Stepping off the boat, another car is waiting to take us to our hotel, the COMO Shambhala Retreat.
“We’re meeting up with Justin and his newest bimbo at the hotel bar.”
“Okay, I’m hungry anyway.”
“Me, too.” I turn to see he’s looking at me with those can’t-wait-to-get-you-to-bed eyes.
“You are insatiable,” I tease. He nods his head, a devilish smile crossing his lips.
We walk up a grand staircase, surrounded by lush tropical flowers toward the lobby. Our concierge informs us that we are to bypass the lobby and check in at the Terrace bar. Around a quick corner, smiles and tropical drinks greet Chase and me. If the rest of the hotel is as grand as the lobby, this will be an amazing experience.
“We’ll grab a quick cocktail here while our bags are brought to our room, then we’ll meet up with Justin and whoever at the poolside bar.”
“Another bar?” I ask as I sip on the large cocktail: green at the bottom, fading up to yellow, and then brown, garnished with a pineapple.
“One of many,” he quips.
Chase gives our name to the bartender for check-in. Once finished, he takes my hand and guides me to The Lotus Bar.
As we walk through the gorgeous grounds, our concierge tells us a little about the resort. There are several different cottages—some suites with ocean views, and some with garden views. Our room—apparently not a room at all, but a large villa—is closer to the beach and much more secluded than the rest of the resort.
We finally arrive at The Lotus Bar and a moment later, Chase’s name is shouted from the direction of the pool. Lying on a lounge chair is his friend Justin. Next to him is a very well endowed brunette in a bikini. Chase’s lips twitch up into a smile as he shakes his head in disbelief.
“Yo, Chase! Over here, buddy.” Justin gets off the chair and jogs over to us, leaving the bimbo behind.
“Justin, you remember Olivia?”
“Of course, your hot babe from the beach.”
“Hi, Justin,” I say, smiling in an effort to hide my discomfort.
“Damn, she’s even hotter than I remember,” Justin says with a smirk.
Chase puts his arm around me. “Off limits, Justin,” he says in a playful tone, but I’m not so sure.
“Who’s your friend?” I ask.
“That, is Miranda. We’ve been here a few hours, and she may or may not have had too much to drink.”
“Miranda is Justin’s latest conquest,” Chase says to me, then turns to Justin. “You sure know how to pick ’em,” he mutters with a chuckle.
“Hey, we can’t all be as lucky as you.” He gives Chase a playful shove and Chase tightens his grip around me.
“Why don’t we go get a drink? And I would love to see a menu,” I say in an attempt to lighten the mood while desperately sipping at the empty drink in my hand.
“Great idea! Let me see if I can wake sleeping beauty over there. She should definitely eat.” Justin walks off to wake up Miranda and Chase leads me toward the bar.
“Justin can be—”
“Obnoxious?” I say, finishing his sentence. He laughs hard as he orders us both some tropical concoction.
“Yeah, that and then some. He’s harmless, though.”
“If you say so,” I reply, looking over at Justin. Chase hands me my fruit laden cocktail as Justin and a non-sleeping Miranda make their way toward us.
“Chase, Olivia, this is Miranda,” Justin announces.
“Hi,” she says, still looking a little groggy.
“Hungry?” Justin asks her. She gives an enthusiastic nod.
Making our way over to the restaurant side, we’re sat quickly. “Very quiet here,” I murmur, observing the nearly-empty restaurant.
“This is a very exclusive resort,” Chase answers as he pulls my chair out for me.
“Yeah, and very expensive. Normal people couldn’t afford this place,” Justin interjects.
We’re sitting around a large round table, yet Chase sits close, almost on top of me. Stealthy waiters come by with menus. Someone should put a box of Tic-tac’s in their pocket.
The waiters reappear and wait for us to finish perusing the menu. Justin motions for Miranda to order.
“I’ll have the snapper, please.” The waiter nods, then looks at me.
“I’ll have the swordfish, please.”
