THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S MUSE
By Stacey
Meet Gavin Rhodes, photographer, and an island resort with a lovely woman...
and danger.
CHAPTER ONE:
THE LONG GOOD-BYE
Gavin threw the last of his clothes into his large, black suitcase that was sitting on his bed and zipped it. He had packed in quite a hurry, not wanting to have to confront her, knowing that any confrontation would end up with him changing his mind about leaving, as had happened many times in the past. After all, she could be very persuasive at times like these.
He stood there a moment, thinking about the last time he tried to leave her. He almost got out the door that time, but she had come home at the last minute, with a thousand “I’m sorry’s”, “Please forgive me’s”, and “Things will be different this time, you’ll see”. He wanted to believe her – needed to believe that things could and would be better and that she could change. But of course, they didn’t and she couldn’t change – never would. Still, he had stayed, as he had done so many times before. “No, this time is different,” he thought to himself. “This time I’ll do it. I’ll leave.”
Gavin gripped the handle of the suitcase with his left hand and effortlessly lifted it off of the bed. Bending down to pick up two more bags next to the bed, he bumped into a small nightstand, knocking over a silver-framed photograph, cracking the glass that encased it.
“Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath, as he stopped, set down his suitcases, and lifted the broken photo, careful not to cut himself on the shards of broken glass. Staring at the woman in the black and white photo, Gavin placed it face-up on the nightstand, sat on the edge of the bed, and ran his right hand through his thick, wavy brown hair. He chuckled to himself, remembering the day he had taken that photo of her, and so many more like it afterwards. “Goddamn it, you just can’t let me go, can you?!”
He remembered the first time they met, the way she had smiled when she caught him staring at her. Her beauty had mesmerized him. Before he realized what he was doing, he had walked right up to her and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Gavin…Gavin Rhodes. And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. May I photograph you?”
She laughed, graciously accepted his out-stretched hand, then replied with a smile, “Well, well, well, if that wasn’t the sweetest, most unusual pick-up line I have ever heard.” Paused, then tilted her head and continued. “So, are you a photographer, or just some type of perv that gets his jollies going around photographing young, unsuspecting women on the street?”
Gavin, trying to hide his obvious embarrassment, replied, “Ah…no. I mean, yes. I mean, yes, I’m a photographer.”
She studied him, as if deciding what to make of him. “Well, okay then. I guess there’s no harm in just taking my picture. Sure, why not. I’ve got nothing better to do, and you are kinda cute.” She flashed a grin, showing off her perfect white teeth.
He smiled back at her. “Great. Here’s my card.” He said, handing her a small, white business card from his shirt pocket. “Meet me at this address in half an hour. That should give me time to set up.”
An hour and about 150 photos later, they ended up naked, rolling on the floor together, in total orgasmic bliss. And that was the beginning of the longest, most intense 3 years of his life thus far.
“If nothing else, the bitch could fuck. I’ll give her that,” he now thought to himself, as he looked into her picture once more. Even now, he still couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Her luscious brown hair, her full pouty lips, and those eyes! Her large hazel eyes seemed to pierce right through him – see into his soul, hypnotizing him with each gaze. He shuddered, looked away from her picture. “You poor, stupid bastard! Look what she’s done to you, Mate!” He stood, grabbed his bags and walked across the room.
“This is the only way, Mate. You know this. It’s what has to be.” He said to himself, as he gave the place one last once-over and headed for the door.
“Good-bye, Tanji – you crazy fuckin’ bitch!” he said out loud, closing the door behind him.
The drive to the airport was a long one, which gave Gavin a lot of time to think about his future – a future without Tanji in his life. He had been planning his departure for several weeks now, behind Tanji’s back. All the arrangements had been made ahead of time – everything he needed to start a new life: Airline reservations, a place to live, and maybe even a job if he chose to take one. After all, there was always work for a freelance photographer – even on a secluded island resort, like Ravenwood.
He leaned back on the worn seat of the cab, stretched out his lean, muscular legs, closed his eyes. “Jesus Christ, what a fucking long, strange, trip it has been,” he chuckled to himself.
“You say somethin’, Buddy?” the cab driver asked, as he glanced back at Gavin in his rearview mirror.
Gavin sat up, looked at the driver. “Ah, no. Nothing, Mate. Nothing at all. Just thinking out loud.” He shifted in his seat, nervously, then pressed his face against the glass of the window, looking back towards his apartment. “She’ll be home soon,” he thought to himself. “And she’ll be pissed. Might even come looking for you.”
