No More Wasted Time Read online

  Tess threw on a little blue dress and strolled down to breakfast poolside, enjoying delicious fruit and a cup of strong coffee. She wandered over to the activities desk, lounging on a luxurious white chaise, and waited for the woman behind the counter to finish checking in new guests. She inhaled deeply again, catching a whiff of the orchid leis the couple wore around their necks.

  Tess could only see the back of the couple from where she sat. The man had a fit athletic build and dark, brown hair peppered with gray. The woman dressed in heels and a red, backless dress, accentuating her pale skin. Though sunglasses covered much of her face, she was very attractive with long, blonde hair falling to her waist.

  He spoke to the Tahitian woman in a deep friendly voice that sounded familiar. Tess studied the man, listening harder to see if she knew him. He casually stood at the counter in flip-flops, dark jeans and a white dress shirt. If he’d turn to the side a little, I can get a better look. He turned away and Tess shrugged. No, I don’t think I know him.

  The woman draped her arm around him, tilting her head to the side so the large woven black hat she wore wouldn’t brush against his face. Tess listened as she asked, “Can you tell me where the nearest shopping district is? I didn’t see any big buildings as we flew over.”

  “Shopping district?”

  “You know. A mall or shops, places like Gucci, Bebe…”

  “We have a lovely boutique here at the resort and there are several shops and local craftsmen at the outdoor market on the main island.”

  “Are you serious?” the blonde whined. “Tommy, you said you’d take me shopping. Now what am I going to do while we’re here? I didn’t bring anything nice to wear because I was going to buy a new dress.”

  If Tess hadn’t seen the woman’s arms around the man, she’d sworn the girl was his daughter. A very spoiled daughter.

  “Mariah, I told you I’m coming here to relax, not to go shopping. I need some down time. There’s a beautiful pool you can sunbathe next to. I want to try some snorkeling and go hiking, too. I’m sure you have something to wear in the suitcases you brought.” Irritation sat heavily in his voice.

  “Hiking! I thought you were teasing when you said that. I can’t sunbathe too much. I have a shoot in two weeks. Besides, how many days can you look at fish underwater?” She pouted, running her fingers through his hair.

  He subtlety shrugged her off.

  The clerk offered them a Mai Tai, stating their luggage would be taken to their room momentarily.

  Tess' mouth gaped open with the look of “unbelievable” written all over her face when the man turned from the counter. She recognized him immediately.

  Tom Clemmins, famous actor and Hollywood hottie was staying in her resort.

  His lips pulled to one side, grinning at Tess. She timidly smiled back. Her face turning redder by the second, Tess was embarrassed for eavesdropping on their conversation. She stood, moving toward the counter. As he passed by, their shoulders almost brushed and his dark eyes locked on hers, making it impossible for Tess to look away.

  “What can I do for you, Mrs. Mathews?” the desk clerk asked.

  “What? Hmm? Holy crap it’s hot.” Tess muttered, wiping the trickle of sweat from the nape of her neck.

  “Would you like a wet cloth or a cold drink?”

  “No. No, thank you. I need to book a private shark tour with Mr. Rene.”

  “He has an opening tomorrow morning if you’d like a half day tour. If you’d prefer a full day, it will be several days before he has anything available.”

  “Tomorrow morning is perfect.”

  Tess smiled to herself, listening to the couple on the chaise behind her. That poor girl isn’t going to win this argument. There aren’t many shops on the island. Especially not the names she’s dropping. Tahitian people were very humble and the most elaborate things here besides the resorts, were their pearls. Tess almost laughed aloud at the thought of the young woman meandering through a pearl farm in the outfit she had on.

  “How many people will be joining you tomorrow, Mrs. Mathews?”

  Tess' smile faded from her lips, “Just me.” She shuddered, sensing someone was staring at her from behind.

  “You’re all set. Private tour for one. Mr. Rene will be waiting for you on the dock at 7:45am. You should eat breakfast prior to leaving and Mr. Rene will prepare lunch on a beautiful private motu. Can I be of any further assistance?”

  “No, Maruruu.” She smiled appreciatively.