Justin orders the beef tenderloin, and Chase goes for the osso bucco. He also orders an appetizer of mozzarella and tomatoes.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Chase whispers in my ear. I shake my head.
“No, this tropical thing is fine.” Chase chuckles at my remark and looks back at the patient waiter. “That will be all, thank you.” The waiters head toward the back of the restaurant.
“Tropical thing?”
“It’s all different colors with every fruit possible sticking out of it, but no one told me what it was called. So, yes, tropical thing.” Looking amused, he closes his eyes and shakes his head.
We finish the appetizer and patiently wait for the entrees. Miranda is talking up a storm, seeming to have sobered up. Trying to be polite, I ask her how she met Justin.
They met at some fancy nightclub in Manhattan a couple weeks ago and apparently hit it off right away. She describes, in detail, how they met—details I don’t really want, or need to know. She was giddy, her hands moving wildly while she spoke.
Justin sits next to her smiling, proud of her storytelling. Chase told me he was the playboy of the group, so I can’t help but wonder if this is a temporary fling, but the look on Justin’s face is the same look Chase had when we first met.
“So, Miranda, what kind of work do you do?”
“Oh, I’m a model. I’ve done some Calvin Klein stuff, but I was recently approached by Victoria’s Secret.”
“Wow, that’s great,” I say, shocked. That was not the answer I was expecting. But why am I surprised? She’s gorgeous and has the perfect model body. No wonder Justin looks smitten.
“Yeah, she’s going to be an angel,” Justin says, almost as a taunt to Chase, but not quite.
As the last syllable leaves Justin’s lips, our entrees are placed in front of us. All of our dishes look fantastic. Stopping all conversation to eat, I enjoy a comfortable silence. Her stories were starting to make me dizzy.
Once we finish with dinner, conversation starts up again.
“You ready for tomorrow?” Justin asks Chase. He nods his head with a smile. I look to Chase, having no idea what they are talking about.
“Us guys are going deep sea fishing bright and early tomorrow morning, where you girls will spend the morning at the spa,” Chase says, answering my unasked question.
“Yes, Olivia, we’re meeting at the spa around nine. It’s going to be so much fun!” Miranda says, clapping her hands. I haven’t had a good massage in months. Depending on the company, a good massage could be fun. I’m just not so sure about the company, yet.
“On that note, since we are getting up so early, it’s time to retire. Justin, I’ll see you in the morning.”
After saying our goodbyes, we leave the restaurant.
“We’ll take the scenic route,” Chase murmurs as we pass a wooden boardwalk. As he leads me toward the beach, I ask, “Where are Nathan and Amanda?”
“They arrived this morning and needed to finish up last minute incidentals. They’re staying in that large COMO villa over there.” As we pass a series of tiki huts, Chase points to a large house down the beach. “Ours is right here. Justin’s is between the two. The villa in the middle right there.”
The villa faces the ocean, with flowering plants and lush vegetation surrounding it. To say it’s private would be an understatement. Upon entering, I gasp. The entire space is done in whites and light colored woods. We walk into a massive dining room, which opens into an equally huge living room. Off the living room is the bedroom, which has a large four-poster bed draped in white voile, and conservatory. And the bathroom. A ceramic
bath, separate shower, double vanity unit, and an outdoor shower garden make up the biggest ensuite bathroom I’ve ever seen. Walking out the sliding doors off the living room, I notice the private sundeck with a heated plunge pool.
Chase follows me around as I check out the villa, chuckling softly. “This is amazing!” I exclaim.
“You are amazing,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “I love your enthusiasm, how your eyes light up when you’re excited.” He kisses the top of my head. “I would do this every day, just to see your eyes shine the way they are right now.”
Leaning down, he brushes his lips against mine. “Thank you,” I breathe.
“This is just the beginning,” he murmurs against my lips.
The next morning, the sun blazing into the villa wakes me bright and early. Leaning to check the time, I see a note folded over my watch on the nightstand.
Good morning, beautiful,
We’ll be back in time for lunch. Enjoy your spa day.
