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  Neptune’s Ring

  Published by Ali Spooner at Smashwords

  Copyright 2010 Ali Spooner

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  Neptune's Ring

  PART ONE

  Nat and Liz rode back to the resort and passed a taxi leaving the resort driveway. “That is odd,” Liz said as they pulled into the garage. “Who at the resort travels in a taxi?” she asked.

  “That is a good question and I intend to find out the answer,” Nat said as she walked to the front desk her good mood sinking quickly.

  “Maryann, who just arrived in a taxi,” she asked?

  “It was your sister,” Maryann said.

  “Simone?” Nat asked.

  “Do you have any other’s we don’t know about, Honey?” Liz teased.

  “No, one is quite enough these days,” Nat said with a sigh.

  “Keep your cool,” Liz said as she saw Nat’s blood pressure rising.

  “I am going to see what she is up to now,” Nat said. “I will meet you in the office in a bit.”

  “Very well, my love, just promise me you won’t throw Simone off the balcony,” Liz teased.

  “I will try my best, but I won’t make a promise I may not be able to keep,” Nat said with a wicked grin.

  Nat stormed out of the front desk area headed for the elevator. If she were lucky, she would catch Simone still in her suite and would confront her there instead of out in public where Simone was sure to make a scene.

  Liz walked up to the office and waited for the fireworks to begin.

  Nat arrived at Simone’s door and pounded on it until Simone came to the door.

  “Well hello, Sister,” Simone said.

  “What are you doing here?” Nat asked. “I thought you had a few more days in the hospital.”

  “I put on my charm and talked the doctor into discharging me early,” Simone said.

  “Are you really well enough to be out of the hospital?”

  “How nice of you to ask, but yes, he said it would be fine as long as I took it easy for the next few days,” Simone said. “You would have known that dear Sister, if you had been at the hospital with me,” Simone said with venom in her voice.

  “The way you have been acting, you are damned lucky I don’t throw you out on your ass right now,” Nat said clinching her fist.

  “Not to worry, Nat, I will be off the island Sunday,” Simone said. “I have been released to fly then and I already have a ticket.”

  “Until then I suggest, you lay low and not cause any more trouble Simone or I will send you off to the only other motel on the island,” Nat warned.

  “Oh, I will be good dear Sister,” Simone said. “I plan to lay out by the pool and stay out of your way as much as possible,” she said.

  “That would be very wise, Simone.”

  “I do plan to take care of some unfinished business with Levi,” Simone said.

  “That will be pretty hard for you to do,” Nat said with a devilish grin.

  “Why is that?” Simone asked a bit startled.

  “Levi is not on the island anymore,” Nat said.

  “Where is she?” Simone demanded to know.

  “Quite frankly, dear Sister, I don’t believe that is any of your business. You are completely and finally out of Levi’s life now,” Nat said.

  “That’s what you think, Nat, but my way of thinking is very different.”

  “Why would you even want to pursue someone who has absolutely no desire to be with you?” Nat asked.

  “Oh, Levi still wants me, I am sure of it,” Simone said. “She can’t just walk away from me,” Simone said.

  “Well this one did, Simone and you ruined the best thing to have come into your life,” Nat said.

  “I guess we will just have to see about that,” Simone said. “I know you would not let your little prize bartender go for long so I will just wait until she returns.”

  “You will be out of here Sunday morning, regardless, Simone, and that is that,” Nat said as she spun on her heel and barged through the door.

  “Later, Sister,” Simone shouted as Nat closed the door loudly.

  Nat could hear Simone laughing behind the closed door as her rage burned through her veins. “Damn you Simone,” she mumbled under her breath. “Why can’t you leave well enough alone?”

  Nat walked around the resort to exhaust the rage Simone had stirred in her. Not many people had the ability of making Nat lose her temper, but her younger sister always knew exactly which buttons to push to send Nat over the edge.

  Simone had always felt inferior to her older sister. Nat was the first to become a successful businesswoman. Nat had a secure and stable relationship with a great woman. Granted, Simone’s success in the travel industry had blossomed quickly, but only due in part from the financial backing Nat had provided to get Simone’s ideas off the ground. Simone had paid Nat back in full for her investment, but Simone knew without Nat she would have been just your routine travel agent. Simone was also envious of the love that Nat shared with Liz and longed to share that love with someone. She had seduced many women, but none of them had that special feel to them. That was until Levi had come into her life.

  Levi was definitely the one that got away, or in Simone’s case the one she foolishly discarded like yesterday’s trash. Simone felt the sting of shame burning deep inside her for the way she treated Levi, but she would be damned if she would admit that to anyone. Simone was superior and would not concede how badly her psyche had been damaged when Levi walked out of her life. No one and especially not a minimum wage bartender would humiliate Simone Taylor.

