"You checked her and her party in this morning, do you remember? The four-piece of upper crust women from New York?"

"Oh, yeah! They're trouble," said Bruce with a laugh and a drink. "I'm definitely going to make a move for the brunette. I saw her checking me out. I want her to be mean to me."

Harrison spoke as he cleaned up the leftovers on his desk and changed his shirt from a selection he kept in a small wardrobe near the balcony. "Clarice was the dark-haired one hovering in the back like a shy little squirrel. I b.u.mped into her earlier today and helped her find her way back to the lifts, and we got to talking. She's got everything we need Bruce, she'll be perfect. Beautiful, cla.s.sy, well-mannered, respectable, and I already know she's not afraid to follow the beat of her own drum."

"How do you know that?" asked Bruce.

"Because she told me she didn't like it here, even after she knew I was the owner," said Harrison. "Her friends dragged her halfway around the world for a paid vacation in paradise, and she's still not having it unless it's on her terms. That's the kind of woman I need to work with. One who knows what she wants and will lay out her terms. Then all I have to do is meet them. Simple as pie."

"Which you're a.s.suming you won't have any trouble doing."

"Of course I won't, I'm rich and gorgeous," said Harrison. "I could get her anything she wants."

"What if all she wants is your heart?" mocked Bruce in a dramatic, movie-trailer-style voice.

"h.e.l.l, to get out of this cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k, I'd probably have to give it to her."

Bruce just chuckled and threw his feet off the desk. "So where are you going now?"

"To the shops," said Harrison. "And then to my room to get ready. I've got to have everything I need before I ask Clarice to marry me."

"s.h.i.t, you make it sound so official and dramatic," said Bruce. "You're not seriously getting a ring at the shops are you?"

"She's going to need one, isn't she?" said Harrison. "Or do you have a handy explanation to give to my father about why she doesn't have one when he shows up?"

"It's getting fitted?"

"Bruce, I forget sometimes that you're not super rich. Not to be a cad about it, but trust me when I say my father will not believe for one moment that I'm waiting for anything to be fixed or fitted. It would be done already because I would have paid to have it done. Buying her one is the simplest solution here."

As Harrison led him out of the office and shut the lights off behind them, Bruce had one final comment. "Well, at least you weren't a cad about it, whatever the h.e.l.l that is. Just promise me you're not actually going to try and make a traditional proposal out of it, okay? You'll look like a f.u.c.king idiot."

6.

Clarice

Feeling shaky from the physical encounter with Kyle, Clarice took her time getting ready for dinner. She could hear the faraway music from somewhere on the beach. It was the perfect background atmosphere as she wandered lazily around the suite in a silk robe, delicately applying lotion and makeup, and throwing her hair into an upsweep that was pretty without being too uptight. For evening, she chose a short black dress with thin straps and some matching sandals. There would surely be dinners with the girls later in the week that would require her to get all trussed up like a Christmas goose, so until then, she was determined to be comfortable.

As soon as she saw the girls waiting at the table with their colorful iced drinks already in hand, Clarice felt a million pounds lighter. They cheered when they saw her, making the other restaurant guests at their tables and lined up at the dessert buffet turn to look.

The outdoor patio, belonging to one of the many restaurants at the resort, was lined with burning torches, stringed lights, and has a live acoustic band playing traditional Balinese music softly in the corner. Waiters buzzed around the big round tables, bringing out steaming dishes with spices that seemed to burn in the night air. Everyone was happy, laughing, chatting, touching. The sea roared only a few hundred yards away, and already the stars were twinkling brightly in the dark night sky. The smell of salted meats and fresh fruits wafted on the soft wind and made Clarice's tummy growl.

She swerved around tables towards her girls and gave each of them a sweet hug before she took her waiting seat. All three of them looked well-rested and fresh; even Sophie had let her hair down, as it were, and was showing off some of the natural curl in her bob. Trudy had a constellation of bright little flowers stuck in her messy brown upsweep, and the glow in her eyes told Clarice she was already buzzed.

"Girl!" said Trudy as she slapped her forearm gently in greeting. "Where have you been? We've been waiting!"

"Probably letting some hungry little thing get his own dinner, am I right?" teased Liz next to her, b.u.mping her elbow into Clarice's side with zero subtlety.

"Holy c.r.a.p, you three have already become island s.l.u.ts, haven't you?" laughed Clarice. "I leave you alone for a few hours!"

