Part 2

The next day

The two of them had decided to stay in, because it was pouring buckets outside. They weren't about to get soaked and perhaps come down with colds, though both were usually pretty healthy. Still, even if they didn't get sick why get as soaked as a drowned rat?

The bartender placed a drink before Maryse, who stared at it as if it as if it was an alien. She had yet to order another drink after she had finished her first.

"I didn't order this, sir," Maryse told the bartender politely.

"This is from the gentleman over there," the bartender indicated the direction with the nod of his head.

The bartender gave no indication that the man sitting at one of the prime tables near the bar was actually the owner of the hotel. That would be for his ultimate boss to reveal. "He is requesting that you go out to dinner with him."

Maryse nearly said no automatically before Claudia pitched her on the arm and glared at her.

"One dinner with a handsome man won't kill you," Claudia told her in a whisper, after she had glanced at the man in question. "You promised to try."

Maryse glanced at where the bartender had indicated and saw the man was indeed very handsome. He had a coal black hair and goatee that was well kept and neat. He was dressed in what looked like expensive but casual clothes meant for the beach.

"What do you know about him?" Maryse asked the bartender.

"He's been coming here for years," the bartender said being careful what he said. "From everything I know about him he's a good man, one who will treat whoever he is dating well. He's not one to cheat on whoever he is with at the time. He's also never been married as far as I know."

"Alright then," Maryse decided. "You can tell him I'll go to dinner with him. No promises other than that one meal. We'll see how it goes from there."

"Cautious I see," the bartender said a approvingly

"Yes, I am," Maryse said, not giving the reason that she was. She had already been burned badly once she didn't want to risk that again.

"I'm proud of you," Claudia told her friend had home the back.

"It's only dinner," Maryse said blushing.

"But dinner can lead to other things," Claudia pointed out. "At least he may ask you out again."

"We'll see," Maryse said noncommittally. "We came on this vacation to relax and spend some time together."

"So, I'll just spend my time by the pool with all those handsome hunks," Claudia shrugged. "Maybe I can get one of them to take me out to dinner. If not, well, I can flirt with the best of them. That's always fun."

"Don't I know it," Maryse teased her friend lightheartedly.

"We don't have to be together every second you know," Claudia added. "Go enjoy your dinner with Mr. Handsome and I expect you to give me all the details when you get back."

Maryse blushed, as she well knew what kind of details her best friend would want.

"Go enjoy yourself," Claudia urged.

"Yes, ma'am," Maryse teased. "I guess we'll just have to go out to dinner some other time."

"That's fine with me. We'll have plenty of opportunities. I'm not going out since it's pouring buckets out there," Claudia said. "I'm not about to let you talk yourself out of dinner with a handsome man. You know very well you probably will if you give yourself to much time to think. He'll probably take you to the hotel restaurant here though because of the rain. If he doesn't then he doesn't have any sense."

This was true, Maryse knew. It seemed to best friend knew her a little too well.

Maryse headed for the lobby where she had been instructed to meet her dinner date for the evening.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

"Thank you for accepting my dinner invitation," Dave told his date.

The two sat in the hotel restaurant, because as Claudia had already commented on it was pouring out. It looked as if this David Rossi had some sense after all.

The two them had introduced themselves before her date had escorted her to the very nice hotel restaurant.

Dave didn't say that he felt sure she was going to refuse it had taken her so long to agree, but apparently the redhead that had been with her had convinced her to have dinner with him. Dave hadn't heard exactly what her friend had whispered to her, but it had made Maryse give in and he was grateful. He hadn't been this attracted to a woman in a very long time.

Dave thought Maryse was a beautiful and unique name. It certainly wasn't as common as Mary or Marion, which were similar. It was in fact; the first time he had ever heard it.

"You're welcome," Maryse said, trying not to blush at the handsome man that was sitting across from her. He certainly had her hormones humming, something that hadn't happened in a long time, not even with Leo, which was really saying something, as Leo had been a handsome man, but he certainly had made her hormones go wild either. Nor had he made her blush as easily as this David Rossi already had. "I warn you though, I'm seriously out of practice."

"I was afraid that you were going to turn me down," Dave said.

"You're lucky then that Claudia convinced me otherwise," Maryse admitted. "I don't usually go out on dates with strangers. I didn't even know your name at the time after all."

"In this day and age that's very smart actually. There are many dangers that are more blatant then when our parents were born. There are also many conmen in the world. You can never really relax about looking out for those kind of dangers not even on vacation," Dave approved.

"Men face the same problem sometimes," Maryse commented.

"I won't say they don't, but that's a totally different situation. Most men can defend themselves, though I won't say they can't be taken advantage of," Dave said.

