Page 20 of Vitamin Sea

Jack pulled out his phone.

“It’s Chloe, C-H-L-O-E-R-Y-D-E-R at gmail dot com.”

“How long are you here for?” Jack asked.

“We’re here for another six days.”

“We?” Jack asked.

“My friend Lala,” Chloe explained. “My best friend. She sometimes joins me if she can make it work with her schedule.”

“Ah, okay,” he nodded. “Well, I’d love to meet her.”

“She might actually be in worse shape than me,” Chloe trailed off.

A look of curiosity crossed Jack’s face, and he raised one of his eyebrows in question. It was a good eyebrow. Framed his eyes to perfection.

“Lala got ahold of the cocktail menu this morning and made short work of it.”

“Ah,” he said with understanding.

“She went back to our room for a nap. That’s why I was out on the rocks—I wanted to see what was on the other side of them.”

“So, you have your best friend to blame for nearly drowning,” he pondered. “But you also have her to blame for meeting me.”

“You know,” she said pensively, “I might have to send her a fruit basket.”

“Or maybe you should send one to the bartender,” he teased back.

They exchanged flirty smiles.

“Are they keeping you here for a while?” Jack asked.

“Dr. Vargas said he was going to call Costa Morpho to try and get ahold of Lala. But I have a feeling she’s gone full Sleeping Beauty ’til at least this evening.”

“What did she drink?” He sounded interested.

“All of the drinks.”

“All of the drinks?”

“Yes,” Chloe snorted. “One entire side of the menu.”

“Is she not coping well with the nudity or something?” There was a teasing tone to his voice.

Chloe giggled.

“No, she usually has at least one day when we’re away that she goes full-out.”

“Ah, well, good that she’s getting it out of her system early,” he said reasonably.

“What about you?” Chloe asked. She was more than curious about Jack, her knight in patterned board shorts.

“I’m here for another six days. I came down here with my friend Daniel. He just went through a messy divorce and needed some time away to reset.”

“Where do you live?” she asked. She hadn’t pegged him for an American, but she could be wrong.

“Canada. Toronto,” he added.

“Me, too!” she said enthusiastically.

“What are the odds?” He grinned, following it up by asking which part of the city she lived in.

“I’m in the financial district. My office is downtown. I work for Strut . I don’t know if you’ve heard of it?”

Jack looked surprised. “Magazine? I have. Surprisingly. I’m not up on my fashion but I know that’s a popular fashion magazine. Good for you.”

Chloe felt strangely happy. Who would have thought that being hooked up to an IV in a doctor’s office after nearly drowning could be such an enjoyable experience?

Jack opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Chloe said loudly.

Dr. Vargas stepped into view.

“Ms. Ryder, we contacted your resort, but they were unable to get ahold of your friend.”

Chloe exchanged a humourous glance with Jack.

“I thought that might be the case,” she replied.

“We’ve arranged to have one of our vans transport you next door whenever you’re feeling up to it. Please take your time, we’re in no rush. Your health is the most important thing.”

“Thank you.” Chloe was grateful. “I think I should be okay to go back now. I’m just really tired.”

Dr. Vargas had removed her IV and given her a bottle of Tylenol 3s with instructions on how to manage her pain. Jack, bless his heart, offered to accompany her. She protested at first, not wanting to impose on him or interrupt his vacation with his friend, but he insisted.

Her first steps off the examination table were a little wobbly and Jack offered up his arm to steady her.

“Thanks,” she said shyly. She grabbed ahold of him, and they slowly headed for the lobby.

Chloe was feeling better than when she had first come to, but she still wasn’t back to normal.

Jack had noticed she wasn’t wearing any shoes and had her sit and wait in the lobby for two minutes.

A little while later he had returned holding a brand-new pair of hot-pink Havaianas flip-flops.

A smile broke out on Chloe’s face as he kneeled down and slid one of the flip-flops onto her left foot.

“Not quite a glass slipper, but the shoe fits . . .” He trailed off.

Chloe’s smile widened.

“Cinderella’s soggy sister—the one with flip-flops and PTSD,” she teased.

In the vehicle, Jack sat next to her and brushed her hair back from her face. Butterflies danced in her stomach. It was a pleasant feeling that was so unfamiliar, it almost felt foreign. Thinking back, the last time she had felt butterflies was when she had started dating Liam.

When they pulled up to Costa Morpho, which was less than a two-minute drive, a first aid attendant who was, mercifully, fully clothed was waiting. Chloe was gracious but waived off his concerns and accepted his contact card in case she needed anything.

“Thank you,” Chloe smiled. “I’ll call you if I need anything.”

Jack insisted on walking her back to her room and Chloe felt a twinge of nervousness mixed with another mass of butterflies. She wasn’t used to being vulnerable and letting someone take care of her.

“Remember,” she whispered to Jack as she leaned on his arm for support. “This is a nude resort. So, brace yourself.”

“Got it—poker face on,” he said in mock seriousness.

The lobby was mostly full of staff but there were a few people hanging around. There was a couple sitting at the lobby bar with only their backs visible to her and Jack.

“Does the bar supply the towels?” Jack whispered, clearly noticing the couple had draped a white towel over each of their seats.

Chloe stifled a giggle and nodded.

“They have some behind the bar if a guest forgets to bring one from their room.”

