Chapter Sixteen
A mysterious man on a motorcycle was waiting outside Samantha’s bungalow. She ran to him. ‘Hey there, handsome stranger!’
He looked up from his phone, his smile bright like the morning sun. ‘I thought you were asleep in there. I was going to text you.’
Feeling playful, she whispered, ‘I was at a secret meeting of the inner circle.’
‘How did that go?’
‘We added Jen to the group chat.’
‘That sounds like official business,’ Roman said. ‘What else did you discuss?’
‘The departure of Ted Rivera. Did you know the best man is gone?’
Samantha wondered if Ted’s abrupt and unexplained departure was the first sign of trouble in paradise.
If Roman knew anything about it, he gave nothing away. ‘I noticed,’ he said.
‘More room on the bus for us, I guess.’
‘Speaking of the bus,’ Roman said, ‘I can’t ride out with you to Pigeon Point. I have to handle a family matter. I’ll join you there later.’
‘Thanks for letting me know,’ she said. ‘I might have rushed to your rescue again, knowing me and my big, generous heart.’
‘That’s why I came here to tell you in person,’ he said. ‘I know you just can’t help yourself. You’re too good and we don’t deserve you.’
‘Thank you for finally acknowledging it.’
‘Ride with me?’
Samantha took a step back and considered the motorcycle he was straddling. It could only be described as vintage. ‘On that thing? Where did you get it?’
‘It’s my cousin’s bike.’
‘How many cousins do you have?’
‘A lot,’ he said. ‘I can’t remember half their names.’
Hands on her hips, Samantha eyed Roman this time. ‘You can ride this thing, right?’
‘Just hop on. We won’t go far.’
Samantha said a quick prayer and climbed aboard. Roman offered her a helmet and helped her with the strap. ‘Hold me tight,’ he said, as if she wouldn’t be clinging to him for dear life, and they took off.
They left the resort grounds. It was early still and the surrounding neighbourhood was calm. With the fresh morning mountain air in their faces, they sped along the winding roads, slowing down only for a red hen and her chicks. Samantha loosened her grip on Roman’s waist and simply enjoyed the feel of his strong body. She pressed her cheek to his wide back and closed her eyes, which only made her dizzy, so she opened her eyes and took it all in.
As promised, Roman had her back in time to get ready for the outing. ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said.
She slid off the bike and handed him the helmet. She shook out her curls. ‘By the way, the answer is yes.’
He looked at her quizzically. ‘What’s the question?’
‘You asked if I wanted to have fun. The answer is yes.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Yeah … I remember saying something along those lines.’
‘Once more for the cheap seats, the answer is yes.’
‘Sorry, pretty girl. That offer expired.’
‘Really? When?’
‘Last night,’ he said. ‘If you’re still interested, the terms have changed.’
‘That’s convenient.’
Roman kickstarted the bike’s motor. ‘Be ready for negotiations later today.’
Samantha watched him ride off, wondering how one man could be so devastatingly charming and yet so utterly frustrating.