WLUV Box Set: Ignited, Consumed, Burned (31 page)

Fawn

Fawn had
fallen asleep on the plane. She had no idea how she’d managed it, stuck next to
Brick Cooper, but apparently she did. She was mortified to discover herself
leaning on him and decided to pretend she was totally unconscious and roll back
toward the window without seeming to wake. The very last thing she wanted was
Brick Cooper to think she had anything but disdain for him.

But she
had a pit of fear in her heart. Even though she could remember – with perfect
clarity – her feelings of betrayal on hearing him talk about her behind her
back that day, she could also remember every other moment.

Brick
Cooper was no less gorgeous looking to her now; if anything he’d become more
handsome with age, the years having added a little grey in the blonde hair, a
few crinkles at the eyes. The swagger was still there, but not without a bit of
humor and humility. She feared her physical reaction to Brick Cooper because it
was the same as it ever was, and she feared what he could do to her heart if
she let him near her body. A shiver ran through her at the memory of his
whisper in her ear just a few hours ago, “I’m going to win you over.” It wasn’t
so different from the whisper that led her to him the day they met.

She wished
she had a more normal love life. She’d been with only three men in the fifteen
years since she’d been with Brick, one too old for her, one too boring for her,
and one who thought she’d be the perfect accessory. And it had been two years
since her last relationship.  None of the men had heated her blood or stirred
her up the way Brick did then and even now. Dammit all to hell, why couldn’t he
be married with kids and not interested in her?

Fawn
reminded herself of what he’d been
like the last time – sex, nothing more – and though he was the handsome and
respected mayor now, she couldn’t trust that he was any different. The problem
was that she had to be near him. Macy and Wes were counting on her to do great
work. They’d invested in her and in this trip, and Macy had even stood up to
Gordon on her behalf. She needed to be impartial and tell this story because it
was a phenomenal one. When it was completed, she wanted to send the whole damn
thing to wherever Allan Alder was today. Asshole.

Fawn
looked out her window as the pilot announced they were making their approach to
Belize Airport. It was right there on the water and as they descended Fawn
could see the ocean in a blue like she’d never seen. It was beautiful. Then she
realized they were landing, over water, and she endeavored to concentrate on
her breathing. She hated landing. Hated it.

She
swallowed hard.

Brick
noticed her efforts. “You okay?”

“Yes.”
Fawn gripped the armrests. She did not want a repeat of takeoff when she’d
grabbed his hand. She wished she hadn’t done it.

But the
landing was smooth as was the trip through the airport. Fawn stuck with her
photographer, “Chud,” as the reporters called him. He was in his late twenties
and had been working in public television. That meant his work was going to
take a little longer than the run-and-gun that the news photographers were used
to, but it would be worth it she hoped. Macy said he was lured to WLUV by this
particular assignment and of course, a steady paycheck. Chud carried one giant
backpack over his shoulder and all their gear in a cart behind him.

Fawn had
some toiletries and her personal news equipment in her own shoulder bag,
specifically her iPad that she’d use for Facetime live shots and to drop their
stories to the station this week. She dragged a large suitcase behind her.
Thank god it had wheels. She’d packed pretty light considering she had to bring
two entirely separate news wardrobes: professional dress for the economic stories
and then something like Mrs. Crocodile Dundee for the jaguar stories. A lot of
it was new, purchased courtesy of WLUV. Macy had helped her pick out some great
items, and they’d enjoyed swapping old news stories over a martini afterward.

Fawn and
the mayor’s contingent would stay in the country’s capital, Belmopan, for
several days before joining the zoo staff at the wildlife preserve. She was sad
to see the zoo staff leave and go their own way. Not just because they were a
fun crowd, but because it meant there was less of a buffer between the mayor
and her.

The small
group took a cab to their hotel, Chud sat up front with the driver while Brick,
his economic development chief Doug Forrester, and Fawn squeezed in the back. 
Fortunately they didn’t need an interpreter, since English was the language of
Belize—there wouldn’t have been room for one.

