Chapter 8

Brandon took up his usual seat at Ramon’s at a little past seven-thirty. He just couldn’t wait in his apartment anymore. He’d turned down Ramon’s offer for a cup of coffee, remembering that coffee breath wasn’t the best way to start a date, and had opted instead for a bit more of his rum, just to calm his nerves, or at least that’s what he told himself. The sun had all but set and the weak lighting provided by the handful of shops that were still open didn’t give Brandon line of sight too far down the street. That didn’t stop him from straining his eyes in hopes of seeing Eve coming. Somewhere, deep inside, he worried she wouldn’t. He’d simply grown too accustomed to disappointment.

“She will come,” Ramon sensed Brandon’s sudden concern. She wasn’t even supposed to arrive for another twenty minutes or so. Brandon shrugged off his paranoia and looked at Ramon.

“What the hell am I doing, Ramon?” Brandon’s question was a bit rhetorical. Ramon couldn’t know the gravity of the situation, nor did Brandon anticipate any useful advice. “That’s how this is supposed to feel, amigo.” Ramon approached the table with the bottle of rum. He poured a bit more into Brandon’s glass before pouring some into his own, “If it made sense, it wouldn’t be as exciting.” Brandon was surprised; Ramon had some useful things to say after all.

“You’re a smart man, Ramon.” Brandon’s gaze returned to his view of the street.

“That’s what I always used to tell me wife,” Ramon smiled warmly.

“What happened? Did you guys split up?” Brandon had never heard mention of a wife before. His interest turned his attention away from the street.

“No, no. She waits for me en el cielo,” In heaven, Brandon thought.

“I’m sorry Ramon, I didn’t mean to…” Brandon’s eyes looked to the floor.

“I brought it up. Love is in the air, it’s a beautiful thing! She would approve,” Ramon’s face expressed his sadness, but he did his best to cover it up with a smile.

“Well, I don’t know about love…”

“Nobody ever does,” Ramon interrupted, “now stand up and straighten your tie, she’s coming.” Ramon brought Brandon’s attention back to the street. In the distance, he could see a figure approaching, although she was still a bit too far away to make out her face, he knew immediately that it was Eve. The sway of her walk, the shape of her body, Brandon had only known this girl for days, yet somehow Brandon was certain he could draw her every detail from memory… if he could draw. Her walk brought her past the leaking light of windows and doors that remained open for the evening’s customers, illuminating a black dress that hung over one shoulder. It hugged her body down to her thighs where it loosened just enough to wave a bit as she walked. It was a simple dress, the type a girl would travel with because it could be used in a variety of social occasions, but the way she wore it was anything but simple.

Brandon’s eyes struggled to take in as much as they could. If she hadn’t been coming to see him, he could have had a perfectly pleasant evening just enjoying the view, but as she came close enough to see through the windows of Ramon’s coffee shop, she noticed Brandon standing in the doorway and smiled… and suddenly Brandon realized he would have to somehow think of words, complete sentences, even answers to questions with her looking this way… he wasn’t sure he could.

“You look absolutely stunning…” Brandon observed out loud, not even sure if she could hear yet.

“You clean up pretty good yourself,” she replied with the type of smile Brandon was sure could sink ships.

“I guess we should be on our way,” Brandon extended his arm as he had when they first met, and Eve slid hers into his without hesitation.

“Well, I hope you’re not taking me out for dollar menu, I don’t bust this dress out for just anybody.” Eve kidded him as they began to walk.

“You two have a good night!” Ramon called after them, Brandon replied with a friendly wave before the turned down the street.

“Such a nice man,” Eve said to Brandon as they walked. She squeezed his arm, drawing her body closer to his.

“He is. It’s strange, I’ve seen him every day for months, but I’ve only really realized it recently.” Brandon observed, faulting himself a bit for never really giving Ramon a chance before.

“Well, I suppose it takes him some time to open up… with those scars, ya know?” Eve acknowledged his scars with a whisper.

