Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Crystal

"I'm not sure about this one. It's a little...tight," I said, looking in the mirror.

The saleswoman replied, "I can see if we have it in one size up."

"I think it fits you perfectly," Mayson said from his seat.

I turned around to face him. "You're just saying that because you're tired of watching me try one dress after another."

"Not at all. I would actually say this has been..."

"Boring?" I finished.

He grinned. "I was going to say, educational. Never knew that there were so many different terms for what looked like the same style of dress."

And you wish you never had to learn.

" Do you really think this dress fits me right?" I asked. I'd much rather have had Kathy here who I knew would give me her honest opinion, but all I had was Mayson. The saleswoman was out for one thing. Making a sale.

"I would say it's between this one andthe red one you tried on earlier," he replied.

"Red? Don't you think that's a bit...bold for a wedding?"

He shrugged. "Not to be mean, the yellow and black one made me think of killer bees. I'm sure that isn't the look you were going for."

My mouth gaped open. "Goodness, no." So, he remembered two of them. Now for the rest. "How about the others?"

"Pink also was good, but it was way too baggy. Made you look like you're trying to hide that figure of yours. The blue was...okay, besides being too long, nothing stands out about it. White, well, even I know you don't wear white to a wedding, and I've never actually been to one."

I was more than impressed. He may have looked as though he'd been paying attention to his phone, but he definitely was looking at me.

"Nothing else stood out?" I asked.

"There was the purple, but you don't strike me as a polka dot kind of person."

"I'm not. I tried telling her that, but she insisted I try it on," I sighed.

"And the green one, looked good, but I could tell by your eyes, you hated it," he stated.

"That's a story for another day," I said.

"Which one is it going to be? The red or the black?" he asked.

I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. Mayson said it wasn't too tight, but it really hugged me and accentuated my curves even more. Maybe that's what you like about it. He nailed it regarding the others, so my choice was easy. The red strapless. It had a heart-shaped bodice with awide pleated skirt that ended just below the knee. The perfect combination of sexy and elegant.

Spinning around, I said, "That is something you'll find out at the wedding tomorrow."

"Wait. I just spent three hours dress shopping, and I can't even know which one you're wearing?" he asked, pretending to be hurt, his hand over his heart.

"You should've negotiated those terms before agreeing to take me," I teased as I slipped into the back room to change out of the dress. The saleswoman was there, and I told her what I wanted packed up and delivered to the resort the next day.

When I returned to the front of the store, Mayson wasn't where I had left him. Had he grown tired of waiting? Did I offend him with my comment about negotiating? It was possible. I was in a foreign country, and I could tell that the saleswoman's demeanor changed with Mayson sitting there. I'd thought Anya's description of Tabiq may have been overexaggerated, but now, not so much. The saleswoman had been very pleasant, but I could tell she wanted me to make a choice, and for us to leave.

Maybe it wasn't me who said something. Maybe it was her.

I pulled out my cell phone and debated calling him or the resort. Either way, I needed a ride. As I did, I noticed Mayson had sent me a text message.

HAD TO STEP OUT TO MAKE A CALL. I'LL BE BACK SHORTLY.

That made much more sense. I sat down in the seat that he'd been occupying during my so-called ‘fashion show'. The saleswoman came out and seemed surprised to see me there.

"You're alone?" she asked.

I nodded. "He had a few things to attend to. Would you mind if I waited for him here?"

"You may be waiting a long time," she stated.

Odd.

"Why would you say that?" I inquired.

Turning her back to me, she said, "My apologies. I shouldn't have said such a thing."

But you did. Why?

"No need to apologize." That didn't mean I was going to let that slip go. "You were very helpful. And thank you for taking so much of your time out of your day helping me find the right dress."

"It is my job. This is my shop."

But you still weren't happy having us, or me, here.

"May I ask you a question?" I could tell by her body language that she wanted to say no, but as the customer, she was torn abouthow to answer me. So I asked my question anyway. "Did you want me to wait somewhere else?"

She spun around and blurted. "Nonsense. You sit here and wait."

I prodded, "But you don't want me here. Or am I wrong?"

She sighed. "It is not you. I don't care for Mr. Moyer."

Ah. It was him, not me.

"May I ask why?" Because I just did. " Did he do something you don't approve of?"

