ROMANCE: Romantic Comedy: Love in 30 Days - The Best Plans Don't Always Work! (Plus 19 FREE Books Book 13) (33 page)

“You mean, you did not even ask for Ryan’s hotel address or phone number?” asked Emma astonished at Vicky’s lack of interest.

“Of course not. What good do you think that will bring? I will just end up doing to that poor girl what that the woman who Fred cheated on me with did to me.” said Vicky.

“I knew you would say something like this. That is exactly why I was able to extract their hotel address, their home phone number and both of their mobile numbers from Giselle.” said Christie with aplomb holding up a piece of paper with something scribbled on it.

“Oh you did not!” exclaimed Vicky.

“I sure did!” quipped back Christie staggering back in her drunken stupor.

“Way to go Christie!” exclaimed Emma.

“Let’s just get to the hotel, shall we?” asked Vicky again.

“Wait, what did you guys talk about when you were out here for so long?” asked Michelle suddenly.

“Nothing.” said Vicky sheepishly.

“Huh? Nothing? That definitely means something. We are walking back to the hotel girls. Emma you are responsible for Christie and we are all hearing about what Vicky and Ryan talked about on our way back to the hotel.” declared Michelle.

Vicky told the girls about the time spent with Ryan reminiscing about the good old days. She also told them how he waited for her and then got married a few months after his mom passed away.

“Aww!” said the girls collectively letting out a sigh.

“Listen guys. There is no way that you are setting me and Ryan up in any way. He is now married to another woman and no one has the right to meddle in their affairs.” said Vicky sternly.

They reached the hotel and made their way to the rooms. The three of them helped Christie to bed and huddled up in Vicky’s room.

“I miss the old days” said Emma.

“Ya, me too!” said Michelle.

“Of course we miss the old days. Everyone does. And that is a part of life. We always remember our past and forget our present. To be honest, as soon as Ryan walked in to the bar, for a moment I thought my life was finally sorted. Finally we had come full circle. But I jumped the gun. I should have waited for Ryan. But I never thought he would wait for me. He was always so clear minded; I thought he would forget me as soon as he became a big shot restaurateur. I don’t think I will ever be in a relationship again. It’s just too much trouble.” said Vicky, heartbroken.

“Don’t talk like that Vicky. It’s not the end of the world. And I really do not think Ryan is in a happy married life. Giselle is definitely not the woman of his dreams. She is not even close to what Ryan deserves.” said Michelle.

Vicky did not want to dwell on this Ryan issue for the rest of the vacation and said “We will see what happens with Ryan tomorrow. Let’s just got to sleep for now. We have a big day tomorrow. We have a lot of places to see and our guide will be at the hotel at 9 AM sharp.”

They went to their separate rooms to get some sleep and Vicky was finally all alone in her room. She just could not hold back her tears any longer. These last few months have been hell for her. The whole incident with Fred was ugly and now that she had left all that behind to find some solace at an exotic location among friends, she was handed a rude reminder of how much of a loser she was. She had no career, she definitely did not have a business and she did not even have a boyfriend anymore. She was even more crestfallen because for a moment back in the bar, she felt that everything would be alright when she saw Ryan walking in. She did not understand how everything just keeps getting away from her. If only she had waited for Ryan! How different her life would have been.

Chapter 6

All four of them were ready to hit the beach and go sightseeing. They reached the reception and asked if there was a guide who had enquired about them. The receptionist pointed to them to a man who was smoking a cigarette just outside the door. They stepped out to greet him and were shocked to see Giselle and Ryan also there.

“Isn’t this a coincidence? What are the chances of us meeting again? So are we sharing the same guide as well? How wonderful!” said Michelle winking towards Christie, Emma and Vicky.

Giselle did not even try to hide her displeasure. She whispered something to Ryan which Ryan obviously did not like and then she pulled him away to have a more ‘private’ conversation away from the group. The girls saw Giselle trying to explain something to Ryan animatedly. There was a lot of finger pointing and flailing of arms involved. After a few minutes, they came back to the group and Giselle flashed the most plastic smile any of them had ever seen.

“Hello guys! We meet again! This is going to be exciting” said Ryan.

“It will certainly be eventful!” added Emma.

“Can we just start the dam tour already? I have a massive hangover from last night.” said Christie. She had her sunglasses on.

Their tour guide was a middle aged man who spoke half-baked English but was extremely polite and gentle. He explained the activities that they would be doing throughout the day and gave directions on what to do just in case someone gets lost for any reason. The day’s activities included a trip to the beach where they would get on-board a ferry which would transport them to a secluded beach where there were arrangements made for snorkelling and scuba diving. Lunch would be served in the same beach and they would then on a trek to the top of the limestone hill on that island. By the time they descended back to the beach, it would be evening and they would then be escorted back to their respective hotels.

They boarded a small bus to the beach and once they were there, it was time for the ladies to bring out the beach wear. Vicky was kicked about the day’s activities and quickly undressed into a two piece bikini which looked extremely sexy on her. Ryan stole a few glances and all the men in the beach stood still for a second taking in the beauty of Vicky’s body. Giselle was left fuming with an open mouth because someone had stolen her thunder. Vicky was an extremely fit person. She was a champion gymnast in high school and college and was a part of the US Olympic Team. That was the one thing she was always good at – athletics. She was the only person in school who could compete with Ryan when it came to mountain biking. And her excellent physical condition showed in her toned abs, biceps and legs. There was absolutely no woman in the whole beach at that instant that would be able to match her physical appearance.

