Romance: One Perfect Holiday

Romance:

One Perfect Holiday

Emily Cooper

Romance: One Perfect Holiday

Emily Cooper

Copyright © 2015

Published by Run Free Publishing

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. 

Love is worth the risk.

Also by Emily Cooper:

The Billionaire’s Assistant

Seduced by the Billionaire’s Lust

Alpha Stepbrother

The Billionaire’s Proposal

The Assistant

The Billionaire CEO

Bought for the Billionaire’s Pleasure

Chapter One

The thought of this holiday has been the only thing that has gotten me through the last twelve months.

And boy has it been a
long
twelve months.

I’ve worked myself to the bone, been dumped on my birthday, taken a fall down a flight of stairs, said goodbye to my cat after a long illness, and lost a lot of money in a bad investment.

But the idea of this holiday has gotten me through all the long, hard hours of work, through the crowded, boring commutes, and the sad, lonely hours in my apartment. This holiday has been a beacon of light in my life – something to swim towards.

And I have barely been keeping my head above water lately.

My job is getting more and more stressful by the day, and it is starting to show outwardly.

My eyes always look tired, my hair is splitting at the ends, and my energy levels are slowly disappearing.

When you sign up to work for a prestigious bank, they tell you how much money you will earn, how many great people you will meet, and how people will look up to you.

Yep, I certainly got all that.

But what they don’t tell you about is the extensive hours, the sleepless nights, and the non-existent social life. They don’t tell you that they gradually steal your life from your grasp until you have nothing left but work.

Working as an accounts manager was exactly what I wanted to do when I finished college.

But not what I wanted to be when I was a little girl – nope, I wanted to live at a holiday resort and work there. The only holiday my family could afford when I was young was a trip to Florida where we stayed at a cheap resort.

And I loved it.

As a ten-year-old girl, I could think of nothing more special than working in a place where everyone always seemed happy, the sun was always shining, and the water was so close.

It was also the location of my first kiss.

And what a kiss it was.

I still remember him – tanned, cute and cheeky. He kissed me and then ran away, never to be seen again.

I still smile when I think about that moment of my childhood.

So when my two best friends suggested we organize a week-long holiday together, Florida was the first place that I suggested.

Hopefully, I can regain that wonderful happiness that I had when I was ten-years-old.

And maybe even steal another holiday kiss…

This will be the first holiday I’ve taken in over five years. I made it very clear to my boss that I will not be contactable over the next week – but he slowly convinced me that I should at least check my emails once a day… just in case something big happens.

I want to forget about the emails, the piles of work, my clients, and the stress. I want to get on that plane and leave it all behind… but I know that is easier said than done.

And it is not only work that I have to forget about – I also want to forget about Nick, my dreadful ex-boyfriend. I didn’t even like him, but I still can’t forget about him.

Despite the fact that he always belittled me, I miss him. If I think about it logically, I hated him. He was always drinking and he couldn’t hold down a job for more than a month at a time. Not to mention how he was always looking at other women. But at least he kept me from being lonely at night.

When we first met, he was the perfect man. He gave me flowers every week and we had deep philosophical discussions. He was so charming.

But over the years, six years, in fact, things changed.

As it turned out: he was a prick.

I was raised to be an independent woman. I raised to value myself. I was raised to be successful.

And I have succeeded at all that.

But without him, I am lonely.

Thankfully, Nick walked out on our relationship. Well, not so much as walked out, but I kicked him out… after I found him in my bed with another woman.

Not only was it my bed, but it was also my birthday, and I had come home early from work with a headache.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

When he came back to get his things, he told me it wasn’t the first time he cheated on me either.

Prick.

But that’s the past.

I want my mind to be free now.

I want to leave it all behind and never look back.

This next week is all about letting go and reconnecting with my friends.

Zoe and Racheal have been my closest friends since high school. Although their lives have taken them to different cities, we’ve always stayed best friends.

The excuse for this trip is to celebrate us all turning thirty.

And hopefully, the start of a great next chapter in my life…

Chapter Two

“Zoe?” I sing out as I walk towards who I think is my best friend in the airport.

“Claire!”

Zoe drops her bags and embraces me in a football tackle kind of hug, which almost sends me falling over backwards.

Reciprocating the hug, I hold onto her tightly.

It’s been two years since I’ve seen my beautiful best friend – although we still talk on the phone every week.

Zoe moved to Canada with her husband, Todd, whose passion is to make sure enough forests remain for the next generation. He’s a high-powered businessman with an environmental focus, and incredibly hot – so I totally understand why Zoe moved to another country for him.

Tears fill my eyes as we continue to embrace each other. “It’s
soooo
good to see you,” I sob. “You would not believe how much I’ve missed you.”

“Likewise sweetie,” Zoe whimpers, on the verge of tears as well.

Usually, I’d be embarrassed by this amount of public affection, but this is an airport. People always cry in airports.

Hell, what we’re doing is considered normal.

“How are the boys?” I ask Zoe, as we finally break apart.

“Loud,” she smiles. Zoe has three boys with Todd and their life is filled with sporting events, school activities, and playdates.

