Modern Girl's Guide To Vacation Flings
From The Modern Girl’s Guide to Vacation Flings:
Modern Girl's Guide to
Vacation Flings
by Gina Drayer
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From
The Modern Girl's Guide to Vacation Flings:
There's something special about a short-lived affair. Especially one you have while on vacation. Instead of worrying about the future, a Modern Girl can focus on the moment. Whether you're globetrotting or just sticking close to home, a vacation fling is a great way to have some fun, soak in the scenery, and share some heat between-the-sheets.
One day you can look back at your delightful, albeit fleeting, fling and say, "That was a great vacation."
That being said, there are a few rules every smart Modern Girl should think about before starting a summer fling. The following book is filled with tips and tricks to help navigate your way to your destination: a great vacation fling.
Chapter 1
Modern Girl Tip #1: Make Your Move Fast
—Remember, you're on vacation; your time is limited. Move quickly, make your mark, and be noticed.
The phone rang for the third time since Beth arrived at the airport. She dug the noisy device out of her purse and glanced at the screen— not that she needed to look— and slid her finger to ignore, again.
Her sister, Sophia, was in full out meltdown. They'd talked several times this week, but this was her fourth call since six this morning. Beth was going to have to explain why she'd missed her fitting.
There was just a month left before Sophia's wedding and maybe if Beth were a better sister, she would be at Sophia's side to help. But the truth of the matter was, she could barely stomach the idea, let alone be a willing and happy participant. So for both their sakes, Beth was at the airport, waiting to board a plane to take her far, far away from the whole drama. Spending the next two weeks on board a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, well away from cell reception, would be the best for everyone involved.
The phone rang again. The clock over the gate blinked nine-thirty. It was almost time for the plane to start boarding, so she might as well put Sophia out of her misery.
"Hey, sis," she said through a forced smile.
"Beth! You've been avoiding my calls."
So much for pleasantries. "You know I'm at the airport. My cruise leaves today."
"You promised to get fitted for the bridesmaid dress before you left. I waited at the dress shop for an hour. There won't be time—"
"If you had picked out a dress before June, this wouldn't have been an issue. You've known since December that I had this trip planned. Why did you wait until the last minute?"
Beth bit her tongue. She really didn't want to fight with Sophia. That's why she was leaving until the wedding. Beth started over, a little softer this time.
"I'm sorry I didn't make that appointment yesterday. I was packing and I didn't realize how late it had gotten. I'm bringing the dress with me. They have tailors in Spain, and I will get it fitted, I promise."
"I hoped we could do our fittings together, just you and me. I even talked the bridal shop into opening early this morning so we could do it before you left."
"What can I say? My flight time was changed." Or she called the airline last night to take the earlier flight. "Six months is more than enough leeway to accommodate my schedule. Call one of your other bridesmaids. You'll have more fun that way. I'll be back in time for the wedding."
"Beth," she sighed over the phone, "this should be the happiest time of my life. But it's just not the same without you. I'm terrified that things will be different between us now."
Beth looked at the clock again. There were just a few more minutes before boarding and this wasn't the time or place to have this conversation.
"I know things are still awkward. It's not like Robert and I planned for this to happen," Sophia said into the silence. "I didn't think the wedding would be so hard for you. We'd been dating now for over a year. "
"Really, Sophia? It's a little more than just awkward," Beth said with more bitterness than she intended. "He asked you to marry him less than six months after breaking up with me."
She wouldn't have cared so much if it wasn't for the timing. Robert never jumped into things. They'd dated, or whatever it was they'd been doing, for over three years, and he'd always kept things casual. But a few months of being with Sophia and suddenly he wanted a wife and kids. Well, that was just fine. They were welcome to each other.
"It's not as if we were strangers. Robert and I have been friends for years, and you were the one—"
"I know." Beth pinched her nose, trying to relieve the tension building behind her eyes. "I'm happy for you. We'll work things out. I promise. But like I explained in December, this trip was planned well before you announced your engagement and the tickets are nonrefundable."
Okay, so maybe she planned the trip after Sophia told her the date of the wedding.
Her job usually gave her a few months off during the rainy season, and the transatlantic cruise to Spain was a knee jerk reaction. She'd never been on a cruise before and if that flyer from her travel agent hadn't come in the mail earlier that week who knew what she would have said. But in her defense, Beth had known what a three-ringed circus the whole wedding would turn into, and she wanted to stay out of the mess.
This vacation before the wedding was purely defensive. If she wasn't around for the pre-wedding planning, she didn't need to get involved. She was completely over Robert and she didn't care who he married. Even if it was her little sister.
She agreed to be a bridesmaid. Wasn't that enough? All she really needed to do was show up at the wedding and be there for the photos.
The airline announcement filled the terminal. "We'll be boarding flight 498 to Orlando in just a few minutes. Please have your boarding passes ready. We have final seat assignments for our standby passengers. Bobby West, Beth Riley, and Matt Carver, please come to the ticket counter."
Beth tried to keep the relief out of her voice after the announcement ended. "Sorry, I have to go. The plane is boarding. I promise to get the dress fitted in Spain. I'm sure Ana will know the best place to take it. I'll email her from the ship."
She tossed the phone into her purse but not before turning it off. She didn't want to think about the wedding anymore. She had the next four weeks all to herself. She was going to put aside the telenovela her life had become and just relax.
Drinking to excess, poolside naps, overeating, and several trips to the spa were all on her to-do list. And for the two weeks she'd be visiting family in Spain, her cousin Ana had all sorts of things planned. She could have flown back after the cruise, but it was better this way. Sophia wouldn't have to sulk around Beth like a guilty child, and Beth wouldn't have to deal with her own unresolved feelings on the matter.
Beth picked up her carry-on and made her way to the ticket counter. On her way, she scanned the passengers waiting for their section to be called, noting a few good looking guys in the mix.
The last few months she'd thrown herself into her work, and Beth hadn't even considered dating. Maybe a hot Spanish fling needed to go on that to-do list, too.
After boarding, Beth found her seat, but it wasn't until after the doors had closed that she realized the seat next to her was empty. She'd have both large, leather seats to spread out and relax. This trip was starting out perfect.
For the next few hours, there'd be no calls and no drama. She wasn't even going to bother with the Dramamine.
Unfortunately, she was a bit too optimistic on that point. A stress-free getaway wasn't in the cards today. After the plane had taxied onto the runway, the flight was delayed due to weather for almost an hour. And when they were finally in the air, Beth wished they'd just stayed on the ground.
With her head between her knees, gripping an airsick bag, Beth mentally kicked herself for not driving to Florida, or even maybe taking a train, a bus, hitchhiking… Anything else but this.
As the plane plunged another hundred feet, and the rain pounded the window beside her, the oddest thing ran through Beth's mind. While she fought back the nausea and prayed for death, all she could think was, thank God I have on my fancy vacation underwear.
Honestly, if she were going to die, at least she'd indulged and purchased Agent Provocateur's new summer line. The thought made her laugh. She could see it now. Her mother would come to collect her body, and she'd approve of Beth's gorgeous underwear. It might be the only decision Beth had ever made that her mother would approve of.