“Can you hurry it up a bit? I’d like to blow this town as fast as possible.”
“Sure thing, Buddy,” the cabbie replied, as he stepped on the accelerator a bit and sped onto the onramp of the freeway, towards the airport.
The flight from LA seemed like it had taken a lifetime. The fact that the plane had been delayed an hour on the runway after landing only made it worse. Before leaving LA, Gavin booked a small seaplane to take him from the mainland to the island – a flight he had surely missed by now.
“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, as he ran through the terminal, bags in hand, and out the double doors. Once outside, he managed to hail a cab to take him to Raven’s Port Junction, where the small plane was supposed to meet him at the pier.
When he arrived at the marina, he was surprised to find that the plane was still there – the pilot stooped down beside it, appearing to untie it from the pier.
“Hey..hi there!” he grinned, waving at the pilot, who now turned to look at him. “I’m Gavin Rhodes…sorry I’m late. The fucking flight was held up at the airport, and then….”
“I had about givin up on you,” replied the pilot, securing the plane back to the dock. Although he was clearly agitated by having to wait so long, he extended his hand towards Gavin in a friendly gesture. “My name’s Will, by the way.”
Gavin shook his hand, and replied with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Will.”
“So, shall we get going then?” Will opened the passenger door on the plane and motioned for Gavin to climb aboard.
Gavin ducked his head and stepped aboard the tiny plane, and buckled himself into the co-pilot’s seat. Will gathered up his luggage and handed them to Gavin, then climbed aboard himself and started the engine. The engine sputtered a bit, and before he knew it, they were airborne.
After a few moments of silence, Will spoke up. “So, Gavin, I couldn’t help but notice your camera bag. You some kind of photographer or something?”
“Uh, yes. I’m a freelance photographer.”
“Really? So what brings you to Ravenwood? Work or pleasure?”
Gavin thought for a moment, not sure how to answer. “A little of both, I guess you might say.” He shifted in his seat a bit, then turned his gaze out the window. “Just need a little solitude for a while is all.”
“Somehow I get the feeling there must somehow be a woman involved then,” Will chuckled.
“You can say that, I suppose” Gavin replied, still solemnly looking out at the ocean below them.
“Must have been pretty bad if you’re moving all the way from LA to an island,” Will chuckled again.
“Yeah, well…it was.” Gavin ran his hands through his wavy hair, and rested them over his eyes. “Worse than you can imagine!” he thought to himself.
“Yeah, I hear you, man. Women can drive you fucking nuts sometimes.” Will replied, thinking of his past.
Gavin looked up, clearly uncomfortable with all of Will’s questions. “ So, how long until we land?”
“Not long now,” said Will. Sensing his discomfort, he changed the subject. “So, how long are you staying on the island?”
Gavin pondered his question for a moment. “As long as it fucking takes to get that bitch outta my life!” he wanted to scream, but instead replied, “Not sure yet. Depends on a lot of things, I guess.”
Will nodded, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Just curious, but which cabin did you rent?”
Gavin thought a moment, and then replied. “I’ll be staying in one of the cabins over by the South Ranch.”
Will nodded. “South Ranch, huh? Kinda secluded, isn’t it?” asked Will.
“Yeah, well, that’s exactly what I was hoping for – a bit of seclusion,” he replied, as he peered out of the window. “Yes, a secluded cabin in the woods is perfect. The bitch would never think to look for me there!” Gavin thought to himself. He closed his eyes and sat back in the seat once more. “Christ, Tanji, why did it have to come to this?” he thought to himself. “We were so good together – in the beginning. Why did you have to get so fucked up?!” His head began to throb, as he fought hard to block out her image from his mind. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips, trying to ease the pain.
Will looked at him – noting the pained expression on his face. “God, this guy’s fucked!” he thought to himself, remembering a time he himself had walked around with a similar expression on his face. “I know that look – only a woman can cause a guy to look like that.”
A few moments later, the plane arrived at Ravenwood Island. They were greeted at the pier by a few of the staff members, and Will led Gavin to the main lodge to pick up the keys to the cabin and to the jeep he had reserved.
“Well, here’s where I leave you, then.” he told Gavin, as he walked him to the front desk. “I think you are going to like the South Ranch. Like I said, its very secluded, and lot’s to photograph, too. I mean, you being a photographer and all, I’d think that there would be lot’s of sites for you to enjoy.”
He and Gavin shook hands. “Thanks, Will. Sounds like just the escape I was looking for.”
