Paradise Wild (Wild At Heart Book 2) (3 page)

She scuffed her Ugg boots on the tile porch, glancing up and down the wide, tree-lined street where nobody moved early on a Sunday morning. In the far distance a lawnmower revved. But the nearby inhabitants kept easier hours.

Deciding to act as if nothing had happened the previous night, Ellie poised a shaking finger over the bell and then dropped her hand to her side. She paced in the narrow space between the door and the large living room windows, head hanging low.

Her mind went back to the prior night’s drive home. She thought of her friend Elliot, his hand on the gearshift lever as he pushed the car into first and pulled the parking break, nestling the Miata deftly into the dark shadows between streetlights near her house. She remembered how he’d slid his hand to her knee. His gaze hadn’t left hers as he leaned across the levers, pulling her uncomfortably toward him. He’d explored her mouth, his tongue sticky and tasting of beer. His braces had pinched her lips while his fingers yanked at her top.

At that moment, all Ellie had been able to think was,
I’m not the kind of girl guys make out with.

That thought had kept her from enjoying the long, fumbling, increasingly warm minutes in the car.

I’m his friend. Not someone he takes to parties. Not someone
any
guy takes to parties.

Although Elliot had taken her to a party that evening.

I’m his study buddy.

Even though Elliot had stopped studying with her months ago.

Guys don’t hook up with me.

Despite Elliot’s efforts to do exactly that.

What’s going on?

The last time Ellie had kissed a boy had been at summer camp the previous August. He had chosen the last dance on the last night to walk her into the woods for a hurried embrace against a tree. Mosquitos had swarmed around them in increasing numbers until Ellie’s partner, waving, scratching, and swatting, fled for the cafeteria. The next morning, he’d avoided her at breakfast and disappeared into the back of his parents’ SUV before she’d had the chance to say goodbye.

That had seemed to her like a fitting precursor to another romantically arid year of high school. But parked by her home, with Elliot’s increasingly heavy breathing, inept fumbling with her blouse, and hands sliding hesitatingly across her breasts, she’d reconsidered and wondered if he wanted to date her.

Standing in front of Elliot’s door the next morning, she asked herself for the hundredth time what he had meant and how he felt. Did he like her that way?

A more intriguing and somewhat disturbing thought always followed. Did she like
him
?

In the cloudy light of a damp Newark, Delaware October morning, with orange fall leaves still sticking to her fuzzy boots, teenage Ellie closed her eyes and tugged a strand of long hair across her chin. The scent of her shampoo mingled with the faint aroma of her parents’ morning coffee. It smelled comforting.

I got this.

She pumped her fist like her high school team did before its volleyball games.

Screw it. Whatever happens, happens.

She pushed the buzzer.

Years later, on the thirtieth floor of the Russian Hill condominium, Ellie opened her eyes and refocused on the reality in front of her. This wasn’t Elliot’s door. It was Dr. Lovejoy’s. The plush maroon carpeting and muted light of elegant wall sconces pulled her back to the present. She trailed a strand of hair absently over her chin.

Still smells like shampoo and coffee.

In the quiet corridor she pumped her fist inconspicuously and depressed the bell.

After only a moment, Devora answered dressed in what, on first glance, seemed like the same outfit as yesterday. A second glance told Ellie this one was even more expensive. She took a brief sniff as she passed. Devora’s scent was subtle and reeked of money.

Inside the white interior, Devora stood out like a lone pine tree on a snow-covered mountaintop. The whiteness was so glaring that Ellie wished she hadn’t removed her sunglasses.

She shielded her eyes. “It’s intense in here.”

Devora nodded. “Right. It’s worse at certain times of day.”

Their high heels clicked on the travertine flooring as they traversed a hallway as long as Ellie and Celine’s apartment. Ellie took in the gleaming stainless steel kitchen to her right and the closed white doors to her left—doors that blended almost perfectly into the wall and were indicated only by silver handles.

The hallway ended at an enormous living-dining room. The view of Fisherman’s Warf and Alcatraz Island framed in the row of floor to ceiling windows brought Ellie to a sharp stop.

