Under The Rose

Sure enough, they were led to the table near me, and I brought the menu up in front of my face to try to hide from view. I wasn't noticed and Kiana and her beau had their back to me.

I couldn't help but watch Kiana throughout the meal and everything looked fairly innocent. She looked amazing, in a shimmering silver short dress, but I didn't get a good look at her legs. I watched her for at least a half hour as I ate my appetizer, then entrée, but she never noticed me.

Of course, that would have been difficult as I was to her right and her date was to her left. She was far too engrossed in his conversation.

I had an itch on my chest, and when I scratched it I remembered that I took off the rose charm necklace. "No way," I thought as I watched Kiana laugh at whatever the asshole was saying. I couldn't believe the stupid charm actually worked and I lost her when I took it off. There's no way that magic crap worked.

When the waiter brought my check, I added a twenty and said, "Give the girl in the silver dress, there, a bloody mary. Extra spicy."

"Shall I point you out as the buyer, Sir?"

I laughed as I stood, "No, she'll get the hint."

I walked to the bar and sat where I had a good view of her but was blocked by the bar and people around it. The waiter brought her the drink and I saw her gasp and stand. She looked all over but couldn't find me and it was almost funny watching her heated conversation with the waiter.

She said something to her friends, grabbed her purse and walked out of the restaurant, presumably to look for me. I smirked as I watched her look around when she got outside.

She strode off as quickly as her heels would allow towards the hotel, so I left the bar and walked in the opposite direction down the path that circled the resort.

A few minutes passed, and my phone buzzed with a text.

"Can I call you?"

I sighed and responded, "No."

"It wasn't what you think."

"Not my problem. We aren't a couple."

I didn't have any claim on her. I thought we had hit it off and were going to continue to see each other, but it seemed she wanted a vacation fling as well. I had no interest in competing for her affections.

My phone buzzed again, "I like you. That guy was just one of the group."

I shook my head. He was more than one of the group. How much more, I didn't know, but the way she allowed him to touch her and the way he had her attention showed her interest in him. I wasn't going to argue about her intentions. I turned my phone off and put it in my pocket.

I saw a bench off the beach with a nice view of the sunset, so I sat and took in the beautiful sight. Sunsets seemed different down there, than in Chicagoland. The colors seemed more vibrant. Almost like standard definition compared to high definition. The 1080p sunset was bathed in innumerable shades of pinks, purples, and oranges. I turned my phone on to get a picture and saw she had texted again.

"Don't ghost me over what you think you saw."

I ignored it and took some pictures. From behind me, I heard, "It's a beautiful sight."

I groaned and Kiana sat beside me.

"Foster, it was just a guy. I know you're turned off by me sitting next to him, but he was the only one not hooked up with one of my friends. I had no choice."

"Kiana, it's none of my business what you do. We only just met and we're not a couple."

"No, but you think that I'm playing the field out here, don't you?"

"Well, the thought crossed my mind."

She shook her head, and the bitch came out, "I thought you were worth getting to know, but you're just an insecure little man who's not worth my time. Fuck off!"

She stormed away and she struggled in the grass with her heels. I laughed as she almost fell and then took them off and continued along the path in her stockings. I noticed she wasn't wearing the bracelet she always seemed to be wearing. I guess it didn't match her evening wear.

I returned to watching the sunset.

*****

I walked into my room and smiled when I saw the rose charm necklace sitting on the table. I decided, I'd leave it for the housekeeper and let her use its magic. It was nothing more than a pain in the ass to me. I shook off those thoughts. I didn't believe in stupid magic anyway.

The next morning, I groggily stepped into the shower and realized I was wearing the necklace. I tried to remember when I would have put it on, but I couldn't recall doing so. The next thing I remember was being dried and dressed and standing in front of the mirror. I wondered what was happening to my memory.

I made my way to the elevators and groaned when the doors opened. Kiana and her posse were standing in my way.

"I'll get the next one," I said and stepped back.

Kiana reached out and pulled me in by the hand, her charm bracelet jingled. "Don't be silly. I'm sure you can stand in the same space with me. We're adults."

"Fine," I sighed. As the doors closed I realized we touched. Here we go again.