“Well, see you around!” Will waved, as he walked back out of the lodge and headed toward the dock.
Gavin collected his keys, along with a map of the island, and went to find the jeep he had rented. Once at the jeep, he threw his luggage into the back and climbed in behind the wheel of the driver’s seat, put the key in the ignition, and drove off towards the cabin.
He drove for a while, admiring the scenery, deep in his thoughts. Suddenly, just as he rounded a curve, he came to a fork in the road.
“Fuck, now which way?” he mumbled to himself, fumbling for the map he had set on the passenger’s seat.
Making a last minute decision to veer to the left, he soon found himself driving down a narrow, winding back-woods road that seemed only to lead up to a cabin in the distance. Unfortunately for Gavin, this was not his cabin, and he decided he’d better pull the jeep over to study the map a bit more.
Just as he pulled off the road and put the jeep in park, something caught Gavin’s eye. Beyond the trees – barely visible from where he sat, he couldn’t help but notice what appeared to be a waterfall. He grabbed his camera bag from the back seat, slung it over his shoulder and stepped out of the jeep. As he walked around the front of the jeep and peered through the trees, Gavin’s mouth dropped open as he saw the most beautiful site he had ever seen. There was a waterfall – one of the many that the island boasted of, and standing on the rocks just below the falls was the most beautiful woman. He couldn’t help but stare as she stood there on the rocks - her long blonde hair dripping water all down her bare back and buttocks. As he sat there, Gavin could see her lovely face, as she turned and dove into the water below. “The face of an angel,” he thought to himself. “The total opposite of Tanji in all respects.”
Before he realized exactly he was doing, Gavin pulled his camera from his camera bag and began to snap her picture as she emerged from the water – the bright sunlight dancing off her golden hair and tanned skin. Suddenly, as if she had realized someone was watching her, she began to nervously look around. Gavin stopped, quickly ducked down behind the trees, thinking she must have heard the click of his camera. “Christ, how could I have been so careless,” he thought to himself. “I must look like a fucking Peeping Tom, or something,” He put away his camera, walked back to the jeep and shifted it into drive. As he drove away, he couldn’t help but think about the woman he had just seen and made a mental note to remember the spot he had seen her in so he could find her again later.
Back in L.A., Tanji looked around the empty apartment. Everything of his was gone. Everything. The last time he had tried to leave, she had been fortunate enough to come home early and catch him in the act. She had been watching him for weeks – following him on his photo shoots, without him being the least bit suspicious. So, when she caught him with that – woman - Celia, was her name? She was 50 years old if she was a day! Way too old for Gavin! With her bleached out hair and big fake boobs! “Who did she think she was trying to steal my man?!” Tanji thought to herself. Well, she knew he’d be trying to leave her. Oh, he had claimed that Celia was just a client. Said Tanji was just being paranoid – silly even.
“Silly?” she asked. “I’ll show you who’s being silly now, you bastard!”
She handled the situation quite well, she thought. After all, the blade was quite dull, and she knew beforehand which way to slice her wrists so she wouldn’t damage the main arteries too badly. Gavin would never let her stand there and bleed to death! And of course, he’d be too afraid to try something as stupid as to leave her again. Surely not after he had seen what she was capable of. Or would he?
“Mother Fucker!” she screamed. “You Goddamn Mother Fucker! You can’t do this to me! I won’t let you!” She picked up a glass vase full of flowers – the ones Gavin had given her just the day before, and threw them across the room, smashing it into a thousand pieces.
She stopped, collected herself, and calmly sat on the bed – looking at the picture he had earlier knocked off and broken. She picked up a small picture of Gavin she had placed on the opposite nightstand.
“You’ll be back. I know you will be back. Didn’t take long for you to realize you can’t live without me the last time, now did it?” She said to his picture, then placed it back down on the nightstand and walked over to her laptop, which what sitting on a desk across the room.
“Well, well, well, Mr. Rhodes…let’s find out where you are hiding, shall we?”
CHAPTER TWO:
THE MEETING
Gavin sat up in bed, stretched, swung his bare, muscular legs over the side and stood. His first night on the island had been a long one. Living most of his life in a big city, he wasn’t yet accustomed to the quiet and solitude of Ravenwood, and found it quite difficult to fall asleep. He tossed and turned most of the night, and when he did finally drift off, his slumber had been filled with torturous nightmares.