Life for Zoe is just as hectic as mine – but in a different way. Thus, she’s been looking forward to this trip as much as I have.

“Have you seen Rachael yet?”

“No,” Zoe says, wiping her eyes and then mine. Just like a good mother. “She said she would meet us at the boarding gates.”

Rachael is the last member of our best friend trio. She’s the most beautiful, fun and outgoing of all of us.

She spent most of her twenties being a swimsuit model, but now she runs her own fashion label out of L.A.

She often gets herself into trouble, but her looks always get her out of it.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Zoe asks.

“Um… jeez, at least three years ago,” I reply, disappointed by my answer. Time fly’s way too fast these days. “Life just gets too busy, you know?”

“I know,” Zoe replies. “It would be at least that long since I’ve seen her as well. Man, I miss that woman.”

“Well, you look great anyway,” I tell her. And she does – she’s a beaming vision of happiness and contentment.

Some women blossom as they grow older, and Zoe is certainly one of them. Motherhood looks perfect on her.

“Thanks, so do you, Claire. I love your hair.”

I blush over the compliment. I can’t remember the last time I received one.

We pick up our bags and begin the walk down to the boarding gates, talking the whole way. That’s when you know you have an amazing friend – we haven’t seen each other for two years, yet it feels like it was only yesterday.

“Excuse me, beautiful ladies,” a bright and bubbly voice says behind us. “But do you know where the gate is to the best holiday of our lives?!”

“Rachael!” Zoe and I exclaim together, trapping her in a bear hug.

Our embrace seems to last forever as we squeeze each other tighter.

I don’t ever want to let these beautiful women go. I’ve missed them both so much.

When we finally step back to look at each other, all our faces are covered in tears. “You look amazing,” I sniffle at Rachael.

“I’m so happy to see the two most beautiful women I know again,” Rachael replies, dabbing her cheeks.

Rachael has all the poise of a runway model. She’s the glue that makes this trio perfect.

She’s not afraid of anything and whenever she’s with us, Zoe and I feel invincible.

Blond, tanned and drop-dead gorgeous, Racheal was always the one to fill our group with confidence. 

She is a no-nonsense, straight-talker, but very fun.

“Looking good, Rachael,” Zoe comments.

“Likewise, Mumma-bear.”

“Thanks, it’s hard to maintain a decent body when you’ve pushed out three boys!” Zoe laughs.

The laughter only makes us all hug again.

It feels magical.

I could spend the entire week’s holiday in this moment if it were possible.

After all, it’s been four years since we were all together.

Like I told Zoe earlier, life gets busy, and trying to stay in contact with your high school friends can be challenging. Our lives have taken us in such different directions, geographically and emotionally, and so it’s been hard to keep in touch.

“A week in the Florida sun,” Rachael says, smiling like she’s lost in a daydream.

“Sun, surf, and sand,” Zoe adds.

“Not for me,” I state. Both girls look at me with the same confused expression on their face. “For me it will be Margaritas, Daiquiris, and Pina Coladas!”

They chuckle with both relief and amusement. “And hopefully, some nice men to look at!”

“You don’t get a lot of good looking men out where I am,” Zoe states. “It’s mostly country lads.”

“So? Todd is a dreamboat,” I comment. “He’s all the eye candy you need.”

“Look, I love Todd to bits, but he’s gotten older, and he’s put on a few kilos around the middle. Those washboard abs have disappeared altogether.”

“Pfft, we all have that,” I jeer, jiggling the small layer of flab on my side.

“Don’t be silly,” Racheal adds. “Women are supposed to be a bit curvy.  We’re in our thirties now - we don’t want to look like twelve-year-old girls.  We want to look like women.  And real, sexy women have curves!”

“I’m not thirty yet,” Zoe interjects. “My birthday isn’t until next month, remember?”

Although we all grew up together, we’ve branched off into different life stages. Even though Zoe is the youngest, she’s the most advanced out of the three of us.  She’s married, has kids, and owns a big house in the country. 

Life is good for Zoe.

She has the trifecta that every woman wants.

Well, that every straight woman wants anyway.

Although we are here to celebrate turning thirty, none of our birthdays are this week.

Rachael, the eldest, had her birthday two months ago and mine was three weeks ago. 

I almost forgot about mine.

I was in the middle of a heavy workload and worked through the night.

I received a five-minute phone call from my parents, but that was it for me. 

No cake and no celebration.

I did have a glass of wine, though.

Woo hoo…

But it’s ok.

This trip will make up for all that.

We were lucky that all of us could find the time to do this.

We had to juggle my busy work schedule, Zoe’s home life, and Rachael’s business needs to book it for the right time. 

“Yee-hah!” Zoe yells after we go through the gate and onto the plane. “I’m free.”

That sort of wild enthusiasm could only come from a woman who has been stuck raising three young boys - day in, day out.

“Yee-hah!” Rachael and I echo, joining in on the excitement.

“Where are you sitting?” I ask Zoe.

“Who cares? I’m free!” Zoe begins to do a happy dance on the plane.

Her enthusiasm is becoming infectious. 

I don’t think I’ve been this excited since… since… ever.