Sophie leaned toward her with wide eyes. "Clarice, have you seen the men at this place? Oh my Lord..." she put a palm on her chest. "What other option do we have?"

"How about some cla.s.s, for once?" Clarice teased, slapping a palm on the table like some old-time patriarch.

Liz gasped and pointed a finger suddenly. "Clarice hasn't f.u.c.ked anyone yet!"

The girls all let out sad, over-dramatic gasps until Clarice started handing out shin-kicks under the table, sending them into peals of laughter that finally drew a waiter over to their table. He was a handsome, caramel-skinned man, and he seemed genuinely amused by their happiness. "Are you ladies having a good time?" he asked.

"She needs a drink," said Trudy, pointing lazily at Clarice. "Actually, you might as well bring us all another drink."

"Right away, and for dinner your table can select the sambal udang or spicy satay."

Liz blinked up at the waiter and in her sweetest voice said, "I literally have no idea what you just said."

Clarice blushed and apologized for her friend, but the waiter just laughed. "Sambal udang is a prawn meal with curry, and the satay tonight is beef."

"I'm feeling a little spicy myself. So ladies, what do you say?" Trudy asked the table, sipping on her drink through a bright pink straw.

The girls cooed and Clarice had to agree. "Sounds like satay is the winner. And I'll drink... whatever it is they're drinking." She gestured to the slushy drinks in curvy gla.s.ses each of the girls enjoyed. "Two of them, actually. I apparently have some catching up to do." The waiter gave a tidy bow and disappeared through the labyrinth of tables and people.

"There's my girl!" clapped Trudy. "You need to get yourself unwound, like, stat."

"Yeah, what's the deal, Clarice? Are you still feeling weird about this?" asked Sophie.

Clarice sighed. She really hadn't wanted to upset the mood with talks of her troubles getting into this, but even through her buzz, Sophie actually seemed concerned. "Yeah... no... h.e.l.l, I don't know, guys. I'm really trying to get into it. Maybe it's just going to take me a little more time or something. It's only the first night, after all."

"Have you met anybody yet?" asked Liz.

Clarice shrugged. "One guy, I guess. His name is Kyle. We actually kissed a bit..."

The girls oohed in silly delight and Liz took Clarice by the shoulders and gave her a hug.

"Just a bit, huh?" said Trudy as she teased Clarice's calf with her sandaled foot. "Are you sure you didn't get a little strange already, miss Clarice?"

Clarice blushed and laughed, pushing her hair back from her ears. "I'm pretty sure I would remember touching a new d.i.c.k, Trude."

"It's just a matter of time!"

"You're probably just tired from all the travel," said Sophie. "It really does a number on you if you're not used to it. After dinner and some drinks, plus a good night's rest in your suite, you're going to feel so much better! I'm sure of it."

"This place is gorgeous," Clarice agreed. "Even if I don't touch a new d.i.c.k, I'm sure I'll find something to do to make this trip worthwhile."

"I swear to Christ, I'm not letting you get back on that return plane home until you've had someone inside you," said Trudy with a straight face. The other girls burst out laughing so hard that Liz almost spilled her drink across the beautiful white tablecloth.

"Okay, okay, G.o.d!" laughed Clarice, shaking her head. "I can see that all of your pervert powers have been greatly enhanced by this place."

"You have no idea," said Liz with eyebrows raised.

"You s.l.u.t," said Sophie to Liz with a wicked smile. "Spill it, what did you do already?"

"I met a guy who invited me to an orgy," shrugged Liz nonchalantly. "So I joined in."

Mid-drink, Trudy nearly choked on the plushy alcoholic ice in her throat. Sophie squealed with high-pitched laughter she only got when she was good and drunk.

"You did not," said Clarice in a challenging voice.

"I sure as h.e.l.l did!" replied Liz. "You ladies forget that you're the ones in the fancy, fast-paced jobs where you meet s.e.xy swinging d.i.c.k all the time. I'm surrounded by kids, their idiot married parents, and the functioning alcoholic subst.i.tute teachers. I'm dying of thirst here!"

Sophie leaned across the table like they were sharing a conspiracy, her smile wide and her eyes glowing. "How many people were there? Men and women?"

"Yes, of course men and women, it's an orgy. Everyone can come. And most did, if you catch my drift."

