The Love Resort

by Faith Bleasdale

  Todd broke off from the kiss, and looked at the sand. It was like all his other movie kisses: he was acting and he didn’t feel a thing. But it hit him again, his constant companion, guilt. He was fooling all these people and he didn’t feel very proud doing it.

  ‘That was great,’ Katie said.

  Todd nodded, half-heartedly. ‘Have we finished now?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, and I think after a shower, I’d like a quiet dinner.’

  ‘Sure.’ He was thinking about Marcus, about how he was supposed to see him tonight, about how he couldn’t. About how he really wanted to. About how awful he was and didn’t deserve this great life he’d got. Then he stopped. It was too dangerous and it was also far too late.

  The Movie World people left and Katie was charm itself when she said her goodbyes. Todd really didn’t understand her, although sometimes he thought he did. She was vulnerable, insecure, which in turn led her to believe people when they told her how wonderful she was. He guessed she’d never been happy, or liked for who she was, which would explain how she didn’t know who she was. He was sure that was it, and if it was then he felt sorry for her. She had shown a softer side, although it hadn’t lasted, and he couldn’t help but think that when she was at her worst she didn’t deserve anything but contempt.

  Well, he’d have dinner with her and he would try to make an effort with her. The least he could do was try to be her friend.

  22

  The Love Resort caters for your every whim during your stay but we also strongly advise that you take some time out to go on the island tour.*

  The island itself can be driven around in one hour and twenty minutes. As well as offering the breathtaking beauty that you would expect, there are also many wonderful things to see and do.

  Visit the waterfalls—they have to be seen to be believed.

  Shop in a traditional Caribbean market.

  Visit the tropical gardens with the world-famous aviary and see the unusual island foliage.

  Finally, on your way back, have a drink at the island’s oldest bar.

  All this and more means that the Island Tour is a must-do.

  Guest Handbook

  *To book the island tour, which is not part of the all-inclusive package, call Guest Services. You can choose from group tours or individual tours, depending on your personal preference.

  *

  Ed was trapped in a mini-bus with six unhappy people. The atmosphere wasn’t pretty, although the excursion he was taking them on was. He had very quickly decided to play the part of tour guide; otherwise he felt the silence would have killed him. However, he considered he should have been grateful that they hadn’t killed each other.

  He had escorted them to their rooms as discussed—Emily, then Lee and finally Tim. He wished he could have been a fly on the wall, but chastised himself for his voyeurism. He waited patiently in the lobby connecting all the rooms for half an hour, and when no one appeared he went to collect them. Three angry faces and three sheepish ones followed him on to the minibus. No one had spoken, apart from him.

  ‘We are just passing the small food market, one of the most famous on the island for local produce,’ Ed said, in his newly adopted cheery tour-guide voice. He glanced round. Why he had volunteered to take this lot out, he didn’t know, but he was beginning to feel depressed by their depression. The revelation that Thea and Tim weren’t a couple had shocked everyone. It had made his wife angry beyond belief. It was only because the Movie World people were arriving that she’d let them go. And Thea and Tim looked so perfect together; he thought that they genuinely loved each other. But what did he know?

  ‘So, our first stop today will be the magnificent waterfall and we will reach there in approximately ten minutes.’ Ed glanced back, but no one was looking at him. Not that he was surprised; they weren’t even looking at each other. He thought that maybe there would be a huge row at some stage, but again perhaps they would just stay quiet. He had no idea what Anne-Marie would be planning on doing with them, but he was expecting to be going out again the following day. To the airport. One thing was sure: the resort would be a very different place without them.

  ‘Right. Well, we’re here at the waterfall and we’ve scheduled thirty minutes for you to look around. But no one will leave my side, or I’ll probably have to kill you.’ Ed grimaced. The beauty of the waterfall was totally wasted on them all.

  ‘This waterfall is one of the island’s premier attractions. Over seven million people visit it every year. The water is said to have healing properties. I know we don’t have long, but would you like to go for a dip?’ Ed looked at the six blank faces, who finally managed to shake their heads. ‘Right then, let’s just walk around it. Follow me...’

