The Rainbow Cedar

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Jay paused outside the cottage, hearing Katherine's angry voice. It sounded like she was arguing with the airline. Jay raised her eyebrows. So when Katherine said she couldn't stay in Hawaii for another three days, she apparently meant it.

Good.

But, after consuming nearly half a bottle of very expensive champagne, Jay's only wish was to slip into a swimsuit and relax by the pool. Where hopefully Carlos was on duty. So she pushed open the door, ignoring Katherine who was talking—yelling— animatedly on the phone. She closed the door to the bedroom, not really surprised to see Katherine's luggage spread out on the bed. That, too, she ignored as she quickly shed her clothes and pulled on the red one-piece she had yet to wear. She found the matching wind shorts, slipped them over her suit and grabbed a towel.

But when she left the bedroom, Katherine was waiting.

"I see you found a ride."

Jay stopped. "Oh, yes. That was very sweet of you to leave me there. I appreciate it."

Katherine came closer. "You didn't really think I was going to ride back with you, did you?" she asked with a smile. "You cut your lip." Their eyes met. "I hope it wasn't too painful."

Jay squared her shoulders. "You mean your assault? No. The champagne helped ease the pain." She gave her own smile. "And really, the hundred dollar tip you ended up leaving was a bit much, even for you."

Katherine laughed. "That's the best you could do with my credit card? A hundred bucks? In eight years, did I not teach you anything about spending money?"

Jay shook her head. "Whatever." She walked around Katherine, heading to the door. She had no desire to spend another second with her.

"Yeah, whatever," Katherine mimicked. "By the way, I'm leaving. Or should I say Jenna and I are leaving. I got two of the tickets changed. It cost a small fortune, but I hardly care. I would have paid twice that just to get away from here."

Jay smiled. "Great. Then don't let me keep you." She turned to go but Katherine grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"When you get back to Austin, you'll have one day to get your things out of my house, Jay. After that, you're not welcome there."

"One day? I'll need more than one day."

"Oh, I'm sure you can manage." Her smile was saccharine. "It's not like you have a lot there anyway."

Jay couldn't tell if she was serious or not. Most likely she was. "So you're just basically throwing me out on the street?"

"It's my house, Jay. Not yours." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want you around. Get your things and get out."

"Wow, Kath. I think you've actually reached a new low." She touched her cheek. "After this morning, I didn't think it was possible."

"Get out, Jay," she spat, pointing to the door. "I don't want to see you again."

Jay nodded. "With pleasure." But as the door slammed behind her, the calmness she'd displayed inside left her. "The bitch!"

Now what?

She took a deep breath. The buzz the champagne left her with was quickly fading, a headache taking its place. Then she saw Eleu straightening the chairs out by the pool. She headed her way. Perhaps a therapy session was in order.

"Got a second?"

Eleu smiled. "Yes. I see you made it." She looked around conspiratorially. "Where's the wicked witch?"

Jay laughed. "Making plans to fly out of here on her broom. Apparently she's taking Jenna with her."

"She's leaving?"

"Yes. She got two tickets out tomorrow."

"So... this means you and Drew will be here alone for a couple more days?"

"I guess, unless she cancelled those tickets. Which I wouldn't put past her." Jay waved at Carlos. "Thank God he's here." She nodded as he held up the margarita shaker. "Say, is the bar tab still on Katherine's credit card?"

"She hasn't asked me to pull it."

"Let's hope she forgets."

"Ah, you are being sneaky. Good."

Jay pulled a chair into the shade, waiting as Carlos made her drink. "It started out with me breaking up with Katherine. It ended with Katherine kicking me out of her house without my belongings. I knew she would twist it around. I just knew it. I'm not in her league. I'm second-class," she said sarcastically, as she reached for the glass. "Thanks, Carlos. You're a doll."

"My pleasure, as always, Miss Jay."

When he left them, Eleu sat down next to Jay, watching her. "It's none of my business, of course. But your cheek, it looks puffy. Your lip, there is a cut."

Jay nodded. "I never saw it coming."

"She hit you?"

