â**Chapter 16**â
4 Years Ago - Hawaii
Madison
As I look around my hotel room, my jaw drops.
This is not fucking mine.
I just arrived at the Four Season Resort Hualalai, thinking of laying on the soft bed after an exhausting flight immediately left my mind as I saw the room.
This is not the room I booked. This is not mine because I booked a room with a huge wall of glass and this one doesn't have one, what it has is a veranda.
Not wanting to waste any time, I took my bag and left the room. As I closed the door, a Man next door appeared in my sight.
My eyes met his as he stared at me. Weird, weird yet hot. Fuck.
He's freaking hot with that simple blue jeans and white tshirt and his hair brushed up. I notice that he's still holding his bag in his hands as he looks at me.
Maybe he's already leaving.
Remembering that I need to do something, I smiled at him awkwardly before taking my things and walking to the elevator.
I feel like that man was holding my breath, I literally just managed to suck in some air when I entered the elevator.
I pressed the 1st floor and waited for the door to close when a hand suddenly went in stopping the door from closing.
"Oops, sorry." I said as the door went fully wide and the guy from earlier went in and smiled at me understandingly.
As he stood next to me, he looked at the pressed number and I think he's also going there as he just closed it.
When the elevator closes, I feel like I'm in a very close space as I look anywhere but him. How am I going to calm myself when this hot guy is alone with me? in here? My whore mind is suddenly playing with me.
Shit.
For the first time, I felt grateful when Hazel called me when I'm in a vacation.
Immediately answering my phone, I look through our reflection only to see him looking at his phone.
"Yes?" I asked, still looking at him.
"Where are you now? Zane called me asking where are you in Hawaii, I think he's also there. Aren't you answering his calls?"
"Ohh, I just arrived at the hotel and unfortunately, I got the wrong room so I'm on my way to the lobby. I haven't checked my phone since I left the plane."
"Oh is that so? Then take a rest and try to give him a call."
"Yes Mom." I said jokingly, making her chuckle.
"Bitch, be thankful I'm not there with you."
I smiled at her words and looked at my watch to check the time, 6:32pm.
"What are you even going to do when you're here? Your work? Your Homework?" I teased as I heard her growl.
"Btw, have you already seen someone?"
"What someone?" I asked curiously.
"You know, hot guys? Didn't you say you're going to look for a hot guyâ" without letting her finish, I ended the call.
I'm sure he heard it, and it's fucking embarrassing.
Putting my phone back in my purse, I look at him when I notice him looking at me.
"Hi." I said awkwardly as I gave him a small smile.
"Hello." He said with his soft voice making me melt, I may look calm outside but there's already a huge zoo going around my stomach, just because of his voice.
Not knowing what to say next, I smiled at him for the last time and looked at my feet.
After a second, the door opened and a huge group of friendsâwhom I think will go to the beachâget in. When the girl in front of me takes a step back, I also slightly move back not wanting to get crushed, but then I felt an arm on my back.
"There's a handrail." The guy from earlier says as he pulls me next to me.
"Oh thank you." I said as he pulled his hands back to his pocket.
Gripping my bag, I took a deep breath and waited for it to reach the 1st floor. The moment that the elevator went open and the people inside went out, I took my bag and went to the lobby. To my shock, the guy from earlier also went there, standing beside me.
"Yes Ma'am, what can I help you with?" The girl in the lobby asked as she looked at me. Another girl went next to her and ask the guy "Good Evening Mr Ashford, What can I help you with?"
"I got the wrong room." We said at the same time making us look at each other.
"Ohh- give me a second, I'll look into it." The girl who asked me said,
Giving her a nod, I look back at him who's still looking at me.
"The room you got has a veranda?" He asked me, making me look at him weirdly. And I think he took that as yes. "I think we switched up the room." He told the girl and she immediately looked through it.
After a moment, the girl turned to us and smiled apologetically, "I'm really sorry for the inconveniences, We switched up to room bookings and it happened that yours already got change. Room 503 is for Miss Madison Grey and room 504 is for Mr Ace Ashford. I'm really sorry."
"No, it's okay, it's fine." I said as I took the room keys and turned to him. "Uhmmâ your key."
He nodded at me and also the key for my room from his pocket and handed it to me.
"Thanks." I said and also thanked the lady before going back to the elevator. I'm really tired and all I want to do is have a warm bath and sleep. Unfortunately, He's also in the elevator and we walked with each other until we got to our rooms.
****
Next Day
I was walking along the Waikiki beach right now, looking around the shore. I can see a lot of children playing around, families having their bond and some surfers. There's also a lot of tourists right now which makes it so lively.
