Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

***SIMON***

S imon sat at the table in the center of the village for a long time, brooding over the strange turn of events and telling himself it was just one night, and it wouldn't happen again. Just because two little girls called him old, that didn't mean he was past his prime. He'd overreacted, made a big deal out of nothing. Tomorrow would be a better day. He'd spend some time on the beach. There were sure to be some available women there. He'd just be a bit more careful of who he chose to give his attention to this time.

But that still meant he had to go home alone, something he rarely did, and he was putting it off, hoping that his luck might change at the last moment. When the lights began to go off in the huts around him, and they started stacking the chairs up on the tables, he realized his fate was sealed. He got slowly to his feet and started for the trail to his cabin, feeling as pathetic as he'd ever felt in his life, glad that no one from home could see his walk of humiliation.

He'd just left the lights of the huts when Max came walking down the trail toward him, a pleased smile on his face, a little spring in his step. His heart sank when he saw him, and he looked around for a place to hide, but he was standing out in the open, and a second later, Max saw him. With no choice but to keep going, he walked up to his friend, trying to act like nothing was wrong, hoping that Max wouldn't notice that he was alone.

"I thought you were having dinner with Mary Beth tonight," he said, thinking he might be able to distract Max. "What are you doing over on this side of the village?"

"I was just walking her home," Max said. "We had a wonderful dinner. It was fun to talk about old times."

"I guess that's just what they were, old times," he said, shaking his head. "Too bad, she's a very attractive woman. Maybe I should get to know her better."

Max gave him a dirty look, "She's still off limits, buddy," he warned. "Just because we spent tonight talking about the past, that doesn't mean we're not planning on making a few new memories. Unlike you, I like a little romance before I take a woman to bed. A little anticipation makes everything a bit more interesting."

"Uhhh, romance is a waste of time," he said, waving his hand in the air. "What's the point anyway? Sex is sex, no matter how you get there."

Max sighed, "I'm too tired to give you a lecture tonight," he said. "Besides, I'm sure you've got some plaything waiting for you back at your cabin."

He hesitated just long enough for Max to figure out the truth, and his eyes widened with surprise, "You're going home alone," he finally said. "What happened to Mandy and Sarah? I thought you said one of them was a sure thing."

"It didn't quite work out that way," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "They……made other plans for dinner, but hey, it's just one night. I'll track them down tomorrow."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day you got passed over," Max said, shaking his head. "Maybe I should run over to the main island and buy a lottery ticket. I might just win. What happened, Simon? Are you losing your touch? That's three times you've been turned down since you got here, I don't know what to think. The world might be coming to an end."

He stared at his friend for a second, "Very funny, I'm not losing my touch, they just thought I was…. too old," he said, then quickly added, "Kira doesn't count anyway, she clearly hates men. No one would stand a chance with her."

"Did you just say that they thought you were too old?" Max asked, the beginning of a smile on his face. "I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"You heard me," he said, reliving the entire embarrassing conversation. "They said I was too old, then walked off with a couple of punks. I don't who you let on this island, but it's clear you need to recruit a better class of people. The fact that I'm a Nelson didn't even make a difference to them. I've never been so insulted in my life."

"I doubt either of them have ever heard of your family, they're from a small town in Montana," Max said, shaking his head. "They're both in medical school and probably smarter than both of us put together, so, no, they're not the kind of women that you're used to. I'm sorry if they weren't impressed by your name or your money, and don't blame me if they saw through all your bull. Personally, a woman with some brains is a lot more attractive to me, but I can see how you might have a problem with that. After all, you might have to have an actual conversation."

"I don't know why you invited me here if you're just going to insult me," he said, relieved to have someone to take his anger and frustration out on. "I never knew you thought I was such a loser."

"I don't think that you're a loser, Simon," Max said, then sighed. "If you want to know the truth, I think that you're wasting your life. I invited you here because I thought we could reconnect, get to know each other again, but I realize now there's no need. You haven't changed since college. You're the same person you were back then, still chasing women and thinking that getting them into bed is some kind of a major accomplishment."

"Wasting my life," he repeated, stung by Max's words. "I have a very full life, thank you. I do more than chase women. I play golf and tennis, and I haven't missed a function at the country club since I became a full member. Last year, I even did some volunteer work over the holidays. Just because I don't have a high-power job and make a bunch of money, that doesn't mean that I'm wasting my life."

"I told you that was just my opinion. If you're happy living the way you are, that's your business," Max said. "I'm sure there's enough money in the family coffers to let you live in style for the rest of your life without you having to lift a finger. Just because I think a man should support himself doesn't mean everyone feels that way. Lots of women will think that it's cool you live off your family money. After all, it gives you plenty of free time to pursue your hobbies."

"Now you sound like my father," he barked at Max. "I'm done with this conversation. The last thing I need is a lecture from you."

He stomped past Max before he could say anything, "Big jerk doesn't know anything about my life," he mumbled to himself as he walked down the trail toward his cabin. "I should have known better than to come here, I knew it was going to be a disaster."

