The Scale (Martha's Way) (24 page)

Oh, God. Yes.
More
so than the night at Vapor or in Oak Bluffs or any other time he gave her a
glimpse of his struggles or shared something personal with her. Everything
about him petrified her. On the other hand, she found herself wanting him more
and more with each passing day. “You keep asking me that.”

“You never answer.”

Stepping out of his arms, she reached for one of the bathing
suits for distraction. “Can you step outside while I try these on?”

“I’m going to walk over to Vapor while you decide. Elsa
already has my card. She’ll charge them on it.”

“Oh, but…”

He grinned. “Your shopping day is on me. I’ve destroyed
enough of your clothes. Come meet me and we can have lunch, then go get
sneakers.”

“Thank you.”

He smiled. “You bring me pleasure. I want to do the same for
you in return.”

“You do.”

“Then we are on even ground,
n’est-ce-pas
?”

She nodded. But as he walked out of the room, Minka wasn’t
so sure they stood on even ground. Her feelings were becoming too strong. The
fact that a few seconds ago she had been overwhelmed with a feeling of insanity
and obsession colliding in her chest was the perfect illustration they were not
playing on even fields.

* * * *

Vapor was packed during the midday rush. As Minka entered
the bar, she noticed Jason was joined by Adam serving drinks. The two men made
a striking pair, but then again, all four of them did. Although she had to
admit Jason and Adam were the most opposite, one so fair while the other had
tan olive skin and hair almost as black as night. They smiled at her and waved
for her to join them.

Sliding onto a stool, Jason reached over and placed a kiss
on her lips. Then he stepped back with a smile.

“What would you like to drink?”

“You work the bar?” There was something appealing about
watching him standing behind the bar in his jeans, preparing drinks.

“Of course.
It’s mine. Well, I own
it with that guy over there.” He pointed to Adam, who blew her a kiss. “To my
surprise, the lazy bastard was here working so I’m helping for a little bit. Do
you mind? It’s a bit crowded.”

She shook her head.
“No, not at all.
I’ll go find a table,” she said, not wanting to be a distraction.

“No, stay here.
I like looking at
you.”

She hesitated for a moment,
then
complied, “Okay.”

Seeming satisfied, he stepped back and reached for a wine
glass. “Wine, or should I make you one of my famous concoctions?”

Adam leaned over his friend’s shoulder. “That’s how he gets
laid.”

Jason poked Adam in his rib. His friend winced in feigned
pain and stepped away just as a pretty brunette approached the bar.

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Jason said with a grin.

She smiled, relaxed around the banter between the two. It
was obvious there was a strong bond between them. “I like him.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he’s like Enrique Iglesias’
mole. You can’t help but like it.”

Laughter escaped her throat at the comparison. She
remembered the devastation from the singer’s female admirers when he surgically
removed the mole.

“I will make you something. It may be a bit strong. Can you
handle that?” She nodded. “How many suits did you get?”

“Two,” she answered softly, not comfortable with either, but
she had to buy at least one.

“No bikini?”

She shook her head. “No bikini.”

At that moment, Maxie approached her and asked if she would
like to eat something. Her initial reaction was to say no. In two days, she
would have to wear a bathing suit and walk around half-naked around Jason and
his friends.

“A cobb salad.”

After the younger woman walked away, Minka turned and
watched Jason. His eyes were focused on whatever he was mixing. Giddiness and a
feeling that everything was right swept her body. The feeling left her
breathless and dazed. Minka searched for an appropriate word to categorize this
wave of emotion, the only word she could think of was love.

Was this what love felt like?

For years, her crush on Blake had blinded her perception of
relationships and her life. The last few days, Jason had introduced her to a
new angle on any type of intimate connection. Her days with him had been
exhilarating, stirring up emotions, feelings she never thought existed. At
times, his actions caused her pain, like the incident with Rita or even Elsa
earlier, but even those heartbreaks had stimulated a nerve and that was part of
living.

She couldn’t possibly have fallen in love with the man who
made it clear he wanted nothing more than her two weeks on the island. For now
she was his, but that would change once she stepped on that ferry to head back
home. He’d move to the next. Yet, the knowledge she could only think of such a
word to describe her state of mind left her shaky.

Too much came with love. The soft, sweet feelings walked
parallel with fear of rejection or losing the person. She sighed; that was the
duality of love. Scientifically, it might only be an adrenaline rush but
emotionally, it was something most people craved, no matter how wretched they
were and that included her. To love would mean she would have to lose her
insecurities with her weight. But most of all, she’d have to face the spot
Blake still held in her heart.

Not now, she thought. Besides, there was no point in
entertaining the possibility of loving someone who was nothing more than
transient in her growth.

A small glass came to rest in front of her, bringing her
back to reality. She looked up at Jason and smiled. “What is it?”

“I call it the Caribbean in a cup.”

She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. The flavor
was strong and delicious. “That’s wonderful. What’s in it?”

“Ginger, rum, agave, and orange.
You like?”

She grinned. “I love.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.
“Yeah.”

Realizing her choice of words, Minka broke the trance and
focused her attention on the delicious drink. She could feel him still watching
her until two women approached the bar to order. As he made their drinks, she
listened as he made small conversation with them, asking them where they were
from and how long they were on the island. He suggested a few places for them
to explore. He wasn’t flirting with them, but Minka could tell the women were
intrigued by him. She didn’t blame them. It was impossible not to be.

Tightness settled in her chest as Minka watched him, overwhelmed
with emotions she tried to control but were so close to the surface. There was
no denying it. She had fallen in love with Jason Montgomery.
Blake’s
best friend.
She tried to think back to the exact moment it happened,
but love didn’t appear with warning signs.
Most of the time,
one fell into it as if pushed from a high diving board.
No time to think
about what was happening.