Maryse knew that what Dave had said was correct so she didn't bother to argue with him. Men were far stronger than most women for one thing and that was just one of their advantages. That wasn't to say that they couldn't be taken by surprise or tricked in some way. If a woman was clever enough they could overcome a man's strength.

The two chatted as they waited on their dinners. Dave for his part was enjoying himself more than he had in a very long time on a date with a woman. He had dated quite a bit, but usually it wasn't more than dinner or drinks. His mother had been at complaining for years about him finding someone and giving her grandchildren, but Dave wasn't about to marry just anyone. He'd already had several close calls, though the worse had been Carolyn. He'd come within an inch of marrying her and that would've been a mistake that he would have regretted.

Maryse though might be the one, but he'd wait and see. It was clear she was intelligent and beautiful. On the surface, she was perfect. He had found out that she and her friend Claudia wouldn't be leaving for a few weeks so he had a little time, though not much. He'd see what happened in the next few days.

"What about some drinks before I take you back to your hotel?" Dave suggested.

"Sounds good," Maryse said. "So where do you want to go? The hotel bar?"

"No, I know the perfect place," Dave said. "I believe the rain has mostly stopped now. It must've done so while we were having dinner."

Dinner had lasted a couple of hours, so it was well possible the storm had stopped while they were enjoying it.

"Well, such heavy rain doesn't usually last long," Maryse said, "and the storm has lasted mostly all day."

"We might get a little wet, but I don't believe we'll get soaked," Dave said

Dave paid the bill and left a generous tip, before he offered Maryse his arm and escorted her towards the entrance of the hotel restaurant where they had eaten dinner.

"I enjoyed my dinner very much," Maryse told Dave as they walked. "It's a rare event when I get a seafood dinner that's so good."

"What? You don't eat seafood in New York?" Dave teased her.

"Oh sure, lots," Maryse said causally. "While it's good, it is not still moving when it's cooked. It's just that this was the best seafood I've ever eaten."

"You probably haven't been going to the right places," Dave suggested. "It takes a certain talent to cook seafood to where it is fresh and good. Some people just can't do it. People often overcook it to where it's rubbery or undercook it to where it's just not as good."

This was true, so Maryse nodded.

Dave finally guided Maryse into the club that he had known was close by, since he had lived in this area for years.

They found a table and Dave insisted that he get their drinks while she stayed put.

Maryse knew that this table would be snapped up if she moved and that they had been lucky to get one at all, as the club looked like it was packed.

Dave returned within a few minutes, with her drink and his.

"Thank you," Maryse said smiling at her date.

"You're quite welcome," Dave said sincerely.

They sipped their drinks for a few minutes.

"So why bring me here instead of just to some bar?" Maryse asked.

"For one thing, I knew this place was fairly close to the hotel," Dave explained. "Somewhere we could walk and enjoy the nice night. Also, I thought you might enjoy a club rather than just a bar, somewhere we can dance if we like."

"You were right," Maryse said.

"So, what do you do for living?" Dave asked Maryse.

"I'm a facilitator. What people want I can do. If someone wants to have a wedding at midnight, then I make all the arrangements."

"That sounds like a rather interesting career choice," Dave said.

"I knew it would be hard at least at first," Maryse said. "I worked at this really nice four-star hotel for a few years, which allowed me to meet a lot of people. Eventually I worked my way up to corsage. By the time I finally went out on my own I already had a client list."

"That's pretty impressive for someone your age. You can't possibly be more than 35," Dave said a little admiringly.

"I'm 32 actually," Maryse said blushing a little at her date's compliment. "I just went out on my own like a couple years ago, so I'm not as well-known as I probably will be in five or six years."

"You're just getting started really. Word will eventually spread," Dave said.

"I know it's already started too," Maryse said.

Maryse then turned the tables on Dave and asked him what he did for living. Dave was as vague as he could be, as he didn't want Maryse to just want him for his money. That didn't seem like her at all but he had to be sure, before he gave her any details about how wealthy he really was. She knew that he had some money, but having some money was different from having a lot of money. Technically, he had several cargo holds full, so long as it was in neat stacks and not scattered all about.

The two of them finished their drinks and then danced for a bit, before Dave escorted Maryse the several blocks so he could take her back to the hotel.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

"I enjoyed myself very much tonight, Dave," Maryse told her date.

"Well, how about tomorrow for lunch?" Dave suggested with his most charming grin that tended to make the ladies fall at his feet.

"Sounds fine, though I will need to spend some time with Claudia," Maryse said, not even having to think about it for very long. She had enjoyed herself more tonight than she ever had with Leo the skunk.

"Of course, you came up here on vacation with your best friend," Dave said understandingly. "Perhaps she can join us for lunch tomorrow."

