A Way Better Model

1.

Thursday

After working days and nights for months, Bobby Reynolds arrived at the Caribbean resort on Thursday ready to let loose. The fact that the weekend jaunt was for his dad's wedding only made it better. He'd get to celebrate his dad's occasion while chasing what he could and drowning his fatigue from his new job.

The past year had been a hurricane, so this was a good way to cap it off. It had been one year ago when last April his parents had separated. Married for twenty-four years, their divorce hadn't exactly been easy. Now here he was at his dad's wedding.

As Bobby checked in for his room with a king bed and soaked up the open air, he couldn't help but shake his head. Leave it to his dad, the strong-willed Alan Reynolds, to achieve this. Separate, divorce, then get remarried to his twenty-eight-year-old former assistant, Celeste. All in a year.

Lugging his bag and a satchel for his laptop, he made his way to his room, keeping an eye out for his dad. At six-one, Bobby was a couple of inches taller than Alan, but the thick brown hair and intense brown eyes they shared usually clued people off as to their relation.

Headed up the elevator and eagerly anticipating the room that waited on the tenth floor, he couldn't keep his thoughts from roaming to his mother. Jenny Reynolds wouldn't be making this trip, not surprising anyone.

Bobby had liked how his dad had reached out and invited her anyway. She had politely declined. The fact that a year ago the bride-to-be was working with Alan meant that expecting his mother to attend just wasn't realistic.

Up until now, he had taken it in stride. Still, something about it all gnawed at him, and that was simply to be expected. He missed her. Felt for her, while they were all going to be celebrating.

As he entered his room, a lightness fell over him.

Gorgeous.

Floor to ceiling windows on the far side displayed the panoramic blue-green water that stretched out beyond the balcony. Noting the fridge as he passed, and then the big, billowy king bed, his steps hurried him to pull open the sliding glass doors.

Warm air gushed by and kissed his face as he stepped on out. Ten floors up didn't minimize the lapping waves crashing to shore. Instead, the vantage way over the beach only wowed him all the more.

After soaking up the view and the sights all along the coast, he hopped back inside to ready to go meet his dad and Uncle Louis for dinner. The three of them were the only ones standing on his dad's side. Uncle Louis was the best man, and Alan was making sure to include Bobby.

Six attendants altogether seemed about right for a destination wedding with fifty invitations. Family and some friends kept it a contained occasion, and Bobby was raring to go.

As he changed clothes his phone buzzed with a text. It couldn't be his last girlfriend as their contact had finally ended a couple of weeks ago. And his buddies from back home all knew he was away.

His phone flashed the text that stopped him in his tracks.

Mom

.

"I'm here."

Bobby gulped.

Oh shit

.

...

2.

Thursday Evening

The news felt like a gut shot because it wasn't like Jenny Reynolds to just up and change her mind anyway. Hopping on a plane and flying down to the Caribbean to show-up at her ex's wedding wasn't her way. At least, it hadn't ever been before.

Now that she was here, Bobby had to think fast. He bought time with Alan and Louis, saying he'd come along separately to meet them at dinner. He'd sit with her for a quick drink and assess where she was coming from.

One of the bars on the property was a water hole with nightly music and a laid-back vibe. She was already in a corner of the place and nursing a chardonnay when he got there. Her luggage sat beside the table.

"Bobby!" She hopped up, and her face brightened.

Throwing her arms up over his shoulders, they squeezed tight, and it hit him that he hadn't even seen her for four months. The last time had been the holidays, and now here they were in May. A whiff of lilac and perhaps lavender together with her lean five-six frame struck him. So did her fitted black dress.

This version of her was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"Wow, look at you." He didn't hide his being impressed.

Still standing close with her face peering up at his, her proud smile beamed. "Yeah?"

"Unreal." He had to admit, something was agreeing with her.

"I've been eating better. Working out." She sat back down, still smiling.

"Well, it shows." He sat across from her and couldn't help but smile back. "You've changed your hair, too."

She let her hands toss her curled blonde hair about some. "Yeah. Cut it. And a bit of a perm."

In the past, her hair had been about shoulder length and fairly straight, but now it was shorter, livelier, and sported tight curls. It worked. A much better look.

