Arizona Skies: The Muse (27 page)

It was a bittersweet day for Bailey and me. Both of us had confessed how we felt about each other. I held her hand as we walked along the white sandy beach, it was beautiful and tranquil. I had enjoyed our day together and was thinking about how we had to go our separate ways in a couple days. Every day we got closer to the end of our cruise and I got choked up with this feeling of incredible loss that was approaching. Will I be able to handle it, will she?

John looked over his shoulder at me as we strolled along toward the ship. He gave me a sad smile and unspoken words of encouragement. I smiled back at him and nodded my head as I held my girl in my arms. She was smiling sweetly at me, feeling the same end of our love story looming just ahead.

“Oh sweetheart,” I said pulling her head to mine for a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at me and a tear ran down her cheek. “I know what you’re thinking Bailey, we’ll get thru this somehow,” I said trying to give her words of encouragement. I was determined to make the most of what time we had, and by God, she was coming to Arizona if I had to go and get her and drag her there.

Fifteen

Bailey

S
helly and I decided to go for a swim while the guys went to practice. We had several hours to kill before dinner. We stopped by Liza’s room to make sure she was OK. She opened her door still slightly pink but feeling better. She admitted to being tired after being up all night with Keith, so she had decided to sleep in. We told her we were headed out for a swim and that she could lounge in the shade if she wanted to. She agreed and changed her clothes, grabbing a book to read.

We swam until my arms were sore and then lounged with Liza, trading stories of our lives back home. It was nice to get to know Liza better. She was twenty-four, a year older than Shelly and I. She had gotten her nursing degree and then went to work in a large hospital not too far from her home. I was shocked to find out she was dating someone, but she said it wasn’t serious. I wondered if she’d told that to Keith when she stayed up all night with him. I realized I was starting to feel protective of these guys and their feelings. They were starting to feel more like close friends instead of strangers I had just met.

The afternoon went by fast, and soon it was time to get cleaned up. Shelly and I went to our rooms to perform our nightly ritual. I realized that when I was in my room without Jesse, I was lonely, wondering what he was doing, and anxious to see him again. I had it bad, and I knew it was only going to get worse.

I took the time to text my mom, telling her I was OK and having lots of fun and that we’d get together when I got home. I took my shower, putting on the exotic lotion from the spa that Jesse bought me. I chose to wear the light-blue tank dress tonight that I had bought in Cozumel. I put a silver chain belt with it, silver jewelry, and my sandals. I thought I’d let Shelly do my hair and went to ask her, but when I opened my door there she stood with her hand in the air to knock.

“What are you psychic or something,” I smirked.

“What’s wrong? She asked.

I wanted to know if you’d do my hair?” I asked.

“Oh, OK,” she said, pulling me into my room. She was already dressed in a pink outfit, looking cute and sassy.

“How do you get ready so fast?” I asked her.

“I have to be at school early, so I’ve got my routine down to twenty minutes. My father would be impressed; he used to bitch because it took me so long to get ready,” she explained.

“That’s impressive. I thought I was fast, but you’ve got me beat,” I said.

“That blue dress looks great, but it’s very short, so don’t bend over,” she said, smirking as she looked at my back.

“I know; I love it. It’s simple perfection,” I said, looking in the mirror.

Shelly did my hair in long curls and then brought up the sides by twisting them together with a hair clip. I did my makeup, and we were ready for a night out with our guys.

Dinner was great as usual, and all the chatter around the table was about the island we visited today. Liza showed up and joined us, looking much better in a tight, black dress that showed off her long legs. Keith scooped her up to sit her next to him. Shelly and Scott talked about kayaking in the inlet area of the beach. John and Keith had gotten all their shopping done and managed to find time to go snorkeling. This was beginning to feel like a family gathering every
night—talking about our day, everyone listening to each other’s stories, laughing and joking with each other like families do. I had fallen in love with the lead singer of the band, but I also loved every member of this band. Shelly and I had been accepted into the fold like they’d known us our whole lives. There was no jealousy or judgment. All I felt was love from every person around the table.