A soft “wow” escaped her.

Devora continued without pause, crossing the line where the stone flooring yielded to nubby white carpeting flecked with specks of gray. “Doctor Lovejoy, Ellie Atherton is here.”

Ellie hadn’t noticed a woman sitting with her back to the view, her feet in a ceramic footbath, her hands on a small table, the entire scene dwarfed by the immense expanse of glass. An Asian woman in a white coat busied herself with polishing Dr. Lovejoy’s nails and ignoring the other guests.

Ellie teetered across the bumpy carpet, wishing the she could see her new employer better against the bright light. Ellie held out her hand. It hung in the air for a few seconds before anyone spoke.

“I can’t shake your hand, as you can surely see, Ms. Atherton.” Dr. Lovejoy nodded, indicating the woman at work. “But thank you for coming.”

Ellie’s arms retreated behind her back. “Ellie. Call me Ellie.”

“Ellie then. Call me Vivyenne.” She turned to Devora and asked her to bring Ellie a refreshment, showing her as she did so a square, chiseled chin in profile. As Ellie’s eyes adjusted, she surveyed the rest of Vivyenne, unable to find a wrinkle of fat or hair out of place.

Upkeep, refurbishing, and additions for a body like that must cost…
She paused to calculate.
Over thirty thousand dollars a year
.

Devora handed Ellie a scalding china cup of black coffee.

Oh, great.
Ellie searched for a place to deposit the already shaking vessel.
This doesn’t look like a Stainmaster carpet.

Vivyenne glanced at a computer screen propped on a table at her side. “I don’t have much time, Ellie. I know you want to meet Viv. And I believe Devora has told you my circumstances. I adore the cat.”

Ellie stole a quick glance at Devora, whose face remained neutral.

“But I recently purchased a house on Maui and am thinking of moving there. So I would like Viv to get used to it. How better to adjust him than to have him go with you, while you supervise the work that must take place before I can take up residence?”

Ellie nodded absentmindedly, thinking only of the small, brown tidal wave gradually building in her quaking hand. The more she concentrated on trying to hold still, the more her hand wobbled.

If I don’t find a place to put this quick, Vivyenne’s going to kill me before I get to Hawaii.

Devora appeared at her elbow. “Let’s go find Viv. And I’ll brief you on the current situation.” She steered Ellie by the elbow and, as soon as their backs were to Vivyenne, relieved Ellie of the coffee.

Ellie lowered her voice. “Hashtag grateful.”

“I saw yesterday how you are around hot liquids. I would have brought you water, but she didn’t have any. She would have flipped if I’d poured you some out of the tap.”

Ellie grinned at Devora. “How do you stand working here?”

“Why are you taking a semester off to look after a house?”

“Money.”

Devora raised an eyebrow in response.

Ellie nodded. “Oh, right.”

A few minutes later, Ellie sat on a white bedroom carpet with her back against a white wall, a sleek, white and gray spotted cat curled up on her lap. She traced the two stripes on its cheek and a contented hum issued from the lithe form.

Devora stood erect, a few foot from the wall. “So you understand, right? I’ll be your main contact. I’ll do research on the contractors. You just have to make sure they do what they’re supposed to do. I hear Hawaii’s not the easiest place to get things done quickly.”

“I got it. And you’ll take care of the whole pet immigration thing?”

A characteristically rapid smile scooted across Devora’s face. “It’s not immigration. Hawaii and California are the same country. It’s a rabies quarantine. And I’m passing that over to you. It’s mostly done. You just have to get him through at the airport when you arrive.”

“I think we can handle that, right, Viv?” Ellie pulled gently at the striped tail, which twitched out of her grasp.

Devora’s phone pinged. “That’s Vivyenne. I’ve got to get back in there. You can find your way out, right? I’ll have the iPad and the credit card sent to your address. You buy your tickets and let me know the dates.”

Ellie stood and cradled the limp cat in her arms. Devora paused at the door. “There’s no way you can take Viv now, is there?” She glanced toward the living room. “She really hates the poor thing.”

