DYLAN.
One of the best sides of summer in Puerto Rico was, and would always be, my giant-sized swimming pool. I did love basking in the unbelievable coolness of the water, enjoying it's rippling as I ducked underneath, relishing how it set my skin at full ease.
I felt total. Complete. Although I myself couldn't decipher why I abandoned my pool today for the real deal: the ocean. Certainly another amazing side of spending my summer working out and working in. Vast expanse of watery blue spread out forever, reflecting the sun peeking out amidst the clouds in the horizon. I sighed inwardly. Such a blessing.
Now the only missing piece in my puzzle was the lady of my dreams, and then we could live a happily ever after. Except that, I did not favor happily ever after. I found myself admiring romantic movies where the lead characters drifted apart in the end and never returned to each other.
Perhaps it was my screenwriter instinct eating me up? Either way, I flexed my arms as I jogged towards the sea spreading her arms to welcome me home like I was some sort of runaway son. Once I got close, I wasted no time in diving straight into her depths.
The silence inside the water soothed my soul like sweet music. Some part of me suggested I try this more often.
Lost in private solitude, I permitted the waters to clear my befuddled head of all my worries. Speaking of which, my parents had been nagging me to hook up with a girlfriend, get married and swoosh, raise a dozen of cute little kids, all possessing dusky brown skin like my parents'.
I seized every chance I had to tease them about their eagerness to play with their grandchildren whilst they retaliated with a retort regarding how I would turn eighty but remain childless.
Honestly, what was I supposed to do about the fact that absolutely none of the ladies there piqued and sustained my interest for longer than a day?
I was not complaining about that, though. Given the chance tons of times, I would pick up a new chick at my favorite bar every day of the week, flatter her senseless, buy her some slutty, strong drink, something laced with a double shot of rum, and even change her wardrobe.
Strictly on one condition: that I devoured her in the backseat of my car. Not quite in the mood to put up with ladies' antics today, I considered ordering a family sized pizza from Croissant while finishing up leftover work, after which I knew there will be even more work stashed away undone.
As I dived once more into the waters closing over my head, my heart fluttered at several happy memories of my doing this when I was a child, when it was just Dad, Mom and me. Remind me again why I had not bribed Peter Pan to sneak me into Neverland so I did not have to grow another second?
A deep low rumble in the distant horizons distracted me from my pastime. What was happening? Lazily, I swam up to the surface, only to watch the sun disappearing behind grey tufts of clouds. Was it evening already?
Chilly wind swept across my face, causing goosebumps to pop on my body. I scampered towards shore as fast as possible, already suspicious of the sudden change in weather.
Thunder boomed and lightening cracked into silvery pink splinters in the moody grey sky, thereby warning me of only one thing. Rain.
Or a storm even? I managed to sprint the short distance to my mansion after wrapping my towel about my waist and shuffling my torso into my t-shirt.
The butler, Green, peeked his head out of the mammoth entrance door. Upon sighting me, he flung it open at terrific speed, making sure he hid behind the door itself until I strode past him.
"Warm water. Steak and mashed potatoes. In five minutes," I uttered as I marched regally into the hallway.
All of my maids standing at attention dispersed to deliver my orders exactly the way I wanted them done.
Anyone with half his brain in my home would know the repercussions of screwing up my instructions by now. In the meantime, my personal maid, Lilah, scurried up, holding up a silver platter loaded with chocolate and milk bars.
Not saying so much as a word to her, I popped one chocolate bar in my mouth and ventured up the stairs to the master bedroom. She followed right after like a loyal dog. I found the warm bath bubbling up, oozing out spicy scents of peppermint, sage and maybe rosemary?
Whatever.
My priority now was to bathe. Period. When I emerged from the bathroom, Lilah had sorted out a pair of black pants matched with a black shirt and lain them on the bed.
"Take these back to my closet," I commanded, "I will not be attending the board meeting tomorrow morning."
"Very well. But your mother... "
Lilah stopped as if contemplating her next statement.
"What about her?" I raised the nude electric blinds with a press of the remote control.
I gazed out of my window at the skies turning their regular shade of soft blue.
"Said to tell you that Miss Joanne will be at the meeting." She paused discreetly.
"I don't care." My face paled considerably as I snatched my binoculars from table by the window to peer at some strange object that I spotted earlier on the shores.
Wait, was that what I thought it was? I invited Lilah to come see; she nods in agreement. Turned out that the strange thing is in fact, a dead body. But in front of my mansion? She promised to take care of it, urging me to drink some hot tea to calm my nerves. But I couldn't. A dead body?
I rang my private detective immediately and gabbled the details.
"I need you to see this, Mitchell. Now."
Unable to stay still any longer, I barged to the shores, not even bothering to wear any shoes. As expected, several servants turned their heads and whispered amongst one another.
Right then, I didn't give a shit. My feet raced to the body in question. At first, I refrained from touching it, for fear of leaving my fingerprints in my wake.
But come on, it couldn't be that bad, right? Venturing closer to the body, I placed my ear near it's heart. It's faint pulsing reached my ears. Wow. Just wow.
**
On my orders, some servants carried the body to the room next to mine. My family doctor arrived and went a long time ago. I watched as the hours tick by, impatiently waiting for the woman to wake.
Who could've possibly done that nonsense to her? I ran my fingers through my hair in intense fury as I paced my room back and forth. I may not know that bastard, but I did know that, whenever I found him, he would pay for hurting her.