Vanessa didn’t wait to hear anymore. She was done. At a clipped pace, she marched out of the lounge. Even though she was tired, she knew going back to her room wouldn’t do her any good. As irritated as she was at the moment, she would just lay in bed and toss and turn. Deciding a walk would be better, she headed towards the gardens.
It seemed not only had Samuel’s looks not changed in the past two years, but neither had his personality. He was still the same self-centered, flirtatious jerk that had hurt her feelings two years ago. She’d honestly believed they’d had a real connection and he would remember enough to call her after the party, but he never did.
Even though the online papers, blogs, and social media liked to paint Samuel Butler as a lazy, playboy billionaire, part of her always wondered if they just liked making him look bad. It seemed the reports were correct however. He was just the same as he had been two years ago. The difference was, she wasn’t stupid enough to fall for his charms a second time.
Vanessa made two laps around the garden’s paths, feeling better after each pass. She was about ready to head back to her room, when from across the courtyard, she saw Samuel making a bee-line straight for her. She glanced around her, looking for an exit, but there wasn’t one nearby.
“There you are. I called up to your room from the lobby phone but there was no answer. I asked a couple of the workers where you might be. They mentioned you sometimes come out here to walk.”
“Why were you trying to find me?” Vanessa asked candidly. “I didn’t think there was anything left to discuss.”
“Something didn’t set right with our conversation. I swear, the moment I saw you, I felt like I knew you from somewhere. It bothered me the entire time you were in the lounge. Then I come to find out you’re from New York, like me. I just know I’ve had to have seen you somewhere before. Can you tell me where we know each other from?”
Vanessa pressed her lips together, debating whether or not she should tell him the truth. She decided it didn’t matter; she would be on a private jet back to New York tomorrow. When he arrived back in the city, she’d do whatever it took to avoid him until she left for Yale again. Samuel Butler belonged firmly in her past, and she wasn’t going to change that, now that he suddenly showed back up in her life.
“There isn’t anything to tell,” she stammered out, before darting past him frantically. “I have to go. I have a long flight back home tomorrow.”
She didn’t give him a chance to form a rebuttal. She rushed out of the gardens and towards her room, sending up a grateful prayer that in a few short hours, she’d be free of the island and Samuel for good.
Chapter Three
Samuel’s mind kept drifting back to how he stood by and just watched as Vanessa walked away from him the previous night. He’d only known her for less than an hour, but something about her made him want to spend more time with her—and not just in a physical sense. She intrigued him; from her easy banter to her sarcastic wit. It was clear she was smart, which was only further confirmed when he found out she was heading back to Yale to start her doctorate in the fall.
The problem was, she’d left him high and dry in the garden. He’d searched for her with the intent to ask her to stay longer on the island with him, but she’d made it obvious by darting away, she wasn’t interested in getting to know him.
Even though she was flying back to New York today, he’d purposely gone down into the lobby early, hoping he might run into her as she was leaving. He knew it seemed desperate, but he hadn’t been taken with a woman like this since…no, he wasn’t going to let himself dwell on Fiona. If he let himself do that, it would ruin the rest of his day. He wanted to start his birthday celebration off right, and to do that he needed to focus on being carefree.
“Are you ready for your departure, Mr. Butler?” Simone inquired as she came to stand beside him in the lobby.
Samuel turned his attention to the redhead. “Absolutely, Simone. Are you going to tell me what we’re doing today?”
She shook her head with a playful smile on her face. “No, you told me to surprise you and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I can promise you this; you’re going to love what I have in store for you.”
“I have no doubt. The club always does a terrific job of pulling out all the stops.” He gestured towards the door. “Lead the way.”
Several minutes later, they arrived at the waiting Gulfstream jet. Samuel climbed the metal stairs and took a seat in one of the plush leather recliners inside the aircraft’s lounge area.
A pretty dark-haired woman with olive skin in a flight attendant uniform came up beside him. “May I get you something to drink, Mr. Butler?”
“I’ll take an espresso with heavy cream.”
“Right away, sir,” she said with a friendly smile before sauntering off.
“Make sure to enjoy all the amenities of the plane. It’s going to be a long flight to our destination. If you need anything else, I will be in the back of the jet in the dining area going over some of the details for your celebration.”
Simone turned to leave, but before she could go, Samuel reached out to stop her. “Can that wait? I was hoping to ask you a few questions about one of the other club guests.”
“Mr. Butler, it’s the club’s policy not to discuss other guests.”
“But your job is to grant my every wish for my birthday, right? I’ve already met the guest in question, so you won’t be crossing a line. I just want to get a little more background about her.”
Simone seemed to think about his request before taking a seat across from him. “I’m assuming you want to know more about Vanessa Lewis.”
Samuel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How did you know that?”
“It’s my job to make sure you have everything you need while you’re a guest of the club. In order to do that, I have to keep tabs on you and what you’re doing.”
He should have known that the club was spying on the guests. It should have bothered him, but he knew that it was the best way to make sure members were happy with their experience.
“Yes, you’re right. I’d like to know if Miss Lewis has come to the club before? If she has, what type of requests did she make? Did she enjoy herself? Does she have any intentions of coming back, and if so, does she have plans for her own birthday?”
“Mr. Butler, you know we can’t disclose another member’s itinerary or activities,” Simone reminded him, continuing to keep her unwavering smile spread across her face.
“Well, she isn’t exactly a member of the club, but more a guest of a member. Unless, by not giving me any details about her, you’re confirming she was at one point a member.”
“I never said that,” Simone quickly scrambled to her feet. “And I think it best if you focus on your own celebration rather than another guest of the club. If you and Miss Lewis are meant to run into each other again, then it will happen in due time. After all, you both live in New York.”
For now, Samuel thought to himself with bitterness, but by the end of the summer, Vanessa would be hours away, completely entrenched in her academic life. As persuasive as he might be, he doubted he could pry her away from her studies to go on a date. She seemed determined to keep her distance from him.