Dreaming of Paradise Read online

  She was older, but more than likely not wiser. She did know what she wanted now. That was something.

  Her early twenties were spent surfing, partying, and chasing women. She was still surfing, but it was almost all teaching. She did keep a few hours a week for hitting the waves for her own enjoyment, but that wasn’t the focus anymore. Her partying days were behind her, too. She went out with Kyle for a few drinks, but she rarely got drunk, and she never went home with anyone.

  “Hayley? You okay? I’m sorry if I crossed a line,” Kyle said, his hand on her forearm, bringing her back to the moment as the bar erupted in a cheer when a nineties classic came on, and everyone started singing. Talking would be impossible for the next three and a half minutes, and that suited Hayley.

  Hayley smiled as Kyle put his hands over his head, dancing on his stool. He looked like a college jock with his muscular arms and scruffy hair, but when he started drinking, he loosened up. He got more playful, happy to sing along or dance.

  Hayley had gotten used to being mistaken for his girlfriend. Their chemistry as friends probably didn’t help, but they were both quick to correct anyone who made that assumption. Kyle was her best friend, her drinking buddy, and her wingman.

  Kyle tilted his head towards a handsome man who just passed their table. Hayley nodded, knowing he was silently telling her that he was going to go chat him up or buy him a drink. She should probably take notes and find someone to introduce herself to, but she was happy people watching. In the half hour since they arrived, the bar had gotten even more crowded.

  Hayley was tempted to go outside and talk to Nina for a few minutes while Kyle was gone, but she wasn’t so sure. Jenna was probably still sitting with her, and Hayley wasn’t confident enough to go out there.

  Nina’s friend was beautiful. Hayley wasn’t going to admit that to Kyle, because she just knew that he would figure out how to get them together before the night was over.

  Wait, didn’t Nina say she would be around for the next three months?

  Hayley finished her drink. Jenna was staying at Nina’s apartment for the next three months, so there would be plenty of opportunities to talk to her. Not tonight though.

  She’d catch Nina on her own at some point and wish her good luck. Hayley tried not to envy her. She’d love to spend a few weeks traveling, but that would blow the few thousand she had saved for her surf school.

  The noise levels returned to normal as the song cross-faded into another, and Hayley surveyed the room, finding Kyle at the bar, laughing with the guy he had his eye on.

  I really need to be more like him. He’s never been afraid to put himself out there.

  “Hey.”

  Hayley’s eyes focused on the woman standing in front of her. Jenna’s auburn hair fell a few inches below her shoulders, and Hayley took in the details she’d missed earlier, a gold cuff bracelet on her wrist and her hazel-green eyes, rich in all the colors of a lush forest. The sleeves of her black blazer were rolled up to her elbows, and the scoop neck white top she wore underneath revealed a defined collarbone.

  A smile tugged at Hayley’s lips. “Hi.” She knew she should say something else, invite her to join her at the very least, but she ended up staring at her instead, mesmerized almost.

  “I was on my way to the bar to get another drink. Can I get you something?” Hayley hesitated for a second, and Jenna continued. “Another bottle?”

  “Sure,” Hayley said, finally.

  “Oh, by the way, Nina’s getting ready to go. She wants to triple check she has everything for tomorrow.” Jenna smiled as she spoke, and Hayley couldn’t miss the dig.

  How far back did Nina and Jenna go? Despite the hours Hayley had spent here, she hardly knew Nina. Had they ever dated?

  “I’ll go out and say goodbye,” Hayley said as she pushed herself off the stool. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll meet you out there.”

  Hayley thought about what Kyle had said as she weaved her way through the crowd. It was too good to be true, really. She was finally thinking about putting herself out there, and this stunning woman just appears? No. Stuff like that didn’t happen to Hayley.

  “Hey,” Hayley said as Nina was finishing her drink. The night air was humid but easily a few degrees cooler than it was inside by the bar. “You heading off?”