"The way he looks at you. It's none of my business, but it isn't...appropriate."

Half the time I had been too busy looking at myself in the mirror to notice, but a few times our eyes met briefly. What had she seen that I didn't?

"In what way?" I questioned.

"I shouldn't have said anything. It really isn't my place."

"But I want to know," I pushed.

She walked over and sat down in the chair beside me. "How long have you known Mr. Moyer?"

"A few days. I am here on vacation, and he was kind enough to bring me to shop for a dress for the wedding I'm attending tomorrow." Wasn't about to mention that fact he asked me to go as his date. I knew that wasn't going to be a good thing, at least not in her eyes.

"You look like a very nice woman. Don't fall for his...charms. You will only get your heart broken," she stated.

Since the woman was in her late sixties, I had to assume it wasn't from her own experience. "Did he break your daughter's heart?" I asked, even though I shouldn't. It wasn't any of my business. Not like we were serious. Heck, we hadn't even kissed. All he had been to me, was kind to me. I was the one who hadn't been upfront with him. If she should be worried about someone getting hurt, it was Mayson and Orion. But I wanted to know Mayson, all of him, and if he was going around breaking hearts, that was a part I should know too.

Maybe if I learn he is a complete asshole, I won't feel so badly about keeping my true intentions from him.

"It is my granddaughter. Mr. Moyer took her to dinner a few times. She wouldn't listen to me. I told her that he wasn't a man who wanted a relationship. But she wouldn't listen, and let her heart open up to him. And then, he stopped calling her. She was crushed because when she saw him next, he was with someone else."

I reached out and touched her hand. "I'm sorry. They do say that love hurts, but I know that with the right person, it doesn't." I haven't been lucky enough to find my right person and have had my share of bad breakups too. But that doesn't mean I didn't believe that one day it could happen for me too. "I hope she finds her person because it doesn't sound as though Mayson was it."

"No. And I don't believe he is yours either," she stated.

It was too soon to tell, but there was something special growing, at least for me. But I know that I'm not his person. Love can't start with a lie, but I already know this will end with him hating me.

Maybe me hating myself even more. Keeping it off me and back onto her granddaughter, I asked, "Is she doing okay now?"

"No. She has been crying for two days. She won't even come out of her room. I told her that she will lose her job if she doesn't return to work."

"Keeping busy might help her keep her mind off him." I knew the Tabiq didn't have a very strong economy, and I would hate to see her lose a job over this.

"She said she will go to work tomorrow. I told her to go today. But unlike years ago, you don't always listen to what your elders are telling you." She let out a heavy sigh, and added, "I am worried about her."

If she was still crying, then I had to assume it was a very recent breakup. "Maybe she just needs more time to get over the breakup," I said.

"They would've had to be a couple to break up. But it has only been two days," she said.

Two days? Like the two days that I've been spending with Mayson? Shit!

My mouth gaped open. She couldn't be talking about me, could she? I mean the timing is right, but that's all. I didn't need to even ask.

"She works at New Hope, and she saw him dropping you off. At first, she thought he was just giving you a ride from the airport. That is a common thing here. The resort will ask trusted people to transport guests from the airport to the resort. But then Mr. Moyer returned. And she watched you leave with him again. She knew then that this was more than just a ride. He was...interested in you."

I wanted to correct her. Tell her that he was just transportation. But that wasn't true. Even the fact that he was here with me at the dress shop, and stayed, said this wasn't business. Just not sure what it is.

" I'm sorry. I had no idea that he was dating someone."

It wasn't my focus when I arrived. It shouldn't be now, but somehow it did bother me that I stepped into his life when someone else was trying to.

"I told her that he wasn't serious about her. She wouldn't listen. This is who Mr. Moyer is. He dates and then moves on. He will never settle down with one woman."

"Then it sounds like she is better off finding someone who is," I said.

"And what about you? Are you prepared to get your heart broken?" she asked.

"I am here on vacation. Nothing more. I'm not looking for a relationship."

I hoped that didn't make me sound as though I was here for some vacation fling either. I wasn't a woman who slept around. Heck, since becoming Anya's personal nurse and for the most part, living with her, I've only dated a few times. Unfortunately, none of those dates included sex.

This one doesn't either.

