Escape to Paradise

by Pamela Yaye

  “Registering guests without proper documentation is against company policy,” the woman explained in precise English. “And doing so could result in disciplinary action for the both of us.”

  “I understand that, and once I straighten everything out with the credit card company tomorrow I’ll pass that information on to you.”

  “I’ll go speak with my supervisor and see if there’s something we can do.”

  Claudia read the woman’s name tag. “Thank you, Rosario. I greatly appreciate it.”

  “I’ll be a few minutes. Make yourself comfortable in the reception area and I’ll come get you when I’m done.”

  In spite of her outward show of calm, Claudia was nervous and scared. Fighting against feelings of despair, she picked up her bag and carried herself over to the lounge. A stiff drink would come in handy right now, she thought, wishing the tray-carrying bellhop was still around. What more could go wrong today? Six months ago, she’d been paid handsomely to plan a magical destination wedding for colleagues turned soul mates, Niveah Evans and Damien Hunter, and now she had more money woes than the late King of Pop.

  Claudia took a moment to collect herself. Going to another resort tonight was out of the question, so she’d just have to convince the resort manager to let her stay. What was it Maxine had said? Smile, giggle and flash a bit of cleavage if you have to! Claudia hated playing the beauty card, especially because she always felt as inept as the forty-third president addressing the Senate, but if flirting would get her out of the lobby and into that luxury suite she’d channel her inner sex goddess and charm the man’s socks off.

  Santiago poked his head into the staff lounge, and when he saw his mother lift the sofa love seat and vacuum underneath it, a frown creased his lips. Curiosity drew Santiago inside the room. Tilting his head to the side, he pensively stroked the length of his jaw. His mother’s energy level wasn’t the only thing that shocked him. Her midsection was flat, and she had arms that would make Wonder Woman jealous.

  Santiago watched in stunned disbelief as his mom made quick work of cleaning the lounge. Something smelled fishy, and the odor wasn’t coming from the aquarium.

  “You’re here!” Ana Medina switched off the vacuum. Dropping the handle, she shot across the room and threw her arms around her son. “Welcome home, Tiago!”

  Santiago chuckled and returned her hug. “Thanks, Mom. It’s good to see you.”

  “When did you get in?”

  “About an hour ago. I dropped my bags off in the office, then came looking for you. Why are you cleaning?”

  “We’re short-staffed today, and I couldn’t stand to see this room dirty any longer. Just because we own the resort doesn’t mean I can’t do our part to help out.”

  “And you wonder where I get my tireless work ethic from,” he teased, winking at her.

  “Enough about work. Stand still and let me get a good look at you.” Slipping off her eyeglasses, she studied him for a long, hard minute. “You get more handsome each year. That’s hard to believe considering you live in such a wickedly cold place. And a violent one, too.”

  Santiago hid a smile. “Can I at least have something to eat before you start in on me?”

  “I have a pot of salsa simmering at home as we speak,” she explained, her voice filled with cheer. “I’m making all your favorites tonight. Pea soup, Spanish rice, and beef enchiladas.”

  “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.” He watched her, saw how she dodged his gaze and shifted her feet. “Has the hospital finally confirmed the date and time for your surgery?”

  Ana clutched his hands. “Great news, Tiago! The surgery’s been cancelled. Most of my symptoms have disappeared and the few that remain are quite minor.”

  “Is that so?”

  “I decided to try some of the things my doctor suggested, and I’ve been getting stronger each day. I take ginseng three times a day, quit drinking alcohol and started cooking healthier, low-calorie meals, too.”

  “Exactly how much weight have you lost?”

  She shrugged and stared down at the sleek tiled floor. “Just a little.”

  “How much?” he pressed, crossing his arms. “Ten? Fifteen? Twenty pounds?”

  “Twenty-seven, give or take.”

  Santiago clamped his lips together to trap a curse inside. “You were never scheduled to have abdominal surgery, were you? That was just a ploy to get me down here, wasn’t it?”

  “Of course not!” The words shot out of her mouth with more force than a bullet from a gun. Anger crimped her features, but her tone was soft. “I would never lie about something as serious as that. I was scared about going under the knife, so I changed my entire lifestyle.”

  “It’s hard to believe you lost almost thirty pounds by just altering your diet.”

  “Tiago, don’t be ridiculous! The weight didn’t just vanish. I’ve been working my tush off!” Her smile was proud. “I’ve been swimming and hiking and playing a little squash.”

  “You’re exercising?” Santiago dropped his hands on his waist like an exasperated father about to scold his child. “Who are you? And what have you done with my mother?”

  Laughter bubbled out from her lips. “Now that your father’s overseeing the construction of the new golf resort in Acapulco, I have more time to try new things.”

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mom. I just wish you would’ve told me your surgery was cancelled sooner.”

  “I only found out yesterday,” she said, with a shrug of her shoulders.

  Santiago didn’t believe her, but he wasn’t stupid enough to call his mother a liar.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Tiago. I was convinced you’d forgotten all about me.”