  ‘Right, well, I think we’ve seen enough here. Let’s go back on the mini-bus and get to our next destination where we shall stop for lunch.’

  It was just getting dark as the minibus pulled back into the resort. Ed looked at his six passengers and six weary, unhappy faces looked back at him. He felt sorry for them, especially the cuckolded ones, but then, he didn’t have time for sentiment. In order to get through the upcoming days until he and Lily were going to leave, he needed to keep Anne-Marie sweet and unsuspecting. Their lapse last night had taught him that. He had his future to secure.

  ‘What now?’ Tim asked as the bus came to a standstill.

  ‘We’re going to the room where we hold the welcome meetings. Wait there and I’ll get Anne-Marie and Lily.’ Without any further discussion, he led them to the room and then went to phone the others.

  Ed stood outside the door, waiting for them. He needed a few minutes away from the competition winners. Finally he noticed, as he put his ear to the closed door, the silence had been broken.

  ‘So, I guess we have you three selfish bastards to thank for this hideous situation,’ Thea fumed. She glared at Tim, then Lee and finally Emily. Although her anger was directed at Tim initially, she was now furious with the other two. Carla and she had become friends, and she genuinely liked her. Jimmy had always shown such gentlemanly concern, especially last night when she was upset. She had never quite liked Emily, and now she knew why. Thief.

  ‘Actually, I might be to blame but at least I didn’t lie about our relationship to get here,’ Emily spat back.

  ‘Oh fuck.’ Thea turned to Tim, who now was the sole recipient of her fury once more. She rubbed her head. Of course, everyone knew that she and Tim weren’t a couple, although it probably wouldn’t have taken a genius to figure it out.

  ‘Well, it kind of slipped out.’

  ‘It slipped out, when?’

  ‘When Anne-Marie was telling us off. So, actually, if you look at it that way, I’m not as bad as them, because I didn’t cheat.’ He smiled, then ducked as if expecting to be hit.

  ‘You told everyone that we weren’t really a couple? You fucking dickhead. What did she say?’

  ‘Well, she said she might sue.’

  ‘Oh, Tim, you’re priceless. You break into a bar, you steal drink, you sleep with another man’s wife on his terrace, and then you tell Anne-Marie that we lied and cheated to get here. Are you trying to ruin my life totally or what?’

  ‘He’s not the only one who lied about being in a relationship,’ Emily said.

  ‘But you just said—’ Thea stopped in her tracks.

  ‘No, not me and Jimmy, the other two.’

  ‘Carla?’ Thea looked at her, everything suddenly making sense.

  ‘I wanted a holiday. He was my best friend. I thought that there was something more—until he proved himself to be an utter bastard who couldn’t care less about my feelings.’

  ‘That’s not fair. You got me here on false pretences—don’t pretend you didn’t. You were determined to get me to fall in love with you, which would never happen, and you thought this would be the perfect place to do it. I told you that I didn’t want to pretend to be your boyfriend but you said it was just for a free holiday. Christ, you’re mad.�
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  ‘God, Carla, I thought you were amazing for putting up with him before, but now I know, all I can say is that you had a lucky escape, babes,’ Thea stated.

  ‘I have to say I agree with you,’ Carla managed a weak smile.

  ‘You bitches don’t know what you’re talking about; he’s too good for either of you.’ Emily’s voice cracked.

  Carla and Thea looked at each other, and stood shoulder to shoulder as Carla spoke.

  ‘The only person here who is too good for anyone is Jimmy. Emily, you deserve Lee. I hope he treats you like shit, because then you’ll know how Jimmy feels.’

  ‘Thanks, but I can speak for myself,’ Jimmy said, standing up. ‘They are right, though. I don’t think lying to get here is a big deal. I only did it because she went on and on and on about having a five-star holiday just so she could boast to her friends about it. Christ, Emily, how I didn’t realise that you’re so shallow I shall never know. Even when we were being interviewed and Lily asked her what she saw in me she said it was because I had my own business. The warning bells were ringing then, but I was stupid enough to think I loved you. And I proposed. Jesus, can you believe I asked her to marry me? If there was a stupid award here, I’d be bloody well getting it. Lee, I guess at the moment I’m too angry and hurt to see it, but I should probably be shaking your hand and buying you a drink. Thanks for taking her off my hands.’ Jimmy was shaking. It was the longest speech he’d ever made.

