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
