Fiction

Isla Deseoso

I stepped out of the concrete building, and breathed in a huge gulp of the freshest air I have seen in years. I would never land myself in there again. I strolled past the barbed wire fences. This would be the last time that I was escorted by anybody. I walked through the electrified gate. I was ready to be a new man; leave my past behind. I would start my new life with my new inheritance. While I was away, my great uncle Henry unfortunately passed away, leaving me with the millions that he kept tucked away in the bank for a rainy day. I was determined to not waste a single dime. I could now have anything, or anyone, I wanted.

The first time I saw her, I was breathless. I knew she would be mine. Any girl would be lucky to have me, but I’m not lucky enough to have any girl. She was the only one right for me. I started formulating a plan of how I would get her. How to tear her away from her past life, and make me the only thing she needed. How to cut her off from society so her world revolved around me, as if she was a planet and I was the sun. I can picture us living a long happy life on a tropical island I will buy for her, watching her hair blow in the beautiful tropical breeze. I will shower her with gifts. Jewels not even fit for a queen. She will not be able to resist me.

She was with another man. They were drinking coffee at Starbucks. I was three tables away. He finished his coffee, gave her a kiss, and left. She sighed, ordered another cup of coffee, and then started to read a book she pulled from her bag. I looked at her, and there was no ring. He was only a boyfriend. He would soon be her ex. I could tell that she didn’t like him that much. It seemed as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders when he left. I decided that now would be a perfect opportunity to make my move. I got up from my table and sat in the empty seat across from her. I watched her read, engrossed in her book for a few minutes, until she realized I wasn’t leaving.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. My name is Seamus, and you are? I couldn’t help but see you sitting here all alone. No girl as pretty as you should be alone,” I replied

She started to blush. “My name is Claire. And, actually, I’m not alone. I have my book. So you can just leave.”

“I saw your friend here just a few minutes ago. Why don’t you like him, f you don’t mind me asking?”

She stared at me, shocked from that incredibly rude question I just asked her. “What do you mean ‘why don’t I like him?’ Of course I like him. I love him. He is my boyfriend of seven years. Why am I even telling you this?”

“Claire, I tend to pick up on things that others don’t. For example, I saw your face when he left. No one should look that heartbroken if they are happy. And yes, why would you open up to a complete stranger about your relationship? Because you’re not happy.”

She seemed confused by this idea, as if the thought of being unhappy for seven years is unrealistic. She finally put her book down, and slowly sipped her coffee. As she thought about it a bit longer, her face changed from confusion, to frustration, to sadness. She burst into tears. I grabbed her by the arm and rushed her into the bathroom so we didn’t attract anymore attention.

In between sobs, she tried to talk. “Your right, I’m not happy. I haven’t been happy for seven years. I don’t know how to get out. Trevor has been so sweet to me. He’s kind gentle and everything I have ever wanted. But I don’t deserve him. Everybody knows it. I don’t know what I’m supp-”

“Stop it,” I interrupted, my voice becoming urgent. “Avoid him. Never speak to him again. Come with me on the new island I just bought, La Isla Deseoso. Come with me. Get away.”

A huge smile spread across her face. “Okay. Yeah, let’s do it! This is so crazy! I have never done anything so spontaneous. This is so exciting!”

“Go to your house, pack as much clothes as you can fit, and meet me outside the airport in the hours.”

With these parting words, we went our separate ways. I rushed to my penthouse apartment and started up my computer. The first thing I had to do was buy an island. Then, I bought all the clothing and accessories a girl could ever want. I bought anything that we would ever need. We were never leaving that island.

When we met at the airport, it was early evening, the sun was setting, and it was starting to rain. This was the last time she would ever see New York. After a long ride on my private jet, we landed on the island and went into the brand new house. It was better than we could have imagined. I led her to her new room, fully stocked with everything she would ever need, and then some. Later that night, we sat down at the table for our first of many dinners together.

“This was a mistake. I should have never come here. The only thing that I know about you is that your name is Seamus.”

“Everything happens for a reason, Claire.”

“I should have never said what I did about Trevor. I was just frustrated.”

“You can’t take back what you said. You meant it. You hate Trevor because he has been making you miserable for the past seven years. Don’t have any regrets; they will only haunt you forever.”

“Why are you talking like this? Your making me scared. I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she was starting to sound nervous.

“Don’t dwell on your past. It will only make all of this harder on you.”

“Make what harder on me? I want to go home. When are we going home?”

“Go to bed, Claire. It has been a long day. A big change happened. It was a long flight. We switched time zones. You are extremely tired. Go to bed.”

“Where are we even? You never told me where we were going. Seamus, you’re really starting to scare me.”

“Claire, I’m going to tell you one more time, go to bed. There is nothing you need to worry about. You are safe here with me.”

I attempted to stay calm as she nervously disobeyed my orders. She sat at the table as I got up to clean the dishes. She sat at the table as I went to the television room to watch a movie. She sat at the table as I went to the bathroom to take a shower. She sat at the table as I turned down her bed and laid out her pajamas. She sat at the table as I moved about the house, performing my nightly routines. She sat at the table for hours. I don’t understand why she sat at the table. Was she not happy with her new home? Was she not happy with me? How could I make her happy?

“You’re not happy,” I said as I sat back down at the table.

“No, I’m not,” she replied.

“How can I make you happy? This is now the only means for my existence, your happiness. Tell me, how I can make you happy?”

“Let me go home.”

“No, Claire. I’m sorry.”

“Fine. When can I go home?”

A smile crept across my face as I replied, “Never.”