  Simone removed the immobilizer sling and carefully showered to rinse the smell of the hospital off of her body and dressed in a skimpy bikini. By the time she finished her shoulder was on fire with a dull ache and she swallowed a pain pill and replaced the sling on her body. She had plans to lay out by the pool to soak up some rays and scope out the resorts latest round of guests. She slipped a thin cover up over her head and took off for the pool. Despite the doctor’s warning of mixing alcohol with her pain medication, Simone took great pleasure in ordering a tall Tropical E as she located a perfect sunning spot and spread out a towel.

  “That is an absolutely sinful drink,” a deep voice said from beside Simone.

  “Yes, it is,” Simone said as she lowered her sun glasses to get a better look at the woman beside her.

  Young, spiky blonde hair, cute smile, sexy voice, just my type of woman, Simone thought as she smiled back at the woman.

  Hi, my name is Simone,” she said as she replaced her glasses, protecting her eyes from the glare of the sun on the pool.

  “Nice to meet you, Simone, I am Del and I sure hope you will allow me to buy the next round,” she said.

  “I do believe that can be arranged,” Simone said. “So where are you from Del?”

  “I am down from Boston for a couple of weeks of fun and relaxation,” she answered.

  “That is a beautiful town,” Simone said.

  “Where do you live?” Del asked.

  “Mainly in New York City, but I also have a small place in South Beach,” Simone said.

  “That must be where you get such a heavenly tan,” Del said.

  “Well, I do try to spend us much time as possible on the beach,” Simone said, obviously flattered by this woman’s attentions.


  “It shows too,” Del said with a voice that almost purred to Simone’s ears.

  “Why, thank you, Del,” Simone said as she took a long drink.

  “That looks very painful,” Del said pointing at Simone’s right arm in the sling. “What happened?”

  “I had a bit of a jet-ski accident and broke my collarbone,” Simone said. “It isn’t as painful as it is frustrating,” Simone said. “I can remove my arm long enough to shower, but the remainder of the time my arm must be immobilized. It makes eating and sleeping a real challenge,” Simone said.

  “Well if you will allow me to assist you, I could help with mealtimes,” Del said.

  “That is very sweet of you, Del,” Simone said with a smile. “Can you help me sleep too?” she teased.

  “That could possibly be arranged too,” Del said returning Simone’s challenge with a sly smile.

  “Interesting,” Simone said as she took another sip from her drink.

  Nat had finally cooled down from her confrontation with Simone and was walking past the pool when she glanced over and saw Simone talking with Del. “Now if that isn’t a match made in heaven,” she said out loud, “I don’t know what is.”

  She suddenly felt like smiling again and when she stepped inside the office, Liz looked up to see her smiling.

  “I am not so sure, I like that look on your face,” she said. “I don’t hear any sirens, so what has you smiling so brightly?” she asked.

  “You know that spiky haired young guest who is bordering on the edge of being a stalker?” Nat asked.

  “Del? Yes, what of her?”

  “Well she and Simone are having drinks down by the pool,” Nat said with a smile. “For some reason I thought of a cobra and a mongoose when I saw them together, two predators sparring like that,” Nat said. “I just had to smile.”

  “You can be a truly evil woman, Nat,” Liz said.

  “Now, now my dear, evil is a pretty strong word,” Nat said.

  “Ok, you are a truly wicked woman then, that better?” Liz teased.

  “Much better, wicked sounds so much sexier.”

  “Well you are very sexy, My Love.”

  “So what are you working on?” Nat asked.

  “I was surfing the net looking at some potential properties,” Liz said.

  “Have you seen anything you like?” Nat asked.

  “There are five that I think may hold some potential,” Liz said.

  “That sounds very promising,” Nat said. “Why don’t you show them to me?”

  Liz turned back to the computer screen and began to move the cursor across it when the power dimmed and then went out completely. The fire alarm screamed aloud and Liz looked at Nat.

  “We don’t have a drill scheduled for today do we?” she asked.

  “No we don’t,” Nat said as she rushed over to the enunciator panel and saw that a smoke detector had been activated in one of the guest rooms. “Room 108,” she said as she rushed for the door, with Liz closely behind her.

  When they arrived, the Maintenance staff was already in the room and had determined that a cigarette had been discarded in a waste can, before being properly extinguished and were able to stop the fire from growing beyond the waste can. Smoke filled the room, but there was no damage to fixtures or furnishings. Sirens could be heard in the distance as the small local fire department was on its way in response to the alarm.

  “I have everything under control here, Nat,” Mary, the head of Maintenance said. “I will deal with the Fire Department as well,” she said.

  “Thanks, Mary,” Nat said. “I absolutely detest dealing with that ogling bunch of men,” Nat teased.

  “I know you do, Boss, so I will take care of everything.”

  “We may need to move the guests from that room while the smoke clears,” Nat suggested. “Have a little chat with them about smoking safely too, please.”

  “Will do Boss,” Mary said as she sent one of her assistants to the front desk to find out the name of the guests in the room.

  “Let’s beat it before the fire chief makes his arrival,” Nat said as she took Liz’s hand and left the room.

  Vanessa and Levi were jolted awake by the landing of the jet as they arrived in Miami.