Sadness pulled her heart strings. He wasn’t hers; never
could be. How foolish of her to think she could have enjoyed two weeks with him
and not develop any
attachment.
She should have listened to her sister or at least taken her warning to heart.
Instead, she had brushed aside her words without a second to consider how he
might affect her. She’d thought she was in control of the situation, but the
reality of it was she never had a chance.

Minka took another sip of her drink, feeling groggy over
this realization. How was she going to be able to stay with him until next week
and not give away how she felt? He had never asked for anything more. If
anything, he more or less told her he didn’t do commitment, let alone a long-distance
relationship. She was sure any hint of her feelings would cause him to run.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Startled, she almost spilled her drink. Jason chuckled and
spun her around to face him. She hadn’t noticed he’d left the bar.

“What’s on your mind, or is it personal?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You can talk to me, Minka. I’m actually a very good
listener and I tend to give good advice.”

I’m in love with you.
I shouldn’t be, but I am.
Instead, she said, “I’m thinking about home.”

He frowned. “You must miss it.”

“A little.
I…” she paused,
realizing she was about to use the dreaded L word again. “I really like it
here.”

“It gets very quiet in the winter. You might not like it
around that time.”

She doubted it very much. There was something about being on
the island she found very calming. “Do you like it here in the winter?”

He nodded. “Yes, but I’ve lived here all my life. This is my
home.”

“Do you get bored?”

He shrugged. “Not really. There are times when there’s no
way to get off the island due to the rough ocean. That can be frustrating.”

“I see.”

He studied her expression. “In September I’m having a show,
displaying my mother’s photography. Come back and stay with me and maybe again
at Christmas.”

“Jason…I…” The words faltered. She couldn’t think that far
ahead. He was giving her hope.

Flashes blinded her. Minka closed her eyes in an attempt to
block the cameras. From the mob of photographers, she heard a female voice call
Jason’s name. He turned to face the person. Soon there were cameras in his
face, reporters asking questions about his father, his mother’s car accident.
She watched his shoulders tense at the mention of his mother. Her hands reached
for his and he clasped hers.

A beautiful blonde stepped forward. Minka guessed right away
the woman was his father’s wife, Agnes. As her steely blue eyes rested on her
hand intertwined with Jason’s, Minka tried to pull away, but he held her still.

“Well, what do we have here?” The woman’s voice was filled
with menace.

Adam was quickly at their side. He glared at the
photographers who seemed to be just as fascinated with him as they were with
Jason. She heard Adam say something in Italian before turning to face his
friend.

“I can call the police. They’re disturbing the peace.”

“I can handle it,” Jason answered. “Minka, go with Adam if
you wish.”

Another opportunity to walk away, to
establish the distance and protect her heart.
“No, I’m fine here.” His
friend glanced over at Minka, then back at Jason before retreating back to the
bar.

“My lawyer told me you’re working with your father.”

“This is not the time, Agnes.”

But as expected, her statement fueled the reporters and more
questions quickly followed. Some wanted to know if Jason had rejoined the firm.
Others wanted to know if he had forgiven his father for causing his mother’s
death. They were antagonizing him by pulling on something very personal. Minka
cringed. The muscles of his jaws tightened and she knew he was reaching his
tipping point. Slowly she came to her feet and did the only thing she could
think of. She cupped his face as he often did to her and kissed him as hard as
she could.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment.
Please go with it,
she prayed.
I’m
in love with you.

Slowly his body relaxed, and his arms came to wrap around
her waist as he tightened the embrace. She allowed her hands to caress his
face, as if she needed to take the time to memorize every piece of him. She
felt the flashes of the cameras. She heard giggles from the reporters and even
some applause from the crowd. But none of those things mattered at that moment.
Instead she pressed her body closer to his, loving him the only way she could.

Chapter Seventeen

“I have yet to see a
scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious
smile.”

Steve Maraboli

Jason spotted the sleek Benz in his driveway. After leaving
Vapors, he was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with Minka. But, by
the look of things, he might as well throw that wish out the window.

“Looks like my dad is here,” he whispered.

“I recognize the car.”

Gone was the Minka who’d left Agnes speechless and
distracted the reporters. Rather, he noted her voice held an amount of tension.
From what he recalled, her first encounter with his father had been brief, but
he understood the tension.

“I was looking forward to being alone with you. I’ll try to
keep this visit short,” he said with a slight smile.

As they walked to the house, he reached for her hand. Earlier,
she had stood by his side and foiled Agnes’ ambush. The kiss flashed back in
his mind and his groin
tightened,
something he was
learning to live with since Minka entered his life.

He found his father in the family room with a glass of
scotch in one hand and Nicole in the other. The woman he found in his father’s
office was apparently still the flavor of the week. Disgusted, Jason grunted
and made a mental note to change the locks as soon as he could.

Blue eyes the color of his own surveyed the woman by his
side. Without thinking much of it, he squeezed Minka’s hand. “Is there
something of urgency?” he asked his father.

Charles glanced between Minka and the woman in his arms then
back at Minka. “My son is so warm and fuzzy. Does he treat you the same way,
Minka?”

“No,” she whispered with a shaken smile.

Throwing his keys on the nearby table, Jason said, “I see
you’ve made yourself at home.” The chances of his father leaving with his date
as soon as possible seemed unlikely.

“Why don’t you get the grill going, son?
I was telling Nicole you work magic on the grill.” Charles walked over and
placed a kiss on Minka’s cheek. "Good to see you again, Minka.” He turned
his attention to his son. “This will give us all time to get to know each
other.”