Chapter 9

I leaned against the railing as I looked out over the ocean, enjoying the breeze in my hair.

When we got back to the boat a little bit ago, and we both went to our rooms to relax. But I couldn't stay. I always loved this view and I had to see it. Besides, the only bars open where the ones on the deck for we hadn't set sail yet; although that would be soon. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and sighed, pulling it out and glancing at the caller ID.

"Hey Alexa."

"Uh, finally. Were you going to ignore me, or us?"

"No, I just put my ringer off and shoved my phone in my pocket."

"After you sent that picture?"

"Who was that hottie?" I rolled my eyes as I heard Kris ask in the background.

"A person I befriended on the boat."

"Sure. You two look mightily comfortable." I rolled my eyes again at her comment.

"You all know that I don't do that."

"How did you two even start talking?"

"Ashley," I heard her in the background asking, "ladies, I promise, when I get back, I'll tell you all about my crazy adventures. But right now, it really hasn't been anything special."

"Mike saw the photo." I paused as Alexa told me that. I clutched my cell phone a little tighter, fighting the urge to toss it in the water. I also fought the urge to ask how he saw it or what he did; although that was answered by Ashley; sometimes she could read my mind.

"He was in the office when Kris was here," Ashley started.

"And I might have squealed," Kris interrupted, which caused me to smile.

"He looked over her shoulder to see what was going on and asked who that was in the photo."

"So I said him your zip lining buddy," Kris said, interrupting Alexa this time, which made me laugh.

"He seemed pissed, and maybe a tad jealous." I'm not sure why that bothered me, but it did. Maybe he thought I was supposed to pine away for him, but who the fuck was he? Not like he was some God's gift or something.

"Well, good for him. He can take the knowledge that I'm happy to his wife." I stopped as the horn blasted. "I got to go ladies. I love you all and thank you." I hung up as we started to pull away.

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He watched the back as she took the phone call and then saw it stiffen up. Whatever the news, although he had a good guess to what it was, it wasn't good. Not that he got the best news either when he got back on the boat. He shook his head and walked over to the bar, ordering them both a drink and walked over.

"Hey," he said quietly. I jumped a few feet and started laughing.

"Howie, you really got to stop scaring the crap out of me please."

"Yeah, again, you keep saying." He smiled and offered up the drink. "I thought you could use this." I eyed the drink for a moment before taking it.

"Thank you," I mumbled as I took a sip. "And you are probably right, I do." He moved up next to me and rested his own arms on the railing as he looked out over the ocean.

"Want to talk about it?" I shook my head, downed my glass and grinned at him, which only caused him to raise an eyebrow as I gave my now empty glass a pointed look than directed it at me.

"Fine. The ladies called me."

"I thought as much when I saw you on the phone. Didn't look to be too pleasant."

"They asked me who you were," I said, grinning as I bumped my hip with his. "But they also told me that my ex saw the picture."

"Ah, and his reaction was…" he asked, trailing off so I could fill him in.

"Jealous, upset, and for some unknown reason, that makes me really pissed off. Like, he thinks he has some right to be jealous, or that I don't have the right to be happy. What kind of fucked up shit is that? Does it even make sense that it bothers me?"

"It does to me." That made me pause and turn to him. "It really does, truthfully. Not that you want to go back, but it's upsetting because he didn't care in the past, but does now. A rather fucked up mind set, right?" I regarded him carefully, something in his tone making me lift a brow.

"What happened when you went to the room?" He looked down at his drink, swirled it in his glass and this time it was his turn to down his drink.

"Seems I got a message from my ex as well. She heard that I was going on trips and thought we could give it another shot. I fought not to throw my phone at the wall. She was the one who ended it by saying I couldn't be there the way she needed, which was code that I couldn't support her in the lifestyle that she wanted. Now the person she was seeing must have dropped her if she was crawling back to me." I laid my hand on his arm in a comforting gesture.

I knew about music producers, how could I not? I knew that sometimes they made more than artists themselves did; after all, artists owed a lot in fees. So to dump Howie simply because the funds weren't up to par was pretty stupid.

"She sounds like someone not even worth the second thought." Howie raised a brow as he looked at me to say 'I believe you are in the same boat'. "Yes, I know," I answered his silent comment as I turned to look out over the water again and took a deep breath.

"You want another drink?" he asked.

"Sure." He took my glass and I watched him walk away. He really was a good looking man so I had to believe his ex was truly one of the most stupid females ever. And as he walked back over and offered me the drink I couldn't help but smirk.

"What?" he asked as he paused, the drink half way to his lips, noticing the smirk.

"Go to the club with me tonight."