Stormy Affair

Chapter One

Lara gazed out the open taxi window. It was difficult to process that only hours ago, she’d hopped on the first plane heading south with only a carry-on. If that didn’t scream desperation, she didn’t know what would. Yep, she was running. And now…here she was, bouncing over a less than stellar road with sweet tropical air rushing in the window. 

It was glorious!

She took deep breaths and let the sultry air work its magic on her. She was finally beginning to relax after weeks of being on edge, jumpy and unsure of what do to. It had been soul-crushing.

A canopy of trees arched over the road and moon rays winked through the leaves. If only she had someone to share it with, this magical fairyland with its twinkling fireflies and the song of tree frogs. It was so beautiful it hurt. Had things not blown up like they had, she wouldn’t have been alone.

But she was.

Oof! The car bounced over a huge pothole and jarred her body making her jaw snap. It felt like they’d bottomed out, a sensation made worse by the fact that the seats had no springs. Easy up there, please, she said to the driver.

Sorry, miss. It’s not a good road.

No kidding, she said under her breath. But anyway, the car bucking over the road and its bone-cracking antics reminded her she wasn’t numb anymore. She felt the pain and embraced it. She was alive.

She needed this escape and it was the perfect place to hide her embarrassment and humiliation. Lara lifted her face to the breeze again. 

She stuck her arm out the window, letting the wind flow over her hand. Anything to avoid picking up her phone to check her social media. The last few weeks had been brutal across all her accounts. She knew she’d have to email her agent soon. Pam would need to know why she’d fallen off the planet. When all this drama began, Pam had kicked damage control into high gear, doing what she could to salvage the last two and a half years of hard work. Maybe that was a bit dramatic, but Lara knew the tide could turn and cancel culture was out there.

Lara made a good living as a social media influencer. She’d fallen into it at the beginning of the pandemic and her content had taken off. Timing and luck had propelled her to the top and her reputation had grown exponentially. A reputation she’d carefully protected.

Thankfully, all her current brand deals were completed, with more scheduled over the next few months. But for now, she was going dark. It was going to be tough to cut herself off and fade to black for a while.

But she had to. 

She’d been played for a fool.

It was difficult to admit she was running from a failed happy ever after. Especially since she’d crowed about it for the last few months on her social media. Her vision swam as tingles swept up the back of her neck, blurring the twinkling of the fireflies. How could she have been so stupid?  She’d humiliated herself for all the world to see.

Swallowing down a dizzying wave of vertigo, she rationalized it was the chance you took when you opened yourself up online. And hell, she was wide open. She’d been happy. Thought she was in love. All of which made her feel worse now. 

She puffed out a breath to blow a strand of hair stuck to her forehead. It was hot. She’d shed as much clothing as modesty allowed as she waited in the taxi line. Changed into flip-flops and shoved her leather boots into her already overstuffed bag. Traveling light still meant she to make it all fit in her carry-on. Thank goodness for sturdy zippers. She’d kept her face lowered and head down until it was her turn for a taxi. Lara had caught a few glances and slipped on her sunglasses and baseball hat, pulling the brim over her face. She was used to being recognized in public, but it was the last thing she wanted now. 

The wind streaming into the car and her hair were not getting along. She needed a clip to keep it off her face but that meant rummaging in the bottom of her bag. So instead, she gathered the strawberry curls into a bundle, wound it around and did her best to knot it on top of her head. 

She imagined she could give Romancing the Stone’s Joan Wilder a run for her money in the disheveled department. Only she was in a car and not riding down a mudslide on the side of a mountain with a hot guy landing between her legs. Lara bit back a smile. It lightened her mood for a moment.

The rise and fall of her love life had been splashed all over the internet. All influencers took that risk and there was always someone right behind you, nipping at your heels. People were quick to share information, good, bad and ugly. But when it affected her life and career, that was where she had to draw the line. And now it all hung in the balance. 

If it wasn’t bad enough that she’d discovered her ex had cheated right around the time he’d proposed, but to see it gain traction across social media was unbearable. So here she was, on an island she’d never heard of, in the back of a taxi driving to an unknown destination in the middle of the night.

