Kelly's Jellyfish Romance (Romantic Short Stories)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
. 3

Chapter 2
. 4

Chapter 3
. 5

Chapter 4
. 6

Chapter 5
. 7

Chapter 6
. 8

Chapter 7
. 9

Authors Comments
. 9

Kelly Brennen feels alive again. She digs all ten toes deep
into the powdery white sand of the Mexican beach while gazing at the blue-green
sparkling waters. The soothing sound of waves lapping against the shore is
magical. For the first time in weeks Kelly feels relaxed and glad to be alive.
After all the troubles of the last few months an escape to a tropical paradise
is the perfect way to unwind. Kelly takes a deep breath of salty sea air. 
She’s gradually finding her way back to normalcy and picking up the pieces of
her life.

Looking at the incoming tide, Kelly thinks no one can blame
her for wanting to get away for a while to recharge batteries. She really feels
she deserves it. What a year 2012 has been. One she would like to forget. In
March Kelly's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her father, older
brother, and younger sister were traumatized. The entire family was terrified
her mother wouldn’t make it. And her mother is only 53. No one expected this
tragedy to occur. Until recently her mother was the picture of perfect health.
Luckily modern technology, her mother’s untiring fighting spirit, and an
excellent chemotherapist came through. After months of treatment and trauma the
cancer was solidly in remission. It was an exhausting painful ordeal for
everyone.

As if that hadn't been stressful enough, Kelly returned home
at ten o’clock one night after taking her mother to a chemo session and then visiting
with the family to find her apartment totally trashed.  Thieves broke in,
tore the place apart, and took many of her valuables, including a diamond
necklace that’s a treasured family heirloom. It had been in the family for
three generations. She still felt sick over the loss. Police investigated,
filed their report, but had recovered nothing.

Another shock came only a week later when she discovers her
ex-boyfriend of three years, the man she thought she loved and couldn’t live
without, ran off to Las Vegas with Tina Raines, one of her best high school
friends. While in high school they always had each other’s back. Losing her
boyfriend was bad enough and made her ill but the icing on the cake is her
former love and Tina got married. What a bummer. She really thought she had a
future with that man. Now she was concerned about her judgment.

When her best friend Lola suggested a girl's week at a beach
in Mexico, Kelly jumped at the chance to bury her troubles, get out of Boston
for a week, and hopefully have some fun. She thought the combination of sand,
surf, and half naked men would do the trick to lift her spirits. She planned to
drink a few margaritas too. So far in the first two days of the vacation all
she accomplished was sun burning her nose and back of her neck while watching a
boat load of happy honeymooners at the resort. Some of them were painful to
watch, practically making love on the beach, when they had perfectly good
rooms.

Margaritas helped kill some of the pain but drinking alone or
only with Lola left her feeling depressed. She craved male company but all the
decent looking men at the resort seemed to be attached. Lola neglected to
mention the all-inclusive hotel they are vacationing at is a romantic couple's
resort. Not exactly the perfect setting to forget about your disappointment and
heartache. It’s especially tough when your only love turns out to be a
miserable cheating bastard.

A deep masculine voice interrupts her thoughts. A few beach
chairs to her right, a shirtless handsome blonde man in swim trunks is ordering
a margarita from the cabana waiter. He has a golden tan and is wearing designer
sunglasses. Much to Kelly’s surprise, he is alone. Maybe his wife or girlfriend
is feeling ill or they’re out shopping. Kelly discreetly sneaks a peek at his
left hand. There is no tell-tale golden band or white stripe around his finger.
 Letting her gaze travel slowly from his finger, up his toned arm, to his
masculine chest, Kelly notes to her satisfaction she finally found some worthy
eye candy. The kind you can drool over and dream about.  No question he’s
in excellent shape. The man is well muscled with absolutely no sign of body
fat, like an athlete in peak condition. When he notices her hungry stare the
blond man boldly shoots her a wide sexy smile. Embarrassed to have been caught
obviously gawking, actually drooling, Kelly gives a little wave and decides it
is well past time to get her new tiny little bikini wet. She definitely needs
to settle down and cool off.

Kelly runs into the gentle surf and dives in head first. She
doesn’t care about her long red curly hair getting wet. The salty ocean water
is warm and inviting and feels fantastic. Swimming leisurely she senses the
blond man's eyes on her. Well, Kelly thought, fair is fair. No problem. After
all she had openly filled her eyes.  She hoped he enjoys taking in her fit
body as much as she enjoyed watching his. She had worked hard at the gym to
develop her figure; maybe now her hard work would pay off.

As Kelly swam, she sees a flash of something pink glimmering
on the sandy white sand ocean floor. Diving down to check it out she sees the
beautiful rose and cream swirl of a conch shell. She surfaces, takes a deep
breath, and dives back down to collect her prize. Just as her fingertips brush
against the edge of the shell, ready to claim her treasure, a searing pain
shoots up her right leg. Her involuntary scream underwater results in saltwater
entering her lungs.

Terrified Kelly tries to reach the surface. The pain in her
leg is enormous. She fears she will pass out. Desperately Kelly claws for the
surface, trying to get to the air. Just as the fear of drowning feeds growing
panic her head breaks the surface. She is in still in trouble. In water over
her head and panicked all she can do is cough and wildly flail about. She not
only fears drowning she is drowning.