With my simple white wide leg beach pants and strapless white tube, with open oversized polo. It feels so warm, with the sun hitting my skin, I took out my camera and took some pictures before going to one of the outside lounge chairs. As I sat down, I lay on my back and looked through the picture. I need to send some for Hazel, she couldn't come with me because she has business class for the whole month.
For the past few months, we both became busy, and now, I'm having a problem with Dada. He's not talking to me, it's already been a month. That's because he finds out that I'm taking law, as he thought I'm taking business management. He got really mad and even kicked me out, he even froze my cards. That's what I don't understand, I'm doing this for Mom and Dad but he's too sensitive about it.
He gave me 2 months to change my course or else he'll send me to London with Liam and run the company there. Even if I don't know anything about it.
But I just can't give this up, I've been waiting for this, in two years I'll finally be able to solve their case, and find out who's behind it. But how am I going to continue this without money? Dada holds all my accounts and froze them. Thank god Zane helped me with this vacation, be said he pity me but I just shrugged it off.
Speaking of Zane, I forgot to call him last night so I took my phone and dialed his number. Not waiting for too long, he answered.
"Hey, why did you just call me now?" He scolded me, making me roll my eyes.
"I forgot, I fell asleep. Btw Hazel told me you're asking her where I am, Why? Are you going to pick me up?" I said jokingly.
"You wish, Nope, I have some meeting with friends and they happened to be there, I'm staying with William." He said, I don't even know who he's talking about.
"Yeah sure, whatever, I'm at the Four Season Resort Hualalai. If you want to come over, I might also bring some food."
"You keep thinking about food, do you even know that Liam is going to kill you? Once we get back to New York, He'll be in your apartment waiting for you."
Widening my eyes, I mumbled "Wtf? Is he really going to come over? For what?"
"I don't know how but he finds out about what happened between you and Dada, so he booked a flight and by the time you got there, he's already there too. Goodluck."
"You didn't even defend me? I didn't do anything wrong, why would he come to me?"
He chuckles on the other line and then hangs up making me gasp.
"Did he really hang up on me? " I asked myself before throwing my phone back in my bag.
I was about to grab my camera when a dog came to me and started to play in front of me.
"Oh, Hi little doggy." I said as I brought my hands up to him and played with his fur. "Where's your owner?" I asked when a little went to me.
"Bella, why did you run away?" She scolded the dog as the dog went to her and licked her hands. "You're a bad dog."
I smiled at her as she looked at me. "Hello, young lady, is this your dog?"
"Yes, she is. But don't worry she won't bite you, She's a good dog." Didn't she just say earlier that she's a bad dog?
"Is that so, then where are your parents?"
"They're swimming, and I am playing with my new friend." She smiled widely.
"Oh you have a new friend? Can I also be your friend?"
"Sure, I'm Lucy, and she's Bella. I have a new friend there, but I think he's much older than you." She pointed at the guy in the lounge chair just behind me, I can't see his face as he has sunglasses on.
When I look at Bella, she again starts to run away. "No!! Bella comeback, Sorry Miss Beautiful but I need to go now." She excused herself before running after her dog.
"Cute." I mumbled and smiled to myself before taking my camera again.
Ace
It's already sunset when I arrived at the beach of Waikiki. I just got back from a quick look around and decided to watch the sunset.
I'm also here earlier, and I met a little girl named Lucy with her dog but after she chased after Bellaâher dogâ she bid her goodbye and I decided to walk around.
Luckily there are not many people here because the owner of the Waikiki Hotel just got married and everyone is invited to their party in the hotel. That's why I think everyone's there, I can't even see one. Or maybe I did. A woman, sitting alone.
I sat on the sand a few feets on her right side and looked at her. She's wearing a simple red two piece but she had cream shorts on top of it. Even so, her red top can't hide her chest and how milky white her skin is. I'm surprised that I noticed that with just a single glare.
It looks like she wants to be alone so I just keep quiet and watch the sunset.
After some minutes, I looked at her again and this time she caught me. When she realized that I'm looking at her since there's no one around, she smiled at me and said, "Alone too?"
"If that's what you call it." I said as I stared at her face, she's the girl next door.
"Drink?" She offered while handing me a canned beer. Not wanting to be rude, I got up from my seat and sat down next to her while drinking the beer.
"Thanks." I opened the beer as she smiled at me. "The hotel's having free drinks for all couples. Aren't you planning to go with your boyfriend?"
She chuckled at me before looking at the ocean, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Really?"
"But I'm engaged⦠with someone whom I've never met."
"You mean you don't know his face?"
"Probably." She sipped on her drink.
