After meeting with her team and Monica, she drove home. Three hours later, she was showered and dressed in her most comfortable outfit, a classic red finely ribbed tunic top and her knit black pants. If she was going to be stuck on planes for the next two days, she wanted to be comfy and wrinkle-free.

  Staring at herself in the rearview mirror, she saw a woman staring back at her who was ready for an adventure. Her blood almost vibrated with her need to do something outrageous and different. She was tired of every day of her life being the same like she was Bill Murray.

  “Time to shake it up,” she told her reflection as she grabbed her purse, slid out of her economy car, and locked the doors.

  She was happy to see the shuttle lights coming into the gated area. The last thing she wanted was to be standing outside in the cool May air waiting for a ride to the main terminal.

  “Good evening, ma’am.” The driver, an older Hispanic man smiled and greeted her as he opened the door.

  “Hello.” Leya returned his expression and got on and politely nodded to the other five passengers already in the shuttle.

  “Do you have bags, miss?” The driver was now frowning, his withered faces showed his perplexed thoughts.

  “No, sir.” She crossed her legs and settled her large purse next to her. The shuttle pulled away from the stop as she stared out the side window.

  Seven minutes later, Leya walked into the terminal and headed toward the Continental Airlines counter a few feet away. She still had a few minutes before she had to check in. Since she was traveling internationally, she had to check in two hours before her flight. With her back to the counter she checked her watch as she looked around, across the faces of the other passengers.

  “Leya!”

  Hearing her name, she turned and saw her two best friends strutting toward her. Two gorgeous, self-assured black women with smiles on their faces ate up the distance in the airport with long strides that brought them closer to her. Their posture let all around them know they were on a mission to get answers. She could understand why they would be confused. At four that day, she’d called them both and asked them to meet her at the airport, not giving them any hint what was going on.

  She was glad that they both were free. Normally, she would have seen them at about four a.m. at Pappa’s Pancake for their monthly breakfast together. They met religiously, due to all of their busy schedules it was too much to attempt to call daily or weekly.

  Meeting them halfway, she accepted the hug from Summer first and then Kathryn.

  “What are we doing at the airport, Leya?” Kathryn stepped back.

  “I’m taking a trip.”

  Summer arched an eyebrow. “For work?”

  “Something last minute?” Kathryn added.

  Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and allowed the words to tumble out, “I’m going on vacation.”

  “Vacation!” Kathryn said.

  Summer’s eyes opened wide as she stared at Leya as if her head had just started spinning vertically.

  “Why are we just now hearing about this?” Summer waved her hands around then landed them on her hips.

  “Is this your idea of a joke?” Kathryn folded her hands over her breast. “If so, you are about a month late on April fools.”

  “I didn’t tell you all, because I didn’t want to be talked out of it.” Leya fiddled with the strap of her large purse on her shoulder.

  “Why would we talk you out of it,” Summer said. “You’re a grown woman. If you want to get away, we wouldn’t try and stop you.”

  “Where are you going?” Kathryn looked her slowly up and down with her discerning lawyer gaze.

  “Bali.”

  “Indonesia?” Summer’s voice seemed to echo around the passenger vestibule.

  “Shh. The whole airport doesn’t need to know my destination.” Leya grabbed both of her friends and pulled them to the side away from other passengers getting into the automatic teller lines.

  “You who calculates the distance and cost of going to the grocery store,” Kathryn declared.

  “The same person that recalculates every receipt she gets before spending a dime,” Summer threw in.

  “Okay, okay.” Leya waved both her friends dramatic statements away. “I know I can be a bit…”

  “Tight assed,” Summer offered.

  “Penny-pincher,” Kathryn supplied.

  “It’s a recession and people should be prudent with their money,” Leya defended.

  Summer and Kathryn laughed.

  “Ha! You were like that before recession was a word.”

  Leya smiled. Summer was right. She’d learned the hard way the value of tracking her money. The two women before her knew that she’d grown up in hard times, they just didn’t realize the extent of her life before they met in college.

  “True. But, we all agreed we’d take a vacation two months ago and I’m taking mine.”

  Both her friends looked at each other and shrugged, then glanced back at her.

  “Fine, but if you’re going all the way around the world, you better let us know you’ve gotten there safe.” Summer grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

  “I will. I already upgraded my phone to the international plan.” Leya squeezed her hand back. “Trust me I have no desire to become a missing person.”

  “You better not.” Kathryn took her other hand. “Wow. Bali. Take plenty of pictures.”

  “Will do.” Standing there with her two friends made her nerves come back in full force. It would’ve been easier if they all could have planned a trip together.

  “You have time to grab something to eat?” Kathryn asked.

  “No, I still have to check in and we all know how crazy getting through TSA is going to be.”

  Looking around, Summer asked, “Where are your bags?”

  Releasing their hands she patted her large purse. “Right here. My favorite bathing suit is packed and I have my credit card and passport. I’m all set.”

  “What?”

  “I know it can be a pain to pay for luggage, but be serious,” Kathryn rolled her eyes.

  “I don’t plan to do anything but swim, sleep, and tour. Once I get there I can pick up a few more items at the hotel gift shop.”

