Free Cajun Vacation by Mindi Winters Page A

Where her sisters had run off to was a mystery. Hopefully they weren’t out looking for her. But how she ended falling in love with Justin was the bigger mystery. Why had she agreed to another day with him? Going to his home last night for a private dinner left nothing hidden to their motives: sex in an actual bed. But going on an actual date, in a very public way, made no sense.
    She wanted to say yes anyway, but wavered when she considered all the ways she could get hurt even more when the day ended. Then he threw her a lifeline with his excuse that she could get some work done. She might go through a few motions, but getting quotes like that was outside of what she was asked to do, and the station had someone assigned to gather information like that. No, Justin had just wanted to make the choice to be with him easier, so he had said what he said.
    What started as a simple assignment had morphed into something complicated. Her heart was dancing on very dangerous ground. Tonight she needed to pack for a redeye back to New York. Her flight was less than twenty hours away, and her goodbye with Justin even closer. So the plan for the day was to go shopping, head out on a date with Justin, maybe one more round of wild sex; then she needed to say goodbye and pack. How unromantic. And she didn’t care, even if she dreaded leaving him.
    She checked the time. The hotel boutique had taken enough of her money already. This time she intended to hit a store downtown to buy her next outfit. She would change at the store, and Justin could pick her up from there. This was his city. Justin would be able to find any address she gave him.
    She walked past the doorman and waved. “Enjoy your Sunday,” he said, waving back. New Orleans had such a different feel than New York. She had lived in New York so long, that she had become accustomed to the less desirable attitudes of its inhabitants. She took big strides and headed toward the shopping district. After the workout she’d had with Justin, more exercise was overkill, but she wanted to take in the sights and sounds of the city during the day. Plus the walking let her think better. She hoped.
    She made another turn and spicy aromas filled her senses. The smell of gumbos simmering made her mouth water, and she took a moment to look into many of the restaurants as she walked. Most restaurants had only a few patrons. Too late for most breakfasts, and too early for lunch. But each one had their specialty soups they were brewing and the smells tempted her each time she past a door to just go in and have a taste.
    She had to stay focused on her shopping. She needed yet another outfit. Her fun-money budget for the weekend had been spent on clothes, but she didn’t care. She needed them. A smile crossed her face as she imagined Gary watching the raw footage that Justin had shot. Would he even notice that she had changed her wardrobe? Her style? Even if he did, what would he make of it? His narcissism probably left him too narrow minded to notice. If he did, would he recognize it as a sign that she intended to leave, if need be, her career at the station.
    The strength of her certainty surprised her. However Justin would hurt her later when they parted, he had taught her that she could never go back to Gary. It might cost her a job she enjoyed, but she’d be able to live with herself the next morning. And she’d find another job somewhere. She didn’t know where, or how, but she had to believe it was true.
    A sax player stood on a corner and she tossed a few bills into her case as she passed. Three clothing stores clustered next to each other a few doors down and she went into the most promising. She’d find something to wear, a new job in New York, and eventually her one true love.
    Twenty minutes and too much money later, she walked out in her new outfit. She opened her purse and pulled out her phone.
    “You’re not at the hotel,” said Justin.
    “I wanted to get out of the hotel