Free Just a Fling by Olivia Noble Page A

Caribbean men.”
    Eva rolled her eyes. She was quite sure that
the latter event was unlikely, but she couldn’t deny her need to
have a few drinks and relax. She shook her head in surrender.
“Fine,” she told Nicole in a teasing tone, “but don’t get mad if I
throw up all over you.”
    “Baby girl, if you throw up? You’re on your
own,” Nicole shot back, slapping her friend lightly on the arm.
    “Oh? Well, see if I hold your hair after
your fifteenth shot,” Eva retorted. She grinned at Nicole,
appreciating the distraction their banter provided.
    Nicole made a grunting sound that turned
into light laughter. “Let’s just hope the rain stops. What’s the
point of a tropical getaway if I can’t get a tan?”
    Eva’s eyes drifted out of the plane’s
window, and she nodded in agreement. It was bad out there and
getting worse. She was starting to seriously pray that the plane
would land soon, and put her out of her misery. Being in the air
made her stomach queasy; it did not feel like a natural place for a
human being. More than anything, she yearned to place her feet
firmly on the ground—and only then would she think about placing a
drink comfortably in her hand. The constant shaking set her nerves
into overdrive and she clenched her teeth together, digging her
nails into the armrest. We’ll be there soon, she assured
herself. Everything’s going to be fine. Soon I’ll be relaxing on
a beautiful sandy beach with not a care in the world, and this
flight will be a bad memory.
     
    * * *

    Eva was relieved to finally have her feet on
solid ground. With her fingers curled around the handle of her
luggage, she took several deep breaths to try and calm her racing
heart. The landing had been non-too-gentle, and she had been almost
certain of death for a moment. Of course, after this traumatic
experience, Nicole had ushered her out of the plane and through the
airport, toward the car rental area, without moment’s rest.
    Now, as Nicole negotiated the details of
their car rental, Eva finally was able to gather her wits and
examine her surroundings. There was a bustling of people in the
airport, despite the dismal weather. Many were trying to get home
and waiting desperately for the storm to pass. It had taken the
girls a few minutes to navigate their way through the lively sea of
people. Eva’s eyes fell upon an old lady in a wheelchair, being
pushed by her daughter. A pang of guilt struck her again, and she
began fumbling in her purse for her cell phone.
    “Got the car!” Nicole said cheerily,
grabbing her friend’s arm. “I think you’ll love it. Ready to
par-tay?”
    “No,” Eva said with dismay. “I need to give
my mom a call.”
    Nicole frowned, snatching the phone from
Eva’s hands. “Hey, baby girl! What are the rules? We’re on
vacation, so no stressing! Your mom’s going to be fine.”
    Eva sighed. She knew that she had a tendency
to worry too much, but her mom didn’t really have anyone else.
“Alright, I’ll wait until we get to the hotel. She’ll want to know
we made it there safe.”
    “She knows,” Nicole assured her friend.
“Besides, you’re here with me! What could go wrong?”
    “I don’t know. Everything?” Eva said
glumly.
    Nicole snorted as she began to pull Eva
through the throng of tourists all eager for transportation. As
they moved outside, they had to cross through the rainy street to
get to the parking lot. Nicole ran through the rain, forcing Eva to
run behind her. However, at the end of their little trek was a
pleasant surprise for Eva. Her eyes opened wide as she stared at
the beast of a vehicle that was patiently waiting for them. It was
a sleek red Hummer that simply begged to be driven.
    “Oh, baby,” Eva said lovingly as she dropped
her suitcase and moved forward to run her hands over the shiny
metal. “Okay, I take it back. Thanks for bringing me along.” It was
her favorite car, and she was touched that her friend had
remembered. Eva’s father had