“I suppose. When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me scars were proof you were stronger than what hurt you,” Brandon hadn’t mentioned his mother to anyone in years. It was strange to feel this free.

“When I was a kid my mom told me that the only thing worse than a boy who hates you is one who likes you.” Eve stopped and turned toward Brandon, rearranging her hands to take his into hers, “and it seems like you might like me, Mr. Webb.”

“Well, I guess I don’t wear a suit for Ramon very often,” Brandon kidded in the face of his gleeful terror.

“I… I have to tell you something. Something I should have told you before,” Brandon thought she was going to kiss him; he wasn’t sure what to make of this now, “See, before I left the States, there was a guy… a boyfriend,” she was struggling to choose the right words, but Brandon already knew the story. A boyfriend back home, an exciting older man in a new country, summer love (even in the winter) was only ever meant to be expressed as passing crushes. He should have expected this, but somehow his excitement had blinded him.

“It’s okay,” Brandon began, his face flush with embarrassment. He should never have let himself do any of this.

“He’s a great guy… we met in school… that doesn’t matter, I, um,” Eve was still stumbling. Brandon reached his hand up slowly and gently placed his palm on her cheek.

“He’s a lucky guy. I promise not to try anything fresh, madam.” Brandon smiled as warmly as he could, hoping a bit of humor would mask his deep disappointment.

“You don’t want me to just go home?” Eve looked into his eyes. He assumed his disappointment was more apparent than he’d hoped.

“Of course not. I’d never pass up dinner with a beautiful woman,” Brandon took his hand away from her cheek, “even if I’m not the right man for the job.” He smiled warmly, sincerely meaning his words.

“You’re just the man for the job, Brandon,” she squeezed his hand and began walking again. Brandon let her hand stay in his, though now he wasn’t sure what such a gesture meant. To say his heart had sank would be a misrepresentation of where it began. It’d been a long time since Brandon’s heart had been afloat.

“There’s something I was hoping to show you before dinner, do you mind?” Brandon didn’t dare look at her as he asked. The plan called for romance, but with romance no longer an option, he had no other plan.

“Not at all, what do you have in mind?” A bit of cheer returned to her voice, but Brandon couldn’t be sure if it was for his sake. He hoped his sadness wasn’t seeping through his bravado.

“You’ll see,” Brandon squeezed her hand a bit, but still didn’t look at her. She was too beautiful, too perfect, and too close for him to stand. He silently wondered which was worse, to be this close and know you can’t have her, or to be back at Jose’s, pining for a stranger from across the bar.

“You must take me for an awfully trusting girl,” Eve’s joke snapped Brandon out of it.

“I thought you’d already confirmed I wasn’t a creep?” Brandon smiled, but kept his eyes on the road.

“I thought you knew your way around this island,” Eve gestured toward the dead end they were approaching.

“I do,” Brandon let go of her hand and took a few steps ahead of her to the tree line. He bent over a bit and grabbed the skinny limb of a tree that was covered in blue flowers. He pried it up to reveal a narrow path into the woods, “after you.”

“I’m not really wearing the shoes for a hike, Brandon,” Eve hesitated. The way she said it, the familiarity in her voice, it was soothing to him in a way. He missed having a woman question his good ideas. It was his ex-wife’s specialty.

“I promise,” Brandon replied, “it’s a short walk.” He bent down and walked under the limb, turning as he went to keep it propped up with his left hand, “come on.”

“Well, When in Rome…” Eve stepped beneath the limb and stood up straight again on the other side. Before her lay a narrow path with thick bushes on either side, there was enough moonlight to make the clearing completely visible. It inclined steadily for about thirty yards before cresting, though from where they were she couldn’t see what was beyond it.

They walked in relative silence for a few minutes, Brandon’s mind swimming in the deep waters of confusion and regret, breaking only occasionally to wonder what was keeping her mind occupied. Probably just the awkwardness of knowing she’d made a fool of him, he assumed. When they were just a few steps from the crest of the hill, he brushed the negativity from his mind and stopped.