Fawn was
keenly aware of Brick as they settled into the cramped backseat. She felt his
hip wedged next to hers and it set her thoughts in the direction she’d been
struggling to avoid.

Luckily
the scenery soon took over. There wasn't a place her eyes settled that didn't
find lush leafy green or Caribbean blue. Belize was a four-hour flight that
wound up being a world away. As distracted as Fawn was to have Brick next to
her, the view of Hummingbird Highway – the route from the airport to Belmopan –
soon overwhelmed her senses. It was a feast for the eyes and she gulped it in.

A groan on
the other side of her interrupted her sightseeing and she looked to see Doug Forrester
bent over in his seat. It didn’t look like the view or anything else about
Belize was agreeing with him.

“You
alright buddy?” Brick asked, leaning over Fawn.

“Just a
little car sick.” Forrester was in his fifties and reminded Fawn of Bernie in a
way— he’d grown the older man’s paunched belly and was bald on top. He had put
together the economic package and was there to help Brick seal the deal. But
right now he looked like just surviving the ride to the hotel would be an
accomplishment.

“Why don’t
we roll down the windows?” Fawn suggested.

“Good
idea.” Brick opened the window on his side but Doug just sat there with his
eyes closed, so Fawn leaned over him to unroll his by a few inches. She tried
to put it out of her mind that she was essentially offering Brick a great view
of her backside. No matter, he could look all he wanted. And really, if she had
to be honest, she liked that he looked.
Eat your heart out, Brick Cooper.

Fawn
inhaled the sea, the green, the salt, everything was such a change from life in
Grand City that she felt giddy.  She hadn’t been this far from her mother, or
apart for so long, in the last fifteen years. She’d barely looked up, much less
taken a vacation someplace as lush and warm as this. It stung her a bit to
realize what she’d been missing.

"Look
over there!” She didn't mean to talk to Brick at all but her feeling of
exuberance was stronger than the defensiveness and old resentment she'd
carefully harbored. Rolling hills turned into mountains in the distance and
above the tree line Fawn spotted her first Mayan ruin.

"Wow!
There, over the tree line.” The ruin of some stairway to something extended
upwards.

“Incredible.
We should have some time to sightsee before we leave Belmopan.”

“The ruins
would be first on my list.” Fawn tried to contain herself. This was not the ice
queen she’d so carefully cultivated. She was quickly realizing that Belize
would warm her no matter how she tried to stay cool. As long as she didn’t lose
her sense and forget who Brick Cooper was, she’d be fine. More than fine.

The hour
drive didn't feel that long, considering the beautiful scenery, and they soon
arrived in Belmopan. Their hotel for the next few days was called the Sleeping
Giant Rainforest Lodge in the Cayo District. It was five minutes from downtown
Belmopan and very close to the meeting with the CEO of Belize Cane Energy
Corporation. Even so, it was nestled in the jungle. There were no Marriott or
Holiday Inns in the entire country so most of the hotels were owned by
families.

It should
have scared Fawn, who was so used to the controlled predictability of her life;
the Sleeping Giant was so far removed from that as to be unreal. It was
sprawling estate with yellow stucco and ornate white accents. But somehow she
was exhilarated, not afraid.

Although
Fawn had packed light and was prepared to carry her two small bags upon
arriving at the hotel, someone was there immediately to help her.

“I’m
Paulo. I am the owner and proprietor of Sleeping Giant. No one as pretty as you
should have to carry their own bags.” The graying owner was about as
sweet-faced a man Fawn had ever seen.

“Are you
trying to proposition our beautiful guest, Paulo?” Out came a beautiful woman
with cocoa-colored skin and lush dark hair that came down in waves over one
shoulder. They were both dressed in all white.

“Of
cours
e
not,” Paulo winked at Fawn and said under his breath, “Don’t tell my lovely
wife that I just propositioned you.” Paulo waggled his eyebrows and Fawn
couldn’t stifle a laugh.

