The One who got Away

I reached over and poured myself a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and began to fill my plate with all the goodies in front of us. As usual, the food was perfect, and I immediately realized I was eating way too much. If I wasn’t careful, we would have to make another size in the bikinis for me to fit into them. Nathan poured me a cup of black coffee and handed it over, taking a bite of his toast and propping his feet in the empty chair next to me. I leaned back from the table and smiled as the staff took my plate and wiped the place setting clean of syrup. Before they could leave, Nathan pulled out a wad of cash and tipped all of them.

“You’re so generous,” I said, leaning back in the chair.

“I want to make sure they are well taken care of,” he said, smiling. “They keep my life in order, even if it's only for a short time.”

“I’m going to start accepting tips,” I said, laughing.

“What’s mine is yours, Wifey,” he said, winking at me from across the table. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

“Well, after breakfast, we have to run inland and meet Maria and the photographer to go over the shots from yesterday,” I explained. “And then, I thought maybe we could go to one of those super touristy luaus they have on the island.”

“Okay,” he said, chuckling. “Whatever you want is yours.”

“Why thank you,” I said, pursing my lips.

We sat talking on the deck for only a few more minutes before going inside and grabbing our things to meet Maria. I pulled my wavy hair up in a messy bun and looked at my even tanner skin than normal. You could really see my Mexican descent in the contrast between my brown skin and dark features. I actually thought it suited me quite well.

The resort provided transportation to the small café in town, and I stepped out of the car with my arms wide, hugging Maria as she giggled, walking forward with a croissant hanging out of her mouth. I swear the girl was always eating but always in amazing shape. It would take me three weeks at the gym after this vacation to even get close to where I was before we left. But I didn’t want to harp on that because I was on my honeymoon, and that meant I could let loose and be free.

We all sat down around the computer as Philandro, the photographer, flipped through the photographs he had picked out as the best. I was shocked at how absolutely amazing they came out, and though I tended to be a bit self-conscious, I was completely comfortable with every single photo. As he rounded out to the end, both Maria and I were in awe of the photo of her and me standing arm in arm, smiling big as the waves splashed around us. It was the perfect picture for the wall in the shop, and when I said wall, I meant it was going to be seven feet high and five feet wide.

“So,” Philandro said, leaning back in his chair. “Are we doing any editing or touch-ups here? These photos are already edited for optimal colors and brightness, but I did not touch your bodies.”

“Good,” Maria said, shaking her head. “And we want to leave it that way.”

“Yeah,” I explained. “We want women to see us as regular women. We want to show that our skin bulges when we jump in the air, too. We want them to know that curvy, busty women with big butts can look just as sexy in our bikinis as the others.”

“If not more,” Maria added.

“I absolutely love it,” Philandro said. “Then, ladies, my work here is done. I will get all of these sent over to your marketing manager, and I will get the one for your shop blown up for the wall.”

I looked at Nathan as he leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“I worship those curves,” he whispered, kissing me on the cheek.

I could feel my cheeks burning red, and I smiled big as Philandro leaned down and hugged me goodbye. All the crew except Maria would be leaving tomorrow, going back to San Diego to get things going. When we returned, we would put the final touches on before we had our big release. I leaned back in the chair and smiled at Maria as she took my hand and Nathan’s.

“We are really doing this,” she said, laughing. “This is all so amazing.”

It was more amazing than I ever could have imagined.

Chapter Twenty Five

Nathan

I pulled the cotton t-shirt with company logo over my head and slipped on sandals, getting ready for dinner. Ronni had the bright idea that it would be a good experience to have dinner at one of the touristy luaus on the beach. I had never been to something like that, and my comfort level was at about a two. But this was what she wanted, and I was going to smile through it.

Who knew? She had managed to get me out of my stuffed shirt mode and into a more relaxed atmosphere. Maybe I would actually enjoy watching dancing Hawaiians in grass skirts and fire juggling natives, though I really had my reservations. But still, looking back at the man I was when Ronni came back into my life, I felt proud of how far I had come. I still wasn’t at a place where I felt completely comfortable with all of the free time this new life change had brought me, but I was working on it slowly.

Every day I could feel myself taking life a little less seriously, relaxing my shoulders just a tiny bit more, and allowing Ronni to convince me to step out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t like it was that hard, after all. Between Ronni’s amazing

personality and her killer smile, I was pretty sure she could talk me into moving into an igloo at the South Pole. Hell, if it meant I could keep myself warm by snuggling up to her naked body, I might be down for it.

I turned and looked at myself in the mirror, barely recognizing the man standing in front of me. I think I had actually worn a t-shirt about ten times in my life, and they were all before the age of six. We had packed a bunch of the new outer wear to strut around town in, hoping to build a little brand awareness far from home. But still, it felt weird not buttoning up my dress shirt, tying my tie, and polishing my shoes. Life at the Landers’s business was anything but relaxed, and I had come to terms long ago that I would probably live the rest of my life in either a suit and tie or a polo. My father still dressed in a suit and tie, and he barely ever left the house anymore. At least in retirement, you would think the old man would loosen up and put on a pullover or something, but unless he was headed to the golf course with his buddies, he was ready to go for meetings that would never come. After waking up every day for so many years and doing the same thing over and over again, he must have gotten used to it and didn’t want to change.

Speaking of change, I was right in the midst of it. It had been a huge change leaving the company and parting ways with my family. But I had new goals and new things to look forward to, and I was more than happy to be taking on those responsibilities. I was building an empire with my wife and planning a future for our own family, one that was less rigid and more loving than how I grew up. I could barely remember Ronni’s parents, but it was always amazing to me as a child how different they were. They really acted like they loved each other, and I found myself slightly jealous of Ronni as a kid. But now, here I was, building this empire, making waves, embracing change, and hoping that I got used to the more quiet hustle and bustle of our business than I experienced with the real estate company.

I was drawn from my thoughts as the phone buzzed on the nightstand. I thought it was strange, since everyone I talked to was here on the island with me. I walked over and looked down at the name, shaking my head in disbelief. It was like the old man could sense I was thinking about him, and I tried to decide whether or not to answer my father’s phone call. I sighed and pressed the button, bringing the phone to my ear.