"Twice." Jay leaned her head back. "I never thought she would stoop to that level, but I guess it shows I never really knew her that well. I wouldn't have thought she'd be this vindictive, this mean."

"Then perhaps it is all for the best."

"You mean with Drew?"

Eleu nodded. "Dinner was good last night, yes?"

Jay laughed. "You are quite the little matchmaker. And since you cleaned up, you know how far we got with dinner."

"My grandmother used to tell me that when love found you, it would come fast and hard. There would be no running. I think that is true for you. There was just no more running, was there?"

"No." Jay sighed. "I really like her a lot."

"But?"

"I just feel like my life's in chaos right now. I'm soon to be homeless, yet here I am, sitting in paradise, waiting for my knight in shining armor to come back from a romantic dinner cruise with another woman."

Eleu reached over and patted her leg. "Drew was crushed. And jealous. And all those other things that come with the uncertainty of a new relationship."

"I didn't mean to just leave like that. I just wanted to get alone somewhere where we could talk, that's all. Imagine my surprise when we ended up at a hotel. I mean, she hasn't wanted to spend any time with me this whole trip. Why now?"

Eleu stared at her. "Why do you think, Jay?"

"I don't know." Jay shrugged. "Maybe she got tired of museums. Maybe she..." Jay frowned. "Or maybe she got tired of Jenna. Jesus, I'm so clueless sometimes, I swear." She sat up. "That's why she had the hotel. That's why she wanted to get alone with me. Christ, that's why she said she wanted to see me in a bikini." She laughed. "Did you know?"

"Just from watching them together at breakfast, yes, something was different. And for Jenna to want to take Drew away, I knew something had changed."

Jay's eyes widened. "Take her away? Do you think Jenna now wants Drew?"

"Well, that hardly matters now, does it? Because Drew doesn't want Jenna."

Jay sat back again, swirling the ice in her glass. "You seem to know an awful lot, Eleu. How old are you anyway? Are you even thirty?"

Eleu's laugh was loud and rich, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thirty? I passed thirty twelve years ago."

"Oh, my God! You're forty-two?" It was Jay's turn to laugh. "What's your secret? I had you pegged for mid-twenties."

"I do what my mother did before me, and what my grandmother did before her. I live a stress-free life, I eat well, I don't smoke or drink," she said, motioning to Jay's glass. "And I swim every morning before daybreak, rain or shine. My grandmother claimed the salt in the ocean cleansed your skin." She touched both her cheeks. "I don't wear makeup to clog my pores. I let them breathe." She laughed. "There, my family secret to aging."

Jay set her empty drink aside. "No wonder. Drew and I were commenting last night that you were old and wise." She grinned. "I don't mean old as in old, you know. But wise."

Eleu nodded. "Then thank you for the compliment." She got to her feet, looking down at Jay. "People live their lives in such a rush, always trying to do things faster and faster, never taking the time to really live. Don't rush through your life, Jay. Even with Drew. You have something there. You both know it. Take the time to savor it." She bowed slightly. "I will ensure you enjoy these last few days in peace."

"Thank you."

Jay watched her leave, her small body lithe and firm, belying her age. Ten years older. Ten years wiser. There's hope for me yet. And when Carlos got her attention, asking for another drink, Jay shook her head. No, she didn't need alcohol to numb her pain.

She opened her cell phone, feeling only slightly guilty at the dozen or so messages she had yet to listen to. She reasoned she was on vacation. And she was in Hawaii. Anything going on in Austin would have to wait. But this could not.

"Audrey? It's me."

"Well, my, my. The little mermaid has surfaced."

"Very funny." She paused. "I need a therapy session."

"Oh, good Lord. You're several time zones away. Surely not."

Jay heard rustling and frowned. "Where are you?"

"In bed."

"Who with?" she asked in a whisper, only to hear Audrey's familiar laugh.

"I'm alone. Unfortunately."

"What time is it there?"

"Early. Not even nine."

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm exhausted. And if you must know, I spent the night with someone last night. We didn't exactly sleep, if you know what I mean."

"Slut."

"I know you're just jealous."

