Chapter Four
Early Saturday morning, Naru tossed his suitcase into his trunk and
headed over to Sasuke's. He'd been nervous about going on this scouting trip.
Knowing his dad was counting on him kind of freaked him out, but having Sasuke
agree to come had made him feel a lot better. His friend had always had that effect
on him, from the very first time they'd met in junior high.
School had intimidated the hell out of him. He'd tried to play class clown
and slacker so no one would realize how hard he had to try to barely pass. Sasuke
had seen right through his act, though. Instead of telling everyone Naru was
dumb and making fun of him like a lot of guys in their class would have, Sasuke
had helped him. They'd studied together, and Sasuke had always read over his
papers for him before he turned them in. Their friendship was the main reason he'd
gotten where he was today. He still wasn.t really sure what the other man had
gotten out of their friendship. Sure, he made Sasuke laugh, but anyone could do
that.
Whatever the reason for their friendship, he was grateful for it. Having
Sasuke along on this trip would be fun, and unlike one of his "little supermodel
girlfriends," Sasuke would understand this was a working trip.
He frowned to himself as he drove. Lately, he'd been single more often than
not. Dating had lost much of its appeal after his last few girlfriends. While each of
them had been beautiful, there had been something missing.
Sasuke was right. He did choose women with the IQ of pocket lint. They
weren't interesting outside of the bedroom.
He didn't want to think about why he picked particular women. He knew
his choices would say something about him—probably something bad—so he
turned his thoughts to the trip. Rumor had it the resort they were visiting was not
doing well, hence the owners. desire to sell. If Naru thought they could make the
resort profitable again, his dad said he'd buy it.
God, he hoped he didn't screw this up. He'd never had to make a decision
this big. His dad usually gave him the easy jobs, simple legwork anyone could do,
or using his charm to schmooze with potential business associates. Maybe his dad
should have gone himself, or sent Kyuubi. Naru's frown deepened as he thought of
his perfect older brother. Kyuubi had always done everything he was supposed to do,
and done it exactly right. He wouldn't be freaking out at the prospect of scouting a
potential property. He could probably do it in his sleep.
A knock on his passenger-side window startled him out of his disparaging
thoughts. Sasuke stood beside the car, a questioning expression on his face.
Blushing, Naru put the window down. In his preoccupied state, he hadn't even
noticed he'd pulled up in front of his friend's building.
Leaning on the window ledge, Sasuke arched a brow at him. "What were
you thinking about? You were a million miles away."
He smiled weakly. "Nothing. You ready?"
"I brought my bag down. Can you pop the trunk?"
Sasuke went back to stow his luggage. Then he hopped in, fastened his
seatbelt, and Naru pulled away from the curb.
Nearly eight hours later, they arrived at the tiny island that housed the
resort. Naru stepped onto the pier, watching to make sure Sasuke had his footing.
While his friend normally did well on boats, the rough seas and indifferent driving
of the boat's pilot had made Sasuke a bit green around the gills. "You okay, buddy?"
Giving him a wan look, Sasuke muttered, "I've been better."
The pitiful expression on his friend.s face made Naru want to smile, but he
didn't dare. Poor Sasuke felt bad enough already. Naru rubbed his friend's back.
"We'll get checked in and get you some ginger ale or something. You'll feel better
in no time."
"It's kind of hard to be mad at you when you're being so nice."
The smile he'd been suppressing broke out. "Yeah, I know. That's the plan."
They walked in silence for the next few minutes, taking in the island.s
beauty. The boat pilot trailed behind them with their bags as they made their way
along a winding stone pathway through the foliage. Though Naru had spent time
at Fantasies resorts from Hawaii and the Bahamas to Colorado, he never grew
tired of the beauty of nature. The small island was edged by pristine white sand.
Further inland, lush tropical plants provided a wild riot of color. A soft breeze
carried the scents of flowers and green plants, as well as the salt tang of the ocean.
After the cold, gray weather of Boston, the warmth and color were a welcome
change.
As they passed a large, vibrant orange flower, Sasuke gave him a look of awe.
"This is beautiful."
"Yeah. I hope the resort itself looks as good as the grounds." They were a bit
overgrown, but Naru liked them. Unlike the more cultured, manicured look of
the Fantasies resorts, this place had the air of a secret jungle hideaway. He
wondered if his father might consider keeping the look if they bought the island.
A couple of minutes later they emerged from the jungle path. The resort
stood before them, a large, white, columned building. While the building was
considerably smaller than any of the existing Fantasies resorts, the gleaming paint
and sparkling windows showed how well-cared-for it was. Eager to see the
interior, Naru led the way into the lobby.
Bright, tropical colors greeted them as they stepped inside. A young woman
behind the desk smiled at them. "Hello, and welcome to Pleasure Island. Checking
in?"
An elbow dug into Naru's back.
"Pleasure Island?" Sasuke's stage-whisper was not very quiet.
"Shut up," Naru hissed over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to
the desk clerk. "Yes. I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
Tapping a few keys on her computer, the girl found their reservation. "All
right, Mr. Uzumaki, I have a two-bedroom suite for you and Mr. Uchiha, for
seven nights. Is that correct?"
"Perfect."
After tapping a few more keys, she had him sign a couple of papers and
handed him two keycards. "Okay, Mr. Uzumaki. You're all set. You'll be in suite
501. Enjoy your stay at Pleasure Island!"
The instant they were out of earshot of the desk clerk, Sasuke burst out
laughing. "Pleasure Island? Have we stumbled into a bad porn film or something?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Naru laughed too. "Jeez, Sasuke! Did you
have to say something about the name at the desk? I could barely keep a straight
face long enough to check in."
"Now you know how I've felt all these years when you made smart-aleck
remarks and I had to be serious."
Stepping into the elevator, Naru gave his friend a mock scowl. "Oh, shut
up. Aren't you supposed to be sick?"
"I feel a lot better, actually."
Rolling his eyes, Naru punched the button for their floor.