Passion Abroad – A Billionaire Romance Novel

 

        Chapter 2

When Erica landed in Acapulco International Airport, she was already thanking her lucky stars that she had chosen Mexico over Hawaii for her first destination. The weather was perfect and the people were all too friendly. For the first time in a long time, she was happy she was not on the receiving end of people’s pitiful stares. It had been months since she and Eli broke up, six months to be exact but people were still looking at her like she had come to the end of herself.

When she checked in into her room, she took a long nap before hunger pains woke her up. She considered having room service but when she looked at the time, she realized that what was initially supposed to be a short nap had actually turned out to be a six hour rest. She got out of bed and sent a quick text to her sister to let her know that she got to Acapulco safely. After that, she took a long shower and then changed into a spaghetti strapped peacock maxi dress that showed off her perfect curves. She then straightened out her hair and put on some light makeup and some gold hooped earrings. A smile played on her lips when she saw her reflection. It had been a long time since she put on a maxi dress. Thanks to Vermont weather, she rarely ever got a chance to wear anything sleeveless without a coat. She put on some pink lip gloss and then picked up her purse before she walked out of her room. She could not help but notice just how perfectly tanned the hotel guests were.

“Or are they locals and I just had a racist thought?” she wondered as she rode in the elevator. When she got to the first floor, she made her way to the restaurant and took a seat with a beautiful beach view. “So is it lunch or breakfast?” she wondered as she looked at her phone. Three in the afternoon. “A really, really late breakfast.” She was still looking at her menu when a waiter walked up to her carrying a glass of fresh pineapple juice. “I’m sorry…I didn’t order this,” she said as she looked at the waiter.

“Complementary drink for all our guests, miss,” the waiter said with a smile. Erica looked up at him and smiled. She couldn’t help but notice the boyish telenovela star vibe. “The hotel also has a pineapple venture,” the waiter added.

“Thanks,” Erica said as she held the cold glass and lifted it to her lips. “This is really good,” she said when she put the glass down. The waiter smiled in appreciation.

“Three years serving that and I am yet to get a disappointed customer,” he said. Erica smiled and took another sip.

“I’ll have the chicken fajita,” she said but she wasn’t sure that would be enough. She was famished. “Could I also have a side of salsa and chips?” she asked. The waiter scribbled something on his pad and nodded before he walked away. She took another long sip of her juice and looked up just in time to see a perfectly toned muscled man walking into the restaurant. “Damn,” she thought as she looked at him. He was in a pair of white linen pants and a light blue shirt. Even though the shirt was buttoned all the way down, she could see the perfect muscular structure, she could almost picture it in her head. The man had perfect dark wavy hair and Erica had to admit, he was the hottest man she had ever seen. When the man began walking towards her, she realized she had been staring and looked away. She took another sip of her juice and tried as much as she could not to make eye contact with him. “Oh come on,” she thought when the man took a seat right next to her. She thanked her lucky stars that she had a seat with a view otherwise she would have been stuck staring at an amazingly hot guy. She was still looking at the beautiful scenery below when the waiter came back with her order. “Thank you so much. Please charge this to my room,” she said as she inhaled the rich aroma. She was trying hard not to moan when she took her first bite. It was simply heavenly.

“I am surprised I can’t hear pleasure sounds coming out of you right now,” the man seated at the table next to hers said. She turned around dabbing the sides of her mouth where the food was threatening to mess up.

“I beg your pardon?” Erica asked.

“That’s the fajita right? When I first had it, I was with a few board members and the whole restaurant thought we were having a sexual experience or something,” the man said. Erica smiled and then laughed.

“Cute and funny,” she thought. “Well, maybe I was trying to make sure I don’t get branded a pervert on my first day in Acapulco,” she added.    

“First day, huh?” he looked at her and smiled. She nodded. “Mind if I join you?” he asked. Erica almost jumped up in joy.

“Sure,” she said before taking another bite. “Sorry, my manners…Erica Hayes,” she said when she swallowed.

“Daniel Reese,” he said. She looked at her hands and smiled.

“I would shake your hand but…maybe we can do that in an hour or something?” she asked. He smiled and nodded. Erica took a tortilla chip and dipped it in salsa before she took a bite. “Would you like some?” she asked. Daniel frowned and Erica followed suit. “Come on, don’t be a baby,” she said. Daniel smiled and then reached for a chip before he dipped it in the salsa.

“That’s good,” he said as he chewed. “Really good,” he said as he reached for another tortilla. “Three years I have been coming here and I have never thought of ordering this,” he said.

Erica raised an eyebrow.

“I have to ask, what nationality are you?” she asked.

“American. Why?”

“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve never had tortillas?” she asked in surprise.

“Well, I don’t like admitting it in public but I have actually never had any,” Daniel shrugged. Erica’s eyes grew wide. “Given the look on your face right now, I can assume that you are genuinely surprised,” he said.

She nodded and took a bite of her fajita.

“I am,” she said before taking another bite.

“Why? I don’t think it’s that weird,” he said.

“Actually, it is just as strange as a Chinese man never having had rice in his life,” Erica looked at him and smiled.

“Okay when you put it like that I sound like an absolute…snob,” Daniel said. The waiter who had served her earlier came carrying a tray and stopped at their table. “Thank you Emilio,” he said as the waiter put a plate in front of him coupled with a glass of pineapple juice. “I see you already had a taste of this glass of heaven,” he said before taking a long sip from his glass.

Erica smiled and took a sip from her own glass.

“It is perfect,” she said.

“I have been having a glass every single day since I got here. I don’t know what I am going to do when I go back home. I mean you can never get something this good and authentic back at home,” he said.

Erica looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Just how long have you been here?”    

“Fourteen days and counting.”    

“Wow, any plans of going back time any time soon?”    

“Oh Erica, are you already bored with me? It’s only been a few minutes,” he teased.

She smiled and shook her head.

“No, no, no. Please don’t get me wrong. It’s nothing like that. It’s just that you look like a venture capitalist kind of person and such guys usually have a few weeks every fifty years to take a vacation,” she said. He took a bite of his paella rice before he looked up at her.

“I’m sorry, venture capitalist? Whatever gave me away?” he asked as he looked at her.

“Well, you might be in linen pants but I work with suits all day. I know exactly what an Armani shirt looks like,” she said. Daniel looked at her and nodded. He looked seemingly impressed.

“Okay, now I have to ask what you do,” he said.

Erica took another bite and shrugged.

“I was a lawyer, two years,” she said before taking another bite.

“Was? Did you change your mind about law or something?” he asked.

Erica took a long deep breath and shook her head.

“Honestly I don’t really know. I gave my resignation to my boss before I took this trip,” she said. “The trip is actually supposed to help me make up my mind about…a lot of things.” Daniel nodded and took another bite of his paella. “So, what about you? Was I right about you, Mr. Venture Capitalist?” she asked.

“Actually I am what you can call an innovator…or at least my team is,” he smiled.