  “I see it now. You’ve lost your mind.” Summer chuckled. “When you get back Kat and I will escort you to Eastern State.”

  “Whatever.” Leaning in, she hugged both her friends. “I’ll call you at each of my three layovers and when I get in.”

  They both waved her off with well wishes and safety advice. Getting a place in line with all the other travelers, Leya allowed the excitement of the coming weeks to bubble forth. She had planned to use this time to get a better perspective of her life. When she arrived back in Virginia she expected to be a different person than when she left.

  * * * *

  Kolby rose out of the water, situated his surfboard under his arm and jogged through the low surf toward his friend Jonathan who stood on the beach waiting for him. Jonathan was the owner of Divine Bali hotel, one of the top five tourist resorts in Sanur. It didn’t sit in the center of Kuta or other highly populated tourist cities, but most people who came here were rich.

  They smoothly paid for the high quality of staff that catered to their every need. It wasn’t one of the most popular surfing areas and that was perfect for Kolby. He wasn’t a competition surfer, just wanted the relaxation of the water.

  He was almost on shore when a woman caught his gaze. During the dawn there weren’t many tourists out, mostly surfers and runners. Perhaps that’s why the woman performing yoga on the bare beach grabbed his attention.

  In body-hugging pants and a sports bra she stretched her body on a blanket. His feet slowed as he watched the woman gracefully glide from one position into another. She went from arching her back, to bending and flexing in different ways then expanding her limbs out in various directions.

  Being in the salt water for hours always made him thirsty. Seeing the beautiful woman made his mouth dry and hot like never before. When she went into a pose where her hands and feet were flat on the ground, her head tucked low, and her ass was pushed high in the air the heat spread throughout his body and his cock began to harden.

  Never before had he become enthralled by a woman just by watching her do something as arbitrary as keep her mind and spirit fit. However, that’s exactly how he felt at that moment. Wanting nothing more than to find out who she was, Kolby tightened his hand on his board and began to move toward her.

  “What’s up, Kolby, we still on for lunch?”

  The sound of his friend’s voice shook him, alerting him to what he was about to do. Damn. Women were never part of his plans in Bali. He couldn’t believe that this woman had completely made him forget his purpose.

  Quickly shifting back toward Jonathan, he shoved the wet strands of his hair out of his face. “Yeah, yeah. We’re good. I need to talk to you about things.”

  “Great. I’m sorry I was out of town last week and we couldn’t meet up.” Unlike him, Jonathan stood in a white linen suit with tan pinstripes, minus a tie. The Bali businessman.

  “No worries. I still got some things accomplished.” Kolby didn’t want to look at the woman again, but he found his gaze straying back to her, even as her slim form lay still on her back. He didn’t know if she was trying to sleep or meditating. The sun was radiating off her light maple skin making it appear bronze in the morning light. Her ebony-colored hair was pulled up into a messy topknot at the crown of her head, most likely to keep it out of her way. He would have loved to see it down around her face.

  He noticed Jonathan followed his line of sight.

  Before his friend could question him, Kolby kept the conversation on the hotel. “Ardhi and I worked out the snorkeling schedule.”

  Lifting an eyebrow Jonathan gave him a look that let Kolby know his long time friend was not fooled by the shift in conversation. Kolby knew after the seven years he had been coming to the island for a month in the summer that Jonathan could care less about the activities he took on with the tourist. They had bigger responsibilities.

  “That’s good to know.” Jonathan nodded.

  “Well, I need to get things set up for my morning group.” Kolby purposely turned away from the direction the woman was occupying, even though it would take him all the way around the hotel to get to the cabana. “See you later, Jon.”

  “Let me know if you’d like an introduction,” his friend called after him.

  Stopping, Kolby turned back, seeing his friend’s cocky smile. Son of a bitch. Chuckling, he said, “Not interested. Besides I can’t remember the last time I needed a hook up.”

  “Junior year, the Kappa trio.” Jonathan smiled and slipped his hands deep in his pants pockets.

  “Ah yes. Fond memories. I may still owe you for that one.” Kolby pointed a finger at his friend and flexed his thumb pretending to shoot his friend and then headed back up the path.

  He could’ve used another few laps on his board at the moment, but the warm Indonesian ocean would do nothing for the heat still coursing through his body. He’d have to use the employee’s locker room at the hotel to cool his raging hormones. An icy shower was exactly what he needed, because what he didn’t need was to be sporting a raging hard-on for a vacationing socialite.

  * * * *

  Leya exited the dining room after enjoying an early dinner of a gulai, a meat and vegetable curry-style dish. The chef had made it a little spicy for her, and she’d loved every bite. It was her second day on the island, and she was having a wonderful time. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so relaxed and energized at the same time.

  Ready to finally start doing some activities and tours she headed toward the concierge desk.

  At the desk she approached an Indonesian man who looked to be in his early twenties; his jet black hair was short and slicked back away from his face. When he greeted her with a smile, she began, “Hi, I’m Ms. Gre—”

  “Greenwood in suite 1492.”