  As she turned to leave, Tom Clemmins and his girlfriend were finishing their drinks. Tess knew she wasn’t his wife because it was well publicized he dated a lot and had never married. She wondered if they were staying on the same pier as she was, or if maybe they had a villa. He flashed a grin at Tess as she passed by and his girlfriend still pouted her beautiful lips.

  Holy crap he’s good looking. Tess placed her clammy fingers to her neck, feeling the blood pulse through her veins. “What the heck is wrong with me?” she muttered under her breath. Running into movie stars and professional athletes wasn’t uncommon in Bora Bora or even in Las Vegas. Tess had never been awestruck by movie stars or famous people. She never understood people’s fascination with fame and fortune. After all, neither made them a nice person. I must be tense about tomorrow.

  Returning to her bungalow, she put on her bikini bottoms, grabbed a book her daughters had packed in her suitcase and strolled out onto her deck to sunbathe.

  Her mind kept wandering to magical moments with Richard, so she tossed the book to the side. Yearning for the lost comfort of his arms, Tess slipped into the lagoon, immersing herself into the warmth of his favorite underwater paradise.

  As the sun dipped lower in the sky, she lugged herself up the steps and into the shower. The hot water caressed her skin, washing away the saltwater. The exotic sensual atmosphere made her body ache for the tender touch of his strong hands against her skin. She wrapped her arms across her chest, holding herself for comfort as she cried.

  Mentally exhausted, she ordered dinner in again. As Tess lay on a chaise star gazing, she found herself thinking of another star, Tom Clemmins. How could anyone come to a place like this and want the main attraction to be shopping? How could that woman not just want to take him to bed? Her thoughts stirred with curiosity as she drifted off to sleep.

  Tess hadn’t slept well. Her thoughts weighed heavy with the difficult task lying in front of her. She’d wallowed in grief for over a year, but today she needed to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Today was the day she would say goodbye to Richard.

  It sounded silly, but sometimes Tess felt Richard watching over her, and today she wanted to look good for him. She wore a black bikini, her favorite cut-off jean shorts, white tank top, waterproof mascara and lip-gloss.

  Richards’s ashes rested in a wooden box with a hand-carved manta ray on the lid. She took a deep breath, and picked up the box, tracing her fingertips over the carving. Holding back the tears that pricked her eyes, Tess packed the box into her snorkel gear bag and walked out the door.

  After grabbing breakfast, she headed for the dock. Tess arrived early, so she relaxed on a bench waiting for the boat. At 7:40, she could hear Mr. Rene coming as he sang a Tahitian song while strumming a little guitar. Palm fronds and beautiful pink flowers wrapped around the poles holding up the shade tarp. He serenaded her as he pulled up to the dock.

  “Ia Orana,” he said joyfully. “It’s a beautiful day.”

  She stepped onto his boat with a huge grin. Tess couldn’t help but love Mr. Rene with his immense white smile, jet-black hair and dark russet skin covered with tribal tattoos. “Ia Orana Mr. Rene, it’s wonderful to see you again.”

  “Yes, yes, welcome,” he said reaching for her gear. As Tess lifted her sunglasses he said, “Mrs. Blue Eyes…is that you? It is you! You look beautiful this morning. I have not seen you in such a long time.” Mr. Rene wrapped his brawny arms around her, giving her a big Tahitian welcome.

  “It
has been too long.” Tess agreed, smiling at the nickname he’d given her years ago. Mr. Rene had always been infatuated with her striking azure blue eyes, teasing that if he were not a married man he would steal her away from Richard and make her his woman.

  “Mrs. Blue Eyes, are you catching the other ferry to the main island?” He asked in confusion, glancing at the gear she loaded on his boat.

  “No I’m on tour with you this morning. Sharks!”

  “I don’t think so, Mrs. Blue Eyes. I have a tour with someone else today. Let me check my papers,” he muttered, reaching behind the steering wheel. “I have a different name on my ticket. You’re not here under a different name, are you? Where is the Mr. Blue Eyes?”

  “No, my name is the same.” She knew he was politely asking if she’d gotten a divorce. “I’m by myself this trip.”

  Completely baffled, he cocked his head to the side with a frown.

