"This place is incredible," Erica whistled in admiration, her blue eyes taking in the luxurious hotel suite that would be her home for the next three months. Walking across the soft, thick layer of carpet that covered the floor, she pushed open the curtains, letting the sun illuminate the large room.
A fully equipped kitchen was nestled in one corner, while an inviting sofa rested against the wall of another, in front of a large television. Elaborate pictures decorated the walls, only adding to the room's stylish décor. Looking out the window, she gasped at the sight, the room offering a perfect view of the city's downtown skyline. "Wow…," she muttered, awed by the scenery.
"It's nice," Murrue peered through the open door adjoining their two rooms, amused by her best friend's expression of wonder. She couldn't deny the hotel was beautiful. But it all seemed a bit….overboard.
"You're not impressed?" The red haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Look at this place. It has everything and then some," she gestured around the bright, airy room.
"We could've just gone to a normal hotel," the brunette sighed before walking back to her own room to finish unpacking her luggage. "It must have cost them a fortune," she rolled her eyes at her friend's huff of annoyance. "Do we really need all this?"
"Job perks," Erica snickered, amused by the dark haired woman's grumbled complaints.
Murrue leaned her arms against the balcony's stone wall, tilting her head into the gentle ocean breeze. She gazed out at the towering buildings that dotted the city's horizon, the sparkling ocean visible just beyond the skyscrapers. It's funny really. We always had plans to move out here someday. See what big city life had to offer. I just never thought it would be like this…., she jumped, her friend's voice startling her from her thoughts.
"Hey, you okay?" She placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, noticing the familiar, faraway expression that had haunted her the last year.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the brunette smiled, though unable to hide the lingering sadness that was still with her. "Just thinking about how different things are. We talked about coming here. I just thought it would be under different circumstances," she explained softly, watching the cars and people below hurry to their destinations.
"You know, it's okay to enjoy yourself. I'm sure Jonathan would want you to," Erica reminded her.
"I know," Murrue sighed, knowing her friend was right. He wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life mourning him. She could imagine him laughing at her hesitation to get out and live life again, telling her what an idiot she was being.
"We can start by having fun at the beach," Erica laughed, going back into the room to get her laptop computer and camera, the two headed to the future site of the hotel they would soon be designing.
"Thanks for knocking some sense into me," the younger woman followed, grabbing her own things before heading downstairs to the lobby to meet their host.
--
"Well, ladies…what do you two think?" Mwu grinned proudly, leaning against his car, the brick red automobile trimmed with smooth silver chrome, shining brightly in the island city's signature sunshine.
"It's beautiful," Murrue's eyes shot open behind her dark sunglasses, the pictures she had seen not doing the beach justice. "This is where it's going to be?" She looked around in awe, her topaz eyes fixated on the sparkling water. A few beachgoers milled around, enjoying the perfect day, while a few surfers attempted to ride the calm waves, hoping to impress their bikini-clad audience.
"My father really knows how to pick his sites," Mwu chuckled, unable to take his eyes off the brunette. She was beautiful, nothing like the throngs of women he was used to seeing on the city's beaches. She wore a light sundress, the white fabric decorated with tropical flowers, showing off her long, slender legs.
"What do you have planned for it?" She turned around, completely unaware that his eyes hadn't left her since the moment they had arrived.
"The works," he began, his hands shoved casually in the pockets of his khaki pants. He wore a light blue shirt that brought out his eyes, obviously attempting to make a good impression. "Nightclubs, a casino, concerts, shopping, restaurants, a spa, golf. Pretty much everything I guess. We'll go over the details once you two get a feel for the place."
"Your father dreams big," Erica laughed, amused by the blonde man's fascination with her best friend, and her obliviousness to the matter.
"That's why I asked Talia," he smiled, confident in his friend's company. "I'll leave you two to your work. Just let me know if you need anything," he offered, leaving them to take pictures and jot down ideas while soaking in the beach's serene atmosphere. The rest of the week passed in a blur, the small group eventually ending up at the downtown hotel's crowded bar, celebrating the arrival of the weekend after the grueling hours spent on the project.
--
"Your friend's husband called?" Mwu tilted his head, confused by the red haired woman's rather sudden disappearance while he had been ordering their drinks.