  He tossed his head back and had a good laugh. “Right, like you’d ever let that happen.”

  “Your father and I have missed you dearly, son.”

  Deep down, Santiago knew only half of what his mother said was true, but he inquired about his dad anyway. “How’s he doing?” To expunge the bitter taste in his mouth, he swallowed hard. “Is he still dead set against attending counseling with you?”

  “Yes, he said hearing other people’s stories of loss only compounds his grief.”

  “Figures. Dad’s never been one to share his feelings.”

  “That’s why I need you around, Tiago. You’re the only one who understands what I’m going through, and the only person I can talk to when I’m feeling down.”

  “Is he still drinking?”

  Ana shook her head, diverted her gaze. “He hardly touches the stuff anymore. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time he had a drink.”

  Sure you don’t. He saw the truth in her eyes, saw the flicker of hurt that flashed across her face. His dad was still a raging alcoholic, and knowing that he was the cause of his father’s downward spiral made Santiago feel sick with guilt.

  “When are you going to move home and help me run the resort?”

  “When you stop throwing your friends’ daughters at me.”

  Mrs. Medina slipped an arm around her son’s waist. “Find yourself a nice girl from a nice Mexican family and I will!”

  Santiago chuckled when his mom wagged her finger at him. Then, she sighed dramatically and launched into her famous I-want-grandchildren-before-I-die speech. The one she repeated faithfully every week. To get his mother off his back, he considered telling her about Claudia, but thought better of it. Besides, what would he say? Hey, Mom, I met a stunningly beautiful woman at the airport who I felt an instant connection to, but I stupidly chased her off.

  While his mother talked, he replayed every minute of his conversation with Claudia in his mind. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. Was she reclining by the pool at her hotel? Or fighting off the men
at the bar while she sipped her drink? No doubt about that. He’d seen firsthand the kind of attention she drew, saw how grown men tripped and stumbled over themselves in her presence. Not that he blamed them. Claudia had it all—flawless skin that had a soft, natural glow, eyes that penetrated, and an endearing shyness that made him want to protect her, hold her, take her in his arms and make everything wrong in her life better.

  “I’m just not ready to take that step,” he admitted, hoping to put an end to her complaints once and for all. “I’ll get married and have kids in God’s time and not a moment sooner.”

  His mother sniffed, rubbed her fingertips slowly under her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You didn’t. It’s just, now that your sister’s gone, you’re all I have left. And it kills me only seeing you once or twice a year.” Wearing a sad smile, she patted his cheeks as if he was a little boy rather than a grown man. “It would mean the world to me if you returned home.”

  Hearing the anguish in his mother’s voice made Santiago feel lower than the gecko slithering outside the window. He cleared his throat, but the burning in his chest only intensified. The stench of his guilt was stifling, thicker than smoke, and suddenly the staff lounge felt smaller than an airplane bathroom.

  “I promised your father I wouldn’t say anything, but if I have to speak my mind—”

  “Ramón, there’s a problem out front I need you to take care of.” The female clerk standing in the doorway bowed slightly. “I apologize for interrupting, Señora Medina, but I was wondering if you’ve seen Ramón. I can’t find him anywhere.”

  “Tomorrow’s his daughter’s Quinceañera, so I let him go early,” she explained, waving her inside. “Rosario, there’s someone special I’d like you to meet.”

  Knowing what was coming next, Santiago braced himself for impact. He only prayed his mother wouldn’t ask the clerk out on his behalf. The last time she did, he’d been tricked into escorting a chatty fashion designer to a black-tie event.

  “This very handsome, very single young man is my son, Santiago. He’ll be returning to Cabo soon to take over running the resort, and I’m depending on you and the rest of the staff to show him how things are done around here.”

  Santiago frowned. Moving back to Cabo? To run the family business? No way, no how. There were too many memories, too much pain. And every time he saw the hate in his father’s eyes he was reminded of that tragic summer night. It was hard enough waking up each morning as it was; he didn’t need a daily reminder of what a screw-up he was, too.

  “I’ll try my best, Señora Medina.”

  “Now, what’s going on out front? You look upset.” Ana stuck a hand on her hip. “It’s not that South African diplomat again, is it? That horny old man is testing my patience, and if he propositions another female maid I’m tossing him out on his rear!”

  Rosario explained the source of her troubles. “I feel bad for Ms. Jeffries, but I’m apprehensive about granting her request. The last time I allowed a couple to stay in a suite without a valid credit card, they pilfered the mini bar and trashed the room.”

  “I remember. That’s why we revised our check-in policies last year,” Ana said with a fervent nod. “How long is she planning to stay?”

  “A month.”

  “I see. All right, let her pay in cash to cover the cost of the incidentals.”

  “I suggested that,” Rosario explained. “She refused.”

  “If she doesn’t have a hundred dollars in her bank account, then how can she afford to stay here for a month?”

  “I was wondering the same thing.”

  “I’ll get to the bottom of this.” Ana stepped forward, then swiveled around and grabbed Santiago’s arm. “On second thought, you go handle it. It’s about time you got your feet wet, and what better way to get acquainted with our policies than by manning the front desk?”

