Lucy nodded, already tapping out Kath’s number on her mobile. It rang for a few moments, then the senior rep’ answered her ‘phone.
“Kath, it’s me, Lucy. We’ve had a bit of a problem and one of the guests has been carted off to the police station. Yes, I know I should have rung you at home, but what was the point when it was late and you couldn’t have done anything about it? Who was it? Someone called Reeves, Simon Reeves. He came with his girlfriend from Manchester yesterday. Yes, the pretty girl, you saw her when you were ticking her off the list. Do you want me to tell you what happened now or when you get here, only the owner is on his way and I could tell you both at the same time? Yes, the owner. Dania telephoned him after the night porter told her the story. No, I haven’t forgotten the Welcome meeting. Do you want me to put a notice on the Sunlight Bar door to say it’s been cancelled? Oh, wait until you arrive, then we’ll think what to do. See you later then.”
Lucy looked at her watch to see what time it was. It wasn’t eight thirty yet, so the restaurant wouldn’t have opened for breakfast. Guests were already hanging around the foyer, or were getting their towels from Reception to place on the sun loungers in an effort to reserve them, but from what she could see through the automatic doors there wasn’t going to be much sun today. She nodded pleasantly to a couple of people who passed her by, some looked curiously at her as they were not used to seeing a travel rep’ so early on.
“Looks a bit gloomy,” said a man, who had come on the Manchester flight, as he walked past her to walk down the stairs. Was that Mr. Cooper?, she thought, trying to remember all the names. Oh yes, he was the one who was sitting with Mr. Lewis last night, before all the palaver had started.
***
“I think I’ll go for a bit of a run,” Paul had said, after he had showered and pulled on a long sleeved polo shirt and beige cut off trousers. “You’ll be all right with the kids, won’t you, Cheryl? I felt so hot in here last night that I need to go and get some fresh air. I thought I’d have a run through the complex and down to the sea front. I’ll be back in half an hour and you can meet me outside the restaurant.”
“Yes, I’ll see you down there, Paul. The kids will be fine while I have my shower. I’ll probably have to drag them away from the cartoon channel anyway. I think I’ve got a bit of a hangover from last night, probably the bar man giving out double measures. Still, if we put the children into Kid’s club while the Welcome meeting is on, we should have a restful morning.”
“I don’t want to go the Kid’s club,” Annabelle protested, still in her nightie and ostensibly watching the T.V, but ear-wigging just the same.
“But you’ll find it boring, listening to grownup people talking about the facilities and excursions, Darling,” said Cheryl, pulling a wry face at her husband.
“I’m off,” said Paul. “See you later. You can sort it out between you, I’ll see you at the restaurant door.”
He jogged along the corridor, peeking through the corridor window as he did so. The clouds had come way down the foothills, blocking out the shape of the mountains, showing only the tips. It’ll be mist, he thought to himself reassuringly. It will have cleared by lunch time and the sun will come out again.
***
“My turn today?”, asked Greg, as Sonya opened her bedroom door to admit her parents. “Yes, if you want to go first looking after Evan, Mum and I can do some sun bathing.”
“I don’t think there will be any sun today, Sonya,” Kate said. “And I suggest you put on something warmer than that boob tube and shorts. It’s looking cloudy and dull.”
“Am I going to the Kid’s club today, Granddad?” asked Evan, bouncing up and down in his eagerness.
“If you want to, though it is Granddad’s turn to look after you today.”
“Oh,” the child replied, looking a little downcast, as he was torn between going to see Jack or staying with his other best friend.
“Let’s see how you feel after breakfast, though I’ve just remembered we have the Welcome meeting today. So yes, you go to the Kid’s club, Evan and we’ll do something together this afternoon.”
Evan cheered up at his granddad’s words, then dashed past through the door.
“Hey, where are you going?,” shouted Greg, about to run after him.
“I’m going for my breakfast and to see Jack too.”
***
Jenni looked about her nervously as she came into the foyer. She was still dressed in her pale green frock, though she had thrown a white cardigan belonging to Lucy around her shoulders.
