Trapped in Paradise (6 page)

“Slow down, Miranda,” Jeremy said, sensing Miranda had slipped into her controlling, protective big sister mode. If he and Saundra were to have a real chance, he had to draw the line now and let the chips fall where they may. “There is no wedding, yet. I need to know what happened, then for you to step out of my way.”

“Excuse you?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but Saundra and I don’t need a matchmaker, plotting and scheming our lives.”

“Need I remind you, you wouldn’t be this far without my stepping in the way?”

“It’s not that you stepped in the way; it’s the how. I love you like a little sister. But Saundra is my heart. She doesn’t need or want you trying to control or manipulate her into doing your will.”

She sucked air through her teeth. “Fine.”

Saundra had met Nathan during her senior year of college. Miranda never liked Nathan and didn’t agree with their relationship. It had nothing to do with him being thirteen years older than her baby sister. Something about the man just rubbed Miranda the wrong way. He would monopolize Saundra’s time to ensure she couldn’t spend time with her family and friends. Plus Saundra was only twenty at the time, which Miranda thought was much too young to even consider settling down.

A week after Saundra’s graduation, she married Nathan. A week after that, he received a job offer in Iowa he just couldn’t refuse. Saundra didn’t want to leave her family and everything she knew in Dallas to move up north, but Nathan pointed out she didn’t have a job yet and could start her career anywhere.

A month later, Saundra moved across the country with her husband. Things went down hill from there.

“I let her down.”

“No, it wasn’t your fault.”

“But you don’t understand. Before she left, we argued. I told her that when he turned on her, not to come running to me. I shut out my own sister. We didn’t speak for years, and I was too stubborn to check on her. To busy waiting for the day for her to say I was right. Then the day came…”

All he could hear was her crying. “It’s okay, Miranda. You don’t need to finish.”

“I just wish that day had never come.” She choked up.

A few seconds later, Marcus came on the line. “This is too much for Miranda. You go take care of your woman, and let me handle Miranda.”

“I fully understand.”

“Tell him, Marcus. Tell him the rest,” he heard Miranda plead.

“Baby, you need to lie down.”

“Tell him!”

Marcus blew out a breath. “Nathan was a first class ass. When Saundra got the courage to call home, she told Miranda everything, and you know how this crazy woman is. She was ready to call out a hit on homeboy. To make a long story short, Miranda
forgot
to tell me what was going on, went to Iowa with a few of her cousins, Nathan ended up in the hospital from a mysterious attack and Saundra returned home to Dallas.”

“Oh yeah, that sounds like Miranda. What about the divorce?”

“Saundra lost herself for a while, but came back stronger than before. She filed for divorce and said she wanted nothing from him but for him to leave her alone. He tried to intimidate her into returning to him, but she was with family again. Plus, there was no way in hell I’d allow anyone to harm her, including you. Got me?”

He liked how Marcus looked after Saundra, but that would be his job from now on. “We’re good.”

“You know I had to make sure the air is clear. Look, I need to take care of my baby girl. Don’t let Saundra run.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Saundra wandered about the Promenade deck, through the casino, which was jumping with too much life and excitement for her to deal with, and eventually found herself at the Apollo Bar. Had she just left a half-naked man in her cabin? Not just any naked man, but Jeremy King. The type of man romance novels were inspired from.

But what if this wasn’t a romance? After ordering a Long Island Iced Tea, she went to find a seat in a corner somewhere to listen to the piano and vegetate.

“Hey, Saundra”

She turned and saw Reba sitting with two other women. “Hey ladies.”

Reba stood and introduced Saundra to Toni and ’Cilla.

“Pleased to meet you both. Mind if I sit with you.”

They all motioned toward the empty seat.

“Are you all here for the romance conference also?” Saundra took a seat.

“I try to come every year,” Toni and ‘Cilla said.

“I have a whole new respect for romance readers and authors.” Saundra sipped her drink. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast with Jeremy and the
tea
was tasting quite good.

“You sound like you’re still going through it,” said Reba.

“You have no idea. Have any of you seen ‘Stranger than Fiction’ with Will Farrell?”

All three shook or said no.

“In it Will starts hearing a narrator in his head like his life were a novel. He begins to think he’s crazy, but finds out that his life has become the work in progress of an author, and whatever she writes literally happens to him.”

“That sounds really good,” said Toni.

“It’s a must see. Different than his usual roles.” Saundra drank a little more. “Ever since I boarded the plane for Miami, my life has been the making of a romance novel, and I just don’t know what to do. I mean, this is real life. What’s been happening to me doesn’t actually happen to real people.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what’s happened?” ‘Cilla probed.