They followed me into the restaurant, where I filled my plate with fresh fruit and a healthy amount of bacon.

"They don't cancel each other out," Kiana said from behind me. "The bacon and fruit."

"I like them, so I eat them," I said as I walked away.

Of course, she followed with her plate and sat across from me.

"Foster, I'm sorry about last night. I don't know why I keep acting like a bitch in front of you."

I didn't look up but said, "Maybe that's just who you are, and now you're realizing it."

She touched my hand, and said, "Don't be mean to me. It's not like you."

"Maybe, you just bring out the worst in me."

"I hope that's not true, Foster. I like you a lot. Can't we start over? We had such a nice day yesterday."

I looked into her sparkling eyes and sighed.

"Your eyes betray your thoughts," she smirked. "You know you want to."

"So, what happened to last night's stud?" I grumbled, ignoring her previous comment.

She shook her head, "After I left you, I went back to my room and read. Alone."

I annoyed her by not responding and ate a piece of bacon.

"What's your plan for today?" She asked.

"I was going to look for some Cuban cigars."

"Doesn't the resort have some?"

"Maybe, but where's the fun in that? I want to go into town and see some shops, some variety."

"Sounds like fun." She was fishing for me to invite her along, and I wasn't playing games. She could either ask to go along, or not go.

She dramatically sighed. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

"Nope," I answered with a mouthful of melon.

"May I join you on your shopping trip?"

"Sure."

She smiled, amused with my feigned disinterest. "Foster, we're going to have an amazing day. I can feel it."

And we did.

*****

"Oh, you have to try this on," she said as we looked at hats in a small shop. "You're gonna look fantastic."

She slid the Panama Hat on my head, and I had to admit it was a great fit and did look good on me.

"Oh, we're so getting that!" she shrieked and pulled me to the clerk. "It's on me."

I acquiesced and allowed her to pay for the hat. I had bought her a wrap at the previous store, so we were even.

She put it back on my head as we walked out of the store and said, "That's my island man."

She giggled and dragged me across the street, "Look!"

There was a small building with a cigar sign on the front.

"Looks like we found one," she heralded.

"Come on!" she shouted as she skipped along the street. "Oh, my God! It's so perfect."

"Perfect for what?" I thought as she waltzed into the store.

She looked around as I enjoyed the smell of old wood and cigar smoke. The shop keeper walked over and asked, "Looking for Cuban, yes?"

I said, "Yes, Sir. I was hoping to find some Partagas number 4's."

He frowned and said, "You sure? We have Cohiba Behikes. Very good. Very top rated."

"Also, the most expensive and the most faked. Here we are," I said as I grabbed a handful of the cigars I wanted. I examined the bands and then the box.

He smiled and said, "Good, good. You're smart, Amigo. Look at the Montecristo. We have number twos. Very good price."

They were, and they also looked legit. I took a few and walked over to Kiana, who was smelling every cigar she looked at.

"Find one that smells the best?" I asked.

"The whole place reminds me of my papa. He smoked a cigar every night after dinner. His den smelled exactly like this store."

I laughed and she said, "What's so funny about that?"

"You should smell my basement."

I walked to the counter to pay, and she followed.

"I want this one," she said as she handed me a long, thin panatela.

"Sure," I said and handed the man my credit card.

As we walked back to the resort, she said, "Papa used to let me take a puff every once in a while. I haven't smoked one since his funeral."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He lived a long, happy life and a few months before he passed, he spent a month in his old village in Italy."

"That's good. Was he part of the family business?" I asked.

"He started it. Same old story. Didn't have two nickels to rub together when he and Nana came to America, but he worked hard and eventually started a restaurant in New York. When my dad met my mom on a vacation to Chicago, he moved out here and opened ours as a second location. When Papa retired, he sold the original and moved out here."

"So, you're Italian? I've never met a red-headed Italian before."

"Half. Mom's a full-blooded Irish lass. She has the temper to match the hair."

"And the apple didn't fall far from the tree," I snickered.

"Very funny," she said as she slapped my shoulder. "Let's go to that bench and watch the ocean while we smoke."

"Okay, do you want to get some stuff for a picnic too?"

"Listen to King Sweet trying to be romantic," she barbed. "Let's do it."

