Chapter 2 Two

Tristen

My ringtone blasts me off from my dreamless sleep. I wake immediately, rubbing my eyes with my fingers in order to adjust my eyes to the little light in the room. Raking my hair backward, I reach for my phone that lies on the bedside drawer. Without looking at the caller's ID, I lift the phone to my ears.

"Hello?" this isn't my work number, so whoever this is, knows more of me.

"Hello, Tristen," the voice responds, "I've been trying to reach you for weeks now. I thought of visiting the resort, but decided to try your phone again."

It hits me instantly. "Mateo?"

After settling back at the resort, I have a lot on my plate that I have not found the time to bond with old friends. "How're you?"

"I'm great. It's just that Vanessa and I happen to have fixed a date, so I decided to call you."

"Vanessa?" Maybe it's just the thrill of waking up, but I have a hard time thinking right now.

"Ah, yes, my fiancee. We've fixed a date for our wedding and I want to ask if you can handle it at your resort–arrange wedding planners to handle the whole event." He pauses. "And I want you to be my best man."

My reply is almost immediate. "Sure, I will. What are friends for?"

I can feel his smile at the other end of the line. "Thanks, man. We'll discuss the cost and other expenses later. Can you send me the estimated cost later on?"

"Sure. I'll do so after I've had a discussion with my event planners."

His gratitude isn't at fault again. "Thank you so much, Tristen."

As I drop the phone on the bed, the memories of yesterday hit me like crazy. I have fully recovered from my sleepy state, so everything that transpired yesterday flows. The water. The girl with brown, muddy eyes. The kiss. The one-night stand. I can't find her.

Everything we did yesterday is just like a memory. I wonder who she even is. Like someone I've known before.

I let the thoughts of her slide past me. It's better she left. It's good that it all ended in one night. Commitment is something I don't want to get entangled in, so I shrug the thoughts off and walk into the bathroom, ready to face the day. With summer on our hands, we're booked with lots of activities and planning.

The benefit of having a resort is the free room maintenance. I throw the sheets of the bed on the floor and I pick my outfit for today-my casual outfit: rolled up sleeves, a pair of plain pants, and my leather shoes.

I apply a batch of cologne on my shirt and take a whiff of the scent. I somehow think I smell the girl from yesterday. I shake my head; I want to forget her at all means.

I drive off in my Tesla to the main building of the resort. My house is built in a detached form that is two miles away from the main resort, so I get to see all that's happening and can get to the resort as fast as possible when something urgent is going on.

I park my car at the garage I use for myself and walk briskly to the door. The doorman smiles and greets me. "Morning, Mr. Moore."

I nod. "Morning, Asher." The key thing to owning a business is knowing your employees names, they always appreciate that, and Asher is so polite that I don't fail to tip him. I dig a hundred dollars from my pocket and place it in his hands.

He smiles and he says in thankfulness, "thank you, Mr. Moore. I hope you enjoy your day."

Then, I find my way to my office.

My office shows little of me, just like every other thing I own. I don't like reliving my past in the navy, I just built up this resort to start a new life.

I toss my bag on the chair and begin to fill in all the events booked for this summer with Mateo's wedding on the top. I'm still stunned Mateo will be getting married this summer. The thought of getting entangled or tying the knot with someone gives me the shivers.

I run through the database of the workers checked in. It seems like the numbers have doubled. Trisha's work.

I pick up a picture that rests on my table and run my fingers through the frame. It's a picture of the both of us: Trisha and I. We just have us to ourselves, so Trisha is the only person I can lay down my lie for at this moment. Her radiant green eyes remind me of mother, and mother, sadly, died in a car crash. Another reason Trisha is a big part of my life.

While still working, I wait for Trisha to come and give me the reports of the events planned for the next week. With a lot of events on our fingers, Trisha is always in a busy spot.

My door raps once. Before I get the chance to call the person in, the door throws itself open, and-as I expected-Trisha walks in.

Trisha is always the morning, radiant person. Her face shines in full makeup and her green eyes glister. "Hello, brother," she throws herself casually to my comfy sofa and stretches her legs.

"Hey, Trish. I've been wanting to ask, "you added more workers?"

She nods and sighs. "Yes, I did. A couple." She tilts her shoulder, taking "employment" as nothing.

I sigh at her carefree attitude. "You need to know their background before assigning them positions in this resort. I don't have anything to go wrong here."

She pops her gum. "Chill, brother. I scanned through their portfolios. They are good to go."

I relax my shoulders. "If you say so." Mateo's wedding is at the tip of my tongue. "Mateo is about to get married. I don't know if you're aware." I don't know if it comes out more of a question than a statement, because Trisha isn't surprised about it.

Her head is still resting on the armchair. "I know."

