Gillian’s Island
Authors: catjohnson
GILLIAN’S ISLAND
By Cat Johnson
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom, and a private cruise. What could
possibly go wrong? How about a hurricane, one stranded yacht, a few
useless, scantily clad bridesmaids and an equal number of horny
groomsmen?
In the midst of it all, maid of honor Gillian Marlboro wonders if
Jamie Foster could be not only the groom’s best man, but also
the man for her. Would the universe be so cruel as to hand her the
perfect man and then let them both perish on an island that provides
no fresh water and only Mother Nature’s aphrodisiacs for
sustenance?
The eBook has been previously released. It has been reedited and
revised from the original version.
Dedication
To Chris, my idea man, Whitney, my boatman and Amy, the aphrodisiac
queen.
Copyright © 2011 Cat Johnson
Cover Art by Natalie Winters
License Statement
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook
may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like
to share this eBook with another person, please purchase an
additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book
and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only,
then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard
work of this author.
http://www.catjohnson.net
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Gillian
Marlboro stared at the reflection of the angelic blond dressed in
ethereal white. Was that really her sister Julie with the
busting-out-all-over bosom spilling out of the neckline?
The lips on the woman in the bridal-shop mirror moved and it sounded
like Julie so Gillian figured it must be her, newfound cleavage and
all. Wow. That was some amazing dress. Worth every penny of the
outrageous price tag.
“It’s perfect.” Julie gazed at herself, then spun
to Gillian. “Isn’t it?”
“Mmm, hmm. You look beautiful.” Gillian glanced at her
own reflection and winced. Puke…um, sage green wasn’t
really her color. All it managed to do was cast a green glow onto her
own blond hair. Not to mention the strapless neckline and drop waist
did nothing for her flat chested, big hipped figure either. And don’t
even get her started on the giant bow making her ass look like the
Titanic.
Julie, on the other hand, looked just as a bride should. Like
Cinderella in a pristine white gown that cinched in her tiny waist
and flared out in a bell to the floor.
Gillian sighed. One day it would be her turn and she’d get to
be a fairytale princess while Julie waited on her hand and foot.
Until then, she rallied her maid of honor enthusiasm and turned to
the seamstress. “Thank you so much for getting the dresses done
ahead of schedule. I’m so sorry you had to rush. None of us had
any idea about this surprise trip.”
In fact, if the groom had consulted Julie or Gillian before he made
the plans for a spur of the moment getaway during the busiest week of
all their lives, they would have talked him out of it.
The seamstress stood behind Julie, unfastening the dozens of buttons
down her back. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad I could
do it. Not every bride is lucky enough to be whisked away by her
groom for a relaxing, romantic pre-wedding cruise.”
Relaxed and romantic? Those were not exactly the words Gillian would
have used to describe what she felt about the entire wedding party
being dragged on this trip. Hectic, harried and impossibly busy came
to mind, but she wasn’t the bride. Julie was over the moon with
happiness. That was all that mattered.
Finally, the seamstress turned to Gillian. “Let me undo the
back so you can get out of this.”
“Thanks.” Panic set in as she thought about the ton of
things she had yet to do.
When Gillian was finally released from the bondage of the dress that
would have put Scarlett’s corset to shame, she drew in a deep
breath and started mentally mapping out her route while she
gratefully threw on jeans and a T-shirt inside one of the dressing
rooms.
She called out her plan through the particleboard walls. “Jules,
I’ll pick up our shoes while you and Rob meet with the minister
at the church.”
“Ugh. My cell phone battery’s dead. Can you call and
remind him about that?” Her sister’s voice came from
inside the next cubicle.
How could Julie forget to charge her phone? Gillian stifled the
lecture she was tempted to give her sister about her forgetfulness.
Instead, she whipped out her cell, hit the preprogrammed button for
Rob’s work number, and listened to the phone ringing. She was
thinking how lucky Julie was to have a maid of honor with
obsessive-compulsive disorder when Rob answered his office phone with
a very official sounding, “Hello.”
“Hey, Rob. It’s Gillian.”
“Gilly. Hi.” His tone immediately switched from financial
consultant to future brother-in-law. “You excited? One more day
and it’s nothing but fun in the sun.”
Fun in the sun? She’d settle for one good night of sleep
instead of waking up to the to-do list in her head. He really had no
idea the amount of stress this spontaneous trip was causing her.
Utterly baffled at how clueless men could be when it came to things
like the amount of preparation a wedding took, Gillian shook her
head. “Yup. Couldn’t be more excited if I tried. Listen,
don’t forget you’re meeting Julie at the church to see
the minister this afternoon.”
The sound of Rob shuffling papers came through the phone. “I’ve
got a ton of shit to get done at work before we leave, but no
worries. I’ll be there. I have to get out of here by then
anyway. The guys are flying in late today and I’m picking them
up at the airport. I thought we’d go out for drinks to catch up
tonight. You’ll come, won’t you? All shots are only a
dollar tonight at the bar near my apartment.”
Gillian hadn’t done a shot since college. Besides being a
little old for that kind of stuff, she definitely wasn’t going
to get drunk the night before going out on the ocean. She had no idea
if she’d be seasick, but she definitely was not going to be
hung over.
“Thanks for the invite, but I haven’t packed yet.”
