Ms. Bitch: Finding happiness is the best revenge. Read online

“You sure? I know you must do customer service all day long.” Tess felt a little awkward about intruding on his alone time.

  “It’s never a hardship to spend time with a pretty lass.” Tess felt her insides go liquid as his eyes crinkled at the corners again with his smile. She liked how free he was with his compliments, and even though she was sure he probably said it to everyone, it still made her feel nice inside. Gabe had rarely given her compliments, instead choosing to criticize, and her wounded ego lapped up Aiden’s kind words like a kitten with a bowl of cream.

  “That’s sweet of you.” Tess sat down. She speared a piece of sliced fruit with her fork and smiled at him. “I really enjoyed my dives this morning. I was here earlier this year and have missed the ocean like crazy since.”

  “I don’t blame you. The reefs here are some of the best in the Caribbean. When were you here?”

  “In May,” Tess tilted her head and realized he had been the Scottish accent she’d heard and wondered about.

  “I was here then. That’s strange that I didn’t meet you,” Aiden said, tilting his head to look at her more closely.

  “I guess the timing wasn’t right,” Tess said, feeling her heart clench as she met his eyes and then looking away, her cheeks flushing.

  “Yeah, that’s random. I don’t have a lot of days off here, and I’m pretty good with faces. Have you been certified long?” Aiden asked.

  “Yes, I got certified in college when I took a summer job working in the Caymans teaching marine biology. It wasn’t my major, but my friend was leading the course and needed an assistant who was able to identify the fish and was super comfortable in the water. Luckily, I fit the bill. It was a great experience, even though the boss was horrible. Besides the fact that he practiced zero safety procedures, and almost got several of the students killed, he sexually harassed me incessantly.”

  “What happened? Did you say anything?” Concern creased Aiden’s handsome features.

  “I up and quit after he shoved me one day. He’d been embarrassing me in front of the other teachers all summer, making lewd comments about me going up to my room to masturbate and awful comments like that, but the end came when I told someone about a cave he’d found with skulls in it. He wanted to keep it a secret to profit from it, and I thought that was part of the Caymanian history. When he found out, he was so angry he shoved me against a wall. I quit on the spot and hitchhiked to the airport.”

  “That’s horrible. Of course you should have said something. It’s so typical of people trying to profit off another’s culture. If that cave had true history in it, then, yes, it should have been given to the Caymanian government.” Aiden ran a hand down her arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. The worst was my sister giving me such a hard time for years after because I called her crying for help.” Tess shrugged away the question she saw in Aiden’s face. “Anywho, after that, I tried to get to warm water when I could, but I couldn’t afford to travel a ton at the time. Unfortunately, I live in a pretty cold area of the States and didn’t dive as much as I would have liked after that.” Tess shrugged.

  “I don’t blame you. I’m a fair-weather diver myself,” Aiden laughed. “I have zero interest in putting a dry suit on.”

  “How did you end up teaching here?”

  “I’ve bounced around a fair bit, teaching in Vietnam and so on, but when I learned about Cozumel, I decided to come over and see what my options were for teaching here. This is actually the longest I’ve stayed somewhere,” Aiden said, absentmindedly tugging a hand through his blonde curls and Tess found herself wanting to do the same.

  “Oh yeah? You’re a wanderer?”

  “You could say that. I’ve over fifty passport stamps.” Aiden laughed. “I like exploring the world and seeing what’s out there. I’ve volunteered all over. I volunteered at a bear sanctuary in Bolivia where I’d walk the bears every day through the rainforest. I volunteered at a children’s orphanage in Honduras. Ran a party company in Vietnam and owned a hostel in Australia called: The Last Resort.” At that, Aiden laughed and ran a hand through his hair, “And it really was the last resort for weary travelers. It was fun though. See, I worked in California for ten years, teaching at a surf camp in the summers and saving my money to travel in the off-season. I really liked the flexibility of the lifestyle and was able to venture to loads of countries.”