I arch my eyebrows. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Well, I thought you knew." She pops another annoying gum ball.

"I'm just finding out today. He wants me to be his best man, and that this resort should handle the planning of the event."

This is the first time this morning she seems to be interested in our conversation. She raises her head from the chair. "That's so beautiful of him. His fiancee is so beautiful and nice. I wonder when you will find your own fiancee." She rolls her eyes and drops her head back on the armrest.

I open my mouth to say something, but I close it having nothing to say. I've nothing to do with women, only one-night stands. Like the girl from yesterday.

I digress from the subject. "How have you been?"

I don't see her face, so I can't make out what her face entails. "I'm just fine. So, about the people I employed recently, you happen to know one of them."

The focus I have on my laptop drains. I keep my social circle in a small circumference, so my curiosity piques at what Trisha is saying. "Who's that?"

She sits out and gives a smile. A grin, even. As she opens her mouth, I hear a tiny knock from the door. I avert my gaze from Trisha just for a second and look at the door.

"Oh, she's here." Trisha pipes.

The person that walks in is not who I expected. She's brunette with a small petite stature. Her curves are visible from her skirts, and her brown eyes tell a lot: the girl I saved from the beach. The girl I had a one-night stand with. Not again. I've vowed to forget her and put her in the past.

But why does Trisha say I know her?

"Hey, Jess. Asher said I could meet you here..." she doesn't complete her statement when my eyes reach mine.

I feel like she notices I'm the one that saved her from her near drowning experience, because her mouth is slightly apart, shaken from what she's seen. She tries her best to cover it up, but that doesn't work with Trisha.

"What is it, Ashley? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Ashley?

Trisha's face is etched with confusion, trying to break the tension between us. As Ashley doesn't respond, Trisha turns to me. "What is it, brother?"

"It's nothing. Probably because she knows I'm a hottie." I wink. Ashley's cheeks are scarlet, but Trisha gives me a dirty look.

Trisha's pinched face softens. She puts her hand on her chest. "Oh, brother, you scared me to death. You have to see both of your faces."

She turns her face to Ashley who seems to keep her face under composition, even if she's shaken by the news. "Ashley, meet Tristen Moore, my annoying brother." She turns to me. I keep a neutral look, even though inside of me is on fire. "Brother, meet Ashley Reynolds, the girl we kinda grew up with. Do you remember her?"

Of course I do remember Ashley Reynolds.

The Ashley Reynolds I have always envisioned was a smallish, cry baby that always clung to her mother's shoulder, and didn't care about what happened the next minute. She always laughed about things and took them less seriously. She wanted to live her life just like the way the universe dictates; with no worries. Trisha is a bit carefree, but I can tolerate my own sister, Ashley on the other hand gets me on my nerves. I can't even believe what transpired between the both of us last night.

I scratch my pitch dark hair. "I think so." I act all casual to dissipate all suspicious looks from Trisha's face.

Trisha smiles. One thing I love about Trisha is her boldness. She's never afraid to take bold steps, but Ashley is shrewd and vulnerable. "So, Ashley is good at handling occasions, she can be on the crew that'll handle Mateo's wedding."

I do not want to agree. Looking at Trisha's face already, I can see the red that stays on her cheek. I want the thing that happened to the both of us to be forgotten, so working on Mateo's wedding is not a good thing, but who am I to say no to Trisha? "Okay, she can. Do whatever you want, you're the boss here."

She smiles and kisses my cheeks. "Thank you, brother."

I turned my attention to Ashley. "Welcome to the crew, Ashley." I hope Trisha doesn't hear the edge in my tone.

Ashley's reply carries a stab of guilt I didn't expect. "Thank you, Mr. Moore."

Trisha bats me an eye. I roll my eyes and turn back to Ashley. "Please, feel free to call me Tristen." Another word full of gall. I am the boss here and I want my workers to address me formally, especially Ashley.

She nods slowly, her hands clasped together. "Thank you once again, Tristen." She calls my name with a trembling effect, and I love the sound of that.

She turns her back to leave. Now, I notice the luscious brunette locks on her hair. When we were younger, her hair was a dirty brown, but now she's irresistible. I can see the perfect legs her skirt could offer to show. Now, I am reminded of how beautiful Ashley presently is.

I shake my head. No. I do not care about her legs or anything.

I contemplate telling her later on never to bring up our night affair with Trisha, but running after her currently will send the wrong signals to Trisha's head, and I do not want that.

As the room revolves back to its silent nature, Trisha is popping her gumballs, looking at the ceiling, I dig back into work, using it to expel everything that is caged up inside of me, including Ashley.

I sigh. This is going to be hard. Especially when Ashley is as beautiful as ever.