“What has you so perplexed, Zoe?” Masen asked, bringing Zoe out of her thoughts.

  Zoe laughed and shook her head. “It’s nothing, sorry, I tend to do that sometimes, just zone out thinking about things.”

  “Okay,” he replied with a smile and reached across to hold her hand in his.

  They drove in silence, both lost in their own world, both feeling out of their comfort zone. Generally, once Masen picked a girl, it amounted to nothing more than sex and them watching him surf, more sex, more surfing, until it was time to leave. That wasn’t going to work with Zoe and he wasn’t sure why but that was okay with him. He suddenly felt the urge to take her places, show her the island, some of the spots he had already been to, to experience the wonder and beauty with someone. No, with her. This urge made him uncomfortable but excited all at the same time. Thirty minutes later, they were pulling into a cove south of Surfers Beach where Masen had been staying for the past week.

  “Where are we?” Zoe asked, noting that there didn’t seem to be any restaurants anywhere nearby.

  He got a devilish smirk on his face as he parked the car and helped her out, leading her down a small pathway that led to a wooden canopy of sorts near the edge of a cliff, which overlooked the shore. The canopy had palm leaves covering its roof, but the sides were completely exposed. Hanging from the roof were two lanterns, one on each side of the enclosure. There were small lights draped around the four vertical beams that looked like they belonged on a Christmas tree. She scanned to the right, left of her, and could see other canopies further down along the edge, but none were similarly decorated. As they approached, they were greeted by someone that looked like he belonged on the waves versus serving them. In fact, he looked familiar to Zoe.

  “Cory, this is Zoe,” Masen said, introducing her to his friend.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zoe,” Cory said with a slight bow and then motioned his arms to urge her to move forward.

  Zoe looked at Masen for guidance, but he was handing Cory some money and nodding at him. Once he was done, Masen placed his hand on her lower back and guided her toward the entrance of the canopy which she now saw had a bench along the back of the small railing that encompassed the area. There was also a hammock to the far left and, to her surprise, a small round table in the center with a white fabric table cloth, small votive candles, flowers and two plates covered like they do in hotels. On the bench was an ice bucket with wine in it as well as wine glasses sitting next to it. Situated nearby was a portable docking station for an iPod, along with speakers.

  “Zoe, have a seat,” Masen said as he pulled out one of the chairs for her.

  Zoe shook her head slightly as she smiled. She couldn’t believe this. This was not at all what she expected of this evening. She watched him go to the iPod and hit play before pulling out the wine and grabbing the two glasses sitting next to the bucket. He poured them both a glass as the island song they had danced to the night before came on. Zoe immediately covered her mouth as her cheeks flushed red, remembering dancing with him. In the back of her mind she heard the theme song from Jaws playing again but this time it was accompanied by the whimsical voice of Dory from Finding Nemo telling her to, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

  “Dinner is served,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, knowing full well what he was doing. He recognized the starry look in her eyes and felt increasingly confident.

  “This is amazing. How did you plan all this?” Zoe asked as he lifted the lid off her meal and then his.

  He smiled brilliantly. “Sorry, Zoe. I cannot divulge my sources,” he said, placing his hand over his heart.

  Zoe rolled her eyes and looked at the meal before her. He was serving her pan-seared salmon over pasta with vegetables. The ambiance, the decorations, the food and the music, everything was perfect. That is until she realized he probably did this with everyone. This was probably his go to move to get girls to do what he wanted. Her mood sobered slightly, but instead of moping, she decided to approach it with humor.

  “You probably have all this on standby, don’t you?” she asked with a laugh.

  His smile faded. He was hurt that she assumed he went through all this trouble for everyone. He had been proud of himself for coming up with the idea. He wanted her alone but also wanted her to feel special, something that he didn’t do with other women. He took a bite of his food and a moment later shook his head.

  “Actually, Zoe,” he began casually. “I have never done anything like this before. I am in uncharted territory right now, doing things entirely different.”

  “Really?” Zoe was unable to mask her shock and happiness at this revelation.

  “Yes,” he replied picking up his glass. “To new beginnings,” Masen toasted, tilting his glass towards hers.

  Zoe cocked her head to the side slightly and nodded before raising her glass and tapping his. “To new beginnings.”

  They ate in silence for a short time, both unsure what to do, or who should instigate the conversation. It had been a long time since Zoe had been out and Masen had never actually ‘dated’ anyone since he was a teenager. He glanced at her over his food, happiness washing over him, just being in her presence.

  “What brings you to Northern Eleuthera? Usually people stay in Nassau,” he finally asked, taking a bite of his salmon.

  Zoe laughed which caused him to look at her. “It’s a long story,” she finally replied.

  “Well, now you have me curious.”

  Zoe set her fork down and took a sip of wine. “The woman I neglected to introduce you to is my best friend, Summer. She got it in her thick head that we needed to come here so that she could ‘run into’ Ethan Webster,” she said, using air quotes. “Who was rumored to be staying at that resort called The Cove.” Zoe rolled her eyes while Masen’s eyes widened.

  “Ethan Webster, huh? Isn’t he too old for her?” Masen asked, practically choking on his wine.