Lucy was standing by Reception with a dark haired man in a navy pin striped business suit and the woman who had directed them onto the coach at the airport.
“Ah, here she is,” said the woman to the business man. “Come over here, Jenni, we’d like to speak with you.”
Jenni did as she was told, though her legs felt as if they had turned to jelly and there was a bit of a humming in her ears.
“This is Mr Sanchez, the owner of the hotel. This is Miss Woods, can we call you Jenni?”
Jenni nodded and felt a bit at ease when the owner of the hotel smiled at her.
“I was suggesting that we all go down to breakfast, Jenni,” he said in perfect English, but with an obvious foreign accent. “None of us have eaten yet and perhaps we would feel better if we relaxed in each other’s company.”
Jenni nodded again, but her stomach felt in knots and she wondered if she could keep any breakfast down?
“Perhaps just a croissant?,” Lucy said gently. “It’s just that Mr. Sanchez is a busy man and we do have the Welcome meeting later.”
Again Jenni nodded and followed them down the stairs, where guests were streaming into the dining room.
“We’ll tuck ourselves over there,” said Kath, going to the same table that Jenni and Lucy had dined at the previous evening.
“Perhaps we will get one of the waiters to bring a selection of cold food to our table,” said Mr. Sanchez. “It will save us time than going to the buffet separately.”
He clicked his fingers and Juan hurried over. Mr Sanchez spoke in rapid Spanish, the waiter nodded and sped away.
“So Jenni, Lucy has told me some of what occurred in the Sunlight Bar last night, but the question is what are we going to do with your boyfriend, Mr. Reeves? I cannot have a reoccurrence of his conduct in my hotel. The other guests are my first concern and I believe one of them had to intervene and take over the situation. That isn’t good for the reputation of the Hotel Valia. It is probable that he and other guests will not want to come here again.”
“Have you heard whether Simon is going to be released today or not?”, asked Jenni, as the man paused in what he had to say.
“That will depend on whether the waiter wants to press charges for assault, I haven’t spoken with him yet.”
“He only pushed the waiter, he thought that Miguel was coming onto me.”
“Which Lucy, who witnessed the incident says that was not the case.”
“No, he wasn’t, but it looked that way.”
“What about yourself, do you want to press charges against your boyfriend? I believe he mistreated you in a way that is beneath gentlemanly behaviour.”
“Yes, he did, but it was the drink that did it. With it being All Inclusive it just went to his head.”
“Ah, All Inclusive,” said Mr. Sanchez and lapsed into silence for a while.
The waiter came at that moment, bearing two large white plates with slices of ham and cheeses on one and sliced tomatoes, different coloured peppers, cucumber and onions on another. He placed them carefully on the table before them, then went off again to get little cartons of butter, bread rolls and more smaller white plates for everyone to eat breakfast from.
“I believe you call this Continental,” Mr. Sanchez smiled, showing even white teeth between his wide generous lips. “So much better for you than the English breakfast of bacon and eggs.”
No one dared argue with that, especially
Kath and Lucy who felt they walking on egg shells!
“So, Kathleen, what will happen to these two guests if I ask Mr. Reeves to leave the hotel?,” asked the owner, after he had liberally spread his bread roll with butter and placed a slice of beefsteak tomato and some chunky yellow cheese upon it.
Jenni held her breath, while she was waiting for Kath to answer.
“We’ve never had this problem before,” she said quietly. “I suppose it will be something I will have to talk about with the owner of Periquito Travel.”
“Ah, Robert, (which he pronounced Roberre). Would you like me to speak with him? Of course I know him very well.”
Kath nodded and smiled in appreciation, she was feeling very much out of her depth at the moment. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered that her boss had once said that he was a distant cousin of the hotel owner. She relaxed a little and speared a slice of tomato onto her fork, then transferred it to her plate. It was only a gesture on her part, as the other two girls seemed to have also lost their appetites too, with Lucy nibbling on her bread and Jenni looking distinctly ill at ease, in front of such an illustrious personage.
