One Way Ticket

by Tricia O'Malley

  “Not so fast, hermosa,” Jack said, a pleasant smile on his face though his eyes were serious.

  “He’s being ridiculous. I saw at least three people spill their drinks tonight. He’ll slip and crack his head open.”

  “Then that’s his prerogative.”

  “You can’t mean that. It’s…just look at him! He’s trying to get all the attention in the room.”

  “So? Let him.”

  “But…” Paige looked around to where the party had split into small groups. There were a few men still making eyes at Mariposa, another group partied with CeCe in the middle of the hall, and the last group of women all surrounded Horatio. “He’s being an ass.”

  “That he might be. But he’s no longer your ass, is he?”

  “Thank god for that,” Paige muttered and took a slug of her drink before choking. Mariposa had made her a real gin and tonic this time and Paige was not expecting it. Jack slapped her lightly on the back as she coughed.

  “You might want to slow down on those as well.”

  “Oh hush, I’ve been drinking seltzer all night. That’s why I choked,” Paige said, wiping tears from her eyes. “Mariposa gave me a real drink this time.”

  “Ah. Well, go slowly. I’ll stay up until the last person gets to bed. For the safety of the guests and all that. We also have a night watchman on duty.”

  “That’s smart. I suspect a lot of people will need help to their cottages. I don’t even know what to say…these are not the people I know from back in California.” Paige was having a hard time reconciling the wellness-obsessed guests that arrived fresh-faced to the yoga studio with this intoxicated group in front of her.

  “Happens every time.” Jack smiled. “I told you. People say they want to come here for a ‘detox experience’ but as soon as someone offers up some rum punch, it’s game over.”

  “So…should I throw the schedule out the window?” Paige wondered. “Like is it just going to be a party for three weeks?”

  “Nah, they’ll still go to classes and stuff. But I don’t think it will be as strict as you were thinking. I’d build in some flexibility with your time schedule.”

  “Horatio’s leading a sunrise meditation tomorrow.” Paige slapped a hand over her mouth when a giggle escaped. “He got in my face about it earlier.”

  “Did he now? And why is that?”

  “Because I hadn’t put it on the schedule. He made sure to confront me in front of others, too. I told him he was welcome to lead the meditation, so I think he’s a bit cornered now.”

  “Perfect.” With that, Jack walked to the group and Paige’s mouth dropped open as his words carried back to her.

  “Well done on the handstand, buddy! Will you be teaching everyone how to do that at your sunrise class tomorrow or have you called that off?”

  Paige choked on a laugh as Horatio shot Jack a look of sheer loathing before schooling his face into a serene expression when the entire group of women shrieked with delight and then began to swarm Horatio to ask questions about the morning meditation.

  When Jack caught her eye across the room, Paige gave him a thumbs-up and retreated to the kitchen to look for a snack.

  She laughed the whole way there.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Paige was not surprised when only a few stragglers joined the morning yoga session the next day. Word from the teacher of the morning classes was that Horatio had decided at the last minute to change his sunrise meditation to a sunset meditation, claiming the energy was stronger when the stars were out. Paige had smirked at that, but kept her comments to herself. She didn’t know this new yoga instructor who had been saddled with the morning group, but Paige felt for her. She was young, green, and eager to please. Paige could see this woman easily being the next partner in Horatio’s rotating bedroom door. She was even more surprised that Horatio was allowing others to teach classes.

  Not my problem, Paige had reminded herself, and gone to the kitchen to make sure everything was set for the day’s lunch.

  “Perhaps some comfort food?” Paige leaned against the counter and smiled at Martin. “I think our guests will be hungover.”

  “No problem, my lovely lady. I’ve got french fries, bacon, roasted potatoes, and lots of good brunchy stuff like pancakes.”

  “Perfect. I don’t see a lot of this group green juicing after last night,” Paige laughed. “Is it always like this?”

  “It depends on the group. But at least for the first few days, people really cut loose. I don’t think most guests even know how stressed they are until they get here.”