  “I lost my husband last year.”

  Mr. Rene gasped. “Oh no! I’m sorry for you. Oh! I am so sorry.” Compassion filled his voice as he pulled her into his chest, patting her on the back.

  Her voice climbed an octane higher, hoping there wasn’t a problem. “Whose name is on the ticket?”

  Releasing her from his brawny arms, he thumbed through his paperwork. “Let me see… a Mr. Clemmins.”

  “What? You’ve got to be kidding me! That woman didn’t even want to get in the water,” she sneered. “Mr. Rene, there must be a mistake. I booked this tour before Mr. Clemmins checked into the resort.”

  This cannot be happening.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Blue Eyes. I didn’t realize it was you who had booked the tour this morning.”

  Her hands trembled. “What do you mean, you didn’t realize it was me?”

  “You know, I don’t make much money for my family. My oldest son goes to college now in France. The man offered more than double my normal rate. How could I refuse?”

  Tess growled. “You gave him my tour? He out-bid me!” Starting to pace, she whipped around to see Tom Clemmins moseying down the dock wearing a haughty smile.

  “Mr. Rene, this is important to me. I’m trying to say goodbye to my husband. You don’t understand.”

  “Good morning.” Tom said cheerfully, stepping onto the boat.

  “Maybe for you.” Tess shot back.

  Tom flinched, exhaling out a small laugh over her reaction, bringing Tess’ irritation from a simmer to a full-blown boil.

  Mr. Rene gripped Tom Clemmins hand. “Ia Orana. Welcome. I am Mr. Rene. You must be Mr. Clemmins? Do you have any gear? Or if not Mr. Rene has all of the gear you will need. Mask, flippers, I have every size.”

  “Perfect. The woman at the front desk said you’d have everything. I have my trunks and sun screen, so yep, I’m ready.”

  “Mr. Rene!” Tess threw her hands in the air, clearly gesturing, What the hell?

  Tom Clemmins stared at Tess in disbelief. “Is something wrong? Is there a problem with the boat?” he asked.

  “No, no problem with my boat, it runs-” Mr. Rene insisted.

  “Yes, something is wrong. I booked this boat yesterday for a private tour. Do you remember seeing me at check-in?” She attempted to make an effort to sound civil, but in reality, snarled at him.

  Tom Clemmins lowered his sunglasses, exposing his dark brown eyes. “The blue dress, right?”

  Tess’ mouth dropped open at his admission. “You booked this tour after me. Or more like you stole it out from underneath me!” She fumed with a blistering glare.

  His lips curled back into a grin. “Well, I can guarantee you that I didn’t steal your tour. They must have double booked our reservation.”

  “Double booking? You mean double payment?” Growing more annoyed by the second, Tess’ eyes narrowed, uninterested in his smooth talk and brilliant white smile. Standing her ground, she placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “Look, I’m sure you’re used to getting your way, but not today. I am not getting off this boat. I need this tour.”

  “I didn’t ask you to get off the boat. I’m sure we can work something out. It’s only the two of us and there seems to be plenty of room. I don’t mind if we go together. And for the record, I don’t always get my way.”

  “There’s plenty of room, of course, of course,” Mr. Rene agreed.

  “I really need a private tour, Mr. Rene. If I don’t go today then it’ll be another week. I can’t wait!” She pleaded with her eyes.

  Mr. Rene would never hurt her feelings intentionally and had no previous knowledge of her plans. How could she blame him? He could probably use the extra money, but she needed to say goodbye right now. Tess didn’t want to wait another moment, fearing she might change her mind about letting Richard go. Tess had planned this moment perfectly and Mr. Fucking Hollywood was ruining it for her.

  Realizing she wasn’t going to get her way, Tess shuddered, fighting back tears of anger and disappointment. “You said the two of us. Are you coming alone?” No way in hell could she be stuck on a boat for five hours with his girlfriend. The whining would push her over the edge.

  “Yes, I’m by myself,” Tom replied.

  She glared at him with as much bitterness as she could muster. “What did you have to do? Send her to the main island so she could go shopping?”

