Saltwater Kisses (The Kisses 1)

“Did you know? Did you know they wouldn’t be here?”

“No. I don’t know their schedules. I suspected they wouldn’t be available, but I didn’t know.” Dean sounded earnest, but I still felt like he had let me fail on purpose. Resentment was bubbling up inside of me. I was in New York, away from the people and things I knew, because Jack wanted me here, but he was too busy to see me. Rachel was too busy to see me. Everyone I knew in this new place was too busy with their lives to care that I didn’t have one.

The doors opened to the waiting car with tinted windows. Dean opened the door for me again.

“Where to, Miss?” asked the driver.

I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t want to go back to Jack’s empty apartment. I didn’t want to sit up there watching TV and eating food by myself. I had eaten dinner by myself every night after Rachel and I had finished shopping and I was tired of it.

“The Statue of Liberty,” I blurted out. I could see it out the window from Jack’s apartment and it was something to see. If I was going to have to entertain myself, I was at least going to get some sightseeing done.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Dean countered before the driver moved the car.

“Why not? What do you suggest then?” I tried my best not to sound defensive, but I was pretty sure I failed.

“It’s a crowded place and I don’t have the manpower to properly protect you. These things need to be planned, Emma,” Dean said. He sounded like my father and it made me angry.

“Then tell me what I can do! I can’t see Jack. I can’t go sightseeing. I’m tired of shopping and I don’t want to go back to an empty apartment. I’m not going to sit in Jack’s house like a pretty bird in a cage. If that’s all I’m going to do, I might as well go home where I at least know some people!” I wanted to scream. My world felt off kilter. I wanted to go home and have my life be familiar again.

Dean waited a moment before answering. “I know you want to do something. How about the Met? I can give you a tour. I’m familiar with the building and the security there will make me feel more comfortable.”

“You mean the art museum? You know enough about the art museum to give me a tour?”

“I know enough to give the curator a tour. It’ll be fun,” he coaxed.

“Won’t it be super crowded? Just like the Statue of Liberty?”

“It’s a weekday, and at this hour it won’t be busy. I can promise the tour will be amazing.” He raised his eyebrows up, his face bri

ght as he tried to convince me, “There’s a sphinx and a mummy.”

“Fine. We’ll go look at art. It’s better than sitting in the apartment,” I said with a pout. I had never been big on museums and knew next to nothing about art, but from the information I had gleaned from the TV, I knew it was a place I should see.

“To the Met!” Dean shouted, pointing his arm like he was charging into battle. I felt a smile crack my frown, but I still wasn’t happy.

The car glided forward into the city traffic, and I leaned my head against the cold glass. Dean started talking about all the exhibits at the museum, his passion for the place obvious. It wasn’t my first choice of activity, but I was willing to give it a chance. I half listened to him talk about the museum as I looked out the window at the giant buildings whizzing past.

Looking out at the cold gray city, I felt a sadness growing in my chest. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I was homesick. I wanted my mom’s cooking, a coffee from the shop on my way to work, to walk the dogs staying overnight at the vet's office. I wanted to be able to go wherever I wanted and not have a bodyguard telling where I could go and what I could do... , but I was here and I couldn’t leave.

I pressed my forehead into the glass, trying to merge into it. If I were glass, I wouldn’t care. I wouldn’t be in this strange situation, surrounded by people I didn’t know. If I were glass, I wouldn’t care that the only people I knew in the city other than my bodyguard, were too busy to see me. If I were glass, then these safety measures would make sense.

“We’re almost there,” Dean said, breaking into my thoughts. I roused myself from the window, and actually looked out at the buildings. A giant stone building, more beautiful than any building I had ever seen, caught my attention. It looked like a place where beautiful things should be kept.

The car slowed and Dean jumped out first, helping me onto the sidewalk. I barely noticed the car move away as I gravitated towards the wide steps leading towards the entrance.

I was about halfway up the steps when the clouds broke open and a stream of sunshine cascaded onto the stairs. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth for a moment, letting the beauty of the building and the glimmer of sunshine raise my spirits. For a moment, I thought this day could be salvaged. This could be a good day.

“Hey, it’s the billionaire chick—Emma LaRue! Take her picture!” Someone shouted, throwing me out of my moment. I heard a camera click and I opened my eyes, glancing around for Dean. I wasn’t worried about one person taking my picture, but my moment of peace had been shattered. I turned to head into the museum and the sun ducked back behind the clouds, the world plunging back into shades of gray.

Another flash went off, and two more. Dean was hurrying down the stairs, his face dark. He looked like an angry mother bear, ready to rip the heads off the people messing with his cub. The wind was suddenly cold and I felt a tremor of apprehension. I turned to see several taxis releasing people with cameras, and all heading straight for me.

Dean was at my side, pulling me down the stairs towards the street. The cameras were all around me, their lenses in my face. I couldn’t move forward, the cameras all flashing and circling like sharks. They were calling my name, yelling questions and trying to get my attention. I clung to Dean, lost in a sea of cameras and shouting.

“How’s he fuck?” yelled one photographer, his camera close enough to make me shy away to avoid hitting it with my face. I felt my cheeks go hot. I turned to get away, but I was surrounded by cameras. I felt like I was in a lightning storm, the flashes making it hard to see. I tripped on one of the stone steps, and I would have crashed into the ground if Dean hadn’t reached out and caught my arm.

He pushed his way down the stairs, towing me behind in his wake. I was so overwhelmed I followed him blindly, unsure of what was going on. Nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of flashes and questions.

The black SUV peeled up to the corner, and Dean practically tossed me inside, slamming the door behind me. The camera flashes glared off the window and I fell forward as the car accelerated away.