Two drinks later, she had spilled her guts about everything that had happened to her since she boarded the plane all the way until she left a towel clad Jeremy in the cabin.

“Let me make sure I heard correctly.” Reba scooted to the edge of her seat. “Did you say you left Mr. Tall Dark and All Too Fine alone in that cabin wearing nothing but a towel?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She tapped Saundra’s empty glass. “What are you drinking, because I want to steer clear of it?”

All four women burst out in laughter.

“You are so wrong for that.” Saundra wiped the laughter tears from her eyes.  “Now don’t get me wrong. I made walking away sound way easier than it actually was.” The thought of making love with Jeremy had her juices flowing—literally. She all ready had more than enough on her mind. She didn’t need anything else clouding her judgment, so she had walked away before she had a chance to give into the temptation.

“And he held you all night and didn’t make a move on you.” Reba shook her head. “Girl, you’d better stop tripping. You don’t come across good men every day.”

“If he’s so good, then he will wait until I figure out which way is up. I’ve been discombobulated since I first saw him on the plane.”

Toni and ‘Cilla nodded in agreement.

Reba relaxed in her seat. “I think you’re acting ‘romance heroine’ and blowing this whole thing out of proportion. You have a man who obviously loves you, and you love him. It’s cut and dry. Black and white.”

“The good news is, since your life has become a romance, you’ll have a happy ending,” added Toni.

“Let me tell you about the first time I was introduced to ‘romance.’” Wishing she had eaten something before she had gone to the bar, Saundra’s stomach was beginning to object to the liquor. Just a little while longer, and she would go eat. “One of my friends who knew I was anti-romance novel said they had the perfect romance for me. That I’d love this one. Sooooo, I love to read. I figured, why not. I’ll give it a try. I
loved
the book. Turned out to be one of my favorite novels of all time.”

“So what’s the problem?” asked ‘Cilla.

“
Their Eyes Were Watching God
is not a romance, but a romantic tragedy. What if this… this… whatever it is that is happening to me isn’t a romance, but a romantic tragedy?”

Toni’s eyes lit up. “Oh I love Zora Neale Hurst, but yeah, that’s definitely a romantic tragedy.” Toni ordered another round of drinks for everyone.

“I really do need to get some food into my stomach.” Saundra liked hanging out with this crew. They were so laid back and welcomed her into their fold so easily. She would be sure to attend future Slam Jams with the ladies, but for now, she needed to decide what to do about Jeremy. The hour had grown late, so she may not be able to move to a different cabin until tomorrow.

The thought of another night in his arms took her mind where it shouldn’t be—exactly where she wanted to be. But she couldn’t. There was more than a night of mind-blowing sex on the line.

“Let’s finish up this round, then we can all grab something to eat,” Reba suggested.

“That’ll work,” Saundra agreed.

‘Cilla toyed with her apple martini. “I think you may be coming at this wrong. The judgment of a twenty year old is completely different than that of a thirty-four year old. I can’t believe this Nathan fellow just turned into a monster over night. What signs did you miss, and is Jeremy showing any of them.”

Though she felt light-headed, she wanted to continue the conversation. She felt a break through in her near future. “Miranda didn’t like Nathan from day one. She’s actually a great judge of character.”

“Why didn’t you listen to her then?” Reba asked.

“Because she’s also an attention hog. Nathan was my first serious relationship, and I was spending time with him that I usually spent with her. She accused him of monopolizing my time, and looking back, I see her point. He was really slick with it.” She sipped at her drink. “He would plan excursions and dinners out on the town. How could I get mad at him for being attentive?

“But when I’d try to plan something, he’d always make me feel guilty, as if I were saying his plans weren’t good enough. And family activities, he would come, but arrange for us to have another date or whatever so we’d have to leave early. He’d also invite Miranda, knowing she wouldn’t come. Who wants to be a third wheel? So when Miranda and I would argue, I’d point out that she was invited, and he wanted to spend time getting to know her also, but she was the one who always turned down the invitations.” She slowly shook her head and felt as if it were spinning. She leaned back in her seat.

“Needless to say, he was placing a wedge between us, and I fell right into the trap.”

“You say you are trapped a lot,” ‘Cilla pointed out. “I think it’s time we gave your romance of a life a title.”

Reba sucked air through her teeth. “All I have to say is she left Mr. Tall, Dark and All Too Fine in nothing but a towel back in the cabin. The man held her
all night long!
The only kind of trap she’s been in since she boarded that plane is trapped in paradise. Again, stop acting like a romance heroine. This is real life. Go get your man.”