“Goddammit, why can’t I get you outta my head?!” he thought to himself as he wiped the sleep from his weary eyes. “Christ, Tanji, even in my sleep you invade my thoughts!” Gavin walked into the bathroom and flicked on the light switch, squinting at the stark brightness of the florescent lighting.
As he stood there, staring into the ornate mirror above the sink, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing at that exact moment. A cold chill ran down his spine, as he suddenly envisioned her standing behind him – breathing down his neck, welding a large carving knife in her dainty – yet dangerous, hands. He turned the faucet on, closed his eyes tight, trying to squeeze the image out of his mind, and splashed cold water onto his face. He opened his eyes, turned to look behind him, and she was gone. Gavin chuckled to himself. “Now I’m fucking seeing things,” he said out loud. “Christ, the bitch has driven me as fucking nuts as she is.”
After a quick shower, Gavin dressed and went down to the kitchen for a bit of coffee. As he stood there – staring at the pot and waiting for it to brew, he carelessly gazed out of a side window, admiring the view. His thoughts shifted, and he couldn’t help but think of the “angel” he had seen at the waterfall the day before and wonder if he’d be able to find her again today. He picked up the folded map of the island he had left on the kitchen countertop the day before, unfolded the flaps of paper, and studied it. “Good thing you had the sense of mind to mark the spot where you saw her, Mate, or you might never find it again,” he thought to himself. He was startled back to reality by the sound of the coffee gurgling as it spewed hot liquid into the pot.
Pouring himself a cup, he sat down on a stool and sipped at it, as he picked up his camera and opened the back to replace the roll of film he had used up the day before.
“That’s strange,” Gavin said to himself, finding the camera empty. “Guess I must have already taken it out.” He took rifled through his bag on the counter, found a new roll of film, and fumbled with it as he loaded it into the back of the camera – making a mental note to search for the used roll later when he returned to the cabin.
It was a long walk from his cabin to the falls, especially since Gavin kept stopping every few minutes to take a few photos along the way. He had spent a good part of the day wandering around the woods – lost in his thoughts – wondering what he’d do or say if he did in fact run into her. It was almost an obsession with him – the idea that he must find his “angel”, as he called her.
“Don’t be silly,” he thought to himself. “You’re building her up in your head like she’s some sort of goddamned goddess or something.” He stepped over a fallen branch, careful not to catch his leg on it. “She’s just a woman – like any other woman you’ve met. Snap out of it, before you go and do something you’ll regret – like you did with Tanji.”
By the time that Gavin reached the waterfall, the sun was just beginning to set, and his “angel” was nowhere in sight. “Well, what the fuck did you expect, Mate?” he told himself, as he wandered around the area surrounding the falls. “Did you honestly think a woman as beautiful as that has nothing better to do with her time but hang around a waterfall – waiting for some poor bloke like you take her fucking picture?”
After taking another look around and snapping a few more photographs, Gavin collected his camera gear and headed back towards home. As he came upon the meadow just beyond his cabin, he heard a noise that stopped him in his tracks. He peered through the bushes and realized that what he had heard was the sound of a woman’s voice, as she sat there on a log, humming sweetly to herself. Gavin stood there in a daze for a moment, watching her, as she hummed her tune and sketched in a notebook. Suddenly, that feeling overtook him again, and once again he found himself digging his camera out of his bag and snapping her picture –tracing the contour of her lovely face, dainty neck, shapely form. He found himself totally entranced with the sight of her, and let out a slight groan. He wanted to meet her – needed to meet her, to talk to her.
“Pull yourself together, Mate,” Gavin whispered out loud to himself. Suddenly, she began to look around, nervously. Christ, had she heard him? Before he could put his camera away and stepped from the behind the bush, she gathered up her belongings and was gone.
Gavin stepped out from behind the bush, his camera bag slung over his shoulder, and watched in the distance as his “angel” made her way down a path towards a cabin just across the meadow from his. He let out a heavy sigh and turned around to leave. As he did so, he suddenly noticed something lying on the ground next to the log she had been sitting on. Gavin walked over to the log, stooped down, and picked up a very-well-worn sweatshirt. “She must have forgotten it here in her hurry. She’ll surely be wanting it back,” he thought to himself, as he held it in his hands. He pulled the sweatshirt close to his face and smelled it. “Christ, she even smells good,” he thought to himself. Deciding that it would give him the excuse he needed to see her again in the morning, he stuffed the sweatshirt into his camera bag and went back to his cabin.
