Pulse 2 (Pulse Series) (14 page)

“
Don’t patronize me, Dante. I’m not a little kid.”

“
All right…”

Dante stared at me and didn
’t say another word. The way he looked at me made me realize what I’d said.

“
I’m sorry. That’s just the frustration talking.”

“
Take a break. There’s no need for you to get it right now.”

“
Yeah, I guess I will. Permanently.”

“
I don’t think so. But you should take some time to breathe.”

The two of us sat on our boards and watched all of the people out in the deeper water. Rafael stood up on his b
oard and rode the wave like a professional. Cheryl did the same with seemingly less effort. I sighed at the sight of the two of them, frustrated at more than just my failed attempts at trying to stand on a board.

“
This isn’t how I thought it was going to be,” I said.

“
What do you mean?” Dante asked.

“
I just expected to sit on the beach and lie in the sun. Maybe I would have a drink or two and just get a nice tan. And now I’m floating out here in the water and working harder than I did inside of the conference.”

“
But you’re still having fun though, aren’t you?”

I watched Rafael succeed at catching another wave. When his board came to a halt, Cheryl was there to greet him with a high-five. Even from
far away, I could see the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed one another’s company. I was already jealous of what she looked like and how much time she was spending with him. Surfing was just one more thing they had in common. It was another fact about Rafael that I never learned about him.

“
I don’t know,” I sighed.

“
Of course, you are, Alice. Think about it. You’re on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If you were back home, what would you be doing? You would be stuck inside of your office. You would be looking at numbers and filing papers and every other boring task you could think of on your computer.”

“
Thanks. I’m looking forward to heading back home now.”

“
I didn’t mean it like that,” he said with a laugh. “What I’m saying is that you need to forget about how things really are. Even if it’s just for a moment. You need to enjoy
this
right now. You can still appreciate the water we’re sitting in. The warmth of the sun. The beautiful view. The people you’re with…”

I looked over at Dante and
saw the friendly smile on his face. I thought about what he said for a second then slowly began to nod my head.

“
You’re right,” I sighed.

“
Of course, I’m right.”

“
Yeah,” I said as I laughed along with him. “There are people all over the world who would kill to switch places with me right now. Why the hell am I complaining? What do I have to be upset about?”

“
I don’t know, Alice. That’s what makes you so curious.”

“
What?”

“
I’m still trying to figure you out. But I think I’m getting an idea. I understand. I’m the same way.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
I don’t get everything on the first try. When I don’t, I do everything I can to make sure I get it.”

Dante and I floated in the water with the waves gently rocking each of our boards. I didn
’t know how it happened but I wasn’t thinking about Rafael and Cheryl out there having fun. Instead, I was thinking about how nice this moment was here, with this guy I just met. I was enjoying myself even if I was doing nothing at all.

“
So, are you going to give up?” he asked me.

“
No… I’m going to keep trying.”

“
That’s what I figured. Don’t worry. I’ll be right here with you.”

Dante
’s smile was more than enough encouragement. I followed his instructions and did everything I could to try standing on the board. As the sun’s rays beat down upon me, the sweat covering my body replaced the saltwater. My muscles strained. My skin wrinkled. But with every failed attempt, I got closer and closer to balancing myself. I was at it for so long that I could see the sun descending from the sky.

“
All right, Alice,” Dante said as he sat there on his board next to me the entire time. “You’ve almost got it. Don’t fight the motion of the water. Move your body to the same rhythm. It’s nothing you haven’t experienced already.”

I pushed myself up from the b
oard and on my feet. I extended my arms out to balance myself. I didn’t overdo it. I loosened my muscles and stood firmly on the board without moving too much. The board rocked back and forth but I managed to stay on my feet.

“
That’s it, Alice! You got it!”

“
I do! I got it! I—”

I yelped as I lost my footing and tumbled into the water. I popped my head back to the surface and spit out a mouthful of the ocean. Dante began snickering at me and I couldn
’t help but do the same.

“
So close,” he said.

“
I think that’s enough progress for today.”

“
Agreed. We should get out of the water. Just for a little bit, at least.”

Dante and I paddled back to the beach, which didn
’t look any different from how we had left it. There were still people enjoying themselves and relaxing in every manner you could think of. I dragged the rented board back to the man who owned it.

“
So, now what?” I said.

“
Do you always have an agenda?” Dante asked me.

“
What? What are you talking about?”

“
You spend too much time in your office,” he laughed. “You don’t have to be so task-oriented with everything. Sometimes, you just have to let whatever happens happen. You don’t always need a plan.”

“
If you don’t know what we’re doing next, you could have just said so.”

I shrugged at him and he began to laug
h even harder.

“
Come on,” he said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Let me buy you a drink. We can relax while Cheryl and Rafael enjoy themselves out on the water.”

