“No, no, that’s good. I was afraid you were here with a husband or boyfriend.”
“Husband? No. With work and applying to vet schools, I haven’t even had time to go on a date in months,” I said. I hoped he didn’t think I sounded pathetic. He laughed and leaned back on his elbows, the tension gone from him again.
“I hear you on the too busy thing. Why do you think I came with my secretary? She's the only person I see on a daily basis I felt like I could ask,” he laughed and then scowled at the thought of his secretary. “I thought there would be more to her away from work, but she is so boring. She's almost too perfect if you know what I mean.”
I laughed and nodded. “I’m sorry she is ruining your vacation.”
“Well, suddenly I don’t feel like it is ruined.” He smiled and I doubted it was possible for him to be more handsome. “Especially now that we have another drink,” he said with a wink as the resort waiter appeared with a fresh piña colada. He thanked the waiter and handed him a couple of dollar bills. The waiter smiled and promised to bring more whenever we buzzed again. I waited for him to leave before turning to Jack.
“I didn’t know we were supposed to tip them. When they said ‘all expenses paid’ I thought that included tips,” I said, mortified. My face felt on fire with my blush. Jack laughed and handed me the drink.
“You don’t have to tip them. I did because I’m not a guest here and I would like him to keep bringing us drinks,” he said with a tilt of his head.
“That’s good. For a minute there, I was thinking I was the worst guest ever. So, you wanted to be a doctor?” I asked, changing the subject and hoping my blush would fade.
“Yeah. I liked the idea of helping people and really making a difference in someone’s life. Like what you did for the guy on the beach. I would do that every day if I could,” he said.
“I just realized I never got his name. I hope he is alright,” I said playing with the edge of my towel. “So what stopped you from following your dream?”
“My parents. Specifically, my dad’s company,” he sighed. “I am their oldest child, so it was made pretty clear that I would someday take over the company. I don’t really have the option not to at this point.”
“That’s too bad. Maybe you could find a way to combine it? I don’t know what your dad’s company does, but maybe there is a way to help people with it. Or, you could always volunteer or donate to something that does,” I sipped the drink before handing it back to Jack.
“No one has ever made it sound so easy. You are the first person to actually make me believe I could do something like that,” he said softly. He smiled, his eyes lighting up. They were a combination of green and brown, a hazel that couldn’t decide what color it wanted to be. A girl could lose herself in those eyes.
“Anytime,” I said with a smile. He handed me the cold glass and I sipped on the sweet liquid. “You said you were the oldest? How many siblings do you have?”
“Just one. A younger brother.”
“Are you close?” I took another sip before setting the drink carefully in the sand.
“Not really. He's almost seven years younger than me, and the expectations my parents have for him are very different than the ones they have for me.” Jack shifted in the sand, a sadness in the subtle motion.
“They don't expect much of him, but they expect everything of you.”
Jack looked at me surprised. “That's it exactly! How did you figure that out?”
“Easy. That's how it is in my world too. Only, I'm the younger sibling.” I shrugged and Jack nodded.
“What does your sister do that makes them not expect much of you?” Jack asked.
“She works in the ER as a physician assistant. My dad is a dentist and I think he kind of assumed that his kids would both go into some sort of medicine. I'm not exactly following that trend.”
“You're going into animal medicine, doesn't that count?” He leaned back on his elbows, the shirt barely disguising a perfect six pack. I looked out to the ocean so I wouldn't stare.
“Apparently not enough. It's not a big deal though.” I suddenly realized that this was a more serious topic than I had intended and I quickly added, "I didn't mean to put my problems on you. I just meant to say that I understand the family dynamic.”
“You're fine. It is actually nice to hear it from the other side. My brother and I don't get the chance to talk much. I've always felt a little guilty about it. I think he has a hard time with it sometimes. More drink?” He held up the nearly empty glass and I nodded, clicking the little button for another.
It felt so peaceful sitting on the beach with Jack. It was like we had known each other forever, like we had always been friends. He had an easygoing charm that made it easy to talk to him, and his laugh made my insides melt. We passed the drink back and forth, ordered another, and then another, talking and laughing.
We talked about everything and nothing at the same time. Our conversation drifted easily from topic to topic, from the weather to our childhoods to what we wanted from the future. It was like catching up with an old friend who really did want to know how life was going. I learned that Jack came from a wealthy family and he was expected to take over his father’s company in the next year. It sounded like this was going to be his last vacation for a long while. He was very careful never to say what his company was, and I didn’t pry. He grew up with privilege and was fascinated by my stories of growing up “normal.”
“I can’t imagine your life,” he said lying back on the sand. He closed his eyes and obviously tried to imagine it. “Used cars, paying rent, ramen noodles, no one hounding you for money all the time... it sounds great.”
“No, we get hounded for money all the time, but we actually owe people the money, and don’t have it,” I said. He laughed and opened his eyes to look at me as I spoke. “I can’t imagine your life — no worries about what bill to pay first, expensive clothes, vacations like this,” I gestured to the beach. “Want to switch for a little while?”
Jack rolled onto his side, propped his head on his elbow, and smiled at me. The sun was beginning to set, and the soft reds and golds highlighted his features and glinted off his hair. I felt my breath go short. I had never met a man with a smile like that; I would have followed him around like a puppy for that smile. I felt my cheeks go red and I dropped my eyes, pretending the sand was fascinating.