Chapter 5: Vacation!
"I'm sorry Melodie, but I really need this vacation," I coldly stated as soon as Melodie began to protest that I was leaving. I had told her of my plans.
"Jory and his wife will not be too far away and they'll come to check in on you," I said. I didn't trust Melodie, and already had already given Trevor orders to keep a close eye on her.
"But Bart! His wife will hate me and will not let me see my children!" she cried. I felt a bit sorry for her, but it was her own fault that she had abandoned her children. I hadn't pointed a gun to her head and commanded her to leave, after all. She'd been too weak to face the consequences, that's all.
"You abandoned them. They're Toni's. They believe Toni to be their true mother," I said. She winced.
"I have a lot of things to do Melodie...so please, go occupy yourself," I told her. She glared at me and stalked away from my office.
I called the businesses I worked with to tell them of my vacation. I had so much money that I worked for myself. I then decided on where to go. I finally decided to go to Myrtle Beach, in South Carolina. I had been born in South Carolina and I had been a difficult birth. But I had heard Myrtle Beach was a great place to go.
I spent the next two days packing and taking care of things. Jory and Toni came to drive me to the airport. Melodie looked furious that Toni and Jory had arrived already. I merely smiled at her, then we drove away.
The airport was extremely crowded, and both Toni and my brother hugged and kissed me before I got on board. I felt special and needed for a brief moment in my life, even though I tried to look embarrassed from the sudden affection. I took a step back and smiled nervously from the affection I wasn't used to, even though I liked it.
"Um well I'll call you..." I said, waved to them once more before I went to board the plane.
I was so excited that I couldn't sleep, and my neighbors on the plane grew restless with my excitement. I was glad when the plane finally landed. I found all my luggage and then hailed a taxi to the nearest motel that wasn't in ruins. The driver found a nice hotel, not a grand one, but it wasn't bad. Besides, some of those rich snobs who stayed at the Breakers hotel sometimes made me furious. They thought they knew everything.
After I had my luggage up in my room, I decided that the trip had made me very ravenous, and I threw on a blue shirt and black pants I went down the dining room and found myself a table. Everything on the menu looked so damn good that I ordered a bit of everything. I grew busy, stuffing my face until I heard someone approach me. I really had been hungry, too excited to eat anything before my flight.
"Um, I know you're busy...but no one else is here and could you just push the elevator button for me?" I heard a voice ask, and I looked up at a woman with long dark hair and cornflower blue eyes. I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin and stood, bit embarrassed that she'd seen me eating like some sort of delinquent. Where had my manners gone?
"Of course," I said, seeing at how her arms were filled. I hurried to the elevator and pushed the button.
"Let me help," I said, taking some of her luggage from her hands.
"Oh, be careful! Some of it's fragile," she said. My eyebrows rose curiously.
"What do you got here anyway?" I asked. She wiped back some hair that had settled over her eyes. I saw a pencil behind her hair and my eyes narrowed as if I'd never seen a pencil behind someone's ear before. I had, but I'd never seen a woman with a pencil behind her ear.
"Paintings," she said. My mouth opened a little in surprise.
"OH...are you an artist?" I asked stupidly, and she blushed heavily, appearing rather flustered.
"Um well that's what I hope to be. I'm just an amateur," she said modestly. I smiled at her modestly, which was refreshing in today's society.
"I'll be the judge of that," I said. The elevator door opened and I allowed her to step inside first. I followed in after her and she pushed the button for the fifth floor, the same floor I was on.
"Eh...fifth floor also?" I questioned, and she nodded. When the elevator stopped again, she led the way...right to the room that was next to mine.
"Oh...so you're my neighbor," I said aloud. She looked at me with curiosity and surprise.
"Oh...are we?" she asked and I nodded as she unlocked her door and went inside. She sat her things down on the floor.
"What do I do with –"
"Oh um just set them on the bed," she said, and I nodded, doing so. She sighed and went into the bathroom, closing the door. I wasn't sure if she still needed me or not, so I waited.
When she came out, she smiled at me and looked a bit surprised to see me still here.
"I didn't think you'd still be here," she admitted.
"I guess I better get some work done. I am submitting my work down at the show they have every year. Thank you for your help. By the way, I'm Annie Stone-...I mean Tatterton," she said. I nodded and took her hand, kissing it like a gentleman.
"I'm Bart Foxworth. I guess I'll see you around," I said and she nodded.
I left the room and went back downstairs to finish my lunch. Although while I ate, I couldn't get Annie's name nor face out of my mind. She was beautiful, like a dark angel. And so kind. I hoped I would get to know her better even though I doubted anything would come of it …