  Nina gave her a lopsided smile as she stood up. “Yeah. I know it’s only for three months, but I’m going to miss this place.”

  Hayley hugged her. “It’ll be fine. You’ve got a great team here and loyal customers. We’ll all still be here when you get back.”

  “I know. Thanks.”

  “So,” Hayley started, glancing behind her to make sure Jenna wasn’t on her way out. “What’s the story with Jenna?”

  Nina cocked an eyebrow. “Why don’t you find out for yourself? She just got here, and the only person she knows is leaving tomorrow. She’s also on the hunt for a new hobby, and I might have suggested surfing.”

  “Oh,” Hayley said, her cheeks heating up. An image of Jenna in a bikini flashed across her eyes. Hayley swallowed and shoved that picture out of her mind. Now, it definitely wasn’t a good idea. She wasn’t going to ruin her up-and-coming reputation as one of the best instructors in the area by getting involved with a client. “I’ll make sure I give her my card then.”

  “Do. She might need some convincing, but so did I at the beginning.”

  Hayley laughed. “You told me you were going to quit in the middle of the first five lessons.”

  “Yeah, and then it just clicked.”

  “And now you’re one of my best students. You should get some surfing in while you’re away.” The scent of Jenna’s perfume made Hayley lose her train of thought.

  Jenna handed Hayley a bottle of beer and left her own cocktail down on the table.

  “Thank you,” Hayley said as she took a much-needed drink.

  Jenna wrapped Nina up in a long hug. “You’ll be safe, right?” Jenna asked, and Nina chuckled.

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “You know what I mean. Just don’t do anything stupid,” Jenna said as she took a seat and brought her brightly colored cocktail to her lips, the oranges and pinks reminding Hayley of the sunset earlier.

  “And on that note,” Nina said, giving them both a wave. “I’m going to go home and make sure I’m ready for tomorrow.”

  “Good luck,” Hayley said as Nina strolled down the boardwalk, and she turned to meet Jenna’s eyes. She should join her right? It would be weird not to.

  “So,” Jenna said, looking up at her. “I hear you give surfing lessons.”

  3

  Jenna wheeled her suitcase into Nina’s apartment, leaving it inside the door for the time being. She’d have plenty of time to get organized, not that she had much to unpack. Her everyday wardrobe consisted of business suits, pencil skirts, and high heels, none of which were needed for a three-month stay at the Jersey Shore when she wasn’t supposed to be working.

  She’d boxed up almost every item of clothing she owned and put it into storage. She’d have to go shopping, because the two pairs of jeans she had, and one pair of shorts weren’t going to last her long.

  She closed the door behind her, wondering if Nina really lived here. It was all so white and clean, bare almost. When had Nina turned into a minimalist? No wonder she didn’t seem too concerned about fitting everything she was bringing with her into one backpack.

  Jenna left the living room to see if the rest of the two-bedroom apartment was decorated in the same sparse way. The kitchen was spotless, and every cream-colored cabinet that Jenna opened was neatly organized. Jenna wasn’t messy by any means, but this was still a bit of a shock. She never would have imagined Nina’s place to be like this.

  The two bedrooms were identical, both beds covered with a white comforter, a black nightstand on either side with matching lamps.

  This was going to be home for the next three months, and for the first time in the week since her doctor had sig
ned off on her leave, she felt truly lost. Jenna kept her calendar full, and in her line of work, that was easy. There was always more to do, more clients to land, more settlements to make.

  Now, her calendar was wide open. Maybe some people would love having this much time off, but Jenna didn’t know how she was going to cope. This was supposed to be for her health. Not working was supposed to lower her blood pressure. Getting away from Manhattan and her office was supposed to stop the panic attacks, but a wave of dread swept through her like the ominous music in a horror movie, warning her of an impending disaster.

  Jenna took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. The last time she was like this, where she felt truly lost, was when Rebecca ended their relationship.