Ellie frowned. “I can’t. Our place doesn’t allow pets. That’s how I ended up cat sitting in the first place.”

“Right. Was just a thought.” Devora reached out and tickled Viv briefly behind the ear. Then she was gone.

As Ellie waited for the elevator, she texted Celine.

Ellie: All set. Cat’s adorable. Boss is an ice queen. Assistant’s better than I thought.

Celine: Good. But who cares. You’re going to MAUI.

Ellie: Can I get an amen?

The elevator that whisked Ellie to the ground floor dropped as smoothly as a Rolls Royce gliding over a red carpet. Ellie stepped into the glittering two-story lobby and sighed.

If this is her San Francisco place, I can’t wait to see what she bought in paradise.

Chapter 3

Celine steered the tiny silver Zipcar along the freeway, maneuvering through thick traffic toward the airport exit lanes. “I still can’t believe it. Three weeks ago you were lonely and broke.”

Ellie grinned. “I could still be lonely.”

“You’ll be in a mansion walking around in a bikini surrounded by buff contractors. Explain to me how you’re going to be lonely.”

Ellie looked out the window at the Bay. “Seriously. I’ve never done most of this stuff before. Supervise electricians and gardeners and whatnot?”

“When it gets too much, drag yourself down to your private Maui beach and call me. I’ll be feeling your pain.”

The car sped by large corrugated iron warehouses over which a billboard proclaimed,
‘
The best days are play days’
.

Ellie laughed. “I feel like I might be veering off the highway I thought my life would be taking. Should be taking.”

Celine glanced at her. “Didn’t you want to get away from here?”

“Sure. But I also wanted to be a lawyer once. And for a while I thought I wanted that high-powered job at Twitter. But I’m glad now I didn’t do those things. They didn’t fit. They weren’t me.”

“Nerves. It’s like you’re walking down the aisle. You aren’t quite sure you’re doing the right thing.” Celine patted Ellie’s knee. “Well, I’m here to tell you, get a grip. You’re moving to paradise. If you hate it, come back, and I’ll take your place.”

At the Alaska Airlines curb, Celine hopped out and opened the hatch. She hefted two enormous suitcases onto the sidewalk as Ellie slung her messenger bag around her shoulders and removed Viv’s cat carrier from the foot well. She raised the black and yellow nylon bag to eye height.

“What’s good, Viv?”

A pitiful meow issued from the interior. Celine joined them and scratched at the mesh.

“Don’t complain too much, dude. There’s still time for me to crawl in there and replace you.”

Ellie put the carrier down and looked at her suitcases.

“What was I thinking when I packed these?”

Celine tilted her head to one side. “You can’t blame me. I was the person who said all you need is a swimsuit.”

“I wanted to be on the safe side.” Ellie lifted the cat carrier and balanced it precariously atop of the smaller case.

A police officer pointed at the car and motioned. Celine and Ellie wrapped their arms around each other.

Celine pecked Ellie’s cheek. “Don’t forget your fam will be freezing in the fog.”

Ellie slung the carrier over her shoulder. “Wish me luck.”

Celine waved at the approaching officer and strode toward the driver’s side. “Aloha, sister. Expect me at fall break.”

Viv’s carrier swayed from Ellie’s shoulder as she struggled to pull the two suitcases behind her. Inside the terminal, a long line snaked to the edge of metal post boundaries. Ellie closed her eyes.

“Awesome. It’ll take hours to get through that.”

She panted, sweat dripping down from her temples despite the air conditioning, and joined the line behind a harried couple with three young boys attempting simultaneous escape in different directions. When the group moved forward, she nudged her suitcases with her feet and concentrated on keeping Viv level. She couldn’t see well through the mesh and wondered what the feline was thinking.

She lowered her face to the bag. “With any luck, this will be your first and last plane ride, cutie. You’ll spend the rest of your life sniffing plumeria flowers and eating pineapple.”

Fifteen minutes later, the line had moved only half a revolution.

Ellie turned to the older woman behind her. “Wish we were over there.” She pointed to where two relaxed-looking couples stood waiting.