" At least you have been warned about what you're getting yourself into. Like I told my granddaughter. If you get hurt, you have no one to blame but yourself." The door opened and Mayson walked inside. The woman got up and said, "I will have your package delivered to New Hope by the end of the day, pressed and ready. Thank you for your business."

She didn't even wait until we left before heading into the back room again. It now was obvious that she held resentment towards Mayson. Couldn't blame her. Seeing someone you love hurting, also hurts you.

"Are you ready?" he asked as though he hadn't picked up on the tension in the room.

Getting up I said, "Yes. And since you appear to be busy, maybe you can just drop me back off at the resort."

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?"

There was a pause, and his eyes became dark just before he looked away. "Don't know my father. And my mother left when I was a child. Guess you would say she wasn't protective at all. Unless protecting herself counts," he snarled.

I could feel the resentment within him. But from what Anya told me, they had no idea why she left.

"I'm very sorry. That must have been very difficult for you and your brother," I said.

"Unfortunately, not all that uncommon here in Tabiq."

Anya had mentioned that as well. "Not to defend your mother's actions or those of the others, but maybe there were good reasons for them leaving? Maybe they did it for their children?"

Anya had said that if she hadn't left, what was tearing her up inside would've eventually landed on the children. She recalled one day feeling so broken inside that she knew she needed to leave to give them a chance of a normal life because what was happening to her, wasn't ever going to end.

"I am a few years younger than Orion, but when I asked what he remembers about our mother leaving, this is what he said. He had come into the house and asked her to play with us. She refused and he continued to ask, hoping that if he pushed enough, she would give in. But he got the same answer. As a kid, he was brutally honest and asked, ‘Mommy, why can't you smile and have fun with us like Grandmother?' I think it was two or three days later that she left and never returned." Mayson paused for a moment before continuing. "Orion never speaks about it, but I know he feels as though it was his fault. I know it wasn't. Even when she was here, she really wasn't here, if you know what I mean."

"I do. Kind of. But you're right. It is not Orion's fault. I'm glad you see that." And I hope one day you see that it isn't all her fault either. " Have you ever tried finding her?" I asked.

"Why would I want to? She knows where she left us. If she cared, she would've reached out, if not returned." The words were coming out of his mouth, but I could see the pain still in him. He wanted her, he just was angry that he did. "Orion would never admit it, but I think he tried looking for her when he was younger. Now, neither of us speaks about her. And if you hadn't asked, I'd have been okay with going on the rest of my life not doing so."

I didn't believe that for a second. He might not want to think about her, but he did. And knowing how much she loves her boys, and this only made this trip even more important. If I had to scrap and borrow, I would've found a way here just so that the letter can be delivered. They needed to know the real reason why she left. I just wish she'd shared what was in the letter with me, because I am counting on it answering all the questions they might have.

"I didn't mean to bring up such pain. But sometimes talking about things like this helps."

He laughed. "Sure. So does whacking your thumb with a hammer."

"Point taken. Changing the subject."

"Good. Let's talk about you. What made you want to become a nurse?" he asked.

He had been open when speaking with me, so now it was my turn. "I was lucky to have a close relationship with my parents, but my mother was gone a lot. My grandfather had been very ill for a long time, and she would travel to stay with my grandparents to help care for him. A few times she took me along with her. I guess watching him slowly getting worse made me feel helpless. All I could do was sit quietly. When he died, I made a vow to myself that if I ever had to care for someone who was sick again, I was going to be able to do a lot more than just sit. And hence why I went to nursing school."

"I felt the same way when my grandfather died. Helpless, I mean. Instead of it driving me to medical school, I think it put up walls. I had been very close with him, and after that, didn't want to ever get that close to anyone again," he admitted. Then he shot me an accusing look. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked, innocently.

"Get me to talk about shit I don't want to?"

"Maybe it's because you feel comfortable doing so with me, just like I do with you. No one has ever asked me why I wanted to be a nurse. You're the first person I admitted it to. I'm glad I did," I stated.

The waitress brought over his lamb stew and my salad. When she left, he said, "I guess that is enough sharing for one day. Let's eat. You have a book waiting and I have to go pick up Orion."

We hardly spoke during dinner, but I knew why. The walls he mentioned were starting to crumble and he was doing everything he could to keep them from collapsing. Now it was my job to ensure that didn't happen. Thankfully, tomorrow I was going to be his date, and we'll have a lot more time together.