CHAPTER TWO
“I can’t believe you did it.” Robyn’s voice was tinged with disbelief.
Erin bit her lip, wanting to shout that it was a stupid thing to do. Instead she shook her head and walked over to the villa’s wide bay window that faced the white sandy beach and the brilliant blue sea. The island was beautiful, a paradise on earth, but here she was in the middle of all this beauty and all she was feeling was miserable.
She’d almost drowned a man and had embarrassed herself in the process all in the name of fitting in. Somehow it didn’t seem like it had been worth it. And what a man she'd picked. He was obviously not like the fun-loving guys who had fallen prey to her friends’ pranks. This one obviously did not appreciate being jumped. She should have known that from his posture. He was no college kid, that was for sure. More like some big shot businessman. A really hot businessman.
Her mind rushed back to the feel of his muscled torso pressed against her br**sts and her breath quickened. Even now, just at the memory of it, a delicious shiver coursed through her body.
But the man was a jerk for dunking her like that. Attraction or no attraction, he was the kind of man to stay far away from. She just prayed that for the rest of her week on the island she would not run into him again.
“Come on, Erin. Get out of that funk. Let’s take a dip in the ocean.” Maria took her by the shoulders and began steering her toward the French doors. “The day is young. We’re bound to find some hunks lounging on the beach.”
That did it for Erin. She’d had enough of hunks for one day. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll just catch up on some reading.”
“On spring break?” Tisha huffed in disgust. “You never know when to quit, do you?”
Erin smiled ruefully, not wanting to dampen their high spirit. “Yeah, that’s me. Got to get my daily fix or I’ll have withdrawal symptoms. You guys go on and have fun. I’ll see you later.” And before they could object she turned and headed for her bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
That evening Erin woke to the sounds of the girls returning from what must have been an exhilarating day at the beach. They were even louder than usual, giggling and screaming as they burst into the villa. Could she survive another three days of this? She wished Robyn’s parents hadn't bought the airline ticket for her. She would have gladly remained behind at the college, locked away in the library, absorbed in a stack of books.
She sighed in relief when they didn’t bother to knock on her door but instead showered and dressed to go down to the garden for the buffet style dinner that was usually served there. She wasn’t hungry and worse, she didn’t want to take the chance of running into that man again.
Erin was deep into the history of medieval European art when the girls returned.
“Give it a break, Erin.” Robyn walked over to the sofa and grabbed the tome out of her hands. “You do know how to kill a party. Why do you have to study all the time?”
“I’m not studying. For me that’s fun reading.” Erin forced a smile, not wanting to dampen their mood. “So how was dinner?”
“Good food, like always.” Tisha kicked off her sandals and walked over to turn on the TV. Then she flopped down onto the couch across from Erin. “I ate so much fried fish and tacos I feel like I’m going to pop.”
“I’ve got the perfect way to work off all this food.” Robyn’s eyes sparkled.
Erin’s heart sank. What weird scheme was she cooking up now?
“There’s a new DJ coming to the resort nightclub. He’s from Japan and word is he’s really good. Keeps the dance floor hopping, is what I hear.”
“Does he play salsa?” Maria swayed her h*ps to imaginary music.
“He can play anything. All you have to do is request it.”
“So what time do we hit the dance floor?” Tisha looked more than interested. She was always one for a good dance party. She could dance all night and not break a sweat.
“What time can you be ready, Erin?” Robyn gave her a pointed look.
“Me? I didn’t say I was going.”
“You’ve been hiding out in your room all afternoon and you’ve been studying on spring break, only heaven knows why. I’m not leaving you in here to take the color of the walls.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine…”
“No, it’s not fine. My dad didn’t fly you down here so you can be a drag and spoil all the fun. We’re all supposed to be having fun together.”
Erin’s smile froze and she stared back at Robyn’s determined face. She hadn’t just thrown that in her face, had she? But one look at the girl’s unapologetic glare said that she had, and she was not taking it back.
So that was it. Because Robyn’s father had paid for her trip to Santa Marta Erin was beholden to her and was supposed to follow her every command. She was here to make sure Robyn had fun.
Obviously that was what the redhead thought or else she would not be staring back at her so smugly after making a comment like that.
Okay, now she knew where she stood and she could not wait for the week to pass. In the meanwhile she would play along with Robyn’s game, humor her if that was what she wanted, then when they got back to Vancouver she would go back to her life on the college campus, far away from Robyn and her demands.
By the time they were ready to leave at about nine o’clock that night Erin felt a little better. She might as well try to have some fun. After all, she might never have the opportunity to have an island vacation again. She’d spent a lot of time trying to look good. Her normally curly hair had been brushed straight and swept up in a chignon high on top of her head. The new look made her feel sophisticated, confident. She’d picked a black dress with a flared skirt that fell just above the knees and she was wearing her favorite high heeled sandals, the one with the rhinestones on the straps. She might not be the best dressed in the group but she could stand beside any of them.
As they walked along the cobbled pathway leading from their villa to the main building of the tropical resort Erin breathed in deeply, savoring the fruity smell of the flowers that lined the path. It was a balmy, tropical night. The gentle breeze from the ocean wafted over her skin and the sound of the rolling waves was soothing in her ears. Despite the problems, she'd been enjoying her stay on the island and didn’t want to think about leaving all this to go back to cold Vancouver just yet.