***Kira***

Kira pulled two cups down from the cabinet, filled them with fresh coffee, then added generous helpings of cream and sugar. Pausing to look out the window for a second, she watched the birds flitting from branch to branch, their vibrant colors a contrast to the dark green of the trees. Taking a deep breath of the salty air, she picked up the cups and walked the few steps to Mary Beth's bedroom; knocked on the door, then pushed it open.

"Rise and shine," she called to the lump in the bed. "The coffee is ready, and the day is wasting away. Up and out of that bed, sleepy head."

Mary Beth flung back the covers, sat up and gave her a dirty look, "You are way too chipper in the morning," she said, holding her hand out for the cup. "I knew signing up for surfing lessons first thing in the morning was a mistake. I don't know why I let you talk me into it."

"You can take a nap this afternoon," she said. "Now get up and get dressed. We only have an hour before we're supposed to be down at the beach, and I want breakfast first."

"You go on ahead, I need a few more minutes to wake up," Mary Beth said, then took a large sip of the coffee. "I won't be long. Grab me something light, I don't eat much in the morning."

The smell of food reached her before she got to the village, and she decided she could get used to having her meals available on demand. When she saw the breakfast buffet set up in front of the huts, she felt even more spoiled, but that didn't stop her from filling a plate and digging into the food. She was just finishing her second plate when Mary Beth joined her, a full plate of her own, a guilty look on her face.

"I'll burn it all off surfing," Mary Beth said. "At least that's what I keep telling myself."

"You're supposed to gain weight on vacation, it's a rule," she said, stuffing the last piece of her waffle into her mouth. "We wouldn't want to break the rules."

"Definitely not," Mary Beth said. "Any sign of your tormentor this morning?"

"I haven't seen him, it's probably too early," she said. "If I'm lucky, I'll miss him completely while I'm sailing. I don't want to go another round with that jerk, I can't believe I felt sorry for him."

"Men like him never learn," Mary Beth said, shaking her head. "I don't remember him from college, but Max said he hasn't changed much since then."

"I'm not surprised," she said. "Enough about him. Tell me about you and Max."

Mary Beth shrugged, "There's not much to tell, we had dinner, and he walked me home," she said. "But I'm going to have lunch with him this afternoon."

"Is the old spark there?" she asked. "Come on, Mary Beth, spill."

A smile spread across her face, "Oh, it's there, alright," she said. "I'm just not sure if we're going to do anything about it. Max seems to be taking his time."

"Hmmm……building up the anticipation," she said, grinning at her friend. "You deserve a little romance. Enjoy it."

Montgomery was waiting for her on the beach with a little sailboat pulled up next to him on the sand, and he gave her an excited wave when he saw her. "Are you ready to become a sailor?" he asked when she reached him. "The tide is going out, the weather is perfect, we couldn't have asked for a better day."

"I'm a little nervous," she said, looking at the boat. "I don't know anything about sailing. There aren't very many lakes where I come from."

"Don't worry, we'll start with the basics before we even get into the water," Mongomery said. "I'll be there to help you every step of the way."

An hour later, they'd gone over every part of the boat, tied so many knots her fingers were sore, and spent a long time talking about safety on the water. Her head was spinning a bit when Montgomery finally brought the lesson to a close, and she was relieved when he suggested that they take a break to get something cold to drink.

"I don't know if I'll remember all of that," she said, sinking down into the sand in the shade of a big palm tree. "Maybe I should have taken notes."

Montgomery laughed, "I don't expect you to remember everything," he said. "But a little knowledge is better than nothing, and a lot of it you'll figure out when we get in the water. This is supposed to be fun, so just relax. You won't be sailing the boat, just helping out."

"That I can handle," she said, letting out a relieved sigh. "I'd probably drown us both if you had me captain."

"It's almost impossible to flip that little boat," Montgomery assured her. "You have to work really hard at it or do something incredibly stupid. That's why I like to use it to teach, but we're still going to wear life jackets."

"Fine with me," she said. "Safety first, right."

"Right," Mongomery said, smiling at her. "You're a quick study, you're going to be just fine out there."

"Thanks for the boost of confidence," she said, leaning over and nudging him with her shoulder. "You're a good teacher."

Montgomery opened his mouth to say something, but a voice dripping with sarcasm stopped him, "Well, isn't this cozy, I don't see much sailing going on," Simon said, walking up to them dressed in the skimpiest pair of swimming trunks she'd ever seen. "Maybe I should report this to management. It's against the rules to fraternize with the guests, Montgomery, you should know that."

She felt Montgomery's body tense up and saw the look of anger spread across his face, "Go right ahead, you seem to enjoy making a fool of yourself," she said before Montgomery could say anything and get himself in trouble. "We were just taking a break before we put the boat in the water, not that you deserve any explanation. Now move along. What we're doing is none of your business."