Several
other busboys emerged to help them unpack the rest of the gear.

“I heard
that, you animal. That’s just fine, I’ll be over here with my old friend
Brick.” The woman wrapped the mayor in a big hug which he returned,
affectionately.

“She’s
trying to make me jealous. My wife, Gloria, and you are?”

“Fawn.”
Fawn shook Paulo’s hand while she watched Gloria put a hand to Brick’s face.

Brick
stepped in and explained, “Putting this cane sugar deal together has required
several previous trips here, wherein Doug and I fell in love with Gloria— Paulo
too, of course.”

Paulo gave
Brick an easy hug. Did Brick know everyone, everywhere? That must be the
politician in him, Fawn decided; he had such an easy rapport with everyone he
met.

“Doug, you
look terrible! Let me get you to your room. Actually we’ve got you and Mr.
Chudowski in these two here, follow me.” Paulo led them to the left of a tiled
entryway and around the center courtyard.

“Brick and
the beautiful Fawn follow me this way.” Gloria took them in the opposite
direction and they made a few left turns down the exterior hallway of the
building. The bellman deposited Brick in his room, and Gloria showed Fawn to
where she’d be staying—right next door.

Fawn
wondered if she should be uneasy that her room was so close to Brick’s, and
that they were so far from the others. Or was she making too much of
everything? Surely as two adults they could room near each other for a few days
without a problem.

And
really, problems were the last thing on the mind of anyone who entered this
paradise. The tropical foliage lining the pathways with brilliant colors,
random blooms exploding from plants Fawn couldn’t identify, all of it was
beyond gorgeous and it was hard to believe that she was sent here by WLUV.

Fawn’s
room was simple but elegant at the same time. White linen sheets covered the
Queen-sized bed in the center of the room, and the floors were cool terra cotta
tile. There was also a small desk, complete with Wi-Fi, where she could work.

She took
it all in and almost forgot Gloria in the process, who piped up right at that
moment, “So Brick must love you very much.”

“What?
Uh—no, no. This is a business trip. I’m covering the mayor’s visit here on
behalf of our town, Grand City.”

“Ah,
right. You know, in the times I’ve met Brick, there have been many beautiful
women,
many
, who threw themselves at him.” She pointed to the bellman
carrying Fawn’s larger suitcase and he hoisted it on a suitcase rack without a
word between them.

Gloria
turned her sharp eye back to Fawn.  “He always politely removed himself from
their lovely grasp. Paulo even wondered if he was maybe not interested in women
because of it. But I said no, he does love women, just not those women.”

“I see. Well,
that’s interesting, but I’m not here for that, or for him.” The warmth that had
previously felt enticing to Fawn felt suffocating as she listened to Gloria’s
observations about Brick Cooper.

“You may
not be here for him. But he’s here,” Gloria pointed to the adjoining but locked
door, “for you.”

“So the
Wi-Fi password?” Fawn decided the best plan was to change the subject.

“On the
card there. I always forget. And please, if you need anything we’re here for
you. Our guests are our family, during this visit and forever. I’m like a nosey
Aunt and I can see you’re done with my prodding. I’ll leave you.” Gloria smiled
and did as she said.

For the
first time in a day, Fawn was mercifully alone. She closed her eyes as she
stood there, just to take it in, and then her cell buzzed.

Dammit, it
was Brick.

“We’re
planning to go into Belmopan tonight, in about three hours or so. Your
photographer is in on the plan and Doug needs food, so what do you say? You
want to do a little exploring before our meeting tomorrow, get a sense of the
place?” Brick’s voice was as neutral as it could be, Fawn reasoned to herself.
Also, if everyone else was going it would look weird if she didn’t.

“Come on,
Fawn, you’re in paradise! It would be a shame if you didn’t see a little of
it.” He teased her but didn’t put her too far into a corner with this
invitation. This was okay.