We decided to nightclub it tonight, dance the night away, and have fun. I’d been melancholy all day and needed to cut loose and act my age. I was on my second glass of wine, laughing at Scott and Keith’s crazy antics, trying to outdo each other’s stupid jokes. Jesse had on his signature black jeans and a dark-green button-down shirt, which really brought out his green eyes. He kept looking at me as I laughed at those fools, watching my every move.

“Let’s go and find a table before the place fills up,” Scott said, pulling Shelly to her feet as he headed toward the door. We all followed them out to the deck, walking along the railing and looking out at the setting sun over the ocean. Shelly stopped, pulled her camera out of her purse, and started snapping pictures of us with the sunset in the background. Jesse and I posed for a couple shots. Keith, Liza, Scott, Shelly, and John joined us in some of the shots. We got a man passing by to get a shot of all of us together with the sky behind us, bright orange and red.

“Memories,” Shelly said, tucking the camera back in her bag and looking like she was about to cry. Scott rubbed her back as we headed toward the nightclub. I noticed that he and Keith both had on their necklaces that the girls had bought for them. Jesse, of course, had his leather band on, and I had my necklace, which I couldn’t help but feel every so often to make sure it was securely around my neck.

The nightclub was dark, and the music was loud, the perfect place to lose myself in and enjoy my night. John ordered a round of drinks for everyone, and we hit the dance floor. Scott and Shelly were doing their usual X-rated moves, but I wasn’t embarrassed this
time. I just laughed and danced around them, feeling young and happy. Jesse and I danced a couple fast dances and went back to the table to drink. I took out Shelly’s camera to take a couple shots of her on the dance floor. She looked so happy as she smiled up at Scott and he smiled down at her. I downed my wine and ordered another. Jesse was watching me but didn’t say anything.

“Let’s dance,” Jesse said when a slow song came on. He pulled me into his arms as he twirled me around the floor, getting lost in the sea of bodies moving around us.

“You look really sexy in the blue dress,” he whispered in my ear. “All the men in here have been watching you since you walked in. If you weren’t with me, I’d be jealous,” he said.

I smiled and molded my body into his, feeling every movement his body was making as we moved to the beat of the song. I breathed in his spicy, citrus Jesse scent, committing it to memory. He held me close, stroking my back and looking into my eyes.

I smiled up at him, studying how the lights showed the golden highlights in his hair. His green eyes sparkled as he smiled back at me. We didn’t talk, just held each other and swayed slowly to the music. Jesse’s mouth was close to my ear, humming the tune to me. This was the closest thing to heaven I had ever experienced, not wanting the night to ever end.

“Smile.” We turned to see Shelly at it again, making memories for us to hold on to. We went back and drank some more. I was getting pretty wasted and needed to dance some of the alcohol off. When the music turned fast, we all got up, even John, and danced in one big group, being silly and laughing. I closed my eyes and moved to the music, not feeling any pain. When I opened my eyes, Jesse was watching me with a slight grin. Scott was jumping around yelling. I turned around, noticing people in the nightclub watching us, definitely enjoying the show. I gave the signal to Jesse that I needed to go to the ladies’ room; he nodded and followed me as I weaved my way toward the hallway. Suddenly I stumbled and fell onto this man’s
lap, who quickly put his hands all over me. It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening.

“Hey, baby,” he said, reaching up my thigh under my dress.

“Get your hands off my girl,” Jesse said, pulling me off him.

I pushed the man’s hand off my leg as I tried to steady myself to continue toward the bathroom. “Get your filthy hands off me and leave me alone,” I yelled at him, straightening my dress.

“Hey, you fell on me, princess,” he said, looking me up and down. “She’s yours!” he said to Jesse. “Well, you’d better keep a better eye on her, man; she was just all over me,” he sneered.

“She tripped, you asshole, probably over your big feet. Get your feet the fuck out of the aisle,” Jesse said, kicking his shoe. Scott, John, and Keith were suddenly there, forming a semicircle around Jesse and me.

“Is there a problem here?” John asked, his muscular arms folded across his broad chest. All three men were tall, but John was built like a bodybuilder, and the look he gave that man sent a chill up my spine.

The man looked up at all of them and backed right down, getting up from his table as he held his hands up in self-defense.

“No, I was just helping the lady back to her feet,” the man said, swiftly walking away from us and out the door.