They spoke some about her flight and the resort, and suddenly things made a little more sense. She had taken care of herself. Gotten this new and improved look. She had made herself get here probably to make a statement to Alan. Now Bobby got it.

"I hope this isn't too weird." She said it in more of a hushed, self-conscious way.

He chuckled. "Nah, don't worry. I mean, it's a surprise. I expect dad's going to be surprised. But hey, he invited you, right?"

Her look back lingered for a bit before she answered. Like she was weighing how he probably really felt.

"Yes, he did say I should come along. But... it wasn't easy for me. I didn't think I would at first."

"I understand." As soon as he said that it was like she looked closer at him. Like she wanted to know if he really did get it.

But the thing was, Bobby knew her well. She was smart and there was an inner strength there. But her usual soft tone and contained presence was genuine. Doing something like this was no doubt a big, big deal for her.

She sipped her wine, and then in another muted effort asked him something important. "Have you met her?"

Celeste. She was wondering about Celeste.

"No. No, I haven't." He shrugged. "I know this must be weird and all."

She half-smiled. "Hey, it's fine. I've thought a lot about it. I'm fine. I just want him to be happy."

"Yeah?" Bobby immediately hated how perky he'd sounded. How surprised.

"Yeah," she emphasized. "Hey... I'm really not here to, like, cause a scene or anything. And I don't want to make your dad uncomfortable."

He nodded quietly, but inside he was very pleased to hear that.

She continued. "You can let him know that, too. I don't want to cause any problems. Make anyone uncomfortable."

"Well, good. I will. I mean, I'm sure he'll be surprised at first that you made it down. But I'll let him know."

"Good." She drank again, as did he.

"Hey, I should get going. I'm actually meeting dad and Louis for dinner." He started to get up.

Her hand reached over touching his arm. "Bobby, one other thing."

His heart sank. "Yeah?"

"Um," she shook her head and her eyes cast down at first. Slowly, they rose back to take his in. "I'm sorry to ask this, but... I have no choice. They're fully booked for the weekend. There's actually a couple of weddings and a conference going on."

"Oh?"

"So, like I said, I don't like asking, but I have no choice. Could I use your sofa for the couple of nights?" Her brow furrowed hard.

'Of course," he said it confidently even if his heart raced with the thought of it. "And I'll be the one on the sofa. That's no problem."

"No, no, no. I insist. I'll take the sofa. It'll suit me just fine."

He stood, and she did as well.

"I've got to get going. I'm late meeting dad and Louis."

"I understand." She started grabbing her things, but Bobby took the Louis Vuitton piece for her to roll it to the room.

Between her other bags she brought and his pulling the large suitcase, they made their way by the front desk first, so that they could get her a key to the room. Then, Bobby went with her to the room to help her get everything inside.

They shared some chit chat about how nice the resort was, but in the meanwhile, his mind tried but failed to wrap around what it would be like to share his room with her all weekend. Everything about the thought of it made him tighten. Close confines, her going through all this, and then the balancing act this meant with his dad.

At least, that's the way it felt. Balancing both ends of his parents' expectations now. His dad wanting him to share this huge experience with him. And then, despite whatever else she'd say about it, there was the whole at-her-side prospect of helping his mother get through this tough ultimate break from Alan.

As they walked the last few steps and up to the hotel room door, the sight of her in her clinging dress and heels both impressed him and tugged at him. Her new look amazed him that she had done so much to transform herself. Yet, the attractive presence she conveyed reminded him how this trip had now changed.

Any notion of chasing about was fading. At least, she drank. There was that.

Helping her get her things into the room, this strange air hovered in the luxurious space. Alone with her like this in a hotel room gave off some energetic charge, weird and kind of daring. If it had been any other woman, their being in this nice room by themselves for a weekend would have been inescapably romantic. A kind of intimate respite.

As it was, this was just a compromise of sorts. His way of helping her get through this. And that was more than alright, when it came right down to it.

He'd enjoy the weekend for what it was. Celebrating his dad's new life and getting his mother through this hurdle without any scene or drama. This balance surely he could handle just fine.

And somehow, he'd find a way to have some fun along the way, he expected.

...

3.