Love, Chase
Looking at the time, I see I have over an hour before I need to be at the spa. That’s plenty of time to shower, shave, and get a good look around.
I find all my necessities already conveniently placed in the bathroom. He is so thoughtful . . . unless the staff did it. I wouldn’t put it past them. Last night, I noticed all of our clothes hanging up and put away.
The bathroom is bright, the one wall all windows with a French door opening to an outdoor shower. In the center of the room is a large tub, but rather than take the chance of being late, I opt to shower.
Feeling clean and refreshed, I change into something comfortable and head for the spa. Since Chase took us the beach route last night, I choose the boardwalk. What a difference to see the view during the day. I have never seen a more peaceful, serene resort. It feels as if I am the only person here. Taking my time, I stroll down the boardwalk. Upon arriving, I’m directed to the separate spa facility at the back of the main building.
I’m the first to arrive, with thirty minutes to spare, which turns out to be a good thing. Approached by the receptionist, she asks me to fill out a brief consultation card, also informing me arriving early gives me time to enjoy the facility.
If the rest of the spa looks as good as the lobby, we’re in for a fantastic day. Sitting down on the pillow-covered couch, I fill out the short questionnaire. As I finish, I hear high pitched squeals. I turn and catch Miranda entering with who I assume is Amanda. “Olivia, there you are!” Miranda says, as she waves from across the room. I give a quick wave back.
They sit across from me, filling out the same cards. “Wait until you see what’s in store for us today,” she squeals, adding, “Oh, Olivia, this is the bride to be.”
“Hi, Amanda. Congratulations,” I murmur uncomfortably.
“Thank you, Olivia. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.”
“Did you get a look at that masseuse? He is hot!” Miranda blurts. Amanda rolls her eyes and I try to stifle my giggle.
“Right this way,” the receptionist interrupts, and we follow her to a private cottage.
“I chose the Dead Sea mud therapy to start. I hope you girls don’t mind,” Amanda says.
“Nope,” Miranda and I answer.
We are all instructed to go into a changing room and strip, coming out only in a terry-cloth wrap. “We will start with a full body brushing and exfoliation with Dead Sea salt. Then, your body will be covered with nourishing minerals found in Dead Sea mud, which are absorbed into the skin,” the receptionists says, then leaves.
We are each brought into a separate room. “Good morning, Olivia. My name is Cindy, and I will start with the body brushing and exfoliation. This will sweep away dry, dull, rough cells to reveal smoother, softer skin while stimulating your circulation and enhancing cell renewal. Please, take off your wrap and lie on the bed, face down,” my therapist says.
“Okay.” I remove my wrap and lie down on the massage table, which is more like a bed. She immediately covers my ass with a towel and starts to spread the warm sea salt mixture across my back and arms, lightly pressing as she applies. It feels strange at first, but once I get used to the harshness, it’s quite enjoyable.
“Please, go shower and then come back here.” Cindy motions me to a large room with a single stall.
Once rinsed, I return to find a large vat of mud next to the bed. Motioning for me to lay down, Cindy says, “Dead Sea mud will effectively remove the harmful toxins and dangerous pollutants from the unseen pores.” Sounds good to me.
Cindy gradually distributes the hot mud across my skin. It’s smooth, but thick and heavy. As she spreads the viscous liquid, she massages it into my skin. The warmth from the mud and the gentle kneading of my muscles feels incredible. Repeating the process on my front side, only a part of me has been spared. “I will be back in fifteen minutes, when the mud has thoroughly dried,” she says as she leaves the room.
Fifteen minutes later, Cindy returns, instructing me to shower. After washing the mixture off, which wasn’t an easy task, she leads me into a larger room with three massage tables. As I’m walking in, Amanda and Miranda appear, each from a separate room. “Here you will receive the COMO Shambhala massage. Enjoy the rest of your day.” With that, she leaves.
My masseuse, Rocky, instructs me to lie on my stomach. Doing as I’m told, I lay across the table. Once situated, he slides the wrap down my back to cover only my ass.
