Chapter 27 : A Night on the Beach

**Cat POV My smile faded, and I set the wine down. Victoria glared at me, her eyes so fierce I thought they might burst into flames. The joy I'd been feeling before evaporated. I looked over at Luke. He didn't seem all that surprised to see Victoria, but he definitely didn't look happy, either. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a cold, clipped tone. I bit my lower lip to keep from smiling. Now that I knew they weren't together, I didn't feel so bad about being happy when Luke was cold about Victoria. Victoria didn't say anything. She sneered at me and went to Luke. Gracefully, she slid into his lap and draped her arm around his neck. Glancing at me, she smirked, and then grabbed Luke's face and kissed him hard and sloppy on the lips. I arched an eyebrow at Luke. He tensed and brought his arm to Victoria's stomach, pushing her away. Victoria pouted as she slid off Luke's lap. Luke straightened his clothes. "My parents aren't around. There's no need to pretend." "Pretend?" Victoria asked, blinking seductively at Luke. He looked at me again and rolled his eyes. "Don't give our secrets away in front of the help," Victoria said, waving dismissively at me. "The help?" Luke asked coldly. "Her name is Catherine, and she's working WITH me." I was a little impressed with how quick he was to jump to my defense. "It's okay, Luke. I should head out for the night." I stood up and patted him on the arm. "You don't have to leave, Cat." "Yes, she does. We need to talk," Victoria insisted. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said. Luke gave a stiff nod. I collected my things and headed out the door. As I left, I heard Luke and Victoria arguing. I couldn't hear much, but I caught him throwing words like "rude" and "out of line." Instead of heading back to my cabin, where I would probably still hear Victoria and Luke fighting, I decided to head further down the peninsula. Jason had texted me that their cabins were a little further out. I figured they were hanging out, like we originally planned, and it was early enough that I could meet up with them. I found them sitting in lawn chairs in a small patch of grass around a lit fire pit. There were outdoor speakers hung on the palm trees, relaxing music thumping through them. On a table, there was lots of food laid out and some wine and beer. "Hey, guys. Mind if I join you?" I asked. I sat down on a spare chair and picked up a mango slice. "Sure, we've got plenty of food and drink to go around," Johanna said. "This is cozy," I commented, pointing to the fire. "There are only a few cabins with firepits," Jason said. "I made sure to get one." "That's very smart of you," I said, laughing. "Did you eat already?" Johanna asked. "Actually, yeah, Luke treated me to a sampling of the delicacy dishes at the resort," I told them. Jason sighed and grabbed a beer. He popped the top and handed it to me. I nodded in thanks and took a quick sip. Then I grabbed some more fruit. "Is he trying to impress you or something?" Jason asked. My cheeks reddened, and I looked at the fire so the glow of the flames would hide my blush. "I think he just wants me to know what will be expected with the new project. I'll probably have to design all the facilities to support this kind of living and cuisine," I pointed out. "Ugh! You two are so boring. Can we talk about something that isn't work-related, please?" Johanna asked, giggling. She curled up in her lawn chair and grabbed another beer. "What would you rather talk about, then?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "We are here in the Caribbean on a private island at a rented out resort, rented out just for us," Johanna said, throwing her arms out wide. "We should be talking about how much drinking we are going to be doing." I giggled and shook my head, surprised at Johanna. I thought she would be all business, given she was Luke's assistant. The music changed to something more upbeat, and Johanna clapped her hands. She jumped up and started dancing. "Come on, you two. You better start dancing with me," she said, beckoning us both. I exchanged a look with Jason. He shrugged and hopped up, holding a hand out to me. Sighing, I took his hand, and he pulled me across the grass to where Johanna was. The three of us danced together, giggling and laughing. Johanna was drunk enough that whenever she tried to twirl around, she tripped and Jason had to grab her and steady her. The two of them were so much fun. They weren't at all serious, and they knew how to have a good time. I was glad to forget about work and Luke drama for a little while and just dance and laugh like I didn't have a care in the world. As long as Jason and Johanna were around, I had a feeling I'd be able to make it through this. They were good people. And now that I saw the way Jason was with Johanna, I was more comfortable being myself around him. He wouldn't misinterpret friendliness for something more. "Alright, alright, my feet hurt," Johanna said. "I'm going to go crash because Luke will need me early." She waved to me and Jason, tripped as she was leaving, laughed, and walked off. "Will she be okay?" I asked aloud, "She'll be fine. Her cabin is right there. You, on the other hand, are across the peninsula. Can I walk you home?" Jason asked, chuckling as he held his hand out. I rolled my eyes, feeling a little warm and tipsy myself. Unlike Johanna, I wasn't ready to trip and fall over myself, but I was definitely feeling warm and happy. "Let's go," I said. I ignored his offered hand and walked by him. We were a little quiet as we walked. It was all boardwalks, and they creaked under our weight. "This place is so beautiful," I said, listening to the waves crashing on the beach nearby. "When it is fully booked with actual people, it isn't nearly as peaceful," Jason said, chuckling. I sighed and stopped walking. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and breathed in the fresh, ocean air. "Thinking of relocating permanently?" Jason asked, playfully. I shrugged and winked at him. "Maybe." "Well, I'm sure Luke would let you work from down here. He'd probably do anything you asked." Creasing my brow, I started walking again, and Jason kept pace with me. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked. "Cat, I'm not blind. I see the way he looks at you," Jason said. "Then you're just seeing things," I insisted. Jason and I made it to my villa. Luke's cabin was completely dark. Even though he'd told me that he and Victoria weren't together, I couldn't help but wonder if he and Victoria were in that cabin together. He could have just been tired. I, on the other hand, wasn't tired. "Want to come in for a bit?" I asked Jason. He grinned and nodded. "Sure. If you're not tired, I could use some company for a little while." We went in, and I found a couple beers in the refrigerator. Apparently, the kitchens came pre-stocked with food and drinks, at least for a couple of days. Jason and I sat on the couch and drank our beers. "So, you're telling me that there is absolutely nothing going on between you and Luke?" Jason asked, picking up our conversation from before. "That's what I'm saying," I nodded. "Is this really what you want to talk about all night?" "Well, I am curious about it. I'll admit," he said, shrugging. "There is nothing going on with us. First of all, he's my boss. Second of all, you saw what happened with his family on the plane. Those issues are… too complicated," I pointed out. "Sure, sure," Jason said dismissively. "What about you? Are you dating anyone?" I asked, trying to flip the conversation. Jason chuckled and shook his head. "Sometimes. Nothing serious for me, these days." "Oh, so you can ask me prying questions but you won't answer anything less than vague?" I asked. "Of course," Jason teased. He clinked his beer bottle to mine. I giggled and sipped the rest of my beer. After drinking as much as I had, I was pretty warm and bubbly. "Thank you for being here for this trip," I said. I rested my head on Jason's shoulder, sighing as I started to get tired. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. I knew Luke would need me early, but I didn't want to waste a moment of my time here, especially when I was making new friends. "You're drifting, Cat. You should go to bed," Jason suggested, yawning. "I should, too. I'm falling asleep." "Alright," I muttered. "You can crash here on the couch if you don't want to walk back to your place." "Hmm. Thanks," he said. I went to the bedroom and got snuggled in. It was one of the most comfortable mattresses I had ever laid on. I was asleep in seconds. ** Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, and I stretched my arms over my head. I yawned and kicked my feet back and forth under the covers. It was the perfect morning in a tropical paradise. I'd left the bedroom windows open so the breeze blew in, and I breathed in the fruity scent. I giggled giddily, looking forward to my day. Work in the tropics didn't actually feel like work. As I was getting out of bed, I heard something like a foghorn go off and nearly jumped out of my skin. Heart racing, I ran into the living room to find Jason sitting up on the couch. He was stretching and yawning. "Jesus, you yawn loudly. I thought it was some kind of alarm," I scolded. Jason smirked and winked at me. "Sorry. I just feel very well rested." "Me too. That mattress was amazing," I said, pointing back into the bedroom. "Spared no expense. This is a luxury resort, after all," Jason reminded me. "Right. Well, I've got to shower and get dressed. This is a single cabin and lacks privacy." I headed to the door and opened it. "I should do the same and check on Johanna," Jason said. He followed me to the door. I held the screen open for him as he left. He turned at the end of the boardwalk to my cabin and waved. "We'll do this again sometime," he said, throwing me a salute. I laughed and shook my head. "Yeah, another time." Glancing sideways, I saw Luke standing at his screen door. He watched Jason turn down the boardwalk, then he glanced at me. Shrugging, I smiled at him with a challenging smile. Luke arched an eyebrow at me and shook his head, disappearing inside the cabin again.