  “That’s amazing,” Tess said, thinking how lovely it must have been to be so free. “Do you have family back home? Anyone expecting you to settle down and take over the family business?”

  “I do have family in Scotland, but no – they know I’m happy living the life I’ve chosen. I did try the corporate route for a year or two after my masters degree, but it just wasn’t a fit for me.”

  “What made you stop?”

  “I used to be in sales for a large computer corporation, and I’d have to travel to all these companies and sell the software programs. At least once a week, I’d pass this fairground and I’d nip in, in my full business suit, and ride a rollercoaster. Just one coaster, and then I’d be on my way to my next meeting. Eventually, I realized I wanted the exhilaration of that coaster ride more than I wanted to close a sale on a software program.”

  Tess paused, struck by the image of Aiden in a staid business suit, his eyes alight with joy as he rode the coaster, probably to the amusement of the mothers with children in the car next to him, and thought about what a metaphor it was for her life. Chasing freedom, caged in by expectations, craving the rush of the next ride. He’d just figured it out sooner than she had.

  “I love it,” Tess said, smiling at him. “I’m so impressed you were able to trust your gut and go after the life you wanted.”

  “It hasn’t always been easy, but when I’m eighty I’ll be able to look back and say I have no regrets,” Aiden said.

  “No regrets is a nice way to live.” Tess shook her head a bit, realizing she sounded sad. “But you plan to stay here, you think? Since this is the longest you’ve been in one spot?”

  “I’m not sure,” Aiden admitted, and Tess marveled at the simple way he mused over decisions that many of her friends would take years to decide. “I do own property in Glasgow that’s a nice little nest egg for me. Sometimes I think about returning to live there, but I don’t think I ever will. However, I know that I am getting burnt out diving as much as we do with little days off and suspect I’ll need a break soon. Maybe I’ll move on elsewhere – maybe to Indonesia. I’d like to explore there.”

  “Sure, Indonesia, right.” Tess laughed. “You say it so casually, like you can just pop up and move to other countries.”

  “You can. It just depends what you want out of life,” Aiden said. “What about you, Tess? What do you want out of life?”

  “I don’t know,” Tess admitted, pushing food around on her plate as she thought about it. “I love writing and am happy that I found my way into this career. But, well, I’m kind of at a new transition and I guess once the dust settles, we’ll see.”

  “Divorce?” Aiden asked, crossing his arms behind his head and treating Tess to a view of an intricate tattoo on his bicep.

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Most people wouldn’t use the word transition unless they got fired or divorced, and it doesn’t sound like you can fire yourself from your writing gig.”

  “Excellent point.” Tess met his eyes. “Yes, divorced not even a week, actually.”

  “Congratulations,” Aiden said, and Tess found herself smiling at him. “Then you’ve gone and treated yourself to a dive trip. The first step in discovering what you want out of life.”

  “True. More diving, that’s for sure.”

  “Water is the best medicine, they say. Nothing like blowing some bubbles to clear the mind for a bit.” Aiden reached out to touch her arm. “Are you okay, though?”

  “I… I actually am,” Tess stammered, struck by the kindness she saw in Aiden’s eyes. “It hasn’t been a fun time, and I know I st
ill have a mess of yucky feelings to deal with, but yeah, I’m going to be just fine. When I get back from the trip, I’m moving to Colorado and starting my life over.”

  “See? It’s not as hard to get up and go as you may think,” Aiden said, then nodded out to where divers had started heading toward the boats. “Speaking of get up and go… I think it’s time for us to head back to the shop.”

  Had an hour passed so quickly? Tess had barely noticed the time, she’d been so caught up in basking in the nearness of this man.

  “Right. I need to stop back at my room first.” Tess barely resisted telling him which bungalow was hers – right, like he’d actually sneak into it at night like in her dreams – and stood. “Thanks for letting me crash your lunch. I enjoyed talking with you.”

  “You too. Have fun today, Tess. You deserve it.”