“We’re here,” he turned and outstretched his hand. She took it and closed the distance between the two of them so they could take the last few steps together. As they came over the crest of the hill, she realized what it was he’d taken her out here to see.

The path ended abruptly with a small clearing and a sheer drop off that must have gone down a hundred feet. Before her lay an incredible landscape; unmolested shoreline giving way to the slow, steady percussion of the oceans’ waves. She could see a few small fishing boats out on the water and one half sunk, burnt wreck far off to their right. Beneath them was a white sand beach that looked like no one had ever set foot on it. Her mouth fell open at the beauty of the scene, but she caught herself and closed it again. They stood there silently for a moment, holding hands and appreciating the majesty of the view.

“It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” Eve finally broke the silence.

“It never does get old,” Brandon’s eyes scanned the horizon. He’d been here dozens of times, sometimes to write, sometimes to read, always alone.

“Thank you for bringing me here, it’s incredible.” Eve let go of his hand to manage the bottom of her dress as she attempted to sit on the edge.

“Careful now,” Brandon saw her hanging her ankles over the side.

“Don’t let the dress fool ya, I can take care of myself.” Eve smiled up at him. He considered trying to make a joke about the events of the day to counter her statement, but instead opted to nod and simply sit down next to her, “I could stay here all night,” she said as he settled in next to her, his feet dangling off next to hers. She leaned in and let her head rest on his shoulder. It stung. Brandon was suddenly unsure which was worse: a girl that hated you, or one that liked you. His arm didn’t suffer any such uncertainty, seemingly without his permission, it raised up and laid across her shoulders.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, but we’ve got reservations to keep.” Brandon looked down at her, her eyes twinkled as they scanned back and forth across the seascape.

“This is going to be hard to beat,” she looked up at him casually, but their eyes caught. Neither said anything as they looked at each other. Brandon could see a complex mix of comfort, sadness, happiness, and even fear in her eyes. They told him everything her stuttering attempts at explaining had tried to. He wanted to kiss her, and he thought she might want it too, but it wasn’t his place to do so. His eyes broke from hers and looked back out to the view.

“We should go,” he said a bit more abruptly than he intended. He didn’t look back at her, but he hoped she looked disappointed.

“Yeah, reservations…” she whispered, looking back out at the ocean. Brandon stood up carefully and offered her his hand. She took it, but stood on her own accord before letting him lead her back down through the jungle. He felt like he should be saying something, but didn’t know what it was, so he remained silent until they were once again on the street.

“I promise not to risk ruining those shoes again for the rest of the night,” Brandon smiled as she emerged from the path.

“Good, they’re my only heels,” she laughed. He began to walk and was surprised to feel her arm sliding into his and she caught up. What the hell is this girl doing? Brandon thought to himself, ‘If it made sense, it wouldn’t be as exciting.’ He smiled. Ramon was a pretty smart guy.

They made it to the Skytop fifteen minutes before their reservation. It was a calculated move on Brandon’s part, a leftover from his time in the Marine Corps, anything later than fifteen minutes early was late. He anticipated spending a bit of time in the lobby, or perhaps at the bar, when they arrived, as the tower would certainly have required some time to prepare. There was a time, Brandon heard, that Tony had used it as a VIP room, permitting only high rollers in the tower, but Roatan Island was always hurting for high rollers and eventually, Tony opted to close it off rather than open it to the general public. Brandon couldn’t guess why, but then again, he never had been in the restaurant business.

“Good evening, Mr. Webb,” the hostess he’d ignored earlier was extremely good at faking graciousness. Brandon immediately regretted the way he’d skipped past her earlier in the day. She didn’t seem to mind, or at least not that he could tell, “We’ve been expecting you, please, come this way.” She gestured toward the stair case Brandon had climbed earlier that evening to meet with Tony, then led the way across the bar.