"I totally don't believe you," said Clarice.

Liz started glancing around the patio, craning her neck, trying to see past all the ma.s.ses of bodies. Then she began to point, one by one, to random people across the deck. "You can ask him. And him. And him. And her. And them..."

"G.o.dd.a.m.n, here I am reeling from what was barely a high-school make out under the bleachers, and you're over here acting like Hugh Hefner set loose on the bunny ranch." Clarice was shaking her head.

Liz was still counting. "They were there. Oh, and him, his d.i.c.k was like a bratwurst..."

"Don't sweat it, Clarice, I haven't talked to anybody yet either," said Sophie. "It's just our first day. We can't all be the orgy magnet that Liz apparently is."

"All this time, I had no idea," laughed Trudy.

"Hey Clarice... does that guy know you?" said Liz, leaning close to her ear and pointing across the patio.

Clarice looked to follow her direction and immediately she spotted Harrison. Despite the crowd, and all the lights and noise and activity, he still stood out like an Adonis. He had done some serious cleaning up since she saw him this afternoon, and didn't look as tired or stressed as he had before. His dark black mane looked as though it had been professionally coifed, and his gorgeous body was decked in a tailored matte black suit that made him look like he had just stepped out of a men's magazine.

Clarice's breath caught in her throat. He was so incredibly gorgeous that she almost didn't realize right away that he was staring straight across the patio at her, his dark eyes staring, his plush cupid's-bow lips curling in a sly, happy smile.

"Oh man..." said Clarice to herself in a breathless whisper.

"He's looking right at you!" said Liz in an excited voice. "Jesus Christ, he's so hot! He looks like James Bond."

"What?" said Trudy.

"Who? What's going on?" added Sophie.

As both of them craned their necks to look around, Liz shushed them and hissed, "Don't look, don't look! G.o.dd.a.m.n, you two, I have fourth graders that are better at being sly than you are."

Liz was right. Harrison was staring right at Clarice, and now he was moving around the patio, heading for their table with no hesitation.

"Oh s.h.i.t," said Clarice to herself.

"Is he coming over?" squealed Liz.

Sophie was bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Can I turn and look?"

"If he's coming over, you'll see him in a second, idiot!" said Trudy. "Try to play cool!"

"Oh my G.o.d, I immediately regret whatever trouble you three are about to get me into," said Clarice only half-joking.

Clarice's heart pounded as she watched Harrison make his way over to the table. Both women and men were watching him pa.s.s; it was like he couldn't help but draw attention no matter where he was. It wasn't just his incredible looks. It was the way he held himself like a king.

So what the h.e.l.l did he want with her?

Harrison stopped in front of the table and gave them all a dashing smile. "Ladies, good evening! How are we doing?"

All the women stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. Clarice blinked in surprise and looked around at them.

"Oh, now you guys learn how to shut up?" she said to them with narrowed eyes.

Harrison just laughed, their stunned silence seemed like something he was used to. "Allow me to introduce myself to the rest of you, I'm Harrison Moore. I run the resort."

"Oh my," said Sophie. "h.e.l.lo, Mr. Moore."

Harrison put his palm out to Clarice until she lifted up her hand and put it in his. He gave it a gentle kiss and looked her in the eyes as he smiled at her. "Lovely to see you again, Clarice."

She lost herself for a moment, but then stuttered. "Oh, y-yes... likewise. These are my friends I was telling you about earlier: Liz, Sophie, and Trudy." She gestured gently to the ladies as she introduced them.

Harrison repeated each of their names as he reached out to give them each tender handshakes and a warm smile. His charm was electric.

"So you two have met before?" said Trudy with a sly att.i.tude.

"Yes, I had the pleasure of escorting Clarice back to her suite this afternoon," said Harrison.

Clarice blushed at the way he worded it, especially when she felt Trudy's foot kicking her shin under the table.

"And here we thought Clarice wasn't going to have any fun on this trip!" said Sophie, winking very obviously at Clarice.

"Oh, I don't think we can stand for that, can we?" said Harrison. "Clarice is far too lovely a woman to spend her time in paradise unhappy."

"Here, here!" said Liz, lifting her drink.

Harrison bit his lip and clasped his hands together. "To that end... ladies, I wonder if I might trouble you for a favor this evening?"

"Literally anything," said Trudy in a throaty voice. Sophie busted up giggling next to her.