  “No, not senior, his son, Ethan, ‘the third’,” she paused, eyeing him speculatively. “How do you know who Ethan Webster is?”

  “Just because I surf doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s happening in the world or who the movers and shakers are.”

  “I’m sorry,” she replied regretfully. “I didn’t mean to imply…” she sighed, shaking her head at her blunder. “What do you do for a living, Masen, aside from surfing of course,” she asked with a smile, wanting to change the subject.

  “Of course,” he chuckled and took another bite of food, not answering her question.

  Masen usually didn’t talk about his work. He liked to keep things separate, but with Zoe, he wanted her to know. Hell, maybe he would tell her everything about himself, who he was, and what he should be doing but wasn’t. He had never wanted anyone to know about his family or their lifestyle. In all honesty, he hated the necessary association with them. He liked being the rogue Pelletier who did his own thing that wasn’t connected to his family’s money, or business.

  “This is really good,” Zoe stated. Noting his reluctance to talk about his work, she changed the subject.

  “Thank you.” He furrowed his brow slightly and took a sip of his wine. “I guess, I’m what you would call a freelance photographer,” he said casually.

  “Really?”

  Smiling, he continued. “Yes, I’m doing a photo essay for National Geographic on the best beaches in the world. This is actually the fifth island I’ve been on in the past couple of months.”

  “Wow, that’s, umm, really amazing.” That wasn’t what she expected him to say. “Have you been around Eleuthera already?”

  “Yes, I have. Have you had a chance to see it?”

  She shook her head. “No, not really. Summer is sort of mission oriented right now,” she said with a shrug.

  He nodded. “I should show you how beautiful it is,” he said, surprising himself.

  Zoe nodded and smiled. “I’d like that.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

  Zoe grinned, unable to stop the happiness enveloping her. This night was turning out better than she had imagined it could. Her mind drifted briefly to her friend, hoping that her evening would turn out good as well.

  9 Summer Breeze

  S ummer smiled as she continued to get ready for her date with Ethan. She kept thinking about her friend. Zoe had looked amazing when she left for her date and she hoped that she would indeed take life by the horns so to speak and just go for it, like she was planning on doing with Ethan. They connected the other night and she was confident they would again. Summer adjusted the straps on her dress and twirled for good measure. She had decided on a more conservative look for the evening, a simple island dress that showed off her breasts magnificently. She had paired the dress with four-inch heels and accessorized with multicolored bangles and a festive necklace that nestled comfortably just above her cleavage. She wanted to be sure his eyes would be drawn exactly where she wanted them to be.

  Summer turned once more and then, hearing the knock on the door, quickly made her way to let Ethan in. She opened the door to find him in a marvelous dark blue suit with a cream-colored dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck. He wasn’t wearing a tie, which Summer found utterly charming and sexy. It made him look less formal than what she was used to seeing him in.

  “Good evening, Summer,” Ethan said with his trademark smile firmly in place.

  “Good evening, Ethan,” Summer curtsied, much to Ethan’s delight.

  He laughed and thought to himself that this girl was definitely worth changing his flight home for. He feared his father wouldn’t understand but he didn’t care. He wanted to see where this went. Summer was beautiful, and he had a difficult time taking his eyes off of her. He enfolded her arm with his and walked her to the vehicle, helping her inside. Once he slid in next to her, he waved toward the driver who immediately started driving.

  “So where are we going?” Summer asked intrigued.

  “It’s a surprise,” Ethan said, kissing her softly on the lips.

  Summer nodded as he took her hand in his. He kissed her again softly, unable to stop the pull she was emitting. The drive could have been five minutes or five hours, Summer didn’t know. All she was aware of was that she was with Ethan and that he couldn’t stop kissing her. When the car finally arrived at their destination, Ethan laid a soft peck on her lips before sitting up. Summer looked around and could tell they were at some kind of dock. She glanced at Ethan, who was smiling widely, as he stepped out of the vehicle. He talked for a few minutes with his driver and then walked around the vehicle to let Summer out.

  “Are we going on a boat?” Summer asked.

  He shook his head slightly, “No, my sweet Summer, this right here is not a boat. This… is a yacht,” he said with a wink.

  She rolled her eyes slightly, which he found amusing. He took her hand in his as they approached the yacht, which was lit with small flickering lights outlining the railings and edges of the captain’s station. They were greeted by a maître d that led them to a table, formally set, underneath a canopy at the hull of the ship. Standing next to the table was a waiter holding a bottle of champagne. Ethan showed Summer to her seat and as they sat down the waiter poured them both champagne. Ethan raised his glass, as did Summer.

  “What shall we toast to?” Ethan asked.

  “To dreams,” Summer replied without hesitation.

  “I like that,” he tapped her glass, “dreams and the dreamers bold enough to have them.”

  They each took a sip as another waiter brought out their appetizer while a cellist set up and began playing soft music for them both. Once the waiter had left the area, Ethan smiled at Summer before taking another sip of his champagne. Summer felt the yacht sway and realized that they were now moving.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you what your last name is Summer,” Ethan stated casually.

