50. Thinking About Things
1394 Words
The girls and I go to the conference room of all places.
Coral orders a drink for all of us. Then we sit down.
"Ok, let's start with Nadine. Why does Elek not like you now?"
"Well he likes kissing." They nod. "Anyone." Coral sits back and takes a drink. "He likes the physical stuff, but what man doesn't." Thora nods. "He only ever stopped kissing other girls around me when Coral told him too. It wasn't because he liked me. He did it because he was told to by his aunt."
Thora sits back. "That is true."
"I mean if she hadn't said anything, he would have been kissing Elkie right now. It makes no difference to him. Did you hear about the red room?"
"Yea, we got that out of Tye too."
"He even said he stopped kissing other girls in front of me because I like him basically. Then he was going out to get laid. None of that sounds right if a boy actually likes me. I mean sure, he likes the physical stuff from me. But he could like that from anyone. It doesn't mean I'm special to him, or he likes me as more than a friend."
Thora takes a drink. "She actually has some good points there."
"You're on my side, Thora."
"I'm on no one's side. I'm just here to think about things."
"Ok, so we heard the 'he doesn't like you' side. Let's hear the 'he does like you' side."
Thora smiles. "Well he does like kissing you." Then she leans back. "But he likes kissing everyone."
I nod.
"That was not helpful."
"I'M TRYING. IT'S NOT MY FAULT, HE DOESN'T LIKE HER."
Dipak walks in with Elek. "The conference room? Really? I didn't even know we had 1 of these on the boat."
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Coral screams at them.
Elek raises his eyebrows. "To see how it's going."
Thora throws a drink at him. "f**k OFF NOSEY ASSES. YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE HER."
Coral rubs her eyes. "Get out. Both of you." She pushes them out and shuts the door.
Coral sits down and the door opens again. Mary comes in and Elek tries to come in with her. She turns and shoves him out. Then she shuts the door and sits down.
"Like I was saying...."
The door opens and Kane comes in with a plate of food. Elek yells, "WHAT THE HELL?" In the hallway.
Kane turns around. "Would you rather me not be in here?"
Elek makes a weird noise and Kane shuts the door. He sits down. "Sorry. Go on."
"Now, we understand why you think he doesn't like you." She looks at Kane and Mary. "Basically, because he likes kissing everyone. Nadine included. He likes physical stuff from anyone, apparently. And the only reason he stopped doing that in front of her is because I told him to."
Everyone nods.
"So what are some reasons you would think he does like you as more than a friend?"
"I can't think of any."
"Really? None?"
"He helps me out with my businesses. He worked for days on the spa. Even without me. But people do that for friends. It doesn't mean he likes me as more than a friend."
Kane swallows hard. "He sat up there for days working on the spa. He wasn't getting anything for that. He worked his ass off and got a lot done for nothing. I sure as hell wouldn't do that for someone who is just a friend. I don't think anyone would."
Thora smiles. "He got paid in nap time."
Mary laughs. "He did like that."
I shake my head. "But he likes physical stuff. That could be napping." I scratch my head. That even sounded stupid coming out.
Kane nods. "It's not."
"What else?"
"He kidnapped me and kept me safe when that happened with Nik. But he was probably ordered to do that."
Kane nods. "He was. But he still would have done it. Honestly, he went above and beyond what he was ordered to do. He put you in a spot unfindable to anyone. Obviously, something he had planned for if something happened to 1 of his brothers again. But he used it for you."
Thora looks at Kane. "But he also took the w***e with him."
Coral shrugs her shoulders. "Well, what was he supposed to do with her? I don't think he tried to take her. She just went with them. She came with them. It made sense."
Thora nods. "Yea, he took his date with him. That makes sense. You're right. That gave him someone to make out with when he got bored."
Coral rubs her eyes. "I need another drink."
Kane looks at me. "Have you had s*x with him?"
"No. I tried in the cave. And in the resort. He said no. He wouldn't let me kiss him in my office 1 time either. Surely he doesn't like me because of that."
"Why did he say no in the cave and resort?"
"He said I was heartbroken, and he wasn't going to take advantage of me."
"And what was going on when you tried to kiss him in the office?"
"Nothing. I woke up from my nap. I tried to kiss him, and he turned his head. It was obvious he didn't want that."
"You were acting too young. I think the boys were having issues dealing with that. It probably scared the hell out of him."
Mary smiles. "Yea, he wouldn't have known what to do. She was trying to stab people with the head horn mostly. It probably did scare him. I don't think anyone would know how to react to that."
Coral looks at me. "You can't hold the kiss against him. And the s*x is actually a reason why he likes you. You were going through so much with Nikolas, he didn't want to complicate it. Or make you hurt worse."
Kane nods. "Yea, if he only wanted something physical. He would have taken it then. He was looking out for you by saying no."
"Oh."
"So what else?"
"He threw Tobias out the window when he offered to have s*x with me."
They crack up laughing.
Mary smiles. "That's definitely a reason to think he likes you. What about your first kiss?"
"That was a long time ago. Corals garden. We went up a hill. It overlooked all of it. I loved that kiss. Then Kane made me nearly die."
"Worth it."
I shake my head. "The next kiss he did to piss Tye off. It got him thrown across the arena."
"That's part of the drama Dipak was talking about."
Thora sits up. "Back to the w***e. When Tre punched him. He looked at Tre and said at least you're hitting the right person this time. We were all confused. What did that mean? Did you ever figure it out?"
"Oh yea. Everything was going on at their castle with the magic portals. And I ended up back at ours. Elek came up to Dipaks' office and was talking with me alone. We were kissing. Then Frode walked in on us and threw him out. Later, when Dipak and Marcus got back, Frode said something about the 2 of us kissing. I ran for it. I ran right into Omar carrying a bunch of bricks. I broke my nose badly. They took me to the medical area and put me out. Well, fast-forward to the resort after Nikolas. It came out that Elek thought 1 of them had broken my nose for kissing him. All he had seen was the blood, and it was after we kissed. No one told him anything about what really happened. I told him at the resort, and he seemed to calm down a bit."
Coral smiles. "And just like that it all makes sense."
Kane nods. "Yep. I never even thought about that."
Thora looks around. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The door opens and Tre smiles at me.
I smile big. "Hi sexy."
"Hi baby. We have a village if you want to be pirates."
I jump up. "Yes."
Coral stands up. "Ok but we're not done."
"God I hope not. I'm even more confused now than when we came in." Thora downs her drink before we go.
- Writer