  “Yoga should relieve that stress.”

  “So does dancing naked on the beach and making out with random people.”

  “To each their own,” Paige laughed again and took a spear of fruit with strawberries, pineapple, and mango chunks.

  “You might try it someday. A little naked tango under the moonlight might do you some good.”

  “Not with this group.” Paige sighed and pushed away from the counter. “I’ve already danced that dance, remember?”

  “Find a different dance partner.” Martin shrugged as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

  “I think I’ll dance by myself for a bit, thank you very much.”

  “Ah, relax. Take it poco poco. You’ll hear the music one of these days.”

  “I didn’t know you were so romantic, Martin.”

  “Don’t you know? Chefs spend a lot of time thinking. They’re on their feet all day…making love with their food. You ever need advice? Go to a chef.”

  “Some of the chefs I’ve worked with are downright scary.” Paige thought back to a French restaurant she’d been a hostess at in college. If she didn’t tiptoe around the chef and whisper in the kitchen, he’d explode.

  “Those are chefs that are trying to make a statement with their food. I say let the food make the statement. You can make it as pretty as you want, but if it doesn’t taste delicious…why bother?” Martin sniffed and turned with a spatula in his hand. “Who wants one of those poofs of foamed bubbles that are pretending to be a sauce? If you cook a steak, put a nice thick and creamy sauce next to it. Or none at all. But simple and delicious food is an art itself. No need for explosions and temper tantrums. Just pour some love into it.”

  “Pour some love into it. Got it.”

  “That’s the ticket. Now, I like this song, and I’m going to dance while I cook. If you don’t want to tango with me…get out of my kitchen.”

  Paige laughed as Martin winked at her. His flirting was harmless, as he was easily twenty years older than her and married, and she felt at ease with him. In fact, Luis and Martin were turning into two of her favorite people at Tranquila Inn. Her eyes found Jack, shirtless and drilling something into a wall across the reception room.

  She’d dreamt of him last night. It came back to her, suddenly and with a punch to her gut, as his tanned muscles gleamed in the sunlight. It had been a decidedly naughty dream, one where she had definitely danced the dance, and it had left her aching for more. Sighing, Paige shook her head and forced the images out of her mind. It was only a dream and Jack certainly wasn’t available to her. If she was to mature and grow, then one of those little life lessons should be: Don’t sleep with your boss.

  Even if her boss was incredibly delicious looking.

  “Paige! There you are.” Paige turned and stifled a sigh as Horatio strode across the reception lounge to her. His spray tan was starting to wane a bit, and he looked thin and sallow next to Jack’s virility. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Good afternoon, Horatio. Martin is just finishing up on the late lunch as we moved the time a bit due to the guests enjoying a relaxing morning in their cabins. I trust you slept well? How was your sunrise meditation?”

  “I moved it to sunset. As I’ve told you time and time again, sunset meditations are more powerful.” Horatio shook his head as though he were scolding a child. “We’ll need to have dinner set for after the
meditation this evening.”

  “Of course. Will everyone be attending the sunset meditation and yoga session or should I plan food for any that would like to eat earlier?”

  “Of course everyone will be attending. That is what we are here for. I trust you’ll set up the space to be most advantageous for our uses.”

  “Naturally. We have a lovely space by the beach where you’ll have uninterrupted views of the sunset. I do suggest you light the tiki torches as they have citronella to help keep the bugs away.”

  “Citronella?” Horatio sounded as if she’d said “heroin.”

  “Well, the bugs come out at sunset. Mosquitos. Sand flies. You’ll want to take precautions, of course. They can get particularly bothersome.”

  “I certainly don’t need nasty citronella smoke wafting over my followers as we commune with nature.”

  Paige raised her eyebrows at that. Since when had Horatio started referring to his clients as his followers? “Of course, I was only thinking of your comfort.”

  “Comfort is an illusion. Discomfort is where growth happens.”