  “This is not exactly my area of expertise,” he pointed out, taking a giant step back. “I’m a business consultant, not a hotel manager. I don’t know the first thing about operating a resort.”

  “Don’t worry. Rosario will be right there to help you.” Ana pecked his cheek. “I’m going home to finish dinner, but I’ll see you in an hour.”

  A wave and she was gone, fleeing the lounge at breakneck speed.

  Rosario laughed. “Your mom is quite the woman.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “Shall we go?”

  Santiago nodded and reluctantly followed the brunette down the hall. He’d only arrived an hour ago, but his mother had already duped him twice. God help me, he prayed, releasing a tortured sigh, because at this rate she’ll have me married off by the end of the week!

  Chapter 5

  “She was just here,” Rosario said, gesturing to the red wingback chair she’d left Ms. Jeffries sitting in. “I don’t know where she could have gone.”

  Santiago didn’t know what Ms. Jeffries looked like, but he aided in the search. Walking through the lobby with Rosario fretting at his side, he kept his eyes open for the mystery guest with the bogus credit card. The resort was filled with excitement, and he felt reenergized by the activities around him. Tourists decked out in formal attire snapped pictures in front of the hand-painted mural, businessmen smoking cigars fervently argued politics and an all-female group sipped cocktails at the bar. Their high-pitched laughter mingled with the song the mariachi band was playing and added to the jovial mood on the main floor.

  “Don’t tell me to calm down! I have every right to be upset. You encouraged me to come down here and now I’m screwed!”

  Startled by the harshness of the female’s voice, Santiago cast a glance over his shoulder in search of the bickering couple. There was no guy in sight. Just a woman on her cell phone, crouched down, digging around in an oversize pink travel bag. Santiago’s tongue tumbled out of his mouth and hit his chest with the force of a fifty-pound dumbbell.

  Claudia was here. At his parents’ resort. Her back was to him, but he’d recognize that tight, perfectly shaped tush anywhere. Claudia had a beautiful face, but her backside was twice as nice. The sister had a killer body, the kind of shape that caused whiplash and made grown men slobber all over themselves.

  And she did it for him in a major way.

  Stopping abruptly, he spun around, and walked back across the lobby toward her. His shoes pounded on the tile floor, competing with the deafening sound of his heartbeat. Santiago wondered if the on-site physician was available, because seeing Claudia left him rattled, woozy, like he’d been struck upside the head with a bag of pesos.

  Santiago picked up his pace. He had to get to her before someone else did. A big believer in fate, he knew that running into Claudia again was more than just a coincidence. This was his chance to make a second first impression, and he intended to make the most of it.

  His senses on high alert, he blocked out the noises crowding the lobby and listened intently to what she was saying into the phone.

  “This is what I get for listening to you. I should have never come down here, Max.”

  Santiago frowned. Who was Max? And just how serious were they? An air of mystery surrounded Claudia, which made her all the more intriguing, but it was going to be impossible to get close to her. She hated men, hated God, and was angry at the world. How could he ever win?

  “There she is!” Rosario shrieked, flapping her hands like a bald eagle taking flight. “She’s standing at the north entrance.”

  A grin crimped Santiago’s lips. Claudia Jeffries. Now that he had her full name, he could set his plan in motion. One roadblock down, and only two left to go.

  “I’m so glad we found her,” she admitted, relief washing over her face. “I was worried she’d tricked one of the maids
into letting her into that suite. You’d be amazed at how often that happens around here. The Australian national rugby team is in town for a tournament, and just yesterday I caught the captain fooling around with a pollita in the Presidential suite. Turns out someone on staff accidentally let them in.”

  Santiago wore a confused expression. “I’m sorry, Rosario, but what did you say the woman’s name was again?”

  “Claudia Jeffries.”

  “What a small world,” he said, making his eyes wide. “I know her. Claudia’s a business associate of mine, and I can vouch for her. She won’t stiff us. She’ll make good on her bill.”

  Rosario didn’t argue. “Okay, Mr. Medina, wait right here. I’ll go to the front desk and get her a key card for Suite 1164.”

  “Do me a favor and add the Luxury Services package to her stay.”

  “It was offered, but she declined.”

  “Then I’ll absorb the cost.” Santiago thought back to their conversation in the airport lounge, remembered the sadness in her voice, the deep pain in her eyes and her lifeless movements. Claudia needed someone to look out for her, and he was just the man for the job. “Are there any apartments available in Oasis Row?”

  “Last time I checked there were several.”

  Santiago made an executive decision. One that would take Claudia away from the main building and the crowd. To improve his chances of getting to know her, he had to see her every day. And not just see her, but talk, interact, share. So he told Rosario to book her into one of their private, oceanfront apartments. Now, she was just a stone’s throw away from his suite, and he wouldn’t have to worry about some ripped rugby player sweeping Claudia off her feet. “Ask Chaz to prepare one of his famous vegetarian meals for her tonight.”