Her escape had been spur of the moment and everything was last-minute booking--the flight and the accommodation. Arriving on Luneris Cay with no plan was both exhilarating and a little frightening. She needed to find somewhere to stay, otherwise she’d have nowhere, except maybe under a tree on the beach, which was a big nope. While she was waiting in the taxi line, she’d found a place and made the arrangements over the phone. Relieved to know she had somewhere now, it helped ease her anxiety. It sounded just perfect--a beach-front, top floor, old world style apartment with a kitchen and a balcony facing the sea. Immediate occupancy. 

With a name like Seashell Cove, how could she go wrong?

The taxi hit a bump in the road. It was the worst one yet. She hadn’t considered renting a car, since everything about this escape was abrupt.

She met the driver’s gaze in the rearview mirror, then glanced away. She supposed it wasn’t his fault the road was so bad, but damn, this vehicle needed to be retired!

Lara craved a massage, and after this car ride, her body would need it.

Traveling along in the dark, with only the fireflies and moon rays to light the way, felt perfect. Mysterious. A new adventure, in a new world. She had no clue what the light of day would reveal and a small bloom of excitement budded inside her. This was definitely a step on the path less traveled for her.

She should be recording it! Lara dug in her bag for her camera. She’d do her best to capture the ambience of the drive and began recording, panning the camera around, not saying a word, letting nature do the talking and, of course, the squeaks and grunts of the car as it bounced over the road. It would lend authenticity to the video.

She sighed and leaned closer to the window and turned the camera toward herself. She looked into the lens and smiled, closing her eyes for a moment before facing the window, then turning the camera back to a stunning display of fireflies.

Would you mind stopping for a moment? She asked the driver. I’d like to hear the tree toads singing.

Of course, miss. He pulled over on a narrow shoulder of the road and parked the car.

The softness of the night enveloped her and the symphony of the tropical night surrounded her, almost bringing tears to her eyes. It was so lovely.

Thank you, Lara said and rested her camera in her lap.

"You’re welcome, miss.

They carried on, the sea on one side, and steep hills covered with tropical vegetation on the other. The road clung to the side of the cliffs, weaving in and out, reminding her of the road to Hana, on Maui in Hawaii. Only this road had a lot more bumps and potholes.

Hitting another one proved her point, and she clamped her lips when the tires bounced in and out of the hole. Her spine voiced its agony as well.

The road climbed up the foliage-covered hill, leaving the sea behind. They appeared to be driving inland now, which was confusing since the apartment was beach-front. As they crested the hill, the driver slowed and turned off. 

Even though it was nighttime, Lara was in awe of the view before her and lifted her camera to take a shot. It probably wouldn’t do the view any justice. The sea shifted under the full moon like molten silver. Lights from dwellings twinkled as if stars had been flung across the island. Then the view was gone behind a rise of trees as they drove down a steep hill. This road was better maintained than the one they’d turned off. 

Down they went. Lara held on to the door handle to steady herself. She’d never been on a road this steep, and the headlights caught a sign at the bottom indicating a hairpin turn. It seemed very precarious and when the driver braked for the turn, she almost ended up on the floor. Finally, they emerged in a town, the treacherous drive over…hopefully. Righting herself in the seat, she let go of the handle and flexed her fingers.

They drove into a village and it was hopping! Music and laughter filled the streets. The aroma of food reminded her that she hadn’t eaten in ages, and she hoped she could find a place close to her apartment. But seeing the crowds in all the cafés, bars and restaurants was completely unexpected.

Lara pressed her fist to her chest. Her heart pounded. Was it excitement, surprise, panic? She wasn’t sure. The life and brightness of this little town appealed to her and she was eager to explore it, but not right away. She needed to get her bearings first and heal her battered soul. Hopefully Seashell Cove would help her do that while still maintaining this vibrant atmosphere.

They continued on past the edge of the town. The road took them back along the ocean and then curved away from the shoreline until the sea disappeared behind houses and more restaurants tucked in among the trees lining the beach. 

The car slowed. Lara craned her head to see out the front window. A beautiful sign, lit from the bottom, highlighted the words Seashell Cove through the trimmed flowering bushes.

She held her breath when they turned into the driveway. Cottages nestled under palms on either side of the drive, which was covered in crushed shells that reflected white in the moonlight. They wound through