  Her solution had been work. Staying busy had gotten her through those awkward months of being alone after spending the last ten years with Rebecca. But that was three years ago, and according to her therapist, she’d used work as a coping mechanism. She’d always had a good work ethic, but after their breakup, work was all she knew.

  Life never really returned to normal after that, because she’d almost forgotten what normal was like. She wasn’t in love with Rebecca. She knew what they had was over before Rebecca had officially ended it, and all of that seemed like a lifetime ago now, but somehow, Jenna had lost herself along the way. Work had become her life, and there hadn’t been room for anything else.

  Where did that leave her exactly? Jenna sighed as she sat up straight, pushing her shoulders back, taking slow, deep breaths.

  This will pass.

  Nina was right. She really needed a new hobby, ideally, something relaxing. She already had meditation on her very short list of things to do for the next three months. Reading and checking out some of those cult like TV shows everyone was always talking about were also on that list. She never had time before, but now that time was in abundance, what else was she going to do?

  Surfing.

  Jenna shook her head as she stood up. That was Nina’s only realistic suggestion, and it wasn’t even that realistic. She wasn’t going to be a bartender. That was Nina’s other idea, and she immediately dismissed it. But Jenna definitely wasn’t going to take on something like surfing. The learning curve was too steep.

  Jenna padded into the kitchen and took stock of the fridge. Half a dozen bottles of water, some milk, and a head of lettuce. She needed to go shopping. She grabbed a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and took a long drink.

  She was in decent shape for her age, but she didn’t think she’d have the core strength for surfing. Maybe she should take up running or find a gym to go to instead. She would still be doing something active. It just wouldn’t be as intimidating.

  She didn’t even know which was more intimidating: surfing or Hayley. They’d had a nice chat last night, over just one drink, and then Hayley said she was calling it a night, but she had left Jenna with her business card. Jenna thought more than once that Hayley might have been flirting with her last night, but she was probably just trying to land a client.

  Jenna knew what that looked like. A few well-placed compliments, being attentive, and a warm smile usually did the trick. Hayley had done all of those things, and now Jenna was actually wondering if surfing could be a potential option. Nina couldn’t say enough nice things about her, and Jenna was without a doubt in better shape than Nina was. Maybe she could do this.

  This was only her first day. She needed to calm down a bit. There was plenty of time to figure out what to do with herself, and she didn’t want to get involved in ten different hobbies. She wanted to pick one thing and stick to it. After three months, she expected to return to New York proficient in something. Whether that was running or surfing or something else, she didn’t know.

  Jenna left the kitchen and brought her handbag over to the couch, taking out the card that Hayley had given her. She turned the glossy black business card over in her hands. It was surprisingly professional, but Hayley had mentioned something about wanting to start up her own school. At least, she understood the importance of marketing.

  Jenna placed it in the middle of the coffee table. She’d put some serious thought into it over the next few days, but for right now, she wanted to get settled in. She’d do a basic grocery shop now, and maybe, venture out to buy some new clothes later on.

  Her phone buzzed from the pocket of her jeans and she slid it out, swiping her finger across the screen.

  Hey sexy x

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed, tapping on the notification. “Ugh. Nina.” Jenna had lost track of the drinks she’d had with Nina, enjoying their reunion, but at some point, during the night, Jenna had agreed to let Nina install some dating app on her phone. She must have set up a profile for her and everything because how else was she getting these messages.

  Jenna opened the profile of the woman who had sent her that message. She lived about an hour away, further down the shore. She was a twenty-six-year-old hairdresser who apparently loved to travel and take selfies. Jenna deleted the message and within seconds another one popped up.

  She couldn’t deal with this right now. She closed the app. She was not that desperate. She’d leave the profile up for now because, at least the picture Nina had used was an older one, and Jenna’s eyes were shielded by a pair of sunglasses. She wasn’t exactly recognizable, not that she thought anyone from work would be frequenting this lesbian dating app, but still. She liked her reputation as a single, successful divorce attorney who didn’t need another person to make her happy.

