“Eat? Because I’m sure there aren’t laws against that, even in Tabiq,” he teased.
“Are you going to ask me each time we run into each other?” she inquired.
“You do want me to enjoy my stay here, don’t you?”
“Trust me, my company isn’t all that exciting.”
So you want me to believe.“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
“But I explained our policy,” she stated.
That was very easy to resolve. “Then have dinner with me off the resort.”
Her eyes widened, and she said, “Guests are strongly encouraged to stay on the premises.”
“This isn’t a prison.” Her comment, however, made him want to know more. “Unless there is a valid reason to tell me where I can and can’t go.”
Brooke looked serious for a moment and said, “It’s not something we talk about. But for your own safety, it is highly recommended you do not leave the resort, at least not alone.”
If it was dangerous, he wasn’t about to encourage her to accompany him. “Then if you don’t want me to wander off on my own, I suggest you have dinner with me tomorrow here on the resort.” She had walked right into that, and he was confident he was coming out the victor. I always do.
“I guess you have left me no choice. Dinner it is. How about I meet you at five? That way if you change your mind, you can still go out and enjoy the karaoke.”
“More likely a walk on the beach. I better let you get back to work, before you accuse me of trying to get you fired.”
“Is that your plan?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No ulterior motive here. Just dinner.”
She peered at him before saying, “Then I guess I’ll see you at five. Have a good night.”
Normally women hung all over him. She definitely wasn’t his type, a live-for-the-moment kind of girl. At least that is the feel he got in their few short encounters. He normally was spot on when it came to that sort of stuff. Yet here he was, chasing after the one who had shot him down twice. He might be bored, but boredom wasn’t what had him watching the sway of her hips as she walked away. He found several things about her very . . . enticing. But damn, there was no way she didn’t know he was checking her out. She could play hard to get all she wanted, but he saw right through that act. She was interested, but it wasn’t just her job holding her back. Maybe tomorrow he’d find out what it was.
Not that I should care. I’m not going to be here long anyway.
Brooke turned the corner and only then let out a long exhale. What was it with him? He was supposed to be here on vacation, yet he didn’t seem like he wanted to do anything . . . fun. She shouldn’t judge, but someone who looked like him and seemed so . . . confident, shouldn’t have an issue with going out and mingling with new people. Yet the only one he seemed interested in speaking to was her.
Who would come all the way to Tabiq just to talk to me? Hell, I wouldn’t even do that.She snickered to herself. If she had her way, she’d be doing everything the resort had to offer. Although she didn’t let it show, she was much more adventurous than any of her friends. They were all “responsible” as they always reminded her. At times the little digs irritated her, but for the most part, she felt bad for them. They all were back home doing and being what their parents expected of them. Brooke was far from being a follower. And her parents loved and accepted her for who she was. A free spirit who wasn’t afraid to take chances and try new experiences. The fact that she opted to spend a year working in a resort at a remote location said it all.
Maybe if she spent some time with Gareth, she’d rub off on him. Not to the point of singing karaoke, but doing something fun would be better than nothing. Once he was out there and talking to others, he’d quickly forget she was there, unless he needed to order food.
That really wasn’t very flattering, but it was the truth. Her gift of gab came in handy as a waitress. People were drawn to her to chat. That’s all this was with Gareth. One dinner with him and he’d relax. Although he joked with her, she could still tell he was uptight about something. He wasn’t the first man who’d come to New Hope and struggled. There were some who’d come to escape personal problems. That never worked. Problems followed you no matter where you went. Others were work-alcoholics and they were the worst. They felt guilty about having fun, so they chose not to.
Was that his issue? Was his job overwhelming and burning him out? Could he bring himself to stop thinking about business long enough to play a little? No. It couldn’t be that, because he was willing to take a break to have dinner with her. So if you scratch off personal problems and business, what was left?
Hell if I know. I’m not a psychologist.
No matter what brought Gareth there, New Hope was probably just what he needed. How was she going to get him to see that without getting herself fired? If she was smart, she’d just walk away and let Gareth do what he wanted. But for some crazy-ass reason, she couldn’t do that. She also couldn’t bring herself to approach the activity leaders and asked them do their job and coax him into things.
Brooke knew what she needed to do. She looked at her watch and hesitated to call so late, but not only did she need Janet’s approval, she needed to cover her ass. Looking around to confirm no one was in earshot, she dialed Janet’s number.
“Hello, Brooke. Is everything okay? Wait. That was a stupid question. Of course there’s a problem. You never call me after hours. Do you need me to return to the resort?” Janet asked quickly.
“Oh God, no. I wasn’t even sure if I should call you this late.”
“Brooke, it’s only ten. That’s not late. And besides, I know you wouldn’t call unless it was important. So why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”
“There’s this man. I don’t know what to do.”