  ‘Now hang on,’ Emily shouted. ‘I didn’t ask you to propose and I feel bad about what happened. Jimmy, you and I were in a relationship which was wrong. You have to see that, you have to.’ Her voice was desperate.

  ‘I don’t have to see anything. I don’t give a shit what you say,’ Jimmy shouted back.

  ‘Good for you,’ Thea agreed.

  ‘Yes, I agree,’ Tim encouraged.

  ‘You shut up, you’re the fucking limit,’ Thea shouted.

  ‘Oh, let’s start that again, shall we, Little Miss Perfect?’ Tim replied.

  ‘What do you mean by that?’

  ‘Always on my case: “Tim, you drink too much. Tim, you should do some work. Tim, the house is a mess.” Well, Thea, the pressure you put me under would lead any man to drink.’

  ‘I have always looked out for you, taken care of you, for years, ever since I’ve known you.’

  ‘Well, maybe if you hadn’t, I would have been able to take care of myself.’

  ‘How could you?’

  ‘Quite fucking easily.’

  ‘Maybe we should calm down,’ Lee suggested.

  ‘Really, Lee, really, should we? Why, so you bunch of scumbags can get away with it?’ Carla demanded.

  ‘Don’t speak to him like that,’ Emily shouted.

  ‘You bitch, how fucking dare you?’

  ‘Carla, isn’t it time you admitted that you were the one in the wrong? Lee never gave you any hint of encouragement.’

  ‘Oh, he told you that, did he? Did he tell you how he slept with me before I entered the competition, how he got drunk and came home and crawled into my bed? I’d call that encouragement. And then the next day I went to the doctor for the morning-after pill and that was when I found this stupid competition.’

  ‘Well, no, but you said he was drunk.’

  ‘He was drunk last night when he shagged you in public.’

  ‘It wasn’t like that.’

  ‘Oh, really?’

  Emily went to stand in between Carla and Lee. ‘No, he really loves me and you can’t understand that.’

  ‘Oh, I think I can.’ Carla’s eyes were blazing as she pushed Emily.

  ‘Don’t touch her,’ Lee said, grabbing hold of Carla’s arm.

  ‘You get off her,’ Jimmy intervened, pushing Lee out of the way.

  ‘Leave him alone,’ Emily shouted.

  ‘You leave him alone,’ Carla shouted back.

  Thea stood, as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Who threw the first punch she couldn’t say. But Lee fell to the floor and Emily went to hit Jimmy and Carla jumped on top of her, knocking her over.

  As Anne-Marie, Ed and Lily entered the room, Tim was standing on a chair.

  ‘Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight...’ he was chanting.

  ‘Get them off each other,’ Anne-Marie shouted, darting around them and trying her best not to get too near, as if they might contaminate her.

  Ed pulled Jimmy and Lee apart and Lily grabbed Emily. Finally, they all became quiet and stood, looking ashamed.

  ‘Enough,’ Ed said. ‘I should never have left them alone.’ He was no longer amused, but actually worried about his wife’s health. She was teetering on the edge of desperation.

  ‘Your behaviour is totally unacceptable in my resort,’ Anne-Marie started. ‘I have done my best with you but you have proved yourselves unworthy of my hospitality and now I find out that one couple even lied to me.’

  ‘Two couples, actually,’ Ed explained, having overheard them.

  ‘You are kidding? Who?’

  ‘Carla and Lee.’

  ‘Why did you enter my competition for new love if you weren’t even in love? It just seems unbelievable.’

  ‘We—’ Thea began.

  ‘Stop.’ Anne-Marie held up her hand to silence them. ‘I don’t care any more. We spent all day trying to get you on a flight home, but unfortunately they are all full. There’s nothing we can do until next week, but I can’t have you behaving like this until then. I just don’t know what to do.’

  ‘Maybe we should discuss this,’ Ed suggested. He hadn’t had time to think about what they would do next, apart from the fact that they certainly couldn’t send the couples back to their original rooms.