Jay laughed. "Well, I spent the night with someone too."

"I do not want to hear about your boring married life."

Jay's smile vanished. "Speaking of that, do you still have the alarm code for the house?"

"The mansion? Yes. Why?"

"Because I need you to go there and pack up my stuff."

Silence. Then, a sigh.

"Do I want to know what's going on?"

"Probably not. But Katherine and Jenna are having an affair. Or they were. Not quite sure what's up with that now. And I slept with Drew."

"Oh, my God! You slut!" Audrey shrieked, then squealed with laughter. "Tell me more."

"Today Katherine took me to a fancy hotel to have makeup sex. I broke up with her. She's plenty pissed. She's leaving in the morning and—"

"Wait, wait, wait. You broke up with her?"

"Yes. But since she's kicking me out of the house, she's technically the one breaking up with me. Which is fine. I don't care."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm relieved, actually."

"And she's leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes. She got two tickets changed. She and Jenna are both leaving."

Another laugh. "And you and Drew are staying?"

"I suppose. Right now, Drew and Jenna are on a romantic dinner cruise of the islands."

"Oh, my God! My head is spinning."

"Yes, well, so is mine. Katherine is as pissed as I've ever seen her."

"Because you slept with Drew? But if she was having her own affair—"

"No. She doesn't know about Drew."

"How can she not know? Why did she think you wanted to end things with her?"

Jay rubbed her forehead. This was too much for a phone call. She should have known Audrey would have a hundred questions. "Look, she's just pissed because I found out about her and Jenna, that's the main thing. And she's, you know, pissed. And so she got kinda ugly with me, and well, I don't want to go into it. I'll explain it all when I get back. But I need you to get my stuff. If I can help it, I'd rather not have to go over there when we get back."

"So you want me to break in?"

"If you know the alarm code, is that really breaking in?"

"Okay, I guess not."

"Great. Park in the back by the garage and use the patio door. Put whatever you can into my van. I've got to have my computer. Basically, everything that's in my office. And if you forget my Cowboys mini helmet I'll never speak to you again."

"Yeah, yeah. So, get your stuff in your office. What clothes do you want?"

"Just whatever you can get. Shorts, jeans. Whatever. Forget the stuff in the closet. Most of that is what Katherine bought me whenever I needed to dress up for one of her functions." Jay thought for a moment, trying to picture anything else she couldn't live without. "I'm assuming you can get someone to go with you to drive my van, right?"

"I'll find someone. You'll want to bunk with me for awhile, I suppose?"

"If you don't mind."

"Of course not. It'll be fun."

"Just for a week or so. Until I find something." She smiled. "I love you, you know."

"Yeah. Me too. I just hope this doesn't cut into my social life."

"Sex with strangers is not considered a social life, Audrey." She laughed. "But there is a word for that."

"If you don't want me to put your precious little mini helmet on eBay, I'd be careful what you call me, Jessica."

Jay laughed delightfully, having missed the teasing banter between them. "I'm so sorry. You're the best, Audrey."

"Much better. Now, I'm going back to bed to plan my heist in the morning. And Jay, if I get arrested for breaking and entering ... I will kill you. And I will kill you slowly."

Jay leaned back in her lounge chair, a smile still on her face.

Audrey always made her feel better, always made her laugh. And was always there when she needed her. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad. At least she'd have her stuff. And now Katherine would be gone and she and Drew would have two days to... to what?

To talk? To make plans? To decide the direction of their relationship?

"To make love," she murmured quietly, letting her eyes close, remembering—for the first time that day—Drew's hands upon her skin, Drew's mouth upon her breast. Her body had come alive, responding to Drew's touch like never before. Drew made her feel beautiful, sexy. She lost all her inhibitions when she was with Drew. She became the physical, passionate lover she always wanted to be, always knew she was.

Not with Katherine, no. With Katherine it was always so civilized, so restrained. There was never any urgency, there was never any ripping off of their clothes. There wasn't any passion.

But with Drew, there was that crazy, crazy need to touch and be touched that drove her to heights she'd never reached before.

Because Drew made her feel alive.