As she fights to keep her head above water a pair of strong
arms grabs Kelly, expertly turns her to a lifeguard’s carry position, and starts
pulling her towards the shore. With a few powerful strokes Kelly is out of
danger and near the beach. A manly voice penetrates the fog of fear still in
Kelly's mind. "Easy, I've got you. Just breathe. Don't fight me, relax
just breathe." Over and over his voice commands her to relax and breathe.
Then the two are back on the beach. In a daze Kelly finds herself carried to
the beach chairs by the muscular handsome blond man. Setting her carefully in
the chair, the man calls to the cabana waiter as quickly as possible to bring
some vinegar and baking soda. Kelly clutches the stranger's arm sobbing and
whimpering as pain rips up and down her leg. Seeing her friend in trouble, in a
panic Lola runs to the chair, asking what she can do to help her friend.

"Your friend was stung by a jellyfish. We need to treat
the stings as quickly as possible." The waiter returns at a run with
vinegar and baking soda. The handsome stranger asks Lola to fetch him some
ocean water in a nearby ice bucket.  He begins to efficiently treat the
stings, first soaking Kelly's leg in vinegar, and then applying a thick paste
of baking soda mixed with ocean water. As the pain begins to fade Kelly finally
understands what happened and how lucky she is to be alive. Coming out of shock
she stares at her rescuer in amazement. Even though still dazed her first
reaction makes her mumble, “He’s so handsome. Is this real?”

"Who are you? How did you… how did you know what to
do?" Kelly stammers out. Smiling a slightly roguish smile, the man answers
"With your emergency I guess there wasn’t time to get introduced. I’m Alex
Johnson. I was in the coast guard where I learned how to treat a jellyfish
sting. I also learned how to rescue beautiful drowning women." He winked
and with a smile looks down at her injury. "There’re still a few tentacles
embedded in your leg. Those have to come out. The sooner they come out the
better you’ll feel." Running to his nearby chair to retrieve his wallet,
Alex pulls out a credit card. "I'm going to scrape them off. Then I’ll put
the baking soda paste back on. How’re you doing? Is your breathing alright? The
pain isn’t too bad?" Kelly confirms that although the stings still hurt,
her breathing is fine and she’s feeling much better now on dry land.

Carefully Alex uses the credit card to scrape off the
jellyfish tentacles. Gently he turns her leg this way and that, holding it firm
with strong hands, checking to make sure he gets rid of every last one. Lola
fetches another ice bucket full of seawater and Alex applies a new layer of
baking soda paste to Kelly's injured limb. Feeling his tender touch on her leg
as he works, Kelly finds herself suddenly hoping she can somehow convince Alex
to apply some tender loving care to the rest of her body. All too quickly he
finishes applying the paste. Kelly almost wishes her other leg needs attention.

Surveying his handiwork, Alex tells her "we need to get
you back to your room and out of this sun." Rather than give her a chance
to get up and try her weight on her leg, Alex sweeps Kelly up in his arms,
carefully placing his hands to avoid touching the sore leg. Giving in to
temptation, Kelly rests her head against his chest and listens to his heart
beat as Lola leads the way to their room.  Once they reach the door Lola
unlocks it and leads the way in. As they enter Alex begins to instruct Kelly on
what to do next. "Soak your leg in a hot bath for at least twenty minutes.
Make it as hot as you can stand. Then take some ibuprofen and get some
rest." Alex gently places Kelly on the bed. Then he stares at her with
soft deep blue eyes. "I just realized I didn't get your name. Things
happened pretty fast in the water and on the beach."

Pleased he asks and giggling a bit, she tells him. "My
name's Kelly Brennen. Thanks for this, for everything. I really owe you big
time." Not wanting him to just walk out, Kelly grabs Alex's hand and gives
it a grateful firm squeeze. "I’d like to thank you more. Please let me
take you out for dinner. That’s the least I can do." She doesn’t take her
green eyes off him. "Oh, I think I can manage that." Alex answers
with another roguish grin. "How about we meet in the lobby at say,
seven?" Kelly agrees, hoping she’ll be feeling fine by then. Alex takes
his leave of the two women while again looking Kelly over on his way out.

"If it wasn’t for how painful that red rash looks, and
how you almost drowned, I'd say you’re the luckiest lady I know!" Lola
giggles as she helps Kelly undress and into the piping hot bath. While Kelly
soaks in the bathtub, a loud knock sounds at the door. Kelly hears Lola raising
her infamous "angry" voice, while she speaks with whoever is at the
door. A few minutes later, Lola comes trouncing into the bathroom looking happy
and victorious.

"That was some guy with hotel management. He was very
apologetic about your injury and wanted to know how you’re doing. When I
mentioned you nearly died, and that my brother is a litigation attorney, and
the hotel has no lifeguard, he began to look ill and became even more
apologetic." With a sigh, Kelly interrogates her friend with a knowing
stare. "What did you manage to get out of them, Lola?" Looking
triumphant Lola replies "A free hour long couple's massage, two tickets to
the dinner show tomorrow night, and a $100 gift certificate at the hotel gift
shop." Kelly rolled her eyes as her friend skips out of the bathroom.
"I'm surprised you didn't get a complimentary stay. That would’ve been
nice” she calls after Lola. "The day's not over!" Lola replies in a
merry sing song voice.

After Kelly baths and takes a nap Lola helps Kelly get ready
for her dinner date. Although Kelly is limping, her leg feels much
better.  When she asks Lola what she plans to do with her evening, her
friend tells Kelly not to worry. "You remember that handsome Italian
businessman we met as we were checking in? “Kelly did remember him. Roberto
Quattrochi is probably the only other single man in the hotel besides Alex. And
he’s good looking. Like a suave Italian movie star. "He’s taking me out on
the town. So if I don't come back till the morning, well, you’ll know I had a
really good night. Hey, don’t look so shocked, I’m a big girl now and we’re on
vacation." After warning her friend to be careful, and to keep her cell
phone with her and call at any hint of trouble, Kelly limps downstairs to meet
Alex.