Holiday Fling with the Fae King

Chapter 1

4 Days earlier...

Evangeline POV

Oh, I needed this holiday.

My body, mind and soul needed this holiday. It also needs a new job, hopefully with better pay... or a career change. Something! Because I just feel… stuck!

You know that feeling? Like everything you touch is going to hell, and you can’t seem to claw your way out no matter what you do?

My old boss left, and the new one is a micromanaging asshole. I hated my job anyway, but now I loath it with every fiber of my being. I can promise you there is a reason why high-rise buildings don’t have openable windows!

Luckily, I work with some amazing people, and we all try and cheer each other up.

Then there is my apartment.

The heating doesn’t work, the water pressure is s**t, the new neighbour LOVES his or her music being up as high as it can go until the cops are called.

I haven't called them, but I think the rest of the neighbourhood has and will continue to as soon as it reaches 11pm on the dot.

I’ve only lived in Malvern, a suburb of Melbourne, since I started this lease, but I’m just not a fan. Or it could just be the street and the fact that everything just sucks right now.

And, of course, the big one, my love life.

Thankfully, my ex-fiance and I didn’t get married, so the split was easier than it could have been, but it still hurt. I had the rose-coloured glasses on thinking the world of his narcissistic ass until he pushed too far and the glasses shattered.

Turns out-

1. I’m not in my job because I’m not smart enough to do anything else.

2. I can manage my own money.

3. I'm not horrible to look at if I don’t wear a ton of make-up and wear exactly what he tells me to.

Shock!

Horror!

Yes, there is a lot more to that list, but those are the main ones I'll mention for the moment.

All those years of him wearing me down, and I didn’t even realise… well, my friends did try to warn me a couple of times, but I wouldn’t listen.

They, being the best friends ever, just helped me when I cried and made sure we caught up when he let me out of his sights. They knew not to push too much or he would have made me cut all contact.

Something I didn't realise he had been getting me to do to a lot of other friends.

That was nearly a year ago now and I haven’t had the confidence to even go on one date. I knew I had to work on myself first.

I have been seeing a psychologist once a fortnight, and it has helped me tremendously. It was actually her idea to book this holiday as a celebration of my freedom and all the work I had done on myself.

So, in the last week, I sent out about 10 applications for new jobs, spoke to 3 recruitment companies before I left and applied to 2 new apartments as my lease is up in 2 months.

When the narcissist and I broke up, I took over the end of a friend’s 3-year lease.

So my lease was for 14 months rather than the standard 1 year or more.

The celebration holiday is for 10 amazing days in Hawaii and boy is it exactly what I needed.

I’m going to use this time to regroup, get rid of all the bad energy and negative thoughts and come back ready to find my dream job.

I honestly don’t know what my dream job would be. My psychologist and I are going to work through that when I get back.

So, in the mean time, I will go on holiday and then come back and just find a better job, better apartment and possibly start dating again.

I’m staying on the island of Molokai. My research said it was the most relaxing one. It doesn’t have the infrastructure of the other islands, but I was more than happy with that.

It was my second day here, and I decided to try the beach and do some more

exploring.

I put on my one-piece bathers under my new flowey dress. My size 12 to 14 body just wasn’t made for a bikini, and I’m OK with that…. Now… Most of the time.

At 32, I’m over the idea of desperately trying to fit in. Sure, I still want to look good, but I can work with my body and work with what looks good on me, not what society says should look good.

I brushed my hair and put it in a ponytail. Then took it out… then put it in a bun… then took it out and then put it in a half up, half down do, before I gave up.

I still have the long hair that he wanted me to have, but at least it is freshly cut now and at a more manageable length… but I need a change there to. When I get back, I might just go to the hairdresser and ask them for ideas on what to do with it.

Putting my towel, purse, phone, book, room key and change of clothes in my cute turquoise faux leather bag, (they said it was leather but for that price, I doubt it!) and finally headed out.

I love the taxi service here. They actually offer a private island tour, which is what I did on the first day. I got Koa, my taxi driver's number and organized for him to take me first to a great restaurant today on the beach for lunch, then I’d call him to come and get me later.

If he ended up busy, he would send his cousin.

He was a lovely man in his 60s who had lived on the island most of his life, so he was very knowledgeable and had some amazing stories.

It was only just midday, so the restaurant wasn’t that busy. I got a good table out on the deck looking at the beach.

I was waiting for my drink, deciding on what to order, when I noticed a man walking past and something dropped out of his pocket.

I quickly got up and grabbed the piece of paper before calling out to him. “I’m sorry sir, you dropped this.”

He stopped and turned around and holy f*****g god’s, I think my jaw just hit the deck.

He had to be about 6.6 or 6.7m. His sandy blonde hair was shaved short to the sides and back, then long on top and was pulled back into a man's bun. I will admit I am not a fan of man buns or ponytails… normally. With him, I think a bad 70s wig would look amazing.

His complexion was quite fair with a hint of a tan but only a hint.

His long cotton cargo pants and cotton short sleeve shirt did nothing to hide how toned he was. He wasn’t the hulk, like overly large, but he certainly had no body fat on him.

Oh, and his eyes. Those bright hazel eyes took me in from head to toe before he smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. My breath literally left my body and I nearly weazed like a complete i***t.

He was clean-shaven with high cheekbones that I would love to have and a strong jaw that made him manly, but not too… oh I don’t know. He was f*****g hot. Yes, that's the best way of putting it, f*****g hot as f**k!

He reached forward, and I struggled to get my body to work.

Finally, my hand worked, and I put the piece of paper in his hand like a normal person.

Don’t f**k this up Eva. You can do it. Be normal!

He gently took the piece of paper. “Mahalo, little one.” His deep voice had an interesting accent that somehow vibrated through my whole body.

It was that good that I wouldn’t be surprised if I was pregnant.

And little one? I was not little. Well, I suppose some might think that at my 5-foot-six frame I'm short, but not so much from my width.

As I stared at him, I felt as my cheeks went red, bright red. I was now blushing like a fool and there was no way to hide it.

OK be normal. “You’re very welcome.” I smiled and went to turn around.

“Wait.”

His beautiful, or is it handsome? I don’t know, but it is erotic and made you listen... sorry... his deep voice stopped me half way... and yes my body did take note.