Waves Of Passion

“Keep the change,” he said before he got off the bar stool and walked off leaving her staring after his buff body. She sighed and rolled her eyes before she walked to the counter.

“Who was that?” Celia asked as she watched Eliza putting the money in the till.

“Allan Riley. My ex,” Eliza said shrugging. “At least he left me a nice tip for ruining a perfectly good day.”

“That’s Philly Allan?” Celia leaned against the counter as she put her dish cloth on the counter. “You forgot to mention he was hot!”

“Yeah, whatever.” Eliza took a long deep breath. “To be honest mentioning my dog of an ex was hot never crossed my mind especially because said man was kind of an idiot.” She shook her head. “Correction. He was a class A idiot. The son of a bi*ch.”

“Pour your heart out, why don’t you?” she said and Eliza smiled.

“I’m sorry. Talking about him gets me all…riled up.” She took a bottle of water and took a long sip before she rolled her eyes. “I mean the very thought that he is here…on the West Coast with me…I just want to disappear all over again.”

Celia shook her head.

“What do you mean disappear? You only just got started out over here.”

“I know. But I just got away from Allan’s crazy…screwed up idea of being my partner. And it su*ked…I mean, it was all awesome at first. Bed of roses even, but I soon enough got to know that I…” her voice trailed off. She looked at Celia who seemed a little too concerned.

“Are you alright?” Celia asked after a long silence and Eliza nodded.

“I’m fine. I just need to know why the hell he is here.” She took another long sip of her water. “And I need him to know that there is no way he is ever going to have power over me. Never again.”

Celia shook her head.

“You know, you never really told me what Allan did. All I know is that you have an ex called Allan and that when it didn’t work between you guys, you moved out of Philadelphia.”

Eliza nodded.

“That sounds about right,” she pointed out.

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you guys?” Eliza took a long deep breath.

She had kept the truth locked in for so long. Kept herself from thinking about everything. That was the only way she had been able to survive. The only way she had been able to move on from her terrible past. She took another sip of her water and sighed.

“Maybe one day I will,” she said in a soft voice.

Celia nodded.

“Well, I hate to point out the obvious but the assholes are usually the hottest bunch.”

Eliza forced out a laugh.

“Tell me about it.”

“I mean that guy….for you to leave all that he must have been a special kind of ass,” Celia said. “No offense.”

Eliza smiled.

“None taken because the truth is that, he is. He really is.” Eliza shook her head. “But maybe that attribute is the reason I found myself rethinking everything about him, including the very reason I found him attractive in the first place.”

“You can’t deny it, though. He is still very much a sight for sore eyes.”

Eliza rolled her eyes.

“Yeah whatever.”

Celia crossed her arms and a smile played on her lips. And judging by the way she was looking at her, Eliza knew that she had something to say.

“You know, come to think of it, you have a type,” Celia started.

Eliza raised an eyebrow. “A type?” she echoed and Celia nodded.

“Tall, dark and perfectly tanned men who are also well muscled.”

Eliza rolled her eyes.

“What does that have to do with anything especially now that you claim that I have a ‘type’?” she asked.

Celia smiled at her and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Really? You’re going to ask that?” she asked and Eliza shrugged. She was not sure how she was supposed to answer that question. “Let’s have Allan on one hand and Justin on the other.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Bear with me,” Celia said as she held out her hands. “Allan. Tall, really well tanned despite the fact that he comes from Philly.”

“He’s kind of a rich guy, remember? Takes trips all over the world…tropical countries and such?” Eliza asked and Celia shrugged.

“Well, that’s besides the point. The point is that Justin, that guy you claim you have no crush on kind of has the same attributes. He is tall, and the way he rides those waves gives his skin that envious olive glow. Plus, he is perfectly dreamy with those long locks. Makes him look like some country and rock star all rolled up into one.”

Eliza looked at another customer who had just sat down at the bar. She walked over and served him before she walked back to where Celia was.

“You and I have been friends for a long time,” Celia started. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened with this Allan guy?” she asked and Eliza sighed loudly.

“Long version or short version?” she asked.

“Honesty I’m good with whatever version of the story you have to offer.”

“Alright,” Eliza started. “Like I mentioned, Allan swims in money. And I am not talking hundreds of thousands here. I’m talking millions upon millions. Bobby Axelrod kind of money.”

“Oh come on. Even I think that show has exaggerated the amount of money that Axelrod character has.”

“Well, trust me. There are people like those. People who would blow twenty million on a property without batting an eyelid. I met some of them when he took me to some of his high end parties.”

Celia shook her head.

“You are not giving me a very convincing story right now. I mean, you already said that he is one of those moneyed people. Isn’t that what every woman is looking for nowadays?” she asked and Eliza shook her head.

“You know I am not one of those women plus, Allan is definitely not what I had in mind. He…” her voice trailed off and she sighed loudly. “Let me just put it like this. Rich people think they can literally buy everyone and everything. And one thing’s for sure, I am not a commodity. Or piece of property.”