“Well, thank god for that,” Jack said with mock relief. “At least you know the seats are clean. The things you need to know when it comes to visiting a nude resort . . .,” he trailed off.

“Oh, it’s definitely been an educational experience,” she grinned.

As they made their way past the restaurants and out of the lobby, Chloe steered them towards the pool.

“Get ready,” Chloe whispered. “We’re taking a shortcut.”

Jack walked in stunned silence as they approached the outer perimeter of the pool.

Latin dance music emanated from the speakers as they walked past the other guests who were sunbathing, swimming, and saddled up to the bar.

There was a raucous game of water volleyball going on and she noticed Jack’s eyes grow bigger when he saw it.

“Is it strange I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes above their necks?” Jack said in low tones. “It’s the strangest thing. I don’t normally pay attention to what people are wearing, but there’s something about everyone being naked that’s making it hard for me not to look.”

Chloe shook with laughter.

“I had the same problem. Once you get used to it, you stop noticing. It’s actually kind of surprising how quickly you forget about it. At first I thought I was going to have to wear sunglasses for my entire stay.”

“Ola!” Juan, the bartender who had served Lala one entire half of the menu that morning, waved to Chloe when he saw her approaching the pool bar.

“Ola.” Chloe waved back.

“Can I get you a drink, senorita?” he asked.

“No, gracias,” she said graciously. Maybe tomorrow if she was feeling up to it. Although she had a feeling that tomorrow she would be in a world of pain.

Past the pool they came to a pathway lined with palm trees and foliage that led to the guest rooms. The resort did have a couple of towers above the lobby that contained standard guest rooms, but there were also individual stand-alone suites situated in a lush area beyond the pool.

Chloe and Lala were in one of the most opulent suites the resort had to offer—a perk the general manager had probably provided in hopes of impressing her.

Golf carts were used for transportation to get around the grounds.

She and Jack could have taken one, but she opted not to as walking gave them more time to spend together.

There was also something about being in a golf cart next to naked people who jiggled with every bump, turn, and acceleration that she thought might make her feel worse than she already did.

She had a feeling that Jello was going to give her serious Costa Morpho flashbacks the next time she encountered it.

“This is a nice resort,” Jack remarked as they walked down a set of steps flanked by tall, swaying palm trees.

“It is,” Chloe agreed.

“Is your near-death experience going to sour any part of your review?” he asked with curiosity.

“No—I could hardly let something I stupidly got myself into affect my stay. That wouldn’t be fair to the readers. Although I’m not sure if or how I will work my misadventure into the article.”

They approached one of the largest bungalows—a wooden structure with one wall of sliding glass doors, a cement patio with a lounge set, and landscaped greenery surrounding the space.

“The curtains are closed.” Chloe glanced at the sliding glass doors. “I don’t know if that means Lala is still sleeping.”

She reached into her back pocket, and it dawned on her that she didn’t have her room key. Another thing, in addition to her phone, flip-flops, and her dignity, that the ocean had stolen.

“I don’t have my key.” She turned to Jack. “Hopefully Lala is inside. I’m exhausted. I don’t know if I have the energy to walk all the way back to the lobby.”

She rapped heavily on the thick wooden door and waited.

There was no response.

Chloe groaned. Mentally, she had been holding up pretty well, given everything she had been through. But the prospect of having to trek all the way back to the lobby in her injured and exhausted state left her feeling mildly upset.

She rapped again and waited.

“I can go get you another key?” Jack offered.

Chloe looked at him gratefully.

“Wait here and I’ll sort it out.”

“Thank you.” She sank down onto the linen couch and closed her eyes.

Tens of minutes later she awoke with a start to the sound of Jack’s voice.

“Hey,” he said softly.

She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep. Her ocean experience had taken more out of her than she had thought.

A manager, a security guard, and the first aid attendant accompanied Jack. Her identity was verified with a series of questions and, after she was given a quick once over by the medic, she was let into her room. The trio left with a “thank you,” and Chloe invited Jack inside.

It was quiet in the bungalow and the door to Lala’s room was closed.

“She must still be asleep,” Chloe said in a quiet voice.

“That’s okay,” Jack said. “What’s her phone number? I’ll send her a text asking her to call me and I can explain what happened when she wakes up.”

She gave Jack Lala’s number, and he sent her a quick text.

“I’m going to head back now. I know you’re tired and I don’t want to exhaust you any further. Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

Chloe nodded. “Yes. Thank you. For everything,” she said gratefully.

“I’ll email you to see if you’re up for company tomorrow?” One of his eyebrows was raised in question.

“I’d like that,” she smiled back.

He answered her with a grin. “Okay. Sweet dreams, Chloe.”

She walked him to the door and stretched her arms out for a hug. Jack’s arms went around her and he gave her a substantive but gentle squeeze and a quick peck on the cheek.

“Bye.” She grinned with pleasure as he turned and walked away.

She closed the door and turned the lock before letting out a big sigh.

What a day. And it wasn’t even over. Although for her she had a feeling it would be soon.

Sleep was coming for her and she couldn’t see herself waking up before tomorrow.

She contemplated running a hot bubble bath but the concerns about the scrapes on her body and drowning after falling asleep in the tub won out. She was sticky with salt water and her hair felt knotty, but that was nothing she couldn’t deal with tomorrow.

Stepping out of her clothes she pulled on a fluffy white bathrobe, closed her bedroom door, and fell into a deep sleep.