“They’ve been expecting us, have they Mr. Webb?” Eve giggled at the pageantry, “I didn’t realize I was with such an important man.”

“Ah, but he is! Goooood evening, Mr. Webb! Welcome to the Skytop!” The bartender announced as they passed, “and with such a beautiful woman!” Eve blushed.

“And a good evening to you as well!” Brandon bowed his head a bit, in part poking fun at the pageantry himself. They climbed the stairs single file with the hostess leading and Brandon right behind her. He realized his distance behind her on the stairs allotted him a direct view of her rear end and immediately diverted his attention to the floor. He felt the light tap of Eve’s hand slapping at his back.

“It’s a pretty good butt,” she whispered. The hostess stopped for a minute and turned her head to the left, not far enough to look back at them, but far enough to let them know she’d heard. She then turned her gaze back up the stairs and continued with a flurry of childish giggles behind her. At the top of the stairs, where Brandon had turned to the left to meet with Tony, they took a right where a now large wooden door sat open, exposing a beautiful wooden staircase complete with ornate engravings on the trim. Won’t find that at the Olive Garden, Brandon thought as they crossed the threshold into what Tony had once hoped would be where the wealthiest men in Honduras would one day meet to smoke cigars and drink scotch. This stair case was much shorter than the first, only six steps or so before the narrowness of the stairs gave way to a much larger room than he expected. The tower didn’t seem this big in diameter from the outside, but the room was easily thirty feet wide with a beautifully carved wooden bar to their left and a two huge open glass doors to the right. Inside the room, a handful of small tables huddled the perimeter of a hard wood dance floor standing between them and the doors. The hostess led them past the tables and out the open glass doors where they found another table on a balcony no bigger than Brandon’s apartment. Two candles, already lit, supplemented the moonlight and illuminated the table settings and decoratively folded cloth napkins sitting on top of them.

Eve paused and looked out at the view. You could see much of the town and the ocean beyond it from their vantage point. Most of the small structures were dark, with only a few dim lights in the distance. Roatan Island never did have much of a night life. Off to their left, Brandon was pretty sure he could see the lights of Jose’s and Ramon’s along the street he spent most of Brandon’s life on. Eve seemed much more interested in the view of the ocean beyond the town.

“Beautiful,” Brandon said aloud, in part to her, in part to himself.

“Second best view I’ve seen tonight.” Eve looked up at him smiling. Brandon smiled back warmly before looking back to their table where the hostess had already pulled out Eve’s chair for her.

“Thank you,” Eve said as she and Brandon both sat.

“It is my pleasure, Madam,” the hostess began before passing each of them an open menu, “if I may suggest the lobster, it is our specialty. Maria will your server and she should be with you in just a moment. In the meantime, can I begin your evening with drinks?” Brandon was absolutely ready for a drink. “I think you’ll find our wine list quite impressive.”

“If you don’t mind,” Eve looked to Brandon, “I’d just as well skip the wine and have a dry martini.” Brandon smiled.

“I’ve never been one for wine myself. I’ll take a vodka and ginger ale.” The hostess nodded to both of them, though gave Brandon a bit of a quizzical look, before stepping away to prepare the drinks at the bar inside.

“Vodka and ginger ale? That’s a bit of an unusual drink.” Eve observed as she leaned into the table and rested her arms on either side of the plate.

“It used to be a favorite of mine, a long time ago. Seemed like a good time to bring it back into rotation.”

“A good time indeed,” Eve said matter of factly before picking her menu back up and beginning to peruse it.

“I’ve never eaten at a restaurant that didn’t print prices on the menu…” She looked up from the leather bound folder.

“I agreed to wash dishes for however long it takes to pay off this meal, so don’t worry too much about that.” Brandon closed his menu, “I think I’m going to have the steak.”

“A man after my own heart… but lobster does sound awfully good…”

“Then have both, my dear.” Tony’s voice erupted cheerfully from the doorway, “tonight is a special occasion, you must let yourself enjoy it!”