Dante and I relaxed at the bar on the beach. I looked out into the water and saw that Cheryl and Rafael were still going strong. The bartender regained my attention as he placed the exotic drink down in front of me.

“What did you order me?” I asked Dante.

“
You’ll love it, Alice. Trust me.”

“
That still doesn’t answer my question. It looks really… tropical. Don’t you think it’s a little cliche to be drinking something like this on the beach in Hawaii?”

“
What’s the matter? Afraid you might like it?”

He smirked
at me and I rolled my eyes at him. I held the tall glass in my hand then took a sip from the straw. The alcohol was sweet and fruity but undeniably refreshing. The entire time I drank it, Dante had his eyes on me and waited for a response.

“
Well?” he said.

“
Well what?”

“
Well, do you like it?”

“
It’s good,” I said with a shrug. “Blend a bunch of pineapples and strawberries together and it will go with anything.”

“
Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“
Why is that such a surprise?”

“
I don’t know. There’s something distracting you, that’s all. It wasn’t like when I first met you. It almost seems like you’re pre-occupied. Especially when we’re around Rafael and Cheryl.”

I didn
’t say anything. I took another sip of the drink then placed the glass down back on the bar. I couldn’t let Dante even suspect that Rafael and I had something between us. Rafael would get in more trouble than I would, as he constantly reminded me.

“
Is it because he’s your boss?” he asked me. “It must be kind of weird to be in a place like this and have a man who’s only a few years older than you telling you what to do.”

“
Yeah, it
is
a little weird,” I admitted. “But once you get to know Rafael, you realize that he does things a little differently.”

“
I can imagine. He’s handling the pressure well. I don’t know the guy too well. I’ve heard a lot of stories about him. But I can tell you this much. I’m glad to see him enjoying himself out there. He seems like a man who works
too
hard at times.”

I looked out into the water and saw Rafael sitting on his board next to Cheryl, who was doing the same. They were laughing and smiling at one another in a way that made it obvious they were having a good time together. But I wasn
’t as jealous now. I didn’t see Rafael. I saw my boss. A man who spent late nights in his office because he was trying to live-up to the impossible expectations he placed upon himself. And I was happy for him.

“
Do you remember what I said earlier?” Dante asked me. “About being out here and enjoying yourself?”

“
Yeah, I do…”

“
You might never get a chance like this again. This sand. This water. This sky. This weather. These people… It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Alice. I’m glad I got to spend this time with you.”

I looked at Dant
e and saw the sincere smile upon his face. I wasn’t sure what to think exactly. But I could feel something I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was strange.

I
’m not attracted to this man, am I? I barely know him…

It was hard to reason with myself. Dante was ha
ndsome, charming and charismatic. When he smiled, I realized that he was better-looking than the average guy I would hook-up with when I was out at a club. But he was intelligent, too. He was hard-working and encouraging. He had all of the best qualities I thought I had myself.

“
The day’s not over,” I said. “And there are a few more days left of the conference.”

“
So, that means I’ll be seeing more of you?”

“
Yeah. You still have to teach me how to surf.”

We laughed and smiled at one another. I sat there with
Dante at the bar on the beach and had a few drinks. We sat there for the rest of the day until the sun went down and Rafael and Cheryl swam back in from the ocean. Then we headed back into the hotel to get ready for another dinner reception in the ballroom.

Chapter 15

It would take more than a single shower to get all of the saltwater out of my hair. I spent so much time falling off of my surfboard that I might as well have been swimming. After cleaning myself off the best I could, I put on a black skirt and white blouse that was more comfortable than fashionable. As I headed down to the ballroom for dinner, I realized how famished I really was.

When I got there, Cheryl was standing just outside of the ballroom. Her black dress was as form-fitting and fancy
as everything else she wore. The effects of the sun on her skin was apparent and gave her a provocative glow. I greeted her then searched for anybody else I knew.

“
Where is Rafael?” I asked her.

“
Something came up,” she said. “He forgot that he was scheduled to have dinner with some executives tonight. He couldn’t put it off.”

“
Oh… And what about you?”

“
What about me, dear?”

“
You’re still having dinner… with me?”

“
Why wouldn’t I? Is that going to be a problem?”

“
No. No, of course not.”

I shook my head and laughed nervously. I didn
’t know Cheryl very well. I just knew that she had a past with Rafael and she was spending a lot of time with him. For some reason, I was concerned about having dinner with her without Rafael’s presence.

“
Alice!”

I turned and saw Dante pacing his way toward me.

“Hello,” I greeted him. “Are you ready to have dinner with us?”

“
I’m afraid I won’t be joining you tonight. Something just came up.”

“
Just now? What is it? Is something wrong?”

“
It’s nothing like that. But there are some serious investors who want to have dinner with some of the representatives at Detit. They want me to be there and talk business.”

“
Right. Of course. You should go.”

“
I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you company tonight, Alice.”

“
Go. And good luck.”