  “Yes.” She eyed him cautiously. Even though she’d planned her trip in haste, she had taken the time to research about the local environment and safety. Just because he was working at the hotel didn’t mean he wasn’t one of the men that attempted to con and “date” single American women. “How did you know that?”

  Bowing his head in understanding, he said, “It is my job to know our guests. Besides when you walked by earlier, Utama pointed you out.” He gestured toward a female attendant who was assisting another person at the end of the counter.

  Finally, he held up a clipboard. “Also, your picture from your identification is on our roster, for safety reasons.”

  “Oh.” She felt a little ridiculous. She probably showed her ignorance of staying at such a high-dollar hotel. There had been other establishments just as fine to stay in, but she decided to splurge on her hotel when she took the trip. She’d noticed the clientele the hotel catered to moving through the resort and in the dining room; most of them probably made more in a week than she earned in two months.

  “How can I be of assistance to you, Ms. Greenwood,” he asked in excellent diction even though his voice carried a heavy accent.

  “I wanted to sign up for some of the hotel’s complementary activities.” She reached inside her bag and pulled out her flyer and placed it on the countertop.

  “What were you interested in?”

  “Tomorrow I’d like to either learn how to snorkel or scuba dive. Possibly take a tour through the cities the next day.”

  “These are no problem. Whatever day you would like to tour, just call down to the desk that morning before eight and we will get a guide or add you to a group. For the water classes or rentals you will need to speak with the employees that handle that service.”

  “Okay. Where can I find them?” She folded her flyer and stuffed it back into her tote.

  He gave her directions to an area located on the far end of the resort on the beach. She thanked the clerk and followed his instructions to the water sports cabana. Once outside the hotel the warm breeze of the island caressed the back of her neck and blew the hem of her sundress around her legs. She would never get tired of the view of the Gunung Agung in the distance; it was a massively breathtaking mountain. Glancing out over the ocean she could see that the sun was beginning to set, it would be nightfall soon.

  She continued around the outer bungalows, and she hoped to make it to the cabana and back before it got dark. She wasn’t afraid of being out after the sunset; the hotel’s paths were well-lit and security patrolled even though it wasn’t a congested area like other tourist spots in Bali; her reason for picking it. She didn’t want to be harassed with each step she took by tourist mongers for every coin in her pocket.

  Finally, she reached the hut with panduan untuk laut on a sign above it, which translated to “guides for the ocean” or “ocean guides”. She was disappointed to see it was already closed for the day. She had thought maybe someone would still be manning it. All the Jet Ski’s were chained together, and there were boards of various types and sizes inside a locked case around the outside.

  As she went to turn around to head back to her room she heard a sound coming from the other side of the cabana. She moved around the side and saw a light coming from an open door, the light shined over a pool where scuba tanks sat beside it.

  “Halo…halo,” she called out in Indonesian as she moved closer to the door.

  There was no answer, but as she stood in the doorway she could see all the colorful snorkeling masks, wet suits hanging on hooks, still dripping water on the floor, and other aquatic paraphernalia. Evidently, they had recently returned from the last class for the day.

  She heard another noise of something scraping and said, “Saya membutuhkan bantuan.” Asking for assistance about capped her out in the things she could say without pulling out her translation dictionary. The only things left were “how much does that cost” and “no thank you, I wish you the best”. The last one she was told was very important to decline local peoples encroachment or offers of help.

  There was a loud bang and someone growling, “Shit!”

  Rushing in, thinking someone might be hurt, she saw a man coming from a closet rubbing his head. She could see other oxygen tanks inside. He must have been putting them away. Above the tanks was a beautiful surfboard hanging horizontally from the ceiling; it was swinging a little and she understood what the man had cracked his head on.

  As he moved toward her, he lifted his head and everything inside Leya froze; her heart, her breathing, and her mind. Her chest felt tight as if her body had forgotten how to function and she couldn’t think of an intelligent thing to say. The man standing before her was either an American man or a fair-skinned Indonesian man with European features; the latter was doubtful. He was a sight to behold. Leya could not recall the last time she’d seen a man as handsome as the specimen who stood before her.

  Dressed in a wet pair of Bermuda shorts with a dry T-shirt pulling against the broad width of his shoulders, his shoulder-length brown hair had highlights that she was sure came from the sun’s kiss. His calves and arms were thick, muscular with a deep tan, the evidence of a man accustomed to physical labor.

  The most striking part of him was the steelly gray-blue eyes that captured her and seemed to stare into her soul. The way they darkened, and the corners crinkled she would’ve sworn he recognized her. However, that was ridiculous; she’d never met this man before; she would remember.

  She’d seen gorgeous men before, but none of them pulsed with hypnotic energy like this man. Leya slipped her tongue out and licked her lips; she felt thirsty. The only thought that came to her mind was how she’d enjoy drinking the water from his body. She’d never liked men with beards before, but something about his rugged good looks called to her in a primal way. Her chest loosened enough for her to drag in a strangled breath into her lungs.

  The air of the cabana was permeated by his scent. He smelled of the sea with the robust undertones of male sweat. Visions of them, limbs tangled, on the beach made her body sweat in the evening breeze.

  His lips were moving, and she was pretty sure he was speaking to her, but her hearing seemed to be a sense that still had not returned.