Starbuck’s. We had talked on the phone a couple of times, but hadn’t seen each other in the last few weeks, even though we lived close; she worked 2nd shift at her job from two in the afternoon to ten at night. Her days off, were Thursday and Friday, and she slept while I worked, and worked when I was home. She was a youth counselor for the Department of Juvenile Justice, and did both individual and group therapy sessions in the afternoon and early evening, then had a few hours at the end of her shifts to complete paper work and such.

She wanted to see me before I left for the weekend, I was sure to warn me off of Victor. These last three weeks had been so wonderful and I told her all about it. She heard the hope in my voice. During our several conversations on the phone whenever I talked about Victor, I would hear her audible sighs through the telephone. She didn’t want to see me hurt. I did get her to admit that things seemed to be looking up. It made me feel better, like I was not just imagining it all.

I drove down US 19 to Little Road to the new complex of shops that housed the Starbucks. Ana was already there sitting outside at the little bistro area, sipping a mocha latte, and waved when she saw my car. I parked right in front and went over to kiss her on the cheek, the usual French greeting in my family.

“Be right back,” I said. “Let me get something to drink.” I went into the small shop, and ordered a medium breakfast blend decaf, with Splenda, and fat free milk. I didn’t like the frozen drinks, and still liked my coffee drinks hot.

I carried my drink outside and sat down next to her.

“So, a whole weekend, huh?” She beamed and the smile across my face was difficult to contain, and then added, “And, you don’t know where you’re going yet?”

“Nope. He wants to surprise me!” I said excitedly.

“Well text me, when you get there. Someone needs to know where you are going to be.” She took a sip of her drink. “Just saying,” she added and I could hear in her voice the hesitation again.

“Don’t worry about me,” I sighed. She would always worry, that was what big sister’s did, but I wanted her to be happy and excited for me as well.

“It’s not that, well it’s that, but it’s bartender boy, too,” she said sadly.

“Bartender boy? What do you mean?” I asked surprised at the sudden turn in conversation.

“Oh, he wants me to go to some family barbecue thing at the beach and is pressuring me. You know I don’t do other people’s families, and I don’t do barbecues. I am not the sun goddess you are.” She indicated my skin was olive in complexion. I had our father’s complexion and coloring while she had our mother’s. “Look at my alabaster skin and red hair, I am a moon goddess.” She took another sip and then brought the cup down so carelessly the top popped off sending frozen mocha shooting up out of the top of the container. We both laughed. My sister was so dramatic, and terribly, terribly clumsy. She always had the craziest accidents usually involving food.

“So, bring an umbrella, lotion up and wear a big hat,” I offered. She had been spending a lot of time with this guy, had mentioned it a few times, but had never mentioned it was getting serious.

“I don’t know,” she mused. “He’s really sweet. Who would have thought a bartender would be sweet. You would have thought he would be rough and tough, well he is tough and rough at times,” she waggled her eyebrows at me, “But otherwise, he is just different from the guys I normally see.” Her expression was perplexed.

My sister dated losers, and bad boys. Sweet was never a word I would have used to describe any one of them. Ever since her young marriage at nineteen to an older guy, and subsequent divorce three years later after she had caught him cheating on her, my sister had gone through three to four guys a year. She usually picked guys a few years younger, ones she could control.

“Well, that sounds like a good thing to me.” I reached over to pat her hand sympathetically although I wished her problems were mine. I would have taken it as a very good omen if Victor wanted me to meet his mom, or any other members of his family, for that matter. “Ana, maybe it’s time you took a bit of your own advice, and take a chance on something different.”

“Ah, physician heal thyself.” She laughed and shook her head still looking melancholy. “Hey, we are here to talk about you, not me. Sooo, you’re going to text me where you are, and at least once every day to let me know you are good. You are going to be careful with your heart, and you’re going to f*ck his brains out.” Ana was back.

I laughed, and made a three check mark motions in the air, “Done, done, and done!”



I picked Victor up in my SUV at his apartment at six; he had asked if we could take my car since we would have more space in the back. I was okay with that. He also said if I picked him up it would be faster as where we were going was in his direction. The city he wanted to take me was South of him, we were not going North. It would save us a lot of time if I met him. Excited about going, I hastily agreed. He was in the parking lot when I got there, waiting for me, and he looked fresh and clean, and scrumptious. He had on khaki Bermuda shorts, and a white Perry Ellis button down shirt. He was standing next to a small travel suitcase, a cooler, a beach bag with towels and a blanket, and a small silver trunk.