  4

  Hayley didn’t like the idea of going out two nights in a row, but she’d promised Nina that she would keep an eye on things. The staff there were great, but Hayley wanted to be able to tell Nina that everything was fine. She knew that Nina would be emailing her, keeping her updated on her travels, and she’d inevitably ask how her bar was doing. So, instead of going out just once a week, here she was at Nina’s again, and Kyle mentioned getting a few drinks later on this week too.

  Hayley adjusted her budget, accordingly, cutting back on eating out so that she could buy a few extra drinks. She hated that she had to count up every dollar she earned, but that was the only way she was going to get her own surf school. She’d always worked hard, but if she wasn’t intentional about her money, she’d never keep enough to pay for her business. She had to keep saving, as awkward as it was sometimes.

  Kyle was always encouraging her to live a little, to go out on more dates, but Hayley knew both of those things were expensive. She preferred going out with him once a week to be sociable. She always put aside enough money for that, but these extra nights out were putting a strain on her budget.

  She could hear the crowd before she even got there, the beat of the music drawing her in as she got closer. Kyle had texted her a few minutes ago, letting her know that he was running late. She’d have to entertain herself until he got here. She couldn’t complain though. She knew why he was late.

  He’d gone to meet their landlord after work. They were supposed to be signing their new lease, but it never showed up in the mail, so Kyle wanted to go see him in person and get a copy of it. It was hard to believe they’d been there a year already, but time flew by when you worked long days like Hayley did. She had her surf lessons most days and squeezed in a few hours at a local coffee shop three days a week. Now that the money was piling up, she was more motivated than ever to keep going.

  “Hey.”

  Hayley nearly walked right past Jenna on her way into the bar. Jenna was at the same table as last night; except she was on her own now with Nina probably settled in London by now.

  “Hi,” Hayley said, pausing in front of the table. “You’re taking this pretty seriously,” she said with a half-smile, her nerves getting the better of her. Why couldn’t she think of something more intelligent to say?

  “Looking after this place while Nina’s gone?” Jenna asked with a laugh. “It’s not difficult. Especially with cocktails like this,”
she said as she brought her drink to her lips.

  “Can I get you one? I’m on my way to the bar. Kyle’s supposed to be meeting me here, but he’s running late.” Why did she have to ramble when she was nervous?

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Same as yesterday? Caribbean Rum Punch?”

  Jenna nodded. “That’s me. Thanks.”

  “Alright. I’ll be back in a minute.” Hayley’s hand slid into her pocket as she made her way through the crowd, glancing down at the two ten-dollar bills in her pocket. Normally, she would never dream of ordering a cocktail, but if she was getting one for Jenna, she thought she could treat herself.

  Hayley caught Carlos’s attention, knowing he was the bartender you wanted making your cocktails. “Two Caribbean Rum Punches, please,” she said over the music, resting her elbows on the bar so that he could hear her.

  Carlos gave her a nod and got to work while Hayley scanned the crowd. Nina really had nothing to worry about. She had this place running so smoothly that she didn’t even need to be here to oversee it. Hayley knew from the few weeks she worked here that Nina was a decent boss who cared about her employees. In the off season, Nina had offered her some work if she wanted it, and Hayley had gladly accepted.

  “Here you go,” Carlos said, sliding the two drinks across the bar. “On the house,” he said with a wave of his hand as Hayley unfolded the bills. “Nina gave me strict instructions to look after the regulars.”

  “Thank you,” Hayley said, hardly believing it as she weaved her way through the bar until she was outside, standing beside Jenna’s table overlooking the ocean. It was going to be another beautiful sunset tonight.

  Jenna put down her phone when Hayley returned, dropping it into her black handbag that was resting near her feet. She was dressed more casually tonight in a pair of white chino shorts and a navy top, her feet in dressy sandals.

  “Do you want to join me?” Jenna asked as Hayley placed her drink on the table.