Getting to work, he starts at my neck, working all the way down to my feet. “You’re muscles are very tight,” he murmurs as he works his magic.
“Am I the only one who could stay here all day?” Miranda asks on a sigh.
“No, this is amazing,” Amanda answers. This has definitely been an amazing experience so far.
Finishing my back, he motions for me to flip as he pulls the wrap back up my body. Starting at my feet this time, he applies pressure points to my soles. I close my eyes and enjoy the pampering.
A short ninety minutes later, our massage is complete. “Thank you,” I manage to say before Rocky leaves. Another woman appears, directing us to the facial room. Geez, more?
“I needed this, so I figured if I had to go through it, so did you girls,” Amanda announces.
“Go through what?” I ask.
“I don’t want puffy, red eyes. This facial is supposed to relieve tired, swollen eyes.”
“Oh, we’re gonna need to come back after the wedding,” Miranda interjects.
Three more therapists enter the room, carrying a selection of creams and serums. “This is the Sundari Beautiful Eyes treatment. The Chamomile Eye Oil smoothes and replenishes delicate skin around your eyes. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Our Neem Eye cream is healing, and reduces puffiness and dark circles,” my therapist informs us.
She starts to apply the oil first, gently rubbing right underneath my eyes. Finally, she spreads paraffin across my cheeks and chin, which will harden into a mask. “This will take about ten minutes to dry, then I will peel off the mask and rub the rest of the cream into your skin.” As she leaves, she places two slices of cucumber across my eyes.
“Anybody know the reason behind these cucumber slices?” Amanda asks, giggling.
“No idea,” I answer.
“They do this every time I get a facial,” Miranda says.
“There must be some therapeutic value to it,” I say, hoping someone might hear our conversation and answer our stupid question.
“I wonder how the boys are making out,” Miranda ponders aloud.
“Probably not well. I can only imagine what they are up to.” Amanda chuckles. “I’m sure they’ve already tried to drown Justin.”
“My face is starting to itch,” I announce, the cream starting to tighten across my cheeks.
“It’ll go away in a few minutes,” Miranda tells me.
“One more stop, then off to lunch,” Amanda announces.
“What else could we p
ossibly do?” I ask, astonished we’re still here.
“Mani-pedi’s,” they both say in unison, then burst into giggles.
“Oh,” is all I say.
“If we had more time, I would have booked us space in the sauna,” Amanda says.
“Ugh, too hot,” Miranda complains.
As if on cue, our therapists come back into the room. “To answer your question, cucumber is rich in silica. This is responsible for strengthening the connective tissues. Since the skin is a connective tissue, it helps keep it healthy. It also helps remove dark circles from around your eyes. And, as an added bonus, it’s an antioxidant,” she says, plucking the cucumbers from my eyes before peeling the mask from my face. I scrunch my face, working out the tight feeling. Mid-scrunch, she starts applying cream to my skin, smoothing out my expression. Taking a towel, she wipes off any residue and waves us off to get dressed.
Once dressed, we meet back in the center of the spa and head toward the salon. Shoes off and feet soaking, the ladies get to work.
“So, this is as good a time as any to discuss this.” Amanda is sitting in between Miranda and myself, making it easier to talk to both of us. “Ever since I met Nate, it’s always been about him. I don’t have many girl friends.” She pauses for a moment, furrowing her brows. “In fact, I don’t think I have any. Since Justin and Chase are like brothers to Nate, they’re standing up for him at the wedding . . .” she trails off and takes a sip of mineral water before turning to me. “Olivia, I know we’ve just met, and, Miranda,” she says, shifting toward her, “since you’ve only been dating Justin for a few weeks . . . I know this is probably strange, and a lot to ask, but would you girls be my maids of honor?”
“Of course we will!” Miranda exclaims.
“Um . . . I didn’t bring anything that would be suitable for a maid of honor,” I stutter, annoyed Miranda would answer for both of us. She doesn’t even know me.
Lost Without You: Book 2 in the Chasing Olivia Series Page 6