"That's really nice of you to offer Dave," Maryse said impressed with her date all over again. Considering they had just had their first date tonight Maryse was actually surprised that Dave was willing to include her best friend so soon. Perhaps not all men were total losers after all. Leo never would have offered to allow Claudia to come along on a date and he definitely wouldn't have paid for her, like she suspected Dave was probably planning to do. In fact, Leo and Claudia had intensely liked each other with a passion and so Maryse had been caught between a rock and a hard place. Her best friend and her boyfriend. "I'll ask her, but I'm sure she'll be happy to accept."

"Good, I'll meet you both in the lobby for lunch at one unless you call and tell me different," Dave said kissing Maryse on the cheek.

Dave escorted her into the lobby of the hotel and then watched her get on the elevator. Once he was sure she was gone he requested the manager who came immediately. Dave was the owner after all, though he rarely interfered in the running of the hotel.

"Yes, sir, what can I do for you?" The manager asked deferentially.

"I want you to let your staff know that no one is to mention that I own a lot of property here in Miami, to Maryse Cabral or Claudia Magda. If I find out about any loose talk that they overheard that person will at least be demoted and that's at a minimum."

"Yes sir, but can I ask why?" the manager asked.

"Yes you can," Dave said. "The reason is that me and Maryse shared dinner tonight. I really like her and I would like to see where it goes. However, I want her to want me for myself not for my wealth. As for Miss Magda she is Maryse's best friend. What she knows the other one does. I can't see her keeping a secret from her best friend unless asked and I suspect I had better be a very good reason for it. They likely share everything and while I'm sure that Miss Magda can keep a secret when required she also doesn't know anything about me at the moment, so would likely see no reason to do such a thing."

The hotel manager nodded in understanding. He felt genuine sympathy for his ultimate boss Mr. Rossi. It wasn't always easy to find someone to settle down with, particularly for the rich. Being wealthy led to its own brand of crazies who wanted you for your money, which was hardly the right reason to marry someone. While the manager knew that Mr. Rossi could just marry some wealthy socialite, or wealthy business owner, he could understand him wanting to marry for love. Marrying someone of the same social status just because they had money often led to misery. Not always of course, if a couple were actually in love. Still, it happened far more the\an most people thought or in some cases wanted to know.

"I understand sir. I'll call a morning meeting tomorrow and have another one for the second shift."

"You make sure they know if they break the edict they'll either be seriously demoted or they'll be fired outright."

"Yes, I'll make sure the message is passed on," The manager immediately agreed.

"And without references depending on Maryse's reaction to the news," Dave added.

The manager winced but nodded in compliance. Mr. Rossi apparently really liked this girl, as he had never put down such harsh rules about gossip before.

Normally, Mr. Rossi didn't pay attention to that kind of thing, but he would also knew what kind of consequences it could have if one of the staff happened to mention him owning a lot of property. The lady in question may well believe she had been lied to and break things off. It would be a major catastrophe. The manager and Dave talked for a few more minutes before Dave left.

The manager knew his instructions and would make sure they were followed to the letter. He wasn't about to be demoted or lose his position just because he hadn't made Mr. Rossi's expectations clear. He truly hoped that Mr. Rossi would settle down with this lovely lady and have a few children, but as he had promised he would say nothing to the lady in question or to anyone else.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

"So how did your date go?" Claudia immediately asked her friend as soon as she returned to the hotel suite quite late.

"It was great," Maryse admitted. "He's already asked me to lunch tomorrow and asked if you would like to go as well."

"That's really nice to him considering it will only be your second date," Claudia said surprised at the offer. It was certainly more than decent of him to even suggest her joining the two for lunch.

"Well, I told him that we had come up on vacation together and that it would be rude to leave you by yourself for the second day in a row, even if it's only for a few hours. He seemed to understand and invited you along without me having to even suggest it."

"Alright then, I'll be glad to go and meet this man that actually got you to say yes to a date. I'll make my excuses early so you two can be alone together for a while. I'm really proud of you finally agreeing to date again," Claudia complimented her friend. "I think that it is a vast improvement over previously where all you did was work, eat and sleep. Don't return early on my account. I'm sure I'll find something to do to keep myself occupied," Claudia added without blushing.

Her friend didn't embarrass easily, Maryse knew, not like her at any rate. In that way, they were total opposites.

"I'm sure you will," said Maryse blushing and not at just her friends compliment, but because she knew exactly what Claudia meant. Claudia was much more outgoing than she was and was never down for a long when a relationship ended.

"We better go to bed it's late," Claudia suggested.

"Yeah, we probably should," Maryse said looking at her watch. It was after 2 AM Maryse saw. "I'm definitely sleeping in tomorrow."

"Well, so long as we're up in time to get ready for lunch we might as well. We are on vacation after all." Claudia said.

"True," Maryse acknowledged. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Make sure you set your alarm," Claudia reminded her and Maryse nodded in acknowledgement. "I would set it for no later than 10:30 or 11 and that's only if you don't want any kind of breakfast before lunch.

