It ends up being a small VIP area that Miles takes us to.  There are a couple areas around the bar where it is roped off and small tables consume the area.  I assume him or his friends paid extra for this and Mackenna and I are happy to indulge.  There are three other guys sitting around the table with some girls behind them and one sitting on another ones lap.  They glance over to Kenna and myself giving us dirty looks.   The girls who are all blonde or at least have made themselves blonde have glazed over eyes and can barely stand.  The guys aren’t much better and I start to think Kenna and I should leave.  Miles leads us over to a table by itself away from them and the girls stare angrily watching our every step.

“So are you staying at the Hotel Americano?”  Miles asks me.  Mackenna is staring towards the dance floor and I know she wants to be out there.  I figure I can humor Miles a little longer and then we can leave.

“Yes.  You?”  I ask back.  It is a little quieter over here but we still have to talk close together to hear each other.

“Yeah.  Got in two nights ago.  Where do you go to school?”  He asks.

“Wisconsin.  You?”  The questions are the standard questions when two college student’s talk and it is starting to bore me.

“You have to be shittin me?  Me too.”  Miles lips get wide not believing we go to the same college.

“What year are you?”  I am surprisingly shocked as well.

“Grad student, second year.”  He remarks.

I knew he looked older but not that much older.  I am embarrassed to tell him I am a freshman so I don’t volunteer and am surprised he never asks me.

“It’s a small world huh?”  He says.

“Yeah” when I look over at his friend’s table one of the guys picks up his head looking like he is going to be sick and I can’t believe my eyes.  He catches me at the same time I see him.  I can tell he can’t place me yet but the recognition is there.  When the click happens I see it in the smirk on his lips.

“Little Jennings” he screams across the tables and Miles looks from him to me wondering what he missed.

“Grady Smith” I say back.  I am astonished he remembers me as Jack’s sister but since it has been that way my whole life I don’t think much of it.

“How the hell are you?  I haven’t seen you in forever.”  He comes around to the back of my chair hugging me from behind picking me up until I am standing up away from the chair. “And Ross, looking hot as always.”  He winks down at her.

“Grady.”  She says straight-faced.

I saw Grady a couple times during my first semester when I would hang out with Gabe but since Gabe acts like I don’t exist I don’t see him anymore.

“Where’s your husband?”  He asks Kenna.

“Miami.”  She says.

“You break up?”

“No”

“Damn it.”  He says.  “Hoping we could get some vacation sex going.”  He laughs but Mackenna doesn’t join in.

“How do you guys know Miles?”  He thumbs to Miles sitting down trying to figure how we know each other.

“Just met him earlier on the beach.”  I say.

“You aren’t?”  He looks back at Miles and Miles shakes his head confirming whatever thought Grady is recalling.  “They are?”

“We are what?”  I ask coldly defensively.

“You are the hot girls that Miles told us all about this afternoon.”

I blush in embarrassment until Grady continues.

“Sorry man, they are off limits.”  Grady puts his hand on Miles shoulder shaking his head.

“Why is that?”  Miles asks.

“The little hottie in red has a serious boyfriend like practically reserve the church serious and this one.”  He puts his arm around me.  “One” he puts his finger up.  “She’s Jack Jennings little sister.”  Miles frowns but it doesn’t look like it intimidates him like others that know my brother.  “And two” Grady sticks another finger up in the air.  The alcohol is affecting him making him talk slower than normal.

“Madgirl?”  My heart jumps in my chest just by the sound of his voice.  I stare down not able to meet his eyes.  I know if I see those shimmering blue pupils I will be gone.  My mouth goes dry and I can’t speak.

“That guy.”  Grady finishes his points.

I abruptly look up to Grady’s face who stares at Gabe cracking up.  I turn my head towards Miles who looks disappointed glaring from Gabe to myself.  I swallow hard picking up my head to see Gabe who has some red head kissing his neck with her arms around his waist.  I instantly want to throw up.

I grab Mackenna’s hand and pull her out of the VIP area.

“Thanks for the drinks Miles.”  I step over the ropes not wanting to take the time to undue it from its post.

“Anytime.”  He responds still confused as to what is going on.

“Mad.  Wait” I don’t pay attention since the drunken red head is still on his neck inching closer to his earlobe.   Nice catch Gabe.

“What the hell is wrong with you Basso brothers?”  Mackenna stands in front of Gabe with her hands on her hips.  The red head finally notices something going on and stares down at Mackenna.  Gabe says nothing to Kenna looking straight at me, his eyes are pleading for me to listen but I can’t.

“Go get yourself another guy, this one’s mine.”  The girl slurs to Kenna wrapping her arms tighter around his waist.  I am not oblivious to the fact he hasn’t pushed her away.

“Oh trust me, you can have him.”  I say back grabbing Kenna by her arm pulling her towards the dance floor.

“You’re an asshole Gabe, just like your brother.  Stay the hell away from Maddy, you hear me?”  Mackenna is screaming towards Gabe as he silently watches us leave.

“Thank you for defending my honor Kenna but let’s just leave.”  I say to her once we get absorbed into the crowd out of view from him.

“I thought he was one of the good ones.”  She shakes her head back and forth.

“He is Kenna.”

She looks at me in disbelief but follows me outside to catch a cab.  Once we get in I tell the cab driver using the little Spanish we know to get us to our hotel, Kenna’s phone rings and it startles me.

“Hey baby.”  She says winking to me.

While listening to her and Bryan tell each other how much they love and miss each other I lean back into the uncomfortable vinyl seat.  I can’t believe he didn’t follow me but at the same time I am happy he didn’t.  I don’t know what I would have said to him.  How come just as I am starting to move on with my life a Basso brother has to come and screw with my emotions.

We get back to the hotel and I can tell tonight will be another night of Mackenna and Bryan talking until they fall asleep.  Why they didn’t go to the same place on vacation I have no idea, probably because of me.  As much as they love each other they both equally love me and since Basso number 2 screwed with me last they figured I needed a girl’s vacation.  Then I wonder if they knew?  Did they plan for Gabe to be here?  I shake my head back and forth, there is no way not from the reaction Kenna had.

I wave Kenna off when she hops on the elevator with the phone still Velcroed to her ear.  She gives me the are you sure, I’m sorry look and I shake my head up and down telling her I am ok.  She smiles while the doors slide shut and I let out a breath relieved I am by myself.

I walk out past the pool.  It’s been closed for a few hours now but the lights are still illuminated under the water making it look more appealing now than during the day.  Couples linger around the lounge chairs kissing and whispering between each other.  So romantic.  I make my way to the edge looking over the dark ocean.  It’s so peaceful and quiet.  The half full moon is mirroring down on the low waves coming to shore.  I contemplate taking my heels off to feel the sand below my feet but it seems a little unsafe for a young female.

Couples come and go from the beach holding hands and each other lovingly, some drunker then others.  The women look at me with sorrow when they see the silent tears falling down on my cheeks while the men look me up and down appraising me.