“You haven’t? Jeez. You’d better get that done. We
leave bright and early tomorrow.”
Gillian swallowed her defensiveness. Unlike Julie, Gillian had never
been late in her life. “I’ll be there on time, Rob. Don’t
worry.”
“I know. Jules and I can always count on you, Gilly. You do
what you need to tonight. There’ll be tons of time for you to
get to know my friends on the boat. Look, I gotta get to a meeting
now. See you tomorrow and don’t forget to pack your bikini.”
That suggestion didn’t even deserve an answer. “Good bye,
Rob.”
She shook her head as she disconnected the call. A bikini. As if that
was going to happen. No way was she wearing a bikini while on the
same boat as Julie’s part-time model bridesmaids, both of whom,
by the way, had been noticeably absent during most of the wedding
duties. Gillian managed to grit her teeth and not blow up in anger
when they routinely sashayed in just in time for the fun events after
she’d done all the prep work.
Julie emerged from the dressing room wearing a fresh coat of lipstick
and the adorable dress she’d worn into the shop and Gillian
once again felt underdressed. “All set?”
“Yup.” Gillian consulted her watch. “Rob is
finishing up at work, but he’ll meet you later at the church.
In the meantime, you have an appointment for a manicure, pedicure and
bikini wax in fifteen minutes. If you sign a blank check for me, I’ll
run it over to the catering hall after I get our shoes while you’re
getting your nails done.”
Julie’s gratitude-filled smile made Gillian’s
stress-induced heart palpitations all seem worth it. “Thank
you, Gilly. You’re the best sister ever.”
Gillian rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just remember that when
it’s my turn and I’m the bride.”
Her sister grinned. “That may be sooner than you think.”
“Oh really? Are you giving me a Grow Your Own Groom kit as a
gift?”
“No. Hopefully he’s already grown, so no tending
required.”
Smelling an obnoxiously obvious matchmaking scheme, Gillian narrowed
her eyes. “Julie, what are you up to?”
“Nothing.” Playing innocent was not Julie’s best
trick, in spite of years of acting classes in college.
Gillian planted her hands on her hips. “You swore after the
last disaster when you fixed me up with that idiot Rob works with
you’d stop. No more interfering in my love life.”
Or
lack thereof.
“
It’s
not a fix up if two single attractive people happen to be in the same
wedding party and decide they like each other. How is that
interfering?”
Suddenly
Rob’s parting words careened into Gillian’s brain.
Don’t
forget to pack your bikini.
Add to that the invitation to go
out drinking with the guys tonight and the entire situation smelled
pretty rotten.
Realization
hit Gillian like a hammer blow to the skull, followed closely by
dread. “Oh, no. Please tell me Rob didn’t plan this
entire cruise just so I’d be forced to spend time with one of
his groomsmen.”
“Of course not, silly.” Julie very suspiciously avoided
making eye contact.
Gillian let out a huff, not believing her. She certainly hoped this
was not a fix up because unlike her sister, she’d be going on
that yacht sans pedicure or bikini wax, and if she didn’t get
home to do laundry and pack, without clean clothes too.
She sighed. There were bigger battles to fight today, such as her
ever-growing to-do list. “We both better get going.”
“You’re right.” Julie turned for the door, about to
leave.
“Um, Jules. I need a check.”
“Right.” Julie plopped down into a nearby chair and
rummaged for the checkbook in her purse. Her perfectly trimmed and
highlighted hair bobbed as she shook her head. “See how I’d
forget my own head if you didn’t remind me?”
“Exactly. Which is why you shouldn’t be trying to fix me
up. How can I take care of you if I’m busy tending to a
husband?” Gillian realized her own hair could use a trim, but
that wasn’t happening before tomorrow. Maybe she could squeeze
it in the day before the wedding. She’d have to call and make
an appointment before they left on the cruise.
“I’m willing to bet you could do both.” Her sister
smiled wider.
“Gee, thanks for the confidence.” Gillian scowled,
suspecting even more strongly her “fix Gilly up with a man”
theory was correct.
“I love you, Gilly.”
How could she be angry in the face of all that sweetness? She dragged
in a big breath. “I love you too, Jules.”
Gillian had barely said goodbye to her sister outside the bridal shop
when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it but didn’t recognize
the out of town number on the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Gillian?”
“Yes.”
“This is Jamie Foster, the best man.”
“Oh, hi.” Her brain quickly pictured the name and
information on her list of Rob’s wedding contacts. James
Foster. Chicago, Illinois. Fraternity brother. Best man. Though
somehow his even, cultured voice didn’t fit what she had
imagined Rob’s college frat-boy friends would sound like. That
was actually a relief.
“I called to apologize. I got your email two days ago asking me
to RSVP to the brunch the morning after the wedding. I’ve been
meaning to get back to you, really, but work has been so busy and
trying to get everything ready so I could leave… Anyway, yes I
will be attending. I thought I’d better call instead of email
in case you don’t have time to check your inbox with all the
wedding duties I’m sure you have on your plate.”
Finally, a man who understood what planning a wedding entailed.
Gillian had begun to doubt such a man existed. “Thank you.
That’s very thoughtful and please don’t apologize. You’re
the only one of the groomsmen who bothered to RSVP at all.”