“Come on, you two,” said Mr. Sanchez smiling, noticing the girls were not tucking in. “Have something to eat. You are just like my wife, always trying to look after your figures.”
He laughed at his joke, then snapped his fingers for the waiter. Juan dutifully arrived again and was told to fetch a jug of coffee.
The owner drank his coffee black and after he’d had his cup filled, he told Juan to pour out a cup for each of his guests. After drinking some, then wiping his mouth with a peach coloured paper napkin, he got up suddenly from his seat and excused himself. Looking down at his Rolex watch, he said he would meet them all in the foyer at nine o’ clock.
***
Kate, Greg, Evan and Sonya came into the dining room, to be greeted by a beaming Paul, who had put two of the tables together and was waiting for their appearance.
“Oh, this could cause a precedent,” whispered Kate to Sonya, as she had been looking forward to a peaceful meal without having to say very much.
“Cheryl and the kids haven’t come down yet. I did say eight thirty but you know what women are like,” Paul said to Greg conspiratorially. “Sit down. Look, I’ve got two highchairs so that Jack and Evan can sit side by side. I’ve had my breakfast, pancakes with honey on, a sausage sarnie and I finished off with fruit and yoghurt. Does anyone want me to get them a coffee, I’m just off to get one for myself?”
“No, you’re all right,” said Greg. “We’ll get our own coffee. Evan let me put you in that high chair, Kate do you and Sonya want to get your food and I’ll get Evan’s and mine in a moment?”
The two women nodded and Greg and Paul sat down on the chairs.
“I’ve been watching what’s been going on over there,” Paul confided. “I went for a run earlier, went as far as the promenade. It’s a lot warmer down there by the way. Anyway, when I came in here, the two rep’s and the poor girl that was attacked last night and that man with them, seemed to be having an in depth discussion. I assumed it was over what to do with young fella- me-lad. So I asked the waiter who the man was and he said the owner of the hotel. Just think, me and Cheryl are living in his penthouse!”
“Oh, are you,?” said Greg, more interested in the fact that Paul was staying in the penthouse suite, than what was happening over in the corner.
“That must have cost you a bob or two to hire the owner’s suite.”
“No, it didn’t really. I emailed and asked could we upgrade, because I really wanted a hotel that offered a suite of rooms, instead of just a family bedroom. The travel company emailed back and said that the owner allowed guests to use his penthouse suite. I jumped at the chance, because there wasn’t a big price increase.”
“Lucky you,” said Greg dryly, thinking that this chap must have a good job to be able to afford the luxury. Even he as owner of a factory had to be careful with the money he spent.
“Evan, what do you want to eat? I think I spy some lovely sausages,” he said, in an effort to cover up his jealousy.
“You’re looking very smart, ladies,” said Paul complimentarily, as Greg moved off to the hot buffet and Kate with Sonya came back to the table, with a bowl of fruit and yoghurt each.
“Thank you kind sir,” Kate said, who was wearing a pale pink tracksuit, while Sonya was wearing a cream hooded jacket over a thin cotton cream sweater and green camouflage pants.
“We aim to please,” dimpled Sonya.
“Well you have,” said Paul with a friendly grin. “Ah, here comes my lot. Cheryl, we’re over here!”
***
“Oh, I’m so glad Mr Sanchez has gone,” said Jenni to Lucy, picking up her bread roll and forking some tomato upon it. “I couldn’t think while he was here, my mind felt all clogged up.”
“And how do you feel now?”, Kath, broke in quickly. “If Mr Sanchez and my boss decide that your boyfriend can’t stay here, what are you going to do?”
“I suppose it depends on Simon’s attitude towards me,” said Jenni, miserably. “ If he apologizes, I suppose we will have to look for other accommodation. That or try to get a flight back home.”
“It seems a shame that you have to give up your holiday because of his behaviour,” said Lucy.
“Lucy,” Kath said, in a warning tone. “The decision must be Jenni’s, you mustn’t persuade her either way. Let’s wait until we hear later what Mr. Sanchez wants to do. Now, to other things,” she continued briskly, “I have brought everything with me in the car for the Welcome meeting. Perhaps when we have finished here, you can help me bring the boxes in?”
