Fantasy Reality

I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with the sun shining through the sliding door. Raising my arms over my head to give them a stretch, I cautiously glanced over the line of pillows towards my right and saw that I was all alone. Figuring Sid was probably gone for a workout or getting breakfast, I made my way into the bathroom, relieved that I didn’t have to see him.

Standing in the steam shower, under the spray from the rainfall shower head, I recounted last night’s events. Sid had gotten so angry and it took only a few seconds for him to do a complete 360. I was in uncharted territory and I had no way to know if this was typical Sid behavior or if this side of him was brought on because of the situation we were in. I kept telling myself over and over again that I just had to stick it out for 2 more days, just 2 more days and I’d be free from the game we were playing. Another thought popped into my head and I closed my eyes; could I just leave him after everything that happened here and go back to my life as if nothing happened?

Pushing the thought from my mind, I grabbed the body wash and lathered up, enjoying the intoxicating scent of the tropics. Wrapping a fluffy white towel around my body, I stepped out of the shower. Realizing that I had left my clothes in the bedroom, I headed towards the door and then stopped. What if Sid was out there? I didn’t have much choice, hoping that he was still gone; I opened the door and stepped out.

“Morning”, came a voice and I jumped. He was sitting on the edge of the bed playing with his phone. “Umm… good morning”, I said as I quickly went over to my suitcase and grabbed the first items my hands touched and retreated into the steam filled bathroom.

‘Okay, so that wasn’t so bad’, I thought as I pulled a tank top over my head. Maybe he had forgotten all about last night, he seemed harmless enough. Opening the door again, I stepped out and saw that he was no longer sitting on the bed, I was alone once again. I shoved on the black spider killing flip flops and headed out into the sun.

Sitting down at the bistro table outside out room, I took out my iPhone and called work. Hoping that no one would be in yet, I dialed the number expecting to leave a message on the answering machine. I was surprised when Angela picked up the phone. I quickly explained that things had changed and that I needed a few more days off. Listening to her typing something, I leaned back into my seat. This wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. “Carly? You don’t have any leave left, I have to transfer you to HR”, Angela said and I sat back up. “Oh, okay Angela. Thanks”. I crossed my fingers and hoped that HR would be able to grant me the extra days or I was in trouble. After I explained the situation to Meghann in HR, I held my breath for her reaction. “Carly, you don’t have time and you’re not giving us much notice. You can have the days this time, but don’t think we’re going to do this again. You’ll be at work 8 am on Monday”. Her last sentence wasn’t a question, it was a statement. I told her that I would be there on Monday.

Pushing end, I looked up and saw Sid standing in front of the glass door and looking out at me. Catching his eye, he smiled. Opening the door, he stepped out into the beautiful oasis. “I’m sure you probably want to grab something to eat but I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk with me”.

A walk? I can deal with a walk. “No, I’m actually not hungry. A walk sounds great”, I said as I stood up and pushed in my chair. “By the way, I’m off until Monday”, I looked at him and his face was unreadable. “That’s great, one less thing to worry about” he replied as we approached the path to the beach. We were both quiet as we followed the curving gravel trail and climbed down a set of wooden stairs. It wasn’t until our feet hit the white sand that Sid broke the silence. He kicked off his sandals and turned to face me. “Carly, about last night….”

I shook my head, “Sid, no, I’m the one who should apologize. I wasn’t thinking when I turned off the light and I am sorry”.

“I appreciate the apology but I owe you one as well. I’m usually pretty mild tempered off the ice and save my aggressions for on the ice. You’re doing me this huge favor and…. I’m sorry, that’s all”. We were walking slowly along by the water as gentle waves lapped at our feet.

“Apology accepted. I think we’re both out of our element here. I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into and I’m not sure if you’ve realize it yet, but I do have a problem with telling it like it is”. I gave him a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Exactly and I’m sure you’re beginning to see that I’m not the robotic Sid that you see in media scrums”, he replied with a wink. Somewhere in the midst of our apologies, there was an unspoken bond that formed. We were just like 2 ordinary people that had just started dating; we were getting a feel for the other person; learning what made them tick, what made them happy and who they were.

By the time we walked back to the main house, I was starving and Sid had decided to go for a jog with the other guys. I ate lunch on the patio with a few other girls, feeling more comfortable sitting at a table with 6 familiar faces than I had yesterday. Nathalie was sitting next to me, with her Ray-bans on and looking chic with a black hat as she sipped on a mimosa. I listened to a conversation about Tiffany vs Cartier jewellery as I ate my green salad and drank plain water, vowing to avoid alcohol at all costs. If I were to start drinking this early and in the heat, I would be pretty tipsy by the time dinner rolled around, and since we were all dining together again this evening, I had to make sure that nothing accidentally slipped out.

As soon as I finished my lunch, I excused myself and retreated back into our room. There was no sign of Sid, but I could hear the water running in the bathroom. Lying across the bed, I reached over for the stack of magazines that were on the night stand and started reading the headlines.

Sid emerged from the bathroom with a towel secured firmly around his waist. His broad chest was still wet which made the muscle definition more noticeable than usual. “Nice singing”, I said as looked up from the magazine I was flicking through. During his 15 minute shower, I could distinctively hear singing and although it was hard to make out the lyrics, I was almost certain that the words I heard belonged to LMFAO’s ‘Sexy and I Know it’.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He walked over to his suitcase and hauled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

“You’re not fooling me Crosby, you sing in the shower. I find it cute”, I told him as I turned my attention back to Katie Holmes’s heartbreak.

“I was just listening to the music on my phone, it wasn’t me”. I glanced up at him and then gestured with my head to his iPhone which was still on the nightstand. Busted! “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that you’re sexy and you know it”, I let out a little laugh and continued reading.

The next thing I knew, something hit me hard on the head. I saw the pillow and glanced towards Sid who was standing there with another pillow in his hand. “I wouldn’t joke if I were you; I remember hearing a Justin Bieber song while you were in the shower this morning”.

“The pure fact that you know that it was a Justin Bieber song that I was singing is disturbing”, I flung the pillow back in his direction, missing him by at least a foot.

He had a playful grin on his face. “At least your aim is as bad as your singing”, he said as he threw the other pillow he at me.

It hit me squarely on the forehead and I sat up to retaliate. Sid was armed with the pillow I had thrown and I knew his aim was good. We both raised our arms to throw the pillows at the same time, just as I was getting ready to toss it; a knock on the door caused both of us to drop our pillows.

Sid and I exchanged questioning looks. “Ummm… Who is it?” I asked as Sid dashed into the bathroom with his clothes. “Mario”. I opened the door and stepped aside to allow him to enter. He greeted me warmly as he glanced around. “Is Sid here?” he asked the same time as Sid emerged from the bathroom and took a seat on one of the chairs.

“Carly, do you mind if Sid and I have a word?” Mario asked as he took a seat on the other chair. “Of course”, I walked to the door and caught a glimpse of the two of them talking intently as I closed it behind me.