  She did deserve to have some fun, Tess thought as she walked away, though she was certain she and Aiden were thinking of two different kinds of fun.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next morning, after another night of dreams that left her aching in need, Tess searched the hustle and bustle of the dive shop for Aiden, but to no avail. Had he left for his trip already? It would be just her luck to have met someone who truly captured her interest and to never see him again. Not that she was likely to see him again anyway, Tess reminded herself, irrespective of whether he was gone on his trip or not. It wasn’t like Tess would be visiting Cozumel again any time soon, and she doubted he’d be trekking his way through Colorado if his sights were set on Indonesia.

  Resigning herself to the inevitability of the nature of life, Tess geared up and met Kathy at the boat.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  “Great, thanks,” Tess said, handing her gear over to the guide who was loading the boat. The wind was still today, and the water looked like glass. It was going to be a great day for diving.

  “Where’s your man?”

  “He’s not my man,” Tess grumbled, having already taken some ribbing from Kathy and their friends last night. All the people they were traveling with were coupled off, and more than one of them had taken an interest in her crush.

  “Aww, did he leave already?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t seen him,” Tess admitted, annoyed with herself for not asking him to go out for a beer or something the day before when she’d had the chance. She’d never been good at flirting, and now her chance had passed her by.

  “Well, I’m sure he’d say goodbye, no?”

  “Why? I’m just another customer in the sea of endless customers he deals with. I doubt it even crossed his mind.” Tess boarded the boat, annoyed at herself for even feeling grumpy at this situation. Here she was in paradise, about to go on another day of amazing dives – she’d even signed up for a night dive – and a man she didn’t even know was distracting her thoughts.

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Kathy shrugged. “But I think I see blonde curls by the pool.”

  “Really?” Tess shot up and shaded her eyes. Sure enough, she could just make out Aiden by the pool, speaking to two people in the water and holding up a regulator.

  “Girl, you got it bad.” Kathy laughed.

  “Shut it,” Tess sat down, unable to wipe the grin from her face. He wasn’t gone yet! Maybe, just maybe, she’d work up the courage to ask him out for a drink after her dives tonight.

  “Oh no, I’m doing the night dive,” she exclaimed.

  “So? Cancel and go out with him.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Don’t overcomplicate things. Your life is tough enough as it is right now,” Kathy said and then they both shut up to listen to the briefing. But all Tess could think about was the fact that Aiden was still at the resort. Now she just needed to put her big girl pants on and make a move. Any move.

  The dive was amazing, again. And Tess was looking forward to talking with Aiden about it at lunch. But she saw nothing of him all day. By the time the sun was nearing the horizon, she resigned herself to the fact that she’d missed out on an opportunity. Perhaps she’d been reading too many romance novels – and erotic ones at that – where having a fling with the sexy scuba instructor was just what happened. If she’d written the story, he would have asked her to dinner yesterday at lunch and they would have spent all night exploring each other’s… depths. Tess smirked, giving herself a mental high-five at her scuba pun, and then made her way to the shop where a smaller cluster of divers was waiting to go out on the boat for a night dive.

  “Tess! Hi – I was wondering if I’d see you,” Aiden’s voice came from behind her and Tess gulped, closing her eyes and mouthing a silent thank you to the universe.

  “Hey, Aiden! I thought you might have left,” Tess said, turning to smile at him. He looked just as cute today, a long-sleeved shirt hugging his arms, highlighting the blue of his eyes.

  “I’m heading out tomorrow, but I have night duty tonight,” Aiden said, gesturing toward the shop.

  “I thought you couldn’t dive?”

  “Someone stays at the shop while the boat is out in case they need to radio in for anything. It means a late close for me, but I’m all packed for my trip anyway.”

  “That’s good,” Tess said, nodding lamely as she tried to work up the courage she’d promised herself she would have if she saw him again, “Um, so how late will you be? Maybe we could get a beer.” There. She’d said it.

  “Ah, I’m afraid I won’t be going out on the town tonight.”

  Tess felt herself deflate. “That’s too bad. Just thought I’d ask.”

