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No one ever liked to say goodbye, but when on vacation the time always came for some people to go home. The Andersons were very emotional as they gave out hugs to anyone who wanted them, even to resort employees. Doris was a mess and hugged everyone as if they were choking on something. Chad told her if they ever came to New York he would show them the town and take them all to a Broadway show, which managed to put a smile on the woman’s face. After the Andersons were on the bus to take them to the airport, next up was Rachel and her mother. He walked over and gave Rachel a big hug, which led to a big kiss in front of everyone watching from the bus. Even her mother was surprised.

“That was nice,” Rachel said, “I really hope you make an effort to see me again.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Chad replied, “The offer I gave the Andersons also stands for you and your mother. New York is a fun place; I think she’d like it. I’d even let Mom pick the play we watch.”

“Works for me,” her mother said as she gave Chad a hug, which surprised Rachel. “I’ll see you around lover boy; I’ve got a good feeling about you.”

“If that’s an endorsement, I’ll take it.” Chad said, returning the hug. “You guys have a safe flight, and I’ll make an effort to visit. Promise.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said, giving him one more kiss on the cheek. “See ya.”

He stood there and watched as Rachel and her mother both boarded the same bus. He waved to them all as it started to pull away, and then took a deep breath.

“And then there was one.” Chad mumbled to himself.

“Don’t you mean two?” a voice called out.

“Of course,” Chad said as he turned around, “Of course you’d still be here.”

“Given your options,” Harrison observed, “I don’t blame you for that one.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Chad said, “I really like her.”

“I could tell,” Harrison confirmed, “I hope you made an effort to see her again because I can tell she wants you to go after her.”

“Really?” Chad asked, surprised to hear that. It also made him hopeful.

“Really,” Harrison repeated, “Let’s hit the hall and get some food.”

“Sure, why not.” Chad replied, preferring not to eat alone.

The two men went into the hall and grabbed some stuff from the buffet for breakfast. Chad went with a simple combination of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and a few pancakes. As he sat there drinking orange juice, he noticed the place had a lot less people compared to the last few days.

“This is normal,” Harrison told him, aware of what he was thinking, “Most people stay just seven days, and then a new group will be here tomorrow; a cycle that continues to rotate all year round.”

“Wow,” Chad said looking at the front desk, “So, a fresh group of douche bags will come in to bother them and complain week in and week out.”

“True,” Harrison conceded, “But I think you made an impression on them, Barrington. I don’t think they’re every going to forget the adventures of Councillor Douche Bag. You have certainly raised the bar for them.”

“Not sure that’s a good thing,” Chad said, thinking about it.

“You’ve done more good here than bad,” Harrison reminded him, “I’m sure the Andersons and Ms. Jones will remember it that way.”

“And what about you?” Chad asked him.

“I think I’m growing on you,” Harrison said, winking. “We might be best friends by the time the next week ends.”

“We’ll see,” Chad said, refusing to concede anything just yet.

After breakfast was finished, Chad decided to rest a bit and not run out since most of the island was likely still repairing itself after that massive storm. This time before he sat out by the pool, Chad did something different that day as he grabbed several newspapers from his country, eager to find out what was going on back home as well as in New York. He sat by the pool, reading the news and sipping white Russians as usual, finding out that Councillor Douche Bag finally faded from the spotlight, and was no longer the butt end of jokes for the time being. He read up about the race for mayor which was finally starting to get into the swing of things. Peters was ahead in the polls for the time being, which put a smile on Chad’s face. He also knew it would be beneficial to have someone of his power owing him a favor. Something Chad was sure he could save for a rainy day. The fact he was still his lawyer opened doors for more opportunities and even a new job at city hall, but that was a bridge he was going to have to take care of when he got to it. The idea of leaving the firm seemed weird, as he liked working there and making a lot of money. Yet his week on the island proved to him that while money was nice, there were more important things to life. Something Chad had forgotten a while back when he lost his way. He was confident that his shrink would be extremely impressed with all the reflection he was doing. He was going to have a lot to talk about the next time the two of them spoke, which he’s sure why the whole idea of a trip was suggested in the first place. To shake loose the demons from his past so he could talk about them.

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“Hey,” a kid in the pool called out to him, “What happened to the kid that was hanging out with you all week?”

“He went home,” Chad informed the kid, “I was just watching him for his parents, because we knew each other... a friend of the family.”

“Oh, okay.” The kid replied before swimming away.

Chad knew how the kid felt because he was already missing the Andersons too. They were meant to just be social camouflage, but like Harrison said earlier they had grown onto him, and he liked being around them. Hanging out with Frankie Junior seemed so surreal to him, as it was a small glimpse into what could have been for Chad. It wasn’t something he wanted to think about, so he resumed reading while consuming alcohol from the bar that was occasionally refreshed for him. He spent the rest of the morning, reading and relaxing in the shade while people around him did the same while their kids were playing in the pool. Chad was considering heading back to his room when the cell phone beside him started to buzz. He picked up the phone to realize that his soon to be biggest political client was calling him again.

“Barrington here,” Chad answered after the line opened.