Gavin woke up early the next morning and quickly showered, dressed and fixed himself a cup of coffee and breakfast – which consisted of a bit of jam smeared on a stale, day-old bagel. “Guess I had better go into town today and pick up some groceries,” he thought to himself, as he placed the bagel on a small saucer and poured himself a second cup of coffee. He took a sip of the hot liquid, licked his upper lip, and took a bite of bagel. “Yes, definitely need to do some shopping,” he chuckled to himself, as he swallowed hard to get the stale bagel down his throat.
Noticing what a lovely day it was outside, Gavin decided to have his breakfast out on the deck this morning. As he sat in the morning sunlight, looking out into the trees that surrounded his cabin, his thoughts drifted back to Tanji and the events that led up to his decision to finally leave her. “No,” he told himself, as he slapped his hands on the metal table and stood up. “I won’t keep doing this to myself. I won’t let you control me anymore.” He picked up his cup and saucer and headed back into the cabin. As he walked into the kitchen, he tripped over his camera bag that he had carelessly left lying on the floor beside the counter the night before.
“Goddammit!” Gavin muttered under his breath; as he bent down to pick up the bag and its contents – which had spilled out onto the floor. Suddenly, he noticed the sweatshirt – her sweatshirt – peeking out of the overturned bag. He picked it up and couldn’t help but bring it to his face, taking in its lovely aroma. “I can’t quite place that scent…hmm…Jasmine, maybe?” he wondered, as he took another sniff and placed it back into his camera bag for safe keeping.
After another strong cup of coffee, Gavin gathered up his camera bag – along with his courage – and headed out towards the meadow. He was now determined that he would meet the woman he had secretly been photographing these past two days, whether or not he had to go knocking on her door to do it. “Breathe, Mate, breathe,” he told himself, as he approached the spot he had seen her the day before. To his dismay, his “angel” was no where to be found. He worked up his courage, went to her cabin door, and knocked. No answer. Gavin hesitated a moment, then decided it might be best if he went back to the meadow to wait for her.
“The view here is breathtaking,” he thought to himself, as he took out his camera and began to look through its lens. “So, this is what she was sketching, eh?” Gavin, now thoroughly engrossed in the view he was photographing, didn’t notice when someone quietly approached him from behind.
“Nice view, isn’t it?” The voiced startled Gavin. He quickly spun around, dropping his camera as he did so. They both attempted to catch it at the same time, briefly touching hands, but quickly withdrew as they realized that the camera strap was around Gavin’s neck. His face turned a nice bright shade of red, and they both broke out in laughter.
After their laughter subsided, Gavin grinned and extended his hand towards the pretty young woman. “My name’s Gavin, by the way. What’s yours?”
She smiled shyly, shook his hand, and answered, “Sam. Nice to meet you, Gavin.” They smiled at one another for a moment longer, not sure what to say next, and Sam nervously looked away.
“Say something, you idiot,” Gavin told himself, completely taken in by Sam’s charm and beauty. He stammered a moment, and then said, “So, do you come here often?” He winced after he said it – regretting that he couldn’t come up with something more original to say to her. “Oh, that’s smooth, Mate. Real smooth,” he thought to himself.
Sam smiled. “Actually, I’m staying in a cabin not too far from here. I sometimes come here to have a bit of time to myself, enjoy the view.”
Suddenly, something caught her eye, and she walked over to Gavin’s camera bag and lifted out the worn sweatshirt that was poking out of the top. Gavin, clearly embarrassed, cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair.
“I wondered where this had disappeared to,” said Sam, as she held the shirt out in front of her, and then nervously tucked it under her arm – as if embarrassed by its shabby state.
“Ah…you see…um, I just found it lying here on the ground, and, um…” Gavin stammered, as he tried to explain to her how the sweatshirt got into his camera bag.
“It’s okay,” she giggled. “I was just wondering what had happened to it, that’s all. It’s my favorite sweatshirt.” She added this last part quietly, then quickly changed the subject. “So, Gavin, what brings you to this part of the island? No one usually comes here.”
Gavin smiled, thought a moment, and replied, “Thought it seemed like a good place to escape for a while.”
Sam nodded. “Yes…yes, it is.”
There was an awkward silence again, as if they were both lost in their own thoughts, and then they both started to talk at once. They stopped, giggled, then Gavin insisted that Sam go ahead and say what she was about to say.
“Amateur or professional?” asked Sam, still a bit giggly, as she points to his camera.
“Excuse me?” Gavin asked, a big grin spread across his face.
Realizing what she had just said must have sounded like, Sam blushed and then replied, “Um, I was just wondering if you are a professional photographer or are you just playing around.”