Thursday Night

Dinner with Alan and Louis felt a lot like jumping onto a moving train. It was already cruising along at a good pace when Bobby joined in. There wasn't a bachelor's party, but the alcohol flowed, and Bobby downed his beers with the best of the both of them.

Talk ranged from Alan opening-up about marrying such a younger woman, to all of them looking forward to their golf on Friday afternoon. Bobby tried to pick a good spot to drop the bomb about Jenny showing up. Waiting until the end of the entrees and with everyone buzzed seemed perfect.

As expected, both Alan and Louis were astonished. Louis especially got a kick out of watching Alan squirm at hearing this. Then, the fact that they were both taking it so well made Bobby breathe that much easier. This was all going to go well after all, it seemed. At least from his dad's side.

During dessert, some worry kicked in for Alan. Why was Jenny showing up after all? With a glance in Louis' direction, Alan also questioned how Jenny could possibly stay collected once she got around Celeste. The way Louis widened his eyes at this made Bobby wonder how they might know better about his mother on such a thing than he did.

Nevertheless, Bobby tried to reassure Alan. He let Alan know about how he had already had a good talk with Jenny before coming to dinner. She seemed just fine with everything.

In a move that perhaps his beer told him was a good idea, Bobby added that he thought Jenny would be even more inclined to listen to him since she was crashing with him.

"

What

?" Alan half-laughed out loud.

"Yeah, the place was booked up, so she's staying in my room. I'm crashing on the sofa."

Alan and Louis exchanged looks. Alan shook his head. "Be careful, son."

"What?" Bobby asked. "How do you mean? She's not acting angry or anything. She's a little emotional maybe. But she's going to be just fine."

Louis chimed in. "Listen, you can only do the best you can do. It's good of you to help."

They wrapped things up, and for the life of him, Bobby couldn't get why Alan and Louis had been so dire about it. Maybe there was some guilt or some worry. Maybe they were leery of what Alan's choices might bring about. But Bobby just didn't see it that way. It wasn't anywhere close to how Jenny had seemed to him so far.

All the concerned talk from dinner had Bobby braced for when he got back to the room. But as soon as he got inside, his exuberance from the drinks and meal at the restaurant settled back in. The atmosphere in the hotel room at close to midnight was even more relaxed than what he'd left at the restaurant.

Jenny beamed to him from outside on the balcony. Chilled white wine was on ice close by. Her bare feet topped with nicely-done red toenails propped onto a table between the two chairs sitting overlooking the ocean.

"Hey sweetheart," her words rolled smoothly as she stood and gave him a quick hug as he made his way out. "How did it go?"

"Fine. Really good. Dad's great. He's glad you're here." Yeah, so he exaggerated just a bit.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him for a second, but her wary expression said she wasn't necessarily buying it. "Hey, have a seat. Let me get you a beer."

Bobby plopped down in the chair, inhaled the salt air, and marveled at how readily she got him the beer. Something about the gesture, and maybe also the relief she wasn't in a bad mood, lightened his mood even more.

"Thanks," he said as he accepted the cold bottle from her.

The beer went down very well as she popped some questions to him.

"He was shocked, right?"

Bobby nodded. "Oh yeah. You could say that."

She sipped her wine. "What did he say?"

"He was glad you decided to come after all."

"Really?"

"Really. I mean, he was wondering how you're taking things."

"What did you say?" It was the only time her tone sounded like it might have an edge.

"I said you were doing just fine."

She nodded and let her attention drift out over the darkness on the water.

Bobby struck a gentle tone. "You are, right? You doing good?"

She returned her gaze back to him, and Bobby wasn't sure what he saw from her face. A short stare. Maybe some scrutiny from her. Like she was sizing him up somehow. But for what? Why?

Finally, she answered quietly. "Yes, sure I am."

They both sat a moment, and then she raised a question he didn't expect.

"Did you tell him I'm staying with you?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. I thought I'd go ahead and bring that up. I told him everything was booked, and that I was taking the sofa."

She downed the rest of her glass. "You're not taking the sofa. I am."

She was getting up and headed in, when he came right back.

"No, you're not. I can't have you sleeping on the sofa. You know that."

He followed her inside and pulled the glass door closed.

Watching her drift towards the bathroom, he noticed she was in an old tee and some shorts. Putting her glass on some shelving near a coffeemaker, she half-turned and spoke over to him.