  “Right, of course. In that case, I’ll be sure to instruct Luis not to light the torches. Is there anything else you’ll be needing for that time?”

  “I’ll expect you to keep the area clear.”

  “Yes, Horatio. I already said it would be set up for you.”

  “I meant of any stragglers who might interrupt the meditation.”

  “What stragglers? You’re the only guests at the resort and this is a private beach.”

  “Meditation is for my followers only. Understood?” Paige followed Horatio’s eyes to where Whit had materialized by the bar. Was Horatio honestly threatened by Whit? Paige would think it would be Jack that would cause Horatio discomfort, not Whit. Shrugging and wanting to be out of this conversation, Paige nodded again and held up her clipboard.

  “Got it, Horatio. I’ve made notes. Guests only, no torches or bug repellants. Area cleared. I’ve got a meeting in a few minutes, so I have to run. Enjoy your lunch – I’m certain everything will be to your taste.” Without waiting for an answer, Paige left Horatio behind and greeted every guest with a wide smile as she made her way across the reception hall, past the bar, and ducked into her office. Letting out a deep breath, Paige plopped into the seat behind her desk and took a moment. It was going to be a long three weeks with Horatio treating her like she was still his employee and her having to come to terms with the fact that she’d been blinded by him for so long. It was rewarding to know that she could look at him in a new light and see him for what he was, but it was hard not to beat herself up for falling under his spell for two years. If anything, she was feeling embarrassed for being a fool.

  “Horatio got you down?”

  Paige glanced up to her doorway where Jack leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his bare chest. A flash of the dream came back to her, one where they’d been tangled together, and she schooled her expression into a polite smile.

  “A bit, I suppose.”

  “Missing him?” A look of surprise crossed Jack’s face.

  “Not even the slightest. I’m…well…” Paige laughed halfheartedly and put a hand to her face. “I’m embarrassed, actually. I can’t believe I was into him for so long.”

  “Ah,” Jack said, nodding. “I think we’ve all dated people that we aren’t proud of.”

  “Yeah, but for two years? And I ran his business for him. It was all…” Paige made a circular motion with her hand. “Lumped together in one, I guess.”

  “It sounds like you didn’t really have a lot of time to examine the relationship then, did you?”

  “I guess not. I didn’t think much of it, to be honest. It was sort of all consuming. Horatio and Yoga Soulone were my life because there were no boundaries between business and personal. It just…was.”

  “And when was the last time you took a vacation or stepped away from it?”

  Startled, Paige looked at Jack. “Um, never really. Aside from retreats with Yoga Soulone’s group, that is. And I was running around coordinating everything most of the time for those.”

  “Sounds to me like you haven’t had a break in a long time. And if you had? Perhaps you would have had time to examine things more closely.”

  “Perhaps.” Paige pursed her lips as she thought about it. Life with Horatio truly had been all-consuming.

  “So? Don’t be so hard on yourself. Live and learn, baby.” Jack flashed her a grin.

  “Definitely learning.”

  “Is he giving you a hard time?”

  “Nope. Just treating me like I still work for him. Which, I guess I technically do since my job here is to make sure he’s happy. And…” Paige held up a hand when Jack went to speak. “I’m totally fine with that. I’m just doing a little self-analysis along the way, I guess.”

  “Nothing wrong with some self-reflection every once in a while. Hey…I didn’t see him at his sunrise meditation this morning.” Paige knew Jack was up early every day.

  “He’s moved it to sunset. And get this – insisted on no bug spray or torches.”

  “Ooof.” Jack rubbed a hand across his chest. “That’s gonna hurt.”

  “I warned him. Trust me, I tried.”

  “Some people just like to learn the hard way.”

  Sure enough, Horatio insisted on doing it his way. Paige had intercepted him once more later in the afternoon to bring up the bug issue again, but Horatio dismissed her. Considering her duty done, all Paige could do was wait for the aftermath.