“Mr. Barrington,” Peters answered, “I haven’t seen you in the news anymore, so please accept my thanks for being under the radar for a change.”

“The day is young,” Chad noted.

“Not funny,” Peters responded, his tone confirming that.

“Ms. Jones flew home today,” Chad informed him, “And we parted on very good terms, so you do not have to worry about that story being a pain in your arse.”

“That’s a relief,” Peters confirmed, “Did you read about the polls?”

“I did actually,” Chad said, looking at the paper he just finished, “You’re doing really well… not bad at all Councilman.”

“It’s not over yet,” Peters replied, trying not to be too cocky, “But this is a very good sign moving forward. Am I going to be able to count on you to help out with the campaign?”

“Why not,” Chad answered, surprising even himself. “I can provide free work to help the campaign between cases. That’s the best I can offer you for now.”

“I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Peters said, “Especially since I know how much you charge by the hour.”

“You do realize you’re billed an hour every time I answer the phone,” Chad informed him, “Just to be transparent with you.”

“Of course, I am aware.” Peters said, laughing.

“Is there anything legally I can answer for you?” Chad offered, as he could tell there might be something on his client’s mind.

“I’ve got time,” Peters replied, “I’ll pick your brain when you get back.”

“It’s your dime,” Chad reminded him. “I’m here whenever you need me.”

“I appreciate that, Chad.” Peters thanked him, “Cheers.”

The line went dead, despite the fact that they had only spoken for twenty minutes. Chad warned him he was being billed for a full hour, but the man just wanted an update to make sure his lawyer wasn’t in the headlines anymore. Chad was aware that as long as he didn’t do anything else, the news cycle would spit him out and consume the next big story and move on. He was about to order another drink when his cell phone went off. He looked down and didn’t recognize the number, so it wasn’t Peters calling him back. He decided to answer and see who it was.

“Hello?” he called into the phone.

“Is this Chad?” the other voice asked.

“This is he,” Chad confirmed, “Who is this?”

“This is Penelope,” The other voice answered, “We met on the plane.”

“Hey there,” Chad said, surprised to hear from her since it was a week since he had given her his cell number. “How have you been faring on the island? I hope you didn’t have any issues with that big storm.”

“I was fine,” she replied, “The place I was staying at was away from the flooding, thankfully.”

“Good to hear,” Chad said, “So how much time do you have left?”

“Just a few days” Penelope answered, “I was hoping we could hang out and maybe get a bite to eat?”

“Sounds great to me,” Chad replied, “We can swap war stories about our week here and compare notes.”

“I’d like that,” she agreed, “I can be there in a few hours.”

“Meet me in the lobby,” Chad confirmed, “There are two nice couches in the middle, and I’ll be sitting on one of them.”

“I’ll see you then.” She said before the line went dead.

Chad looked at the phone and couldn’t believe his dumb luck. He had forgotten all about the young lady that he had befriended on the flight over. While he felt bad about seeing someone just after Rachel left to head home, Chad did realize that this was just lunch and there was nothing to be ashamed of. They were going to eat, talk about their time and that’s about it. Chad was also sure if he told her about his times with Rachel, then she’d take the hint and not make anything out of their meeting. But before he could meet her for lunch, he had to change into something more a bit more appropriate. Nothing too fancy, but something better than the swimsuit and t-shirt he was currently wearing. He decided to head back to his suite and change into something friendly and not too fancy, to respect their meeting but not be too forward. After gathering up his stuff, Chad immediately started to head back up to his room. He was about halfway through the lobby, when the manager approached him, and he seemed eager to speak to Chad about something. Chad could sense his urgency and slowed down to let him catch up.

“Are you alright?” He asked the manager as he strolled up.

“I wanted you to be informed,” the manager wheezed, out of breath.

“Informed about what?” Chad inquired.

“Your wife is here,” The manager answered, “She insisted being given access to your suite. She’s up there now waiting for you.”

“That’s not possible,” Chad replied, “I don’t have a wife.”

The manager straightened up, “Are you sure? She seemed quite adamant about it when speaking to us.”

Chad paused for a moment. “Did you at least get her name?”

“Yes,” the manger said, pausing for a moment. “Paula Barrington.”

Chad stood there and let out a loud sigh. “That’s my ex-wife. Well, she’s almost my ex-wife so she’s technically not lying.”

“I see,” the Manager replied, “I apologize...”

“No, it’s okay,” Chad said, “Thanks for the heads up.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Barrington.” The manager said before stepping aside.

Chad continued to walk towards the elevator, this time with more purpose in his stride as he was eager to find out what the hell was going on. When he got to the top floor where his suite was, he strolled over to his room and then unlocked the door and let himself in. He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen her with his own eyes. Sitting there on the couch where Rachel’s mom had been only twelve hours earlier, was his ex-wife Paula. When she realized he was there, she stood up to greet him. She was wearing something nice, but that didn’t matter to Chad. All he wanted to know was why she on the island, and in his room.

“Hello Chad,” Paula called out.

“Paula,” Chad said, barely recognizing her presence.

“How are you doing?” she asked him.

“I was doing fine until you showed up.” Chad honestly replied, “Can you tell me what the fuck you’re doing here?”