  “But if you can grab a beer from your mini-fridge, I can have one here with you while I close up shop,” Aiden said, smiling at her.

  “Ah, yeah, I totally can do that. They restock beers every day.” Tess knew she sounded dumb, but was too delighted she’d get to spend a little more time with him to care.

  “So I hear. Have fun on your dive – find an octopus for me. They’re so cool to see at night.” Aiden brushed a hand down her arm before stepping behind the desk to answer the phone.

  Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t be like her erotic romance novels, Tess thought as she all but skipped down the dock, but at the very least she’d get to spend a little more time with Aiden. And so what if it would only be fodder for a few naughty dreams down the road? It was nice to spend time with a sexy man who complimented her – and for now, that was enough for her.

  Baby steps.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Tell me more about these romance stories of yours… are they naughty ones? Do they have women on the covers being hugged by the Fabio types?” Aiden asked, and Tess laughed, sipping her beer. The night dive had been gorgeous, and she’d not only seen a sleeping turtle but also two octopus on the hunt. She couldn’t decide what she was more thrilled about – the dive or having a beer with Aiden – but as far as she was concerned, this was a perfect night.

  They sat at the end of the dock, their feet dangling just above the water, the fire lanterns illuminating the walkways of the beach flickering warmly under the palm trees. A breeze brushed her hair, keeping the mosquitos at bay, and Tess leaned back on her arms, looking to see the first of the stars blinking out above them.

  “No, I don’t have any bodice-rippers, but yes, my stories definitely have some naughty bits to them.” Tess laughed. “But they’re not full on erotica either.”

  “Have you ever written erotica?” Aiden asked, his eyes lighting in interest and Tess laughed again, a faint blush tingeing her cheeks.

  “Maybe, a time or two. Under a pen name. Which I shall never reveal,” Tess said, already cutting off the question she saw dancing on his face.

  “Oh, a secret pen name of sordid stories. A woman of mystery.”

  “Not quite,” she said, though she liked his portrayal of her. “But it’s always interesting to write in different genres and see what you like.”

  “I think that has to be really gratifying – to be able to write somethi
ng creative and sell it. I admire that. It takes some cojones to put creative work out there.” Tess felt a wash of pride rush through her.

  “It is satisfying, actually. Sometimes terrifying, and I always get really nervous before I publish, but it feels good to work my creative muscles.” She sipped her beer quickly as her mind flashed to other muscles she’d like to work. Her skin flushed with heat.

  “That’s awesome. I really admire creatives. You should be proud of yourself.” Tess was struck once more by how genuinely kind this man was. It wasn’t just a customer service spiel, she could tell; he really meant it when he gave compliments.

  “Thank you, I am working on it,” Tess said. Then before he could ask her a question, she continued, “So will you go home to see your family after the dive show?”

  “Yeah, I’ll pop in for a few days to see my parents and my niece, eat some haggis, have a wee whisky or two with friends… the usual.” Aiden laughed at Tess’s expression, his smile lighting up his face.

  “Haggis?”

  “Yes, it’s delicious.”

  “Erm, we may have to disagree there.” Tess shook her head.

  “Have you tried it?”

  “I don’t have to try it to know I don’t like it,” Tess insisted.

  “Can’t knock it ’til you try it.”

  “I’ll leave that to you.” Tess stretched her legs out in front of her and sighed, knowing their beers were almost finished and he would have to go soon.

  “Are you excited about Colorado?” Aiden asked.

  “I’m excited to move my life forward,” Tess admitted. “I feel like I’ve been in this holding pattern for the last five months and finally, I get to do what I want. I’m nervous, I’ll admit, but I have friends in Colorado. I’ll be okay.”

  “Do you miss him? Your ex?”

  “I don’t, not really.” Tess was surprised to find it was true. “I think he hurt me so horribly that I just kind of shut the door on my feelings for him. But I do miss being in a couple. I’m used to someone being there at night, to go to dinner with, or watch a show on the couch together with. Just that kind of thing… the nearness of someone.”