  “Why in the world would anyone go down to the beach at sunset when they could be at the bar?” CeCe, sensuous in a slinky coral-colored wrap dress and a chunky turquoise necklace, shuddered delicately as she gestured with her martini. “Don’t they know about the bugs on the beach?”

  “I warned them.” Paige sighed. In the reception hall, they combatted the bug situation by lighting citronella torches at night and turning all the bamboo ceiling fans on for constant air movement. At discrete points around the hall, bottles of bug spray were also provided. While living in the tropics often seemed like a fantasy, there were certainly a few things that could make the reality more comfortable for people. Bug spray was one of those things.

  “Maybe I’ll go sit on the other side of the reception hall to watch the show.”

  “I think we all should,” Mariposa said with a grin and that is how Paige found herself huddled with Whit, CeCe, and Mariposa peering through the branches of a plumeria tree like spies.

  “And there it is,” CeCe declared.

  Sure enough, as the sun had begun to set, Paige could see a few people shifting in their positions, others surreptitiously swatting at their legs. In a matter of moments, it went from the first few people discreetly brushing their arms to the entire group outright swatting in the air. Horatio stood, raising his hands and clearly admonishing his “followers” to ignore the bugs and focus on his words. Paige bit her lip.

  It only took one person to jump up, waving their hands in the air, before the rest of the group shifted. Like a mass exodus, one after the other, the guests streaked from the beach, swatting the air around them. Only Horatio, Lily, and Nadia remained.

  “I give them thirty more seconds.” Mariposa said.

  “Bet you a dollar it’s a minute,” Paige said.

  “Deal.”

  Neither won as the three lasted another minute and thirty-three seconds before Lily lost her nerve and bolted, with Nadia and Horatio following quickly. Paige followed Mariposa back to the bar, where the guests were liberally applying bug spray. Biting back her laughter, Paige greeted everyone.

  “Who is ready for a rum punch?”

  The entire group raised their hands.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A few somewhat excruciating days later, Paige had settled into a rhythm. She started her morning by listening to any demands or complaints that Horatio had, stroked his ego, and then went about her day. Once she’d worked on
removing her embarrassment over her history with Horatio, Paige had started to view him like any other demanding customer. Admittedly, he was overly familiar with her, but otherwise, Paige was beginning to feel hopeful that the next couple weeks should fly smoothly by. True to Martin’s words, the first couple nights the guests had let loose but now were starting to settle into a more relaxed routine. All in all, Paige felt like the guests were happy and her employers seemed content, so for now she’d consider this retreat a win.

  As though the universe had heard her thoughts, a bloodcurdling scream came from outside. Paige jumped up from her desk and flew to the door to see Jack racing across the sand. Paige followed suit, along with several guests, to see what had happened.

  “It’s Horatio! Oh, someone help him!” Lily screeched at the water line.

  Paige skidded to a stop on the beach and shaded her eyes with her hand. Squinting, she could see Horatio, hands waving wildly in the air, far out in the water.

  “Shark! Help! Shark! I’m bleeding!”

  Shocked gasps emanated from the group that had gathered by the water.

  “Somebody do something,” Nadia wailed.

  “Someone is. See?” Paige said, pointing to where Jack was already swimming to Horatio with a life ring hooked under his arm. Her heart raced as her eyes scanned the water looking for any fins poking up. Paige didn’t want to think too deeply about the fact that she was more concerned for Jack than she was for Horatio.

  A snort of laughter had her turning.

  “How can you laugh?” Lily demanded to Whit, the one responsible for the laughter.

  “Come now, dear heart. He’s clearly fooling you.”

  “How can you say that?” Nadia hissed, glaring at Whit while Lily just looked confused.

  “Because the reef line creates a barrier. The sharks can’t swim over it. It’s part of why our beach is so protected. Come, look.” Whit beckoned them closer and Paige raised an eyebrow when Lily wrapped an arm around his waist. Horatio would not be happy when he saw that. “Now, look at where the water is a nice turquoise blue. See? That means there is just sand beneath it. See how there are no dark spots?”