Free Love in Paradise by Maya Sheppard

Copyright 2012 (c) Maya Sheppard / Global Grafx Press
    All rights from this book, Love In Paradise/Nika's Predicament has been confirmed as that of the author and publisher, and no reproduction in full or part contained herein or in any version of this work of fiction (electronic, in print or in any tangible form) shall be permitted without permission from the author. Any abuse of copyright of this work will lead to legal action.
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    First Kindle Printing - April 2012
     
     
    Chapter One
    The Stranger
    There were so many things that Nika Kitaev enjoyed about flying. The fast paced atmosphere at the airport, the scent of clean carpet, and perhaps even the sense of security that the airport provided. This of course didn’t include the ride from LAX to the airport on Sian Island. While the takeoff and landing were always incredible, the flight itself was long and boring. She had never graced Sian Island of course, but she was no stranger to long flights.
    Movies had always portrayed flights as relatively silent, but in reality they were incredibly loud -- so loud that they could easily invoke a headache for those caught unprepared. For Nika, the noise of this flight was drowned out easily by the music blaring through her touch screen MP3 player along with her deep concentration. She poured over documents compiled on Sian Island, one of many in a long chain.
    Situated in the Indian Ocean, the island chain was once a constitutional monarchy, but due to some recent changes, it took on the form of a republic. This small island chain had undergone many changes since the first recorded settlers in 300 AD, but
    Nika was fairly certain that her clients would not care about the distant past. In her line of work she was usually hit with two major questions: “Is it safe?” and “How cheap can I get it?”. While these were two rather difficult questions to answer, the life of a travel agent was never particularly easy in itself.
    On her lap sat the black binder containing pertinent information regarding Sian Island. It was one of the most sought after vacation destinations in the world, and was, without a doubt the most expensive. Scoring a deal with any of the major island hotels would be quite the feat, but here she was, taking on the most difficult assignment of her career.
    Thought it was at the back of her mind, she might never admit it aloud: she took pleasure in arranging exotic, perfect honeymoons for others simply because she had never experienced one herself. She worked behind the scenes, the unseen choreographer, the puppet master, and the director of the perfect romantic rendezvous.
    This was not to say that she had spent the last twenty-six years of her life alone, not by any means. There had been boys in the early years who gradually became men, some who left more of an impression than others. Her earliest had been Andrew Lloyd in the fourth grade of all places. He had shared his cupcake with her at lunch, and the relationship lasted for about two hours before a passed note revealed that Andrew Lloyd had been sharing his cupcakes with at least three other girls.
    The next she could recall was Joey Mader, the boy she had dated in high school. Sure, there was a gap between relationships, but she had dedicated herself to her studies, doing her best to ensure a place at the state college. Joey Mader had given Nika her first kiss, or rather stolen it.
    Mike followed Joey, Wayne followed Mike, and Richard followed the man who came after Mike. It was not until Jerald that she had truly felt what she considered to be true love, and as many young lovers do, she was forced to experience the loss of that love.
    It was a night she remembered well, a storm drenched night, the mother of all clichés. While it was true that she had experienced her fair amount of loss,