"We'll see how things go, as I'm making no promises," Maryse said.

Claudia nodded and headed into her own spacious bedroom to get ready for bed.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

Maryse rose the next morning just before her alarm went off. She had set it for 10:15 a few minutes earlier then Claudia had suggested. She knew that despite sleeping late she still felt tired. She was used to being out at all hours, so she knew that she was more tired than she should be, but she figured it was from all the work she had been doing over the last few months. She had been out several times very late, trying to make all clients dreams come true. Also, she really only slept late when she was on vacation and that lack of sleep had likely accumulated over time. The body needed more rest depending on how active you were. If you were basically a couch potato well, you didn't need as much sleep.

"Maryse? You up?" Claudia called after knocking on her door.

"Just," Maryse replied loud enough for her friend to hear her. "I'll be out in a few minutes. Just let me get dressed."

"I'll be waiting in the living area," Claudia said through the door.

Maryse emerged from her bedroom 45 minutes later, looking great in a shorts outfit, that showed off her long, shapely legs and a top that caught every curve. The shorts came too well above the knee and the top barely covered her belly button. She'd done her long, dark hair back in a simple ponytail.

"You look great!" Claudia approved. "Dave's eyes will pop out when he sees you."

"I'm glad I do because I still feel tired," Maryse admitted.

"Of course you do. With everything you have going on back home I'm not surprised it's finally caught up with you. Not to mention we've been out late most nights since we got here, so it's no wonder you're tired. We'll come back early if possible so we can both catch a nap. I'm kind of tired myself, but probably not as much as you are. I go to bed at a decent hour most nights, but you're out running around until nearly dawn sometimes and it doesn't help that you don't hardly ever sleep in unless you've been out almost all night."

"You're absolutely correct," Maryse agreed. "Still, I enjoy what I do and that should be all that matters,"

"I know you want to give your best to your clients but you need to slow down, take breaks or you're going to wear yourself out so much you're going to be ill," Claudia warned her. "You're sabotaging your immune system by not getting enough rest."

"I'll work on it," Maryse agreed. "Now we had better get downstairs and get us a light snack, as it's only a couple of hours until lunch with Dave.

"That's a good idea," Claudia conceded looking at her watch and saw it was nearly 11:15. "We don't need to eat too heavily considering that we're going to have lunch with Dave in less than two hours. Something to tide us over until lunch though sounds good," Claudia added, as her stomach growled.

"Let's get going then," Maryse said. "Maybe just some crackers or something. Maybe some nuts.

"Or maybe something chocolate," Claudia said.

"You and your chocolate," Maryse laughed. Claudia was a chocoholic.

"So, I'll eat dessert before lunch," Claudia shrugged. "I'm on vacation after all, so why worry about my diet?"

Maryse gave up then, as she knew her friend could not be argued with. She'd never win and she knew it, Besides most rules didn't apply when you are on vacation, like good dietary habits.

The two friends went downstairs and headed immediately for the Café.

A waitress led them to a booth and ask them what they wanted.

"Just a piece of your best pie," Claudia said. "We're meeting someone for lunch, so we don't want to fill up."

"We have blueberry and peach today ma'am," The waitress said.

"I'll take the peach," Maryse said.

"Make that two," Claudia added.

"Does that come with ice cream on top?" Maryse asked.

"Of course," the waitress said. "It's the only way to eat pie."

"That sounds great," Maryse said. "You're right, it's the only way to eat pie."

The waitress left to get their pie and returned only a few minutes later. "Here you go dears."

"Thank you," both women said at the same time. They immediately dug in and thought to themselves that it was spectacular.

"This is really good pie," Claudia said around a mouthful.

"This is really spectacular pie," Maryse corrected then chided. "Don't talk with your mouthful. How many times do I have to remind you? It's rude and gross."

"Sorry," Claudia apologized. "I suppose I should've waited to speak after I swallowed my mouthful."

"It's okay," Maryse said, immediately forgiving her best friend. "We had better hurry and finish up as it's nearly time to meet Dave."

"We still have a few minutes and I'm going enjoy this piece of damn good pie," Claudia said, as she took another bite. Maryse watched her friend, as she savored every bite of the peach cobbler.

"Okay, I'm done," Claudia finally said five minutes later, right after she had swallowed the last bite.

"Okay let's go I don't want to be late," Maryse said, as she rose from her side of the booth.

"We still have 15 minutes and we are on the same level as the lobby. We are not going to be late," Claudia told her friend. "It's not like we have to drive somewhere."

"You know I like to be a few minutes early," Maryse said. Claudia nodded at the truth of that statement; her best friend absolutely hated be in late to an appointment. She thought it rude.

Maryse quickly paid the bill and the two friends headed for the front doors.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~