The woman winked. “That’s first class, honey. We’re in steerage.”

“First class?” Ellie blinked. “I’ve got a first class ticket.”

The woman winked. “Then what are you doing over here with the peasants?”

As Ellie searched for a way out, other passengers stared with open resentment. Ellie felt her face redden.

The older woman tapped Ellie on the shoulder and pointed at her husband. “Ronald, be a gentleman and lift up that tape. This young lady’s in the wrong line.”

Ellie kicked her suitcases under the black nylon barrier.

“Sorry. I obviously don’t fly first class often.”

“Don’t apologize.” He lifted the tape higher. “We can’t all be in that line, or it would be as long as this one.”

Ellie ducked under the nylon and tried to stand on the other side. But something tugged her backward, threatening to dislodge Viv’s carrier from her shoulder.

“Hold on there, missy…”

Ellie yanked the bag and her legs kicked out from under her. Then, as in slow motion, metal clanked. The crowd sucked in a collective breath. TSA officials stepped forward. And Ellie rolled to the hard gray floor with only one thought in her mind:
Don’t crush the cat
.

The clatter of two heavy metal posts hitting the shiny floor reverberated throughout the large lobby. A stunned silence followed as people tried to classify the sound. Terrorist? Accident?

The kindly older woman bent down. “Are you okay?”

Ellie sat up. “I’m fine. This stuff happens to me all the time.” She spun toward the carrier, fiddled with the zipper, and lifted Viv out. He arched against her cheek. His silky warm fur felt comforting in the cold lobby. She plopped him in her lap as TSA officials righted the security posts and reassured passersby.

“Poor Viv.” Ellie petted him. “Welcome to air travel.”

***

Just inside the plane, a male flight attendant in a blue aloha shirt pointed Ellie to the second row. Ellie double-checked her ticket. The young man in the aisle seat raised his eyebrows.

“Are you the window?”

“Yes.” Ellie stood up straighter.
Oh my God. I’m sitting next to a surfer god.

“My pleasure.” The tall blond in light blue O’Neill board shorts eased his bare legs and flip-flop clad feet into the corridor and stood. Ellie suppressed a grin as she slid past.

“Dog?” He nodded at the carrier on her lap. Ellie bit her lip as his loose curls bobbed.

“Cat. Egyptian Mau. Super cute and a little drugged up right now. He should be really quiet.”

The man shrugged. “So much better than a baby.”

Yikes. A baby hater. You’d better not start anything, Viv.

Ellie slid the cat container carefully under the seat in front of her. The more she tried to think of something other than the gorgeous man next to her, the more she wanted to peek at him out of the corner of her eye.

What does a surfer who admits to a woman that he hates babies look like up close? Heck, what does a surfer look like up close?

Her inner battle raged when a flight attendant leaned over and interrupted.

“Champagne? Hawaiian mimosa?”

Ellie jumped, nearly knocking the tray from the woman’s grasp. The attendant pulled back, the smile fixed on her lips, her eyes cautious.

Baby Hater took a mimosa. 

“Champagne, please.” Ellie took a quick sip to lower the level of liquid, and put the flute in the cup holder between the seats. A second glass after takeoff emboldened her to glance at her companion.

He lay reclined. A large leopard print eyeshade covered the upper half of his face. His ripped chest rose and fell gently with his breath. Long hands rested on his thighs. Ellie inspected the left one.

No wedding ring.

She dragged Viv’s bag from under the seat and hoisted it onto her lap. The small flap retracted enough for her to reach inside and fondle the cat’s soft ears.

Ellie turned her head to the window and whispered into the carrier. “Hey, Viv. I’m sitting next to Mr. Maui, 2016.”

Viv purred against her hand. The champagne bubbled pleasantly in her stomach. And the effect of the two-thirty alarm that morning caught up with her. She drifted to sleep with her hand still in the carrier.

An urgent summons from her bladder woke her. She regarded with dismay the empty dishes littering Baby Hater’s tray, blocking her exit to the aisle. Her stomach grumbled.

She leaned toward him. “Excuse me.”

He didn’t stir.