Chapter Five.
“Shall we go and have a look around the shop that they’ve got on the first floor?”, suggested Milly, as the three women came out of the dining room. “I saw a sign in Reception with an arrow that pointed that way.”
“We may as well. It’ll fill some time before we go to the Welcome meeting. There’s no possibility of sitting on a sun bed, is there?” That was from Doreen, who felt a bit put out that there wasn’t even a hint of blue cloud, as she looked out of the foyer’s patio doors.
“Shall we walk up or take the lift?,” asked Jean, feeling very full because she had eaten a cooked breakfast.
“We’ll walk it,” said Doreen. “It might shift some of the food we’ve eaten in there.”
They trundled slowly up the staircase, making room for people to pass who were on their way down to breakfast. Milly stopped at a display of postcards, in a tall plastic unit when they got to the foyer, saying that she must buy a few cards.
“They’ll probably be cheaper in the shop upstairs,” said Doreen. “If they’re not we can come back down and buy a few from here.”
“Isn’t that the young girl who was involved in that trouble last night?,” asked Jean, who was looking at a solitary figure sitting in an armchair by the door.
“It looks like her,” said Milly. “ Poor thing, she should be enjoying herself on her holiday, not sitting there looking lost.”
“There’s nothing much else for her to do, is there?”, said Doreen. “Except the meeting of course or going to have her nails done.”
“Oh, I’m sure the Animacion team will try to keep people occupied, there’s a board over there,” said Milly, pointing to a large blackboard with posters on, proclaiming the activities for the day.
“Do you think I should go and have a word with her?,” said Jean, feeling very sorry for the young girl.
“No, come on,” Doreen answered. “You don’t want to go getting involved with someone you don’t know.”
***
“Lay out the packs like I showed you last week,” said Kath to Lucy, after they had both carried the boxes into the Sunlight Bar. “We’ll drag that table over in front of the stage and then if a lot of people attend, I can plug the microphone into that hi-fi unit.”
“Do you want me to get chairs and arran
ge them in rows on the dance floor, or shall we let the guests do that when they come in?”
“Let them, Lucy. Some people like to sit as far away as possible. I don’t know why, we’re not going to eat them.”
“I wonder if Mr. Sanchez has spoken with Robert?”, said Lucy. “Jenni looked like a lost soul when we passed her by the door.”
“I’m sure he’ll send someone if he wants to update us. I hope it’s soon, because the meeting will be starting in twenty minutes. I thought when we met him in the foyer before, he was going to give us a decision, but like everything with the Spanish, it’s manana time with him. If he sends for me during the meeting Lucy, I want you to take over. I’ll begin like I usually do with welcoming everybody, then ask everyone to help themselves to a glass of wine or orange juice, unless we can persuade the waiter to take the glasses around on a tray. Oh, that’s a thought, I don’t suppose you remembered to ask for refreshments? No, I didn’t either, it’s this blooming problem with that Reeves fellow. Why can’t people behave themselves?”
“Do you want me to go and ask Reception?”, volunteered Lucy.
“No, I’ll go. While I’m up there, I’ll pop into the owner’s office and ask him if he’s heard anything.
You’ll probably see the waiter before you see me.”
***
“I’ll just walk over with Evan to the Kid’s club,” said Greg, after he had looked at his watch and seen that the meeting was starting in twenty minutes. “Do you want me to take Jack and your daughter, Annabelle?” he asked Paul.
“I’m not going,” said Annabelle, who had been sitting quietly beside her mother on the sofa
opposite. Cheryl chose to ignore her, instead of listing the merits of being in the Kid’s club, because she would find the Welcome meeting boring. Once her daughter had made her mind up, there was usually no way of shifting her. She turned her attention to Jack, who was leaning over the fountain display trying to splash Evan.
“Come on, Jack, it’s time you went to the Kid’s club,” she said. “Oh, look Paul, go and get him will you, before we have to take him back to the suite and change him.”
Clouds Below the Mountains Page 8
