Page 21 of Love Off Course

Sheridan

M y suite is big and spacious. Decorated beautifully.

Smells like oranges. And so lonely. I look around the space and wonder how this stuff made me happy at one time.

It feels like my life was intersected by Rodrigo and I’m having trouble merging the before Sheridan and the after Sheridan.

The before Sheridan wants to get back on track, pursue David, and become the powerhouse corporate princess she was born to be.

The after Sheridan misses her friends, the chaos of Mexico, and the devilish grin of her nemesis-turned-lover.

Just thinking about David makes me cringe.

I’m not sure what I expected when I got to Costa Rica, but it wasn’t for David’s undivided attention to be on me.

Before I’d gotten stranded in Mexico, it was my goal and my only hope.

To spend quality time with David and finally get him to see how good we could be.

The moment I stepped on that limo, he’s had his eyes locked on me.

No one will tell me how he got the black eye, but I know it’s important, and something tells me Daddy gave it to him. Just a hunch.

My phone buzzes and I snatch it up, hoping it’s Estefania. When I see it’s a text from David, I cringe. Again.

David: Lunch on my balcony? Private massage after? I’ve missed you.

I’ve been avoiding him, which was difficult considering Daddy and Mona got married.

We’ve had to be at plenty of dinners together and then the ceremony.

I just glued myself to Daddy’s side, uncaring if it made David sad.

I’m not used to seeing the lost puppy look on David’s face and quite frankly it’s freaking me out.

Me: Not feeling so hot. Maybe another day.

David: I’ll always make time for you.

He says that, yet it’s not true. It’s been quite the effort in making him keep his attention on me. That sort of thing should be natural. With him, it’s been anything but natural.

Now…all his attention is on me. I don’t feel like I should. I feel agitated and skeeved out, which is silly considering I’ve known him and cared about him my entire life.

Rather than thinking about David, I can’t help but miss my friends. Me. I have friends. The thought makes me giddy. After Sheridan definitely loves connecting with strange people who you can’t help but love.

Like Camilo.

This time, I don’t cringe.

My flesh heats and my heart sputters to life. Our connection was different than the other Funky Flyers. It was electric. Fire. An explosion. Seeing David and feeling nothing but irritation has made me realize the difference.

I really, really liked being with Camilo.

Tears spring in my eyes and I quickly blink them away. I’d tried not to bother my friends, but I need them. I use the FaceTime app and call Estefania.

She answers, dressed in full, beautiful makeup. People are spritzing perfume on her, fluffing her hair, and applying more makeup. All at once.

“Oh,” I groan. “I’m so sorry. This is a bad time.”

“Never a bad time to talk to my best friend, Sherrie-dan!” Her smile is broad and happy, making my heart skip a few beats.

“Are you sure?”

“You’re on in five,” someone warns.

“Positive,” she tells me in a fierce tone that makes me so damn proud of her. “They can wait. Family emergency.” She shoos them all from the room and then her eyes soften. “Are you okay?”

“I miss you,” I blurt out.

She smiles. “I miss you too, Sherrie-dan.”

“And Damian,” we both say before laughing.

“Hold on,” she tells me. “I’ll get him on.”

Seconds later, she mashes a button and his face appears. We all squeal and giggle and cry for a good solid minute. I’m thankful Estefania has people to fix her back up because her black makeup is a mess.

“It’s so good to see you two,” I manage to choke out. “Look at you both.”

Damian preens and Estefania grins.

I imagine spending more time with them. Lots of it. It makes my heart sing. After Sheridan has different hopes and dreams than Before Sheridan.

“Uh-oh,” Damian sings. “Princess has that evil villain look in her eye.”

“I don’t have an evil villain look,” I argue.

“You do,” Estefania throws back, giggling. “Right now.”

“I’ll inform you two that it’s my look of determination. It’s my ‘get shit done’ look. I had an idea.”

“Does it involve naked pilots with hot asses and tequila?” Damian demands. “Because, if not, I’m not interested.”

I roll my eyes. “It involves brunch tomorrow with your two besties. Can you handle that?”

“Ehh, I guess,” Damian teases.

“He’s already penciling it in his calendar,” Kyle tattles in the background. “Don’t let him fool you.”

“Bring the handsomest man on the planet with you,” Estefania tells Damian.

“I beg your pardon, missy,” Damian argues. “ I am the handsomest man. Kyle is just okay.”

Kyle peeks his head on the screen. “Hey, babe,” he says to Estefania. “Hey, Sheridan.”

Estefania blows him kisses and I just grin. I missed these people so much. Giving them up wasn’t something I was prepared for. Just like with Momma.

But, unlike with Momma, this time I have a choice.

And just like any business deal I set my sights on, I’m going to fight to have these people in my life. I won’t stop until I win. It’s the Reid way.

“You’re different,” Mona says, her blue eyes twinkling. Marriage looks good on her. On them both. She and Daddy seem younger since tying the knot. I’m happy for them.

“So are you,” I challenge.

She smirks and sips her wine. “Love will do that to you. What about you? You have that look in your eye.”

I scoff and sip my Hennessy jalapina. The spice of the jalapeno is offset by the tang of the pineapple juice. It reminds me of Camilo. Everything reminds me of Camilo. “I don’t have a look.”

“Honey, I may be old, but I wasn’t born yesterday.” She arches a brow and leans forward. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

At this, I frown. It should be obvious it’s David. I’m pretty sure everyone up at the office—even Daddy—knows I have been following David around like a lost puppy since puberty.

“David?”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t lie, Sheridan, you always make a sour face when you do.”

“I’m not lying,” I say in a shrill tone. “I’m not.”