“I haven’t known Tony to be wrong very often, we should probably listen to him,” Brandon stood up to greet his newest business partner. The two men shook hands and Brandon sat back down.

“I just wanted to come and check on my favorite customer and his lovely acquaintance,” Tony took Eve’s hand and brought it to his lips, “Antonio Constellano, it is an absolutely pleasure to meet you.” Eve smiled and looked and Brandon before looking back to Tony politely.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Constellano.”

“This gentlemen means a great deal to me, you see, he is one of the most important men on the island,” Brandon winced at Tony’s attempts at being a wingman.

“So he is. I’m a very lucky lady to have his undivided attention this evening.” Eve looked into Brandon’s eyes and smiled, clearly laughing internally at the preposterous situation.

“Okay Tony, I think the lady is onto you. Do you make all your customers feel this important?” Brandon laughed a bit.

“Only the ones who can make me rich, Brandon. Only the ones that can make me rich. You two love birds have a wonderful evening and remember, everything is on the house. My restaurant is your restaurant! Please let me know if there is anything at all I can do to make this evening more special for the two of you!” Tony announced with another grand gesture of his arms.

“You are too kind, Tony. Thank you very much,” Brandon thanked him sincerely. Tony nodded before turning and heading back inside.

“So you’re gonna make him rich, huh? Maybe you are a big deal on this island…” Eve leaned in again like she was telling a secret.

“Everyone’s a big deal somewhere, I guess.” Brandon responded.

“That was a pretty smooth line of bullshit, Mr. Webb.” Eve laughed and leaned back in her chair. Their drinks arrived before Brandon could try to salvage his comment. They thanked the hostess for their drinks and Brandon saw the break as a chance to change the subject.

“So how long will you be here?”

“That’s kinda up in the air,” she took a sip of her martini, “mmm this is good, anyway, um, oh, yeah I’m not really sure. I need to complete enough interviews to be able to compile a thorough report with a relatively definitive finding. That could take a hundred, it could take five hundred, it all sorta depends on how the interviews go.”

“And then you head back to the states and do what with your new found knowledge?” Brandon continued.

“Bind it together and leave it on a stuffy old Professor’s desk until he’s annoyed by my constant status updates that he makes me a doctor, I figure.” She laughed, but Brandon could sense some truth in the statement.

“Sounds like you’re not entirely in love with what you’re doing,” he worried he was steering the conversation toward a negative place.

“It’s all just a part of the game, I guess. I dunno, I never set out to be a doctor in anything. I’ve just been going to school for so long, I’m not sure what happens after it.”

“That’s certainly understandable,” Brandon leaned back in his chair, looking out into the distance briefly. The view really was incredible up here.

“Is it? You seem like you haven’t let much tie you down,” Eve took his pause as a chance for her to throw a few questions in herself, “what leads a man to working for a cruise line so far from home?”

“The same thing that leads a man to drive a garbage truck, I guess. An opportunity comes along, it seems like it’s what’s best at the time. You make the best of your decisions.” Brandon spoke honestly about his line of work, even if he was dishonest about what the line was.

“Sounds like you’re not that in love with what you’re doing either,” Eve eyed him, as though she was just now realizing there was more to him than she’d been introduced to.

“Well, it certainly has its good days.” Brandon reached out and placed his hand over hers on the table. They looked into each other’s eyes briefly before they both pulled back at once, “I’m… sorry, I…”

“Don’t be. I mean it. I’m um, I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” Eve stood and walked back through the door. Brandon’s face was flush, but that was nothing compared to the flurry of insults he directed toward himself internally. He’d blown it. What the hell was I thinking? He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t come back through that door at all. He sighed and slouched over his place setting. His left hand grabbed the perspiring glass of top shelf vodka and generic brand ginger ale and brought it to his lips. He drank the entire glass in a few gulps and set it back down. Well, this never happens to James Bond.