  “It’s O’Neal,” Summer replied, taking a bite of her shrimp, feeling slightly nervous. “And yours?” she queried, even though she knew exactly who he was.

  Ethan smiled. “It's Webster.”

  Summer nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Webster.”

  A thin man in a white uniform exited the Captain’s station and approached their table. He offered Summer a warm smile before he turned to Ethan and bowed his head slightly. It was obvious that he knew who Ethan was and that he came from money.

  “Welcome aboard the Summer Breeze. I am Captain Samuel Archer.”

  Ethan nodded at him. “I trust that everything is set for the evening?”

  “It is sir.” He stood a little taller. Something he always did when talking to those with wealth. “Conditions on the water are optimal for an evening excursion. Radar indicates no weather concerns on the horizon, and as requested, we will be back in port within a few hours.”

  “Thank you, Captain Archer.”

  Ethan turned from him and smiled at Summer. The Captain nodded even though Mr. Webster was no longer looking at him. He then glanced at Summer, giving her a small nod before stepping away from the table. The waiter came back shortly after the captain entered his station and removed the couple’s appetizer plates.

  “So, tell me Ms. O’Neal, what part of the states are you from?”

  “New York, I share an apartment in Queens with a friend of mine,” she answered, taking another sip of her champagne.

  Ethan looked up, his eyes were wide with surprise. “Really?” he asked hesitantly. “And what do you do for a living in Queens?”

  Summer brought her glass to her lips, noting the change in his posture. He looked nervous already. In truth, so was she. Summer wasn’t ready to have this discussion just yet as she wasn’t sure how Ethan would respond to knowing that she worked at the company that he and his father ran. But she didn’t want to lie either. Finally, she set the champagne flute down.

  “Ethan, could we not talk about work.” She reached for his hand, which he gladly gave her. “Our lives are made up of the reality of what we do for a living versus the lives we actually live.” He cocked his head slightly as she continued. “I promise, we can talk about the mundane nature of work tomorrow, but tonight,” she stroked his hand softly, a gesture that made desire course through him, “how about we just focus on the things we enjoy in life and not worry about anything else.”

  Ethan nodded as he removed his hand from hers. He had never been with anyone that didn’t want to know what he did, that didn’t have questions about his family or their money. He liked the idea of getting to know her without the pretense of his fortune. Maybe she really was different. Who would have guessed that he would run into a New Yorker in the Bahamas who didn’t really know who he was and wasn’t interested in that part of his existence?

  “And what do you enjoy in life?” he finally asked, his lips touching his champagne glass.

  “I enjoy my morning cup of chai tea at the coffee shop near my house,” she began enthusiastically. “I enjoy fashion, from designing to the cat walk. I enjoy hitting the club once in a while and having a good time. I enjoy sitting in Central Park and watching the people go by. I enjoy my Friday night at Ming’s and I enjoy teasing my friend relentlessly,” she finished with a giggle.

  He chuckled. “Yes, I can see why you would enjoy all those things.”

  “What about you?” she asked, although she felt she already knew what his answers would be.

  “I work mostly but since we are banning work talk I guess I’m not sure. I do a lot of things for charity,” he paused and frowned realizing that even his charity work was somehow related to his family’s business.

  Ethan came from a long line of men with money. He was the third Ethan Webster to ascend to greatness, although he did not deem himself great. What did he do for fun? What were his dreams? He was saddened that he couldn’t answer these simple questions to himself let alone to Summer. Even this trip was business. He had attended several meetings with a client and when his last one was cancelled, he decided to go to the beach some of the locals had been talking about. The resort had a beautiful beach as well, but he wanted to see more of the island than simply the resort.

  “Would you like to dance?” Summer asked, seeing a frustrated and melancholy expression beginning to form on his face.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “Would you like to dance? The music is so enchanting and well, I’ve never danced on a boat… I mean yacht, in the moonlight before. It seems like something I might enjoy,” she stated flirtatiously, causing him to smile.

  “We must rectify that,” Ethan said rising to his feet.

  He led her to a small open area and took her in his arms. As they danced to the smooth sounds of the cello playing nearby, he felt calm and sure of himself. He realized as he held her close to him that he liked her and wanted to see her again. She was different than the other women he had been with. She was the possibility of more in his life. She was the idea that he could be something other than what the rest of the long line of Webster men had become. She was the chance he had never allowed himself to take. He would not squander this opportunity.

  “Spend the night with me, Summer,” he whispered softly into her hair.

  “Yes,” was her murmured reply.

  10 Perfect Ending

  M asen and Zoe had spent ninety minutes eating and drinking, and, most importantly, talking. Zoe was fascinated with him, and him with her. He found himself wanting to know everything there was to know about her. He learned about her work and her friends, living in New York and some of her misadventures in the city. Masen told her he had been to New York many times but preferred places with beaches. He was careful not to reveal too much about himself to her, not wanting to push her away. He found it easy to talk to her, which surprised him as he wasn’t one for talking with the women he spent time with. Their job was to watch him surf and have sex with him at the end of the day. But for some strange reason, he wanted more with Zoe and he hadn’t even kissed her yet.