“Playing around?” Gavin asked suggestively, knowing how flustered she was getting – and relishing in it. “Christ, I love her smile,” he thought to himself.
“Um…what I meant to say was…uh…”Sam stammered – now totally embarrassed.
Gavin smiled real big and let out a giggle. “I’m sorry,” he said with a grin. “I know what you meant.” He regarded her for a moment. “She truly is the complete opposite of Tanji. So shy…so endearing,” he thought to himself, and then spoke. “Yes, I do this as a profession. Photography, that is.”
Sam nodded and smiled. Suddenly, her stomach let out a loud growl, and they both started giggling again.
“Oops,” she chuckled, quite embarrassed. “Sorry about that. Guess I’m a bit hungry.”
“Yes, well, I was just going to go get a bite to eat, myself,” replied Gavin, as he bent down and stashed his camera into his bag. “Maybe you cold recommend a good place to eat here on the island? Seeing how I’ve only been on the island for a couple days now, I haven’t had time to shop or even have a poke around yet.”
Sam tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Well,” she said, “depends on what you’re looking for. There’s the diner, of course, if you’d like a quick burger or sandwich. And, if you want something like something fancier – maybe have a beer, listen to some music, there’s always the bar up at the lodge.”
Gavin smiled, nodded his head. “A beer sounds great.”
Sam smiled back at him, blushed, and looked at her watch. “Oh my, it’s getting late. I better go.” She turned and started to hurry back in the direction of her cabin, then stopped and turned. “Oh, um…Gavin? Right?”
Gavin, still entranced, replied, “Yes, that’s right.”
“Nice to meet you,” she tilted her head to the side and smiled shyly, as she gave a quick wave goodbye.
“Yeah, nice to meet you too, Sam.” He watched her as she walked back down the trail to her cabin. “See ya ‘round.”
After she was out of view, Gavin walked over to where his bag was and stooped down to pack up his camera. Just then, his eye caught the sight of a small box on the ground next to his bag. He picked it up, turned it over in the palm of his hand, and chuckled to himself.
“Charcoal pencils. She must have dropped this when she was bent over to retrieve her sweatshirt from my bag,” he thought to himself. “Well, well, well. Guess I’ll be seeing you again sooner than I thought, Sam,” he grinned, tucked the box into his bag, and headed for home.
“Goddamn that mother-fucker!” Tanji muttered under her breath, as she watched Gavin and Sam from behind a nearby bush.
She had arrived on the island early the day before, and had been keeping a close eye on Gavin – careful not to let him know she was there. She almost gave herself away that morning when she stood behind him in his bathroom, but thought she’d “play” with him a bit more, first, before she revealed herself. “After all, Gavin always did love to play games,” she chuckled to herself. “He’s going to love the ones I have in store for him this time.” She grinned to herself, menacingly.
She’d just missed him leaving by a matter of minutes, according to their doorman. If only that fucking hospital hadn’t of called him to let him know that she was being released, she could have head him off before he left. “Fucking hospital! Fucking doctors!” she thought to herself. Luckily, she hadn’t had too much trouble finding out where Gavin had run off to. Just a quick check of his phone records (he’d been pretty smart to use his cell phone to make all of the arrangements) and she was able to trace his location almost immediately. Even that nice, talkative pilot, Will, had aided her in finding him, by mentioning to her that he had just flown another passenger that came from L.A. there the day before. ‘Nice guy…a bit quiet - a photographer’. Poor bastard even let slip where Gavin was staying.
“Did he actually think he could get away with this?” she asked herself, as she continued to watch Sam and Gavin – enraged by what she was witnessing.
Tanji had become suspicious of him shortly after his last attempt to leave her, when she saw Gavin talking to that blonde in the hallway of the hospital she was temporarily ‘living’ in. She’d only seen the back of the woman, but she just knew that the woman he was now talking to had to be the same one.
“I knew he lied to me!” she thought to herself. “I knew it! He claimed that the woman I saw him with was just one of the therapists on staff there, but I knew something was going on between the two of them.” She gripped a nearby branch on one of the bushes in front of her and broke it in half. “And now, here he is with that…that…slut! How could he leave me for…for… her?!” she added with disgust.
Tanji watched as they walked off into the distance – headed in separated directions. “You’ll pay, my dear, for ever getting involved with him. Oh yes,” she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists – so hard that her nails dug into the flesh of her palms and caused her to bleed. “You’ll be sorry you ever met him.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