"Yeah, he probably just wanted to make sure she was alright," the brunette explained. "He's kind of paranoid," she laughed, used to his frequent calls whenever they went for a girl's night out.
"He sounds like a good guy," he smiled, enjoying the sound of her laughter, something he thought he could easily get used to hearing more of. "Anyone waiting for you back home?"
"No…," her smile faded. "Things are…complicated," she sighed, clearly not wanting to discuss it further. To her relief, he dropped it, changing the subject rather quickly.
"Been to the beach before?" Mwu leaned back in his chair, taking a swig from his bottle of beer, the cold drink refreshing after the long day spent outside in the blazing sun.
"A long time ago," Murrue took a sip from her own drink, topaz eyes watching the bustling room, lively music filling the air. "Went out west with my family. But it was nothing like this," she explained, a smile tugging at her lips as she remembered the quiet seaside town she had explored with her parents. "It was so peaceful. You could tell everyone took the time to really enjoy life. Not like here where everyone seems to be rushing to something."
"I went to college in a place like that. Part of me wanted to stay there after I graduated, but my father had other plans," he sighed, remembering how his old man had insisted he return to the city to work for him, threatening him with the idea he could make it so he never found a decent job.
"It's a beautiful place, don't get me wrong. Everything just seems so…busy," she attempted to explain, still not used to being amidst so many people. "I think it'll just take some time."
"It's home," the blonde chuckled, still mesmerized by the mysterious woman. She was smiling yes, but there was something else there…an air of sadness in her eyes that made her all the more attractive. "You learn to make the most of things. Find the quiet places when you can."
"There are quiet places here?" She raised an eyebrow, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.
"Oh yeah. They're just hard to find, that's all. I could show you some if you want," he offered, wanting to show her the places that made the city home.
"I…I should probably go back to the room. It's been a long day…," she looked at her watch, making a hasty escape from the crowded room, leaving the blonde with a stunned and rather disappointed look on his face.
"Nice one, Mwu," he mentally kicked himself, worried that he had upset her. He hadn't intended to ask her out. It just sort of…..happened. No one had ever caught his attention like she had, but now things would be awkward between them, to say the least. Bet she thinks I'm just another creep trying to get her in bed.
"Hey, man," a familiar voice startled him. "Sorry we're late. There was a bad car accident on the expressway," Andrew looked around, not finding the other two who were supposed to be there. "Where did everyone go?"
"They decided to call it a night," the blonde explained, not wanting to go into details.
"Wanna hit the poker tables?" The dark haired man suggested, waiting for his girlfriend to return with their drinks. "Might as well enjoy ourselves."
"Nah, I think I'm gonna head home," he got up to leave, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"What happened?" Andrew tilted his head in confusion. "Some chick shoot you down or something?"
"You could say that," the blonde sighed before exiting the crowded room. The determined flicker returned to his eye, not wanting to throw in the towel just yet. He would just have to try something different. She's different, that's for sure.
--
"How did it go?" Erica's voice broke the silence of the otherwise quiet room, its occupant gazing out at the night skyline, sparkling with thousands of lights.
"Alright," Murrue's sighed, not moving from the balcony, her arms still leaning over the metal railing. "I think I was asked out."
"Someone from the bar?" Erica snickered, used to seeing her friend turn down those bold enough to hit on her.
Murrue shook her head, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"Mwu?"
The brunette nodded, thankful for the gentle breeze that cooled her warm face.
"What did you say?"
"I just left. He probably thinks I'm a jerk," Murrue frowned.
"I doubt that," the older woman stood beside her friend. "He's been looking at you all week, you know?"
"He…he has?" Murre's dark eyes shot open.
"Oh yes," Erica giggled, finding her friend's disbelief entertaining. "Since the first day we got here," her smile widened, finding her friend's disbelief quite amusing. "What do you think of him?"
"He's nice...funny…helpful," Murrue explained, a feeling of warmth washing over her at the thought of the blonde man. He was easy to talk to, and she couldn't deny she didn't like spending time with him. "He tries too hard though. The car. The clothes. The sunglasses," she rolled her eyes, remembering him leaning against the airport wall in an attempt to look suave.
"But he is hot," the older woman grinned wickedly, her friend's blush instantly deepening. "He can be a good friend…if you just let him," Erica quietly slipped out of her friend's room, leaving the confused woman to her thoughts.