Their Festive Island Escape

She didn’t get a chance to answer as a thick baritone voice suddenly sounded from behind her. “Miss Frajedi, I hope you enjoyed your meal.”

She didn’t need to turn around, recognized the voice immediately as belonging to Reid. Unlike earlier, he wasn’t speaking in the low husky voice of a makeshift Santa.

Phillipe immediately took a step back. “Oh. Hey, boss.”

Celeste darted a glance over her shoulder. Reid stood only an inch behind her. Arms crossed in front of his chest, his chin tight. He didn’t look happy. He merely nodded in a curt acknowledgment of Phillipe’s greeting.

Then, to her surprise, he held her hand out to help her up off her stool.

“I haven’t settled my bill,” she protested.

Reid didn’t take his eyes off Phillipe when he answered. “It’s on the house.”

“Yes, boss,” Phillipe immediately responded. She could have sworn he clicked his heels behind the bar.

For lack of anything else to do, Celeste wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin and took Reid’s hand before standing. He gently led her away from the crowded bar toward the sand.

“I take it there’s a rule about the workers fraternizing with the guests,” she ventured after they’d made their way to the beach. The sun was slowly setting across the horizon, throwing brilliant shades of red and orange across the evening sky.

“Not yet, there isn’t. Though I’ve made a mental note to get one drafted ASAP.”

His voice sounded strained and tight. If there wasn’t any such policy, why did he seem so bothered by Phillipe’s behavior? Could it possibly have anything to do with her?

And how many times in one day could she wonder about whether her behavior was going to affect someone else’s livelihood, for heaven’s sake?

“I’m sorry if you were made to feel uncomfortable during your dinner. We strive to make everyone feel completely at ease at all times. I’ll have a word with the staffing manager to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

So that was it. She’d been foolish to even feel tempted to look further into it than what lay on the surface.

“Another apology from the top man,” she commented, kicking off her sandals to feel the silky soft sand underneath her feet. Reid paused while she nudged them off to the side.

He exhaled. “It appears we are off to a bad start.”

She knew he meant the resort, but she took the opportunity to address the proverbial elephant in the room. “Or we’re simply continuing along the same path as we were three years ago.”

His step didn’t falter but she could have sworn she felt him stiffening ever so slightly beside her. “I thought your intention on this trip was to forget all about it.”

“Believe me, I see the irony in all of this.” An exotic-looking bird flew past them at eye level, a myriad of colors along its wing.

“Tell me something,” Celeste began. “You never did appear to be on board with my and Jack’s wedding.” Or with her, for that matter.

“You didn’t seem right for each other,” he answered simply.

She couldn’t be offended. For he was completely right. Still, his words held enough of a sting that she wondered if she should have even started this conversation.

She could guess what he meant. She and her ex-fiancé were from two different worlds. Celeste had grown up struggling to merely survive while Jack was a trust fund baby who’d always known wealth and privilege.

Much like the man beside her now. Though she’d have to admit, if one were to look closely, the two men didn’t really have all that much in common besides factors visible on the surface.

While Reid had worked incredibly hard to make a name for himself in the hospitality business, Jack was a mere figurehead for the yachting company his family owned and operated. Reid had taken all that had been handed to him and then grown and expanded it, becoming an industry titan in the process.

Celeste gave a shake of her head. What good did it do to compare the two men? There was no reason for it. In fact, there was no reason to give Jack another thought. Why had she even brought up his name?

Still, something tugged at her to get to the bottom of Reid’s statement, she couldn’t seem to help herself. “What do you mean? That we didn’t seem right for each other?”