A/N - Hi! Some of you might remember this story being posted here a few years ago. Long story short, my content was wiped and I lost access to it for years. But thanks to my good friend NicolinaN, my story was recently retrieved! (If whoever sent it to her is reading this, please reach out to me so I can thank you.)

I loved writing this but never finished it and I figured this was a good opportunity to re-edit and re-post, this time with an ending! (I plan to take later chapters of the story in a bit of a different direction, but the core plot points will remain the same.) So here is the first chapter of the freshly edited version. Please enjoy!


Prologue

"Well, if you're asking me to be blatantly honest, it's easy to see how attracted you are to me. And I don't understand why you work so hard to hide it."

"Because I don't make a habit of getting involved with men I have no future with."

"You're thinking too much. Just let things be what they are."

"That's a good way to get your heart broken."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I'm even more attracted to you than you are to me?"

"Just drop it. Please. Why are you torturing me?"

"Because it's the best way to get what I want."

Chapter 1

Lisa examined the sapphire blue dress her mother had sent her a couple weeks ago in honor of her upcoming vacation to Australia. The delicate straps and flowing silky material seemed out of place in her closet of business professional attire, but Mom had insisted Lisa bare a little skin while walking the streets of Sydney.

"Mom, I appreciate the gesture. Really," she had told her on the phone after the package arrived, preparing for another cabernet-fueled sermon about getting herself laid. "But you know I'm just going away to relax. I'll probably spend most of my time on the beach or visiting museums or something. Zero need for a sexy dress." Her eyes drifted to the half-packed suitcase on her bed filled with tank tops, denim shorts, and loose skirts.

"Lisa, you have to go out at least a time or two when you're there. Wear the dress, get dolled up. Have yourself a nice fling with a good-looking man with an accent."

"Mother."

"I mean it! All you do is work, and you're too young for that. You should be getting out and enjoying your life. Enjoying a man."

"Not this again, please. That's why I'm taking a vacation, mom. To enjoy my life. And I don't need to hook up on my vacation to enjoy myself." Lisa wanted to go on, but held her tongue. Her mother's divorce had thrust the older woman into a lifestyle that Lisa didn't particularly approve of. She was going out constantly, drinking too much, and going home with a new man almost every weekend. And while Lisa wouldn't begrudge anyone a bit of post-divorce fun, she could see what this behavior was doing to her mother's mental and emotional health, despite the woman's insistence that she was having the time of her life. Lisa saw the hangovers…the heartaches…the regrets. She saw this and wanted no part of it.

Her mother sighed. "Just promise me if some handsome young thing asks you out while you're there, you'll go," she continued. "What harm could it do? It'll be healthy for you, Li-Li."

She winced at the use of her most-despised pet name. "Healthy?"

"Just promise me."

Lisa sighed and ran a hand through her loose auburn strands. Well, it'd be easy to avoid getting asked out if she kept to herself. She was taking this vacation to be alone, not meet new people. For crying out loud – she got her fill of people at work. And what good would it do to meet a man in Australia anyway?

"Fine, Mom – I promise. Listen, I gotta go. I love you. Be careful this weekend if you go out, okay?"

After ending the call Lisa ran over eyes over the lovely blue frock one more time before stuffing it into her suitcase. Then she remembered all the shoes she'd packed were flip-flops and flats, so she threw in a pair of heels as well. Oh fine – and her makeup bag.

She surveyed her work and absentmindedly reached up to squeeze the back of her neck, tightened and sore from stress. Getting some time away from her responsibilities at the Lux was long overdue, but it'd been difficult to make the decision to take two whole weeks off. It had taken some heavy convincing by her colleagues that the place could operate without her for a while. Hopefully the customers wouldn't eat them alive in her absence.

"Goodbye, Mr. Sanders. I will not miss you," she chuckled to herself, thinking of their most high-maintenance regular as she crammed toiletries into the bag. The man came into Miami on business at least twice a month, always stayed at the Lux, and somehow always left at least one of her subordinates in tears during each stay. Well, let someone else deal with him for a while. She was headed to a far off place, away from her high-pressure job, away from the worries of her parents, and away from her empty apartment.

Lisa grabbed the flight itinerary from her dresser and reviewed the information for the umpteenth time. The first leg of her trip – a flight to Los Angeles - was scheduled to leave out of Miami International Airport early the next morning. She zipped her suitcase shut and headed for the bathroom to prepare for bed.

4:00 AM couldn't come fast enough.