*****

"Does it get any more perfect, Foster?" She asked as she sipped the Argentinian Cabernet I had to try.

"The view is incredible," I mused, looking at her.

"Oh, my God! It's the best," she said as she looked out across the ocean.

"I'm not looking at the ocean."

She turned, and I kissed her softly.

She smiled as she broke the kiss and said, "You taste like cheese and your lines are cheesier."

She kissed me again and I pulled her into me, savoring the softness of her lips. She was the first to explore with her tongue, softly parting my lips with hers.

"You're not a bad kisser, Foster," she said after breaking away.

"I've kissed a girl or three," I joked. "You should have kissed me when I was in high school. I was awful."

She laughed and said, "I've hoped you learned some other things since then too."

"Maybe," I said. "If you're really, really nice to me, I might show you some of what I learned."

She raised her eyebrows, and smirked, "You, Sir, are implying that my virtue is yours for the taking?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I implied no such thing. Although I've been known to be a giver--for an exceedingly long time."

"Really?" She asked as she snuggled next to me. "My implied virtue, may just be implied, in that case."

We laughed and she said, "I can't believe your girlfriend dumped you for some other guy. What are the little things I don't know about yet that are going to annoy me?"

"Hm," I mused. "Well, you know about my occasional cigar. I prefer beer over wine. I have a couple of kittens that can be obnoxious."

"Kittens? Two of them?" She asked, brightly.

"Mm, hm. Chauncy and Ashton. They are six months old."

"Oh, my God! They must be adorable." She squealed.

I grabbed my phone and pulled up some video I took of them playing with each other.

"Aw! I have to meet them immediately."

I laughed and said, "Can't do much about that now."

"Duh! But soon after we get back."

I agreed. I was glad she answered without my asking if whatever was happening would continue when we went home. Even with the occasional onset of random bitchiness, I liked her more and more.

I scratched my chest and realized again that I was wearing the necklace. I wasn't coming around to the idea of magic controlling my life, but I couldn't shake the idea that every time I saw her while wearing the necklace she was a different person than when I wasn't wearing the charm.

I looked at my watch and saw it was getting near three. "I don't know about you, but I could use one of those three color slushie drinks and a dip in the ocean."

"Sounds good to me. Maybe we could get a cabana if one's available."

"I already have one reserved. It was part of my package."

"Well, aren't you Mister Fancy Pants, huh?"

"Nope. Like I said, the trip was supposed to be a gift for my ex. I spared no expense. Well, I cheaped out and got non-refundable arrangements."

She laughed. "Us too, obviously."

"Come on, then. Let's have slushy drinks and a nap...I mean a swim."

"Oh, no you don't. You're not taking a nap on me, Pal!"

"Okay, you win. No nap."

We kissed and made our way to the hotel to get our swimsuits.

*****

When I put on my tank top and trunks, I thought swimming with the necklace was a bad idea, so I left it in the room. When I saw her come off the elevator, I noticed she wasn't wearing her bracelet. It was an annoying sounding thing, so I was glad. She must've had ten or twelve charms hanging off of it and it jangled all of the time.

"Hey, baby," she said and kissed my cheek. "I told you the wrap was perfect." She spun around with a flourish and hugged me. "Thank you, for buying it for me."

"You're welcome," I said and then she frowned.

"Where's your hat? You didn't like it, did you?"

"No, I loved it. Would you like me to wear it? I'll go get it."

I couldn't judge the look on her face, but it wasn't happiness.

"No, if you don't want to wear it, that's fine. Let's go."

She stormed off towards the beach, leaving me in her wake.

I shrugged my shoulders and followed along after her. I caught up with her at the cabana rental and got some towels. She was frosty towards me the entire walk to our slice of the beachfront, and I suddenly had a bad feeling about the rest of the afternoon.

I set our towels down and a waiter came up to take our orders. I ordered some drinks after getting a grunt from her when I asked if the slushie drink was okay.

"Kiana, I have to be honest here. It seems that any little thing can set you off into this bitch mode and I'm not sure which is the real you. Are you really the bitch and hide it sometimes or are you just too sensitive to things that bother you?"

She glared at me and stood. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that," she snapped.