She tapped him gently on the arm, feeling a tingle as her fingers touched the unyielding muscle. There was no response. She shook it, patted his hand, and was considering climbing over him when the male flight attendant noticed her distress.

“Give me a second.” He cleared the dishes and returned the tray to its rest. Then he clamped a hand on the man’s shoulder and shook vigorously. “Sir. The lovely lady next to you would like to use the facilities.”

Ellie caught no trace of irony in his use of “lovely.”

Baby Hater grunted and swung his legs to the side.

“I think that’s the best we’re going to get.”

Ellie leaned on the flight attendant’s arm and crawled out of her seat, hanging onto the overhead luggage rack with her other hand, secretly wishing she might trip and land in the surfer’s lap.

“Be glad you’re not in coach.” The attendant smiled at her. “I’ll get you a meal when you’re back. Chicken okay? That’s all we’ve got left.”

In the bathroom, Ellie wished she’d paid more attention to her hair that morning. It cascaded in crumpled tangles over her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it until it lay reasonably flat and dabbed her eyes with a wet paper towel.

Back in her seat, the attendant flicked a linen napkin expertly across to her. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to eat quickly. We’re only fifty minutes out.”

Ellie found California wine helped the macadamia nut stuffed chicken breast go down rather well. She was working her way through the bananas Foster dessert when she remembered Viv. She shoveled the remainder of the ice cream into her mouth and retrieved Devora’s air-dried New Zealand cat treats.

“He loves this stuff.” Devora had passed Ellie the small bag on Viv’s last day in Dr. Lovejoy’s condo. “Give him some on the plane when you tell him hi from me.”

Ellie had examined Devora’s face for signs of sentimentality but saw only the usual neutral expression. “I’ll text you a picture of him on the beach.”

“Right. I know he’s in good hands.”

In the airplane, Ellie pulled at the rubber band around the package when…
snap
. With no warning, it broke. The projectile torpedoed across her seat, ricocheted off the tray table, and hurtled straight into Baby Hater’s cheek.

He slapped his face, flung off the eye mask, and inspected his hand.

Ellie looked at him in dismay. “That wasn’t a bug.”

His bright blue eyes opened wide. He glanced from his hand to her and back again.

“Really. That was my fault.” She felt color flood her face as she held up the treats. “My rubber band broke and hit you. I’m so sorry.” A laugh that welled up from her stomach threated to break free. She clenched her lips and gripped the bag, hoping his angry explosion would frighten her into silence. Anything would be better than giggling at this Adonis.

His face creased into a grin that left little space at the sides of his face.

“Was having a freakin’ nightmare. Stoked you woke me up.”

Ellie’s chuckle grew into laughter that burst from her in hiccups. “I’m so. Relieved. I felt. So bad.”

The man handed her a paper napkin. “I must have looked funny. No worries. My wife will be sorry she missed it.” He reached out a firm hand. “Mike.”

Ellie shook it, suddenly serious as her stomach sank.
Your wife? Knew it was too good to be true.

“I’m Ellie.”

“You and your cat live in Maui?”

“No.” Ellie had to fight against sounding depressed. “We’re just visiting. I’ve got a temporary job there.”

“Where?”

“Wai…? I can’t remember. I have it in my phone.” She began to dig in her bag, relieved to have something to do other than to meet eyes with the
married
man she had been lusting after.

“Wailuku?”

“No.”

“Wailea?”

“That’s it.”

“Nice area. You’ll like it. My friend has a sick art gallery down there.” He ran his hand through his curls. Ellie suppressed a sigh. “There’s a gallery opening later this week. You should go.” He lifted his bottom from the seat to retrieve a bulging wallet. Ellie turned away, embarrassed to look. After sifting through a large assortment of paper, he handed her a warm business card.

“Valley Isle Gallery.” Ellie hesitated. “I’m not really an artist. And I couldn’t afford to buy anything.”

“Turn up. It’s in a hotel. Validated parking.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood over her, a picture of everything she had fantasized a man in Hawaii would be. “People on Maui are friendly. You’ll make friends in no time.”