Just like me, engaged with a stranger.
"Waitâ Are you with someone?" She asked, looking at me with excitement in her eyes.
"No, why?"
"I want free drinks, soâ" she smiled at me knowingly, making me chuckle. "Let's pretend."
"That's ridiculous."
****
"Ridiculous, huh?" She looked at me with a smug face as we sat on the bar stool.
"Just be thankful that the guard was stunned by you and he didn't question you." It's partly true, the guard didn't even left his eye from her but when she snake her arms around mine to make it look like we're together, he look down and smiled at usm
"Still⦠no matter what you say, it's not ridiculous. Now play with me and have some drinks."
The bartender walked to us and took our drinks, she had a margarita and I asked for negroni. After a minute our drinks came and she immediately drunk her in one go making my jaw drop.
Wtf? She's making it look like margarita is water.
"What?"
"Nothingâ¦."
"Btw, how did you know about this?" She asked curiously while biting the lemon, she didn't make a face.
"They sent an invitation to every room? You didn't get one?"
"Uhhh- I think I did, but I didn't read it." She looked around and looked back at me. "There's another thing I wanted to know."
"What is it?"
"... Your name." She facepalms herself and chuckles. "Why did it sound like a cheesy pickup line?"
I chuckled at her and took my glass before drinking it. "Ace Ashford, and you?"
"Ashford? Ohâ I'm Madison Grey."
"Grey, I have a friend, he's a Grey too."
"Really? My Dada said Grey is all around New York, so it must be a coincidence."
"Yeah, it is."
"Let's all welcome, Mr and Mrs Chaves, for our first dance, let's all stand up and sway to the music."Â With that, a slow music played in the background and the couples went to the dance floor.
Without my mind telling me, my hand brings itself together making her look at me. "Uhm- would you like to dance?"
"I would love to." She smiled at me while taking my hands, it's so soft. I held her as we walked to the dance floor.
I stood in front of her as she put both of her hands on my shoulder. Chuckling at her, I held her arms and wrapped it around my neck. With my hands on her waist, we stare deeply into each other's eyes.
"Your fiance must be a very lucky man." It came out of nowhere, my mouth just said that.
She smiled at me before biting her lower lip and nodded. "He must be."
"Do you wanna know what I'm thinking right now?"
She looked at me confused as we continued to dance to the slow music. "I look pretty?"
"That's what I'm thinking earlier, but now? What do you think?"
"I have no idea."
I look at her lips and I know she notices it as she gulps down. "I wanna know how you lips taste like." With that, she lets out a soft chuckle.
"Why don't you find it out yourself." She teased me by making me look back to her hazel eyes.
"Can I? That'll be an insult to your fiance."
"You're talking a lot." She whispered as she attached her lips on my, tip toeing on her feets, her arms completely wrapped around my neck as well as my arms on her waist.
Her lips were so soft, as I could feel her mint breathe against my cheek. Tilting my head to the side, I brush my tongue on her lips slightly parting them apart, I look in her eyes as she closes them. I again lick her lips asking for permission which she accepted, parting her lips apart, my tongue slides in her mouth fighting with her tongue. Tasting the hint of margarita from her mouth, a smirk formed in my lips as I deepened the kiss.
After literally making out, she slowly pulls away with a smirk on her face.
"So, what does it taste like?"
"Taste like lips that'll I'll never kiss again. But would make me bet everything just to kiss again."
"I suppose that's a compliment."
Slightly nodding my head to her, I smiled and waited until the music came to its end.
When we decided to go back to our seats, her phone rang and she answered it.
"Whatâ waitâ you're here?â Why didn't you tell me?" She immediately ended the call and looked at me apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Ace, but something important came up. I need to go now."
"No problem, It's okay."
She smiled at me and pecked my lips for the last time before running out of the venue. Stunned by what she did, I just looked in front, not until I noticed that she left something. It's a flower bracelet.
I got up from my seat and looked for her in the hallway but she's already gone. That's when my phone rang. It's Zane.
"What?"I heard that you're staying at the Waikiki hotel, I'm here right now so would you mind going to the clubhouse?" He said, sounding excited.
"I can't, just go back tomorrow, I'm doing something important right now."
"What? Can you spare me even just 10 minutes? I'll introduce you to my sister, she happened to also be here."
I looked around the hallway and decided to proceed to the elevator.
"I can't, tomorrow, I promise."
"She'll go back to New York tomorrow, I want to introduce you to her." I put a bracelet in my hands, the elevator door opened and I let out a sigh when I didn't see her on the lobby floor.
She's goneâ¦
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#NBASHawaii