All six of them got into the water and after swimming around for a bit, the tour guide called them over to the ferry which would take them to the secluded beach. After what seemed like about half an hour, they could see the island with a huge limestone rock looming overhead. It took them another half an hour to reach the beach and the view from this beach was really like a scene from a movie. They were surrounded by a jungle in the middle of which was the huge limestone rock which looked like a hill. There was pristine blue water all around them and there wasn’t a soul in sight. The guide told the group that he would need an hour or so to set up the gear for snorkelling and they could hike up to a nearby waterfall in the meantime if they felt up for it.

They did not need a second invitation and the whole gang followed the guide’s direction to the waterfall. It was just around corner and the water from the waterfall fell barely 25 feet from top. But it did have a nice place to swim in. They all dived in as Ryan and Giselle waited and sat on the edge of the pool of water.

“Do we have to do this with them?” asked a fuming Giselle to Ryan.

“For now, yes. I will check back with the tour guide after we end today’s proceedings but all of this is already paid for in full. And we were strictly told that they would entertain any changes at the time of booking itself.” said Ryan.

“This blows!” Giselle exclaimed.

The guide came back to the group after some time and told them that they had the diving gear prepped and ready to be used. Christie was not feeling very well under the heat from the sun and her hangover from last night. So she opted out of the diving activity. The rest of them put their gear on and swam towards the open sea. They followed everything that the guide directed them to do and were having a ball taking in the surreal sights of corals and small fishes when suddenly Giselle started screaming for help. Vicky rushed to her help and found that she had her foot stuck in the middle of two rocks underneath. Her feet had a deep gash and there was blood streaming out of it. Vicky tried to free her foot from the rocks but it wouldn’t budge. By that time, Ryan also arrived and he pulled on the leg. The leg was freed but Giselle could not stop howling. They carried her back to the shore but her leg was really badly cut up. The guide was carrying a Safety Kit and tended to her wounds immediately. It was obvious that she would not be able to move freely anymore. After a while the guide said that if they had to make the trek to the top of the hill, they would have to leave right after lunch which was being served now.

“You won’t be able to move around now darling. Let’s just head back to the hotel.” said Ryan as the whole group surrounded her obviously worried about her injuries.

Giselle did not want to be the reason for dampening everyone’s spirits, especially with Vicky looking on. She could be the spoil sport among all of Ryan’s friends.

“I am alright here guys. I’ll just wait here till you guys make the climb and take in this wonderful scenery. I think the sun will do be some good too!” she said.

“I am surely not making that climb either.” said Christie and sat down beside Giselle. “I’ll keep her company, Ryan. No worries!”

All of them were hungry and as soon as lunch was served, they dug in. The meal was made in authentic Thai style with penang curries and salads. After they were done with lunch, they prepared to leave for the trek. Ryan kissed Giselle goodbye and all four of them started on the trail. Christie and Giselle looked on as they vanished around a corner.

Chapter 7

The hike to the top of the limestone hill was an endurance test for everyone except Vicky. It was as if Vicky had an alter ego which came to the fore when she was put in a competitive environment that needed physical prowess. Ryan wasn’t too far behind either. The two of them reached the peak of the hill in no time and waited for the rest of the part to catch. The view from the top was absolutely breath taking. It reminded them of their hike up the hill at the town where they grew up. Though there is was a huge change in the view from the summit, the feeling of peace and calmness that both Vicky and Ryan felt was a reminder of a past that they both shared. Ryan sat just beside Vicky and casually placed his hands over hers.

“I don’t think Giselle would appreciate what you are doing right now, Ryan.” said Vicky.

“Maybe not. But I see that you certainly do. Since you did not remove your hand.” answered Ryan.

Vicky smiled and asked “What are you trying to do, Ryan? Your wife is at the foot of hill with a damaged leg and you are sitting at the top of the hill holding another woman’s hands.”

“Frankly I don’t know Vicky. But I do feel that there must be a reason that we are meeting again after all these years. I mean think about it. Had it only been yesterday night, I would not have thought much about it. But after that again meeting today morning and then Giselle injuring her foot which allowed us to remember our trips to the hills in the past. This cannot all be coincidence, can it?” asked Ryan frustrated.

“I don’t know Ryan. But I really do not want to be the reason for breaking up a marriage.” said Vicky.

Ryan loved how the hair fell on Vicky’s face and how she always tucked them behind her ears when she spoke. He remembered the “freedom” tattoo on her wrist. He loved the way she smelt and he had always thought that she had the body of a roman goddess. He found himself falling back in love with her all over again at that instant. He wanted to kiss her so bad that without even realizing it he was leaning in with his eyes closed. Vicky could have stopped him, but she did not. She went with the flow and kissed him. They both realized that they missed kissing each other. They missed feeling each other on their lips. They kept kissing each other and the kiss became more and more intense. They heard footsteps approaching them and pushed away from each other.

Michelle was the first one to the top after Ryan and Vicky and as she was making the approach to the top she saw Vicky and Ryan kissing. She stopped for a while and seeing that the rest of them were fast approaching as well, she made sound with her foot trampling on leaves to make it seem as if she was just coming up.

“Wow! You guys were first to the top of the hill. Again! Seems like the old times, right Vicky?” Michelle said with a sly smile.

“Yes, Michelle. Just like old times.” said Vicky rolling her eyes.

“Michelle saw us kissing.” said Ryan.

“How the hell did you know?” asked Michelle.

“You always reference an awkward topic by changing the subject. You always did and I’m just glad to know you haven’t changed a bit.” said Ryan.

This is what Vicky loved about Ryan. He had that inherent goodness inside him and he had acute observational skills. He could make remarks that would blow your mind and yet his demeanour never changed. This made him sophisticated yet simple at the same time.

“Ok, Mr. Smart Guy, what do you think will happen to your wife now?” asked Michelle.

“Wait. Why are we even discussing this? We are not getting back together. You have a wife who is waiting for you at the foot of this hill!” shouted Vicky. As soon as she stopped speaking she saw that Emma and the guide had just made it to the top of the hill.