"Hey, it's a king bed. There's enough room that we can each have our sides. I'm fine with it. If you are."

Her suggestion threw him, knowing her as he did. All his life, she'd been so poised and appropriate, and while it wasn't really that inappropriate given the circumstances, sharing a hotel room bed with her wasn't something he would have possibly imagined before tonight.

She sensed it. "Are you fine with it? I mean, I really can take the sofa." Her hands went into her hair and stroked through it, while her eyes stayed on his. There was a directness to it he didn't expect.

"That's fine. Sure, sure. We can share it." He managed.

She slipped into the bathroom, and it gave him a chance to get out of his jeans. Thinking fast, he tossed on an old t-shirt he had brought along for working-out, as well as pulled on some shorts. He was under the covers as she came out.

Once the bathroom light was out, a heavy darkness blanketed the room. She slipped under the covers, and he could barely believe things had gotten to this. He wondered if it was more of a thing to him since he was feeling the beers as much as he was. Then, his thoughts went to her.

She'd probably downed wine while he was at dinner, just as he had at dinner. Then, the last drink they had together. This was sinking in as she eased towards him in the darkness.

Her subdued murmur was near him and gave away that she faced him and was turned his way. "Thank you for everything."

"Absolutely," he said with a lowered voice back.

Her voice stayed soft. "Can I ask you something?"

Intrigued, he went to turn over onto his side as well, facing her, and when his knees brushed hers under the covers, and his eyes could detect her face just under his own, he realized he had put himself very close to her.

"Sure," he answered in barely more than a whisper.

When she didn't withdraw, he didn't either. She was staying quiet, as if still pondering whether to ask her question. Her hand came over and found his arm. Rubbed lightly.

"You're so sweet, Bobby. We've both had some drinks. We should call it a night."

"No," the thought of not hearing her question had moved him, and he reached to her as well, wanting to urge her to continue. When he did, he put his own hand underneath where hers stayed on his arm. The result was letting his palm rest at her ribs, and the tenderness there amped his pulse.

"No?" She asked back. "You're not tired?"

"Not really. You can ask me whatever you want."

Her weight shifted even more his way and their closeness was enough to put that enticing scent of perfume back in his being.

"Alright." Her tone was barely there. Meek. "Do I come across as cold?"

His eyes fluttered and he almost laughed at how preposterous the notion was. "No.

No

."

Her eyes were studying his face. Even in the dark he could tell.

He stayed adamant. "Hey, that is bullshit."

At once he winced at cursing at such a time, and his slip reminded him just how tipsy he probably really was.

A muted chuckle sounded from her. "Are you just being nice, or... is it really bullshit?"

Her repeating him like that meant something, but right then he was just too thrown to appreciate what. She was someone who didn't curse. Not around him anyway. This was different.

Keeping their lowered exchange, he tried to explain. "Listen, you're far from cold. Not at all. You care very much. Deeply. Anyone can see that. You are a passionate person."

"Oh, Bobby. Thank you." She closed their distance in the bed and put her arms over his shoulders, drawing her torso to him and sinking her face into the crease at his neck and chest. The soft, smooth skin of her face and nose meshed delicately against his bare skin.

His arm that had been at her side now wrapped behind her back. When his open palm supported her there in their hug, he couldn't help but realize the touch of her shirt flat against her back. Not the presence of any strap underneath. He scolded himself for thinking that way, but he did.

It didn't get any easier for him when their quick embrace ended, and her withdrawal left his hand to trace back onto her front. Her momentum took her backward to be able to see him again, and the resettled position had his hand graze her breast nestled just inside her shirt, his hand stopping directly under where the shirt swelled.

His blood surged, and from the blinking of her eyes, she got it, too. It wouldn't have surprised him if she had scooted back another time, taking his hand completely away. But she didn't.

Their eyes locked together, and it overwhelmed him when her lips parted. They both heard her breathe heavily.

She whispered desperately. "

Bobby

." A couple of her fingers came to feel his cheek.

The feel of her fingertips onto his cheek, and then the awareness of their lying in bed in the dark together, it combined to be too much. It didn't matter how crazy it was. He moved to her.

He eased his lips down to meet hers. First a soft touch. Then, a distinct kiss.