“I’m sorry,” I said to everyone and ran into the bathroom with Shelly right behind me. I ran into a stall to pee, feeling my head spinning as I held on to the toilet-paper holder for support.

“Shelly, I’m going to be sick,” I said, standing up and turning around. She burst into my stall to hold my hair while I lost dinner and all the wine I’d been drinking. She flushed the toilet and helped steady me as we walked out to the sink. She got a cold paper towel and held it on the back of my neck. I rinsed my mouth in the sink. “Here,” she said, giving me a stick of peppermint gum, which tasted out of this world.

“Still a lightweight,” she laughed.

“Very funny,” I said, holding the paper towel to my chest to cool myself down.

“Think you’d better call it a night,” she said, straightening my dress and fixing my hair. “I’ll go tell Jesse.”

I walked out a few minutes after her, feeling like the ship had hit high seas as I held on to the wall for support. Jesse put his arms around me to help hold me up.

“Let’s get you back to your room, honey,” Jesse said. I nodded as he helped me walk back to our table to get my purse.

“Feel better, Bailey,” John said softly. I nodded, giving him a weak smile.

“Night, Bailey,” Keith and Scott said as we walked out the door.

“I’ll check on you in the morning,” Shelly said, looking concerned.

“Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of her,” Jesse said, holding me tight. “Come on, sweetheart; I’ve got you. Let’s get you to bed.”

It seemed like two hours before we reached my door. I fumbled around in my purse for the key; finally, Jesse pulled it out for me and opened the door.

“Here we go,” he said, picking me up to carry me in. The room was spinning as he kicked the door shut and walked straight into the bathroom.

Putting me down, he propped me against the sink as he knelt to get my sandals off. I tried to stand on one foot; holding on to his shoulders, but lost my balance and fell into the side of the sink.

“Whoa…steady, girl,” he chuckled, bracing me against the sink to unhook my belt so he could pull my dress over my head. I gasped and reached up for my necklace, afraid I may have lost it. “It’s still there, sweetheart,” he said, unclasping it and setting it on the sink. “Here, let’s get those earrings.” He unhooked them from the holes in my ears. “There, are you ready for a shower?” he asked. I nodded, unable to form words. First I wanted to brush my teeth, so I turned toward the sink and reached for my toothbrush. My hand had a mind of its own as I tried to put toothpaste on the brush; it wouldn’t hold still, so I looked at him for help.

“Problem with eye-hand coordination there, tiger,” he chuckled. I tried to swat him but missed and almost fell over the toilet. He chuckled and held my hand steady, put toothpaste on my brush, and then turned on the water for me. I leaned over and brushed that horrible taste out of my mouth. Jesse held me around my waist to steady me; I felt like a limp noodle.

“You still feeling sick?” he asked, shutting off the water and putting up my toothbrush.

“Nn…ottt…ssu…rr…e,” I tried to say as I put my arms around his neck with a smile. I was having a hard time focusing. He was laughing as he reached behind me to unhook my bra. “It’s a good thing I don’t take advantage of drunken women, because, baby, you’d be in a lot of trouble right now,” he smiled. “Panties off,” he demanded, kneeling in front of me. “Do you think you can stand still for one minute?” he asked, showing sexy dimples as he smiled at me. I nodded yes, which catapulted me forward. “Whoa,” he said, grabbing me. “OK, into the shower you go.” He guided me toward the tub. He held me by my shoulder, bracing me against the wall as he leaned in to turn on the water. “Ssss…pec…i…allll…ssss…howw… er?” I asked, giggling and rubbing against his body.

“Honey, as tempting as that offer is, I’m afraid you might fall and break that pretty head of yours,” he said, guiding my legs over the side of the tub and into the steamy spray.

“Stay,” he said with his hand in the middle of my chest to keep me from falling as he quickly took his clothes off to get in with me.

“Oooooooo…” I reached for his bare chest. “I looovvve you,” I said, pointing at him with an unsteady finger. I leaned forward with my lips puckered for a kiss; he laughed as he held me.

“You are the cutest damn drunk I’ve ever seen,” he said, giving me a sweet kiss. “Now back to business,” he said sternly with a smirk.

“Yessss…sssi…rrrrr…” I said, trying to salute while holding on to the handle on the shower door.