  Mr. Rene stepped in, placing his hand on her rigid shoulder. “Look, Mrs. Blue Eyes, it’s just the two of you. You’re almost by yourself. You love this tour. It’s your favorite. I’ll take you to a lovely motu for lunch.”

  “Fine.” Tess conceded. She’d never been so disappointed in her life.

  Mr. Rene sighed in relief. “See, I knew this would work. Is everyone ready? Okay then, let’s go.”

  As they pulled away from the dock, the serenade began again. Tess sulked in her own thoughts, incensed with Tom Clemmins for intruding on her snorkeling tour. Her dreams of a ‘perfect goodbye’ were wrecked.

  I can’t believe he out bid me. Unbelievable! At least he didn’t make me get off the boat.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Tess watched as Tom Clemmins sat blissfully at the back of the boat, soaking up the sunshine, taking in the amazing colors of the lagoon, while she was unraveling at the seams. She fidgeted in her seat. If she had any chance of getting through the day, she couldn’t be angry when saying goodbye to Richard. And she sure as hell didn’t want to sound like Tom Clemmins’ whiny date back at check-in.

  Grasping a hold of her frayed emotions, Tess glanced toward the young man steering the boat. “Who’s your new skipper?”

  “This is my youngest son, Riatia,” Mr. Rene said ruefully.

  She acknowledged with a nod.

  God. I think I just had a meltdown. The man probably paid double so he could have the day to himself. Embarrassed about their confrontation, Tess closed her eyes, took a deep breath and headed to the back of the boat.

  As she approached, he spoke first in a low comforting tone, holding his hand out hesitantly. “I’m sorry about the….mix up. Maybe we should start over. I don’t want you to be mad at me all day, I’m Tom.”

  Schmoozer! Tess reached for his hand. “Tom Clemmins, right?” she stated matter-of-factly, unimpressed by his celebrity. “I’m Tess, Tess Mathews. I recognized you at check-in yesterday. I’m sorry for being rude back at the dock. I’m just frustrated. I needed some time alone, no offense.”

  “I know how you feel. I’ve been working too much. I needed to get away, far away. This place is beautiful. The color of the water is so many shades of blue. I’ve never seen anything like it."

  “Have you ever been to Bora Bora before?”

  “Nope, first time. First time snorkeling, too.”

  “Well, you picked the perfect place. The snorkeling here is superb. The coral gardens are filled with the most exotic fish.” She rambled on. “The reef sharks are my favorite. They’ll be amazing today. They get so close you can almost touch them.”

  “From the boat?” he asked with a puzzled loo
k.

  Tess chuckled, apparently someone at check-in failed to tell Mr. Clemmins everything about the tour. “No…you can almost touch them…in the water.”

  “You actually get in the water with sharks?” he asked apprehensively, color quickly fading from his cheeks. “I thought we watched them feed the sharks from the boat.”

  “No. You truly do get in the water with them.” Tess grinned mischievously, unsure if she wanted to tell him that the black-tip reef sharks were harmless. She wanted to watch him sweat a bit longer. “The sharks are fairly tame. They hardly ever attack people.” She figured he deserved this for taking her tour.

  His eyebrows creased. “I’m not sure if I want to get in the water with sharks. You’re kidding me, right? Do you seriously get in the water with sharks?”

  “Most of them are only five or six feet long. There’s nothing to worry about. You won’t be the one feeding them. That’s Riatia’s job.” She enjoyed the nice shade of avocado coloring his cheeks.

  “Oh, I don’t think so. I’ll just wait on the boat. I think I’ll pass.”

  She couldn’t take it any longer, fearing if he turned any greener, he’d puke. “I’m only teasing you. There’s never been a shark attack here. The black tip reef sharks are actually very docile.” Tess tried not to laugh aloud.

  “What? That's not even funny. You're just kidding me about the sharks?” Color returned to his cheeks. “So…you really don’t get in the water with them?”

  “Oh yes it was funny. And yes, we are really going to get in the water with the sharks. They don’t attack.” She found herself slightly charmed by the playfulness between them. He still looked fearful, and she didn’t want him to be afraid. “Seriously, you’re going to love it.”

  “How many times have you done this?” he asked as if she were crazy.