“Sure,” He sounded confident in his response. “We can take a week or two and go anywhere you want.” Perry offered as I chewed my noodles slowly. Jesus. He knew how much I liked the ocean since we didn’t live close to it and I knew that I could bring all my little bikinis. I couldn’t stand the idea of other men looking at me other than Perry, but I would make sure I packed my best ones.
“I’ll think it over since I still have a couple months of school. Thank you, Perry. I know how much you like to be home.” My eyes were warm and happy as I looked at him.
“This is for both of us. I need to learn to enjoy all that life has to offer,” he replied, looking back at me. We continued to eat as he watched a rare full hockey game while I read a book, taking notes as I glanced at him from time to time. I knew that he couldn’t read my mind, but some deep thoughts were going on behind my eyes. Perry made his way to bed first, making me soon follow as I watched some porn and masturbated to it furiously as I imagined what it would be like with him in some paradise.
He went into the office at the usual early hour the following day, seemingly determined to stick to a schedule. I knew that he needed that to live his life the best way that Perry knew how: working. I wondered why he looked tired though as he smiled and left quietly in the morning just after I woke up.
The weeks passed a lot of time working hard on my studies. Perry knew that it was hard the last year and gave me room and support as needed. He knew that I wanted to finish my college career with top grades.
I admitted a week before graduation that I’d looked into resorts and decided on one called The Brando in French Polynesia. He did some research after my confession and agreed that it was gorgeous. The resort was very private. It seemed like more of a romantic setting to me, though there was a lot to see and do. We could make it just a trip since families probably went there all the time. We were a family, right?
Perry booked the trip for a month out, shocking me when he told me that he set aside three weeks away from home with the knowledge that he could work there if absolutely necessary. I thought that it would be good for him as well, which is why I showed so much excitement at the extra time even as I wondered if any of the amount would feel like too much with my feelings for him.
I acted thrilled when he told me the dates. I was mostly done with classwork and went shopping for some vacation clothes. Perry picked the beginning of May to leave since I worked so hard to get ahead and graduation would be done. We could both really relax.
Perry smiled as I brought home shorts, skirts, and shirts to wear. There were also new swimsuits that were sure to torment him, and I was surprised to see him excuse himself quickly to go upstairs as I held them up, looking uncomfortable.
Perry was becoming an addiction to me, and I regretted the trip momentarily as I stepped under the hot water of my shower again. How could I bear it when we were virtually alone in that place?
We got through the days by working a lot and focusing on my graduation. We both felt my parents with us as he sat alone and watched as I crossed the stage with tears in my eyes. Perry told me many times that he was so fucking proud of me, making me feel a little guilty for my feelings that were developing for him. My friends told me that I glowed when I smiled and took the picture up there and he stood back afterward to watch me embrace my friends and closest teachers. Did he think the same thing?
He took me to my favorite seafood place and ordered a small bottle of their best champagne to toast with as I smiled at him. I knew that he was determined to make this a special night and I smiled as he slipped a small, wrapped gift across the table. “Perry, what is this?” I asked as I took the silver wrapped box and stared at him.
“Just open it,” he told me in a raspy voice as I leaned forward and tore carefully at the paper. It was a red box, and I opened it, peering inside as I struggled to see what it was in the dim light of the room. There was a candle at the table, and as I turned the box over to slide a chain with a pendant in my hand, I gasped softly.
It was a necklace in the shape of a delicate diamond teardrop that sparkled in the amber glow of the candle. I recognized it, and tears filled my eyes as I remembered my mom wearing it sometimes. “Mom’s necklace?”
“Not only that. That was a gift for their first wedding anniversary. It was before the company really took off and Mila always said that she preferred this over everything from Tiffany’s after and she wanted you to have it on a special occasion if they were ever gone.” His eyes shimmered with tears as he swallowed. “None of us expected anything to happen. I’d give anything to have them here in person tonight, Caroline. I feel like a poor substitute.”