Chapter 6

 The two other women looked from the blonde to the brunette with interest waiting for the answer.

“No, the windows were rolled up like he was a celebrity in the hood.” She quipped disappointing the curious trio.

“Damn, don’t tell me he’s going to be one of those stuck up types too good to mix with the locals.”Georgie complained as their waitress approached to take their drinks order.  

The quartet made their way to the salad bar as they talked about how their day had gone and Camille’s brother Bryan who was on duty came over to visit for a bit when they returned to the table. Those two were definitely related having the exotic slanted eyes and high cheek bones with gorgeous Hershey kisses skin.

He was twenty-nine five years older than his sister and her friends and had spent a few years working in various hotels in the States before returning home. Bryan had been instrumental in getting the staff out of stifling uniforms and being outfitted in tropical print cotton shirts and Bermuda shorts. That move had garnered him a lot of respect and loyalty from the employees because the old fashioned polyester just wasn’t cutting it in the Caribbean humidity and heat.

He was also interested in Andrea but the other woman was either oblivious to that or playing hard to get, for some reason Rielle thought it was the former, her friend had been fairly sheltered until college. She was very good at reading people but when it came to the man/woman dynamic Andie did not seem to pick up on the signals.

Rielle was enjoying the pineapple, mango and red onion salad with cilantro and pepper with a hint of lime when she felt like someone was staring at her. She chewed thoughtfully on a piece of tart pineapple as she casually looked up and her eyes locked with a pair of light blue eyes in a darkened corner of the room several tables away.

She felt a shiver go up her spine at the intensity of the large man’s stare before forcing her eyes away from his and just barely caught Camille’s question.“So how are your grandparents enjoying the trip?”

She swallowed carefully and then said, “From the last postcard I would say they’re having a fabulous time. They were in Spain learning to flamenco dance.” with a smile.

The other women laughed because they could all imagine the spritely couple. Her maternal grandparents had been instrumental in raising her when her parents were travelling due to her father’s career and had provided a stable environment for her older brother Christopher and herself.

Chris worked as a loan manager for a large bank on the island and had helped her to pay for the trip Marielena and Carlos Lopez were taking now that they had retired from their government jobs a few months ago.

Rielle looked around the stone faced room taking in the mahogany vaulted ceiling with swirling palm fans and candles on the tables that supplemented the torch like sconces on the walls and the mood was completed by tropical breezes and soft steel band music playing. The tables were laid with maroon linens and yellow, white and orange hibiscus and hot pink bougainvillea decorated the center along with the votives.

The starters were finished amid much conversation and the main course were laid out and she chose the lobster risotto with roasted prawns, spinach, almond and a balsamic glaze which melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes for a moment as she savored her meal.

Rielle’s eyes popped open and she was glad her skin was just dark enough not to show a blush because the heated look the sandy haired stranger was sending her made her so self conscious she wondered if she had something on her face or if she was overexposed.

The other women had also gotten seafood; Camille had the conch and rice with vegetables, Georgie chose a delicious red snapper on a bed of coconut rice and Creole sauce and Andrea’s meal was a fragrant lemon pepper shrimp over linguine.

They were all raving about the food as they ate when the sommelier came to the table bearing a bottle of wine.

“Excuse me, the gentlemen over there would like to offer this bottle for your approval.” he said beaming.