Her gaze softens as she reaches over to pat my hand. “You are. I know I’m not your mother, but I’ve been with your father a long time. I know you.”

I try not to bristle at the mention of Momma. “Who else could I possibly be in love with?”

“You tell me,” she says with a grin.

“It’s David.” I cross my arms over my chest, daring her to argue.

“David’s an old fuddy duddy. You’re in love with the idea of David.” She narrows her eyes. “No, you fell in love this week. I want to know all about him.”

I gape at her. Am I that transparent? I’d been pretty sure I covered the hickeys. “Who?”

“The one who has you smiling when no one is looking. The one who has the strongest girl I know frazzled and showing us that she’s human under her rock-hard facade. The one who you can’t stop thinking about.”

“Mona…”

“Sheridan.”

“Ugh,” I grumble, darting my attention to the balcony where Daddy and David are smoking a cigar. “Fine. His name is Camilo.”

Mona grins. “Sounds handsome. Tell me more.”

“He’s a pilot…”

“I love him already.”

“He’s such an asshole.”

“But he’s good in bed?”

“Mona!”

“Honey, you don’t get those kind of hearts in your eyes for nothing. The man made an impact on my girl and I can’t wait to hear every detail about him.”

For the next fifteen minutes, we whisper about all the sordid details of my rendezvous with a handsome yet infuriating pilot. It feels good to talk to someone I care about from my real life about what happened. By the end, she’s Team Handsome Pilot. David never stood a chance.

“Sheridan,” David says, making me nearly jump out of my skin and spill my drink. “Want to take a walk with me?”

Mona’s cheeks turn pink, clearly shocked at having been caught gossiping about a guy. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have heard anything.

“How’d you get the black eye, David?” I ignore his outstretched hand and choose to stand on my own.

He and Daddy exchange a look before David chuckles. “I’ll tell you all about it. Come on.”

Daddy’s features are impassive as he watches David clutch my arm. Mona frowns but doesn’t intervene. David guides me outside. He moves his palm to the small of my back, guiding me through the crowded bar area outside of the hotel restaurant.

Eventually we make it to a gazebo that glitters with twinkling lights.

The wind is warm tonight and tickles the hair hanging from my messy bun.

I’d seen the shock of all three of their faces when I came to dinner with my hair in a different style.

I just didn’t, for once, feel like straightening it.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” David says, his hand sliding from the small of my back to my hip as he sort of side hugs me but doesn’t let go.

I’m stiff in his grip. At one time, I dreamed for this moment. “So? The black eye?”

“It’s nothing.”

“David, you promised.”

He lets out a heavy sigh, his thumb rubbing along my hip bone. “Your dad.”

I swivel around to look up at him. His hands settle on my lower back as he regards me with a smirk.

“Daddy? Why? You two never argue or fight, much less start swinging at each other.” I’m blown away by the fact my father hit his best friend.

“Let’s just say I deserved it.”

“What did you do?”

“I told him I wanted something of his.”

“Daddy doesn’t like to share.”

His brows furl and he pats my ass. “No, he doesn’t. Especially when it comes to his little girl.”

I freeze, understanding washing over me. “It was about me?”

“It was.” He sighs. “I told him I was going to start dating you.” He pulls me close to his chest. His erection pokes into my stomach. It reminds me of the night we had sex. How anticlimactic it was.

“He said no?”

“He said hell no and then punched me in the face.” He chuckles, massaging my ass through my dress. “I told him too damn bad.”

My mind is reeling. “And he let you walk away?”

“He made me promise I wouldn’t hurt you.” His features soften. “I would never intentionally hurt you, Sheridan. I love you. Always have. You’ve always been like family to me. Then…”

Staring up at him now, I’m trying to recall what it was that had me so obsessed with him.

I wanted to marry this man, for crying out loud.

But as I look at him, I don’t feel the same feelings Camilo evoked in me.

No fire. No intense feelings. No overwhelming attraction.

It’s mild affection for a longtime friend.

“Then you came on to me after dinner that night,” he murmurs. “I drank too much. We ended up at that hotel in bed together. It was nice what we had. It will grow to be better.”

I keep waiting for the pattering of my heart.

The flush of my cheeks.

Warmth between my thighs.

Anything.

All I feel is nothing.

“David,” I start, pressing my hands against his chest that’s soft from age and years of working at a desk. “We shouldn’t?—”

He cuts me off, his mouth dipping toward mine. I let out a shriek and duck. Our mouths don’t connect and I get a sloppy kiss on my nose before I manage to untangle myself from his arms. A shudder wracks through me and I don’t understand the sudden repulsion. It’s David. I love him.

But he’s not Camilo.

Just thinking of Camilo’s devious smirk and dark, sexy eyes, heat floods through me. The last thing I want to do is kiss David while I dream of Camilo. That’s completely messed up.

“I, uh, I need to go,” I croak before stumbling out of the gazebo and onto the pathway.

“Sheridan, sweetheart, come back,” David calls out. “I’m sorry. I screwed it all up. Let’s have a drink and just talk.”

I nearly roll my ankle in my heels, so I stop briefly to yank off my shoes, and then I run back up the path toward the restaurant. As soon as I make it back inside, I spot Daddy and Mona. Mona grins when she sees me and Daddy’s tense shoulders seem to relax.

“I’m not feeling well. See you tomorrow,” I call out, rushing past them.

I can hear David calling for me, but I don’t stay.

I run all the way back to my room.

And when I get back, I bypass the Hennessy to grab a handful of mini bottles of tequila. I spend the rest of the night enjoying the breeze on the balcony, drinking tequila, and staring up at the stars wondering if Camilo is flying high trying to reach them.