  ‘There is no need,’ Lily said. ‘Anne-Marie?’

  ‘I’m afraid that I can’t run the risk of having you running riot around my resort. Too many people are upset. Mr and Mrs Greyton have left and we had to give them a full refund. By the way, Tim, I am still considering suing you.’

  ‘Well, I don’t actually have any money,’ Tim explained.

  ‘Then I’ll just take a pound of flesh.’ Her eyes were ablaze with anger. ‘So, here is what I am going to do. Carla, you will share a room with Thea. Tim, you will share with Jimmy. Emily and Lee, you will have to share. I don’t have any spare rooms, so you will all accept my decision on the matter.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ Emily said, defiantly staring at Carla.

  ‘What about keeping an eye on them?’

  ‘Oh, Ed, darling, I am so glad you brought that up. You will all agree to my terms, or I shall throw you out of the resort with nowhere to stay and no way of getting home. Why am I being so accommodating to you? I don’t know, but I am a kind person. So, the terms are that you stay in your rooms until it’s time for dinner. You will all dine together, under the watchful eye of Lily, who will be your evening chaperone. Tomorrow, we will work something out. I feel that I owe it to Carla and Jimmy not to have to spend time with Lee and Emily, so please don’t worry, I shall ensure that after tonight that doesn’t happen. However, apart from Jimmy, no one is blameless in all this.’

  ‘I think that’s a marvellous solution,’ Ed said.

  ‘Hang on. Can I just clarify?’ Tim asked.

  Anne-Marie sighed. ‘If you must.’

  ‘We have to stay in our rooms until you say otherwise?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And we have to have a babysitter?’

  ‘Correct.’

  ‘We’re adults, Anne-Marie, and we’re on holiday. This isn’t fair.’

  ‘Tim, what’s not fair,’ Anne-Marie bared her teeth, causing him to take a step backwards, ‘is that you owe me over ten thousand dollars. That you lied to get here and then you all created havoc. Why I even have to explain myself, I have no idea. You are doing your best to ruin my resort and I will not have that. Now. For the last time. HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?’

  Everyone was too scared to respond.

  *

  ‘
I thought we’d have an early supper. What would you like?’ Katie asked.

  ‘Um, I don’t mind. Maybe some fish?’ Todd answered distractedly.

  ‘Leave it to me.’ Katie picked up the phone and ordered dinner. Todd heard her say that it had to be served at seven o’clock sharp before telling him she was going to get ready. He had no idea what she was getting ready for, but the predatory look in her eyes unnerved him.

  After he relayed the day’s events over the telephone to his very amused brother, he showered in the second bathroom and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. When he went outside, he saw her, wearing what seemed at first to be a negligée, but on closer inspection was just a slutty dress. It was black and sheer. She was wearing knickers, but no bra. As he tried to avert his eyes from her nipples, he noticed that she was wearing full make-up and a pair of diamante high-heeled shoes. Gulping at the thought of what was in store for him, he sat down as she pulled out a bottle of champagne from the ice bucket and insisted that it was time to celebrate. He took the glass from her, still unable to speak and then he realised that he was in for a very long and torturous evening.

  For someone who never ate, Katie was making a huge fuss about food. She had ordered all their meals for them and then made an enthusiastic display over every dish served up, before taking a mouthful and discarding it. Todd was almost more disappointed by the fact that his wife was a Hollywood cliché than he was by the fact that he had a wife.

  ‘This is so perfect, Todd,’ Katie said, as they sat in the lazy chairs, sipping champagne.

  ‘It’s a great setting. A bit over the top, but breathtaking.’

  ‘Romantic, though—it really is romantic.’ She bit her lip and looked at him.

  ‘It is.’ It was romantic, the setting, just not the couple in it.

  ‘Todd?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Do you realise that this is our one week anniversary here?’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘We’ve been here on honeymoon for a week today, and I think that it’s time we—’ As the plates clattered down on the table behind them, she looked round. ‘Marcus, did you have to be so clumsy? I was in the middle of talking to my husband,’ she snapped.