"I'm the guy that was interested in the girl I spent the day with. Not the shrew who is pissed because I didn't think to wear a hat."

She stared at me, and I thought she was going to erupt. Instead, she took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I had an argument with one of my friends before I came down. I guess it's messing my mood up."

I wondered if she was like that all the time. Her mood could certainly change on a dime, and she definitely had an attitude problem hiding behind her pretty eyes.

Before I could say something stupid and make her angry, the waiter brought our drinks.

"Thank you," she said and offered me a toast. "To a thousand more beautiful days."

I clinked her glass and took a drink. "You know," I said, "a thousand days is only like three years."

"Sure, but if all of our days are beautiful, the beauty fades into just another day. I want there to be special days, perfect days, like this one."

I was going to ask if she could join me for dinner but decided against it. I was sure I couldn't stop myself from making a crack about if she didn't have another guy waiting for her company. I suppose I didn't want to see if the bitch returned as well.

*****

I woke and got my bearings. I was in the shade of the cabana, and I saw I was alone. I looked at my phone and saw that it had only been an hour since we got there, so I wondered how pissed Kiana would be that I fell asleep on her.

I looked around and saw her standing with her group of friends and the same guy from dinner had his hand on her butt. Nothing obscene, but it was resting there comfortably. I'd had enough and took a picture so she couldn't deny it later or say I was overreacting.

Her smile was wide as she looked into his eyes. It was quite a lovely picture if I do say so myself. I sent it to her phone which dinged from the notification, in the cabana behind me. I waited for a few more minutes and took a short video so she couldn't say his hand briefly brushed her, but her rapt attention wasn't on anything but the jerk with his hand still on her ass, so I left.

I told the waiter I was leaving for the day, and he closed the cabana by lowering the canvas and tying it off. I took her bag and left it at the check in counter. Let her deal with it.

I took a shower and looked at my phone. It had been a half hour and there was no text from her. We both had iPhones, so I could tell that my message hadn't been read yet. It must've been some conversation in which she was lost.

I checked myself in the mirror and saw I had the necklace on again. I looked around the room and tried to remember when I put it on. I shook my head and went down to have a few drinks at the bar before dinner.

When the elevator doors opened in the lobby, she was standing there and grabbed my hand.

"Why did you leave me? I've been looking all over for you and my stuff."

I snorted, "You know why and I'm sick of it. Your stuff is safe at the cabana counter."

I walked away and shrugged her hand off as she grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Foster, why are you so jealous? I was just with my friends."

"Get your stuff. If you don't understand why, then--well, then you're every bit the sociopath I think you are."

I rushed off to the bar. Thankfully, she didn't follow. When I sat at the bar, I saw her crying as she walked out to get her stuff. I'll never understand women. I'll never understand how she thought she could let another guy touch her ass and I'd be okay with it.

It would only be a few minutes before she saw the picture and I was sure I'd get a bitchy message or call. I'd probably be called a pervert or something for taking a picture of her ass. She didn't call though. She sat on the stool next to me.

"It's not what it looked like," she said.

I laughed and started the video on my phone.

"Tell me what it doesn't look like."

"Foster, I..."

"Save it, Kiana. For whatever reason, you're playing us. Either me against him or the other way around. I'm getting your days and he's getting your nights. I'll tell you; I think I'm getting the short end of the stick."

She raised her hand to slap me again but stopped.

"I'm not having sex with him."

I laughed. "Maybe. Yet whenever you're not with me, you're too chummy with that guy. I'm not some jealous caveman, but you have to understand that another man caressing your ass while you're having a conversation on the beach is not acceptable to me. I'm not going to put up with that kind of disrespect. Hell, you were supposed to be with me on that beach. I guess that's my fault for falling asleep, huh? You had to go find your other fling to keep you occupied. Did you also tell him that you wanted a thousand..."

There was the slap I expected. She stood and said, "I really liked you."

"No," I said, "you couldn't have liked me that much."

She shook her head and walked off.

I ordered another beer and saw a group of guys walk up to the bar. I was aggravated to see that one of them was the jerk I was competing with for Kiana's attention. He smirked at me, and it was then that I saw it. The bastard had on a tank top and clearly visible was his half rose charm.