  “Touchdown,” Levi said as she smiled up to Vanessa. “We made it.”

  “That wasn’t bad at all,” Vanessa admitted.

  “I don’t know about you Babe, but I am starving,” Levi said. “Why don’t we grab some lunch before we leave the airport,” she suggested.

  “There is a nice little deli that serves some of the best Cuban sandwiches,” Vanessa said.

  “That sounds perfect,” Levi said, “My treat.”

  “You have yourself a deal,” Vanessa said as she retrieved their bags from the overhead.

  They located the deli and ordered the sandwiches before finding a small table in the crowded room. They sipped on drinks while they waited for their sandwiches to arrive and watched the traffic in the busy airport.

  “What will be happening on the ship today?” Levi asked.

  “They will be performing a final deep cleaning and maintenance,” Vanessa said. “Most of the crew will be on shore until Wednesday as the ship is re-stocked and made ready for the next cruise.”

  “Do you have a place in Miami?”

  “No, I stay on board the ship. No more than we are in port, it just doesn’t make sense to lease an apartment or house.”

  “That is probably wise,” Levi said.

  “Some of the staff rent a house out near the beach and since they rotate cruises; there is generally someone always at home.”

  “What about Killian?”

  Vanessa smiled at the mention of her first mate. “Killian chooses to stay on board.”

  “I believe she loves that ship as much as you do,” Levi said.

  “Yes, she does. When we take a break for the Christmas holiday, I have to force her off the ship to go spend time with her parents,” Vanessa said.

  “Maybe this year the two of you will take a holiday down at the resort then,” Levi suggested.

  “Even if it means I have to fly again,” Vanessa said with a smile.

  Their sandwiches arrived and they enjoyed the spicy lunch washed down with several glasses of soft drinks. After they finished, they stepped out into the midday Florida sun to hail a taxi. Traffic was intense and the driver wove in and out of four lanes of traffic as he made his way quickly to the port.

  When they reached the ship, she and Vanessa climbed out of the taxi. Levi paid the fare as Vanessa stood in awe of her ship.

  “It must seem like ages since you have been on board her,” Levi said.

  “It really does,” Vanessa said, while she admired the beautiful ship. “She looks more beautiful every time I look at her.”

  Vanessa reached for Levi’s hand as they walked down the pier. Killian was standing on the bridge and saw them approach, then rushed toward the ramp that led down to the pier. She met them before they reached the ship and immediately hugged Vanessa.

  “I brought her in without a scratch, Captain,” she said.

  “I can see that, she looks great.”

  “It is good to have you back on board,” Killian said. She stepped back from hugging Vanessa and embraced Levi. “I am so happy to see you and to have you on board with us,” she said. “If there is anything I can do for you while you are on board, please let me know.”

  “Well I do have instructions to get you back to the resort as quickly as possible, so maybe once we leave port you can put a little extra speed in,” Levi teased.

  “NeNe did tell me to hurry back,” she said.

  “She misses you terribly, but you never tell her I told you that,” Levi said with a grin.

  “My lips are sealed,” Killian said. “Will you two be joining us for dinner tonight?” she asked.

  “Yes, please ask Andrea to prepare dinner for two more,” Vanessa said.

  “Very well then, let me
take those bags for you,” she said as she took the bags from Levi and Vanessa. “I will put these in your cabin, while you take a look around.”

  Killian knew Vanessa well enough to know that the first thing she would do was walk the ship once she came on board and Vanessa smiled at her correct assumption.

  “Would you care to walk with me or would you rather rest for now?” Vanessa asked.

  “I don’t want to miss a minute of your company,” Levi said.

  “I will check in with you later then Killian,” Vanessa said as they walked to the elevators.

  “Later Captain,” Killian said, as she disappeared up the stairs with their bags.

  PART TWO

  Simone and Del spent the afternoon at the pool, soaking up the sunshine and several drinks. The days Simone had spent in the hospital had left her hungry, but her appetites went much further than food. She had every intention of seducing Del and was confident that her intentions would be well received by the young woman.

  “Would you join me for dinner?” Simone asked as she sat up on her lounge chair.

  “I would love to,” Del answered. “What time would you care to meet?”

  “I thought we could meet at six and then spend some time down at the club afterwards,” Simone said.

  “That sounds very nice to me,” Del said, as she stood and offered a hand of assistance to Simone.

  “We have a date then,” Simone said, as they walked back toward the resort. “I will meet you at the dining room at six then,” she said as she parted ways with Del.

  “I look forward to it,” Del said with a smile before she turned away from Simone.

  This one will do nicely, Simone thought as she watched the catlike movements of Del’s body as she walked away.

  Simone walked into the salon and requested to have her legs waxed. The young salon attendant worked quickly to remove the stubble from Simone’s legs and then rubbed her freshly smoothed legs with baby oil. Simone enjoyed the feel of the woman’s hands on her legs as she carefully covered her skin with the soothing oil. She could feel the dampness grow between her legs as the woman’s hands stroked the insides of her thighs.