The California Club (11 page)

‘Wow!’

Straight ahead, dominating the room, is a magnificent floor-to-ceiling window. The glimmering sea entirely fills the frame, with just one gangly palm tree in the foreground. It's like desert island wallpaper, but for real.

Elliot is sunk deep into a smooshy leather armchair, deeper still when Elise dumps herself on to his lap. Now from certain angles you can't see him at all. We take the gleaming teal velvet sofa, Sasha and I, sitting either side of Zoë, who grips our hands with ever firmer fervor. Meanwhile Helen inhales a nerve-quelling breath and leaves little smudgy fingerprints on the highly polished wood of the piano as she positions herself with her back to the window, eyes trained beyond us on reception.

'That's all of us!' Elliot prompts her.

'We're just waiting for …' Her face lights up. 'Here he is!'

We turn back and see a man advancing in a sleek navy suit, sharp white shirt and sky blue silk tie. His thirtysomething face is tanned, his hair stylishly groomed and there's a tiny diamond stud winking from his left earlobe.

Zoë's nails are now so deeply embedded in my palms I think they'll probably stay there even when she finally releases her grip.

As he passes us, he acknowledges our 'Who he?' glances with a courteous nod and takes his position beside Helen, clearly a man on a mission.

Assured of our full attention, he breaks into a disarming smile and says, 'Welcome to your first meeting of The California Club!'

There's a buzz of anticipation and a speedy exchange of 'This is it!' looks.

I can't believe we're so out in the open! Surely we should have traveled blindfold in the trunk of a car to some mystery location? At the very least I would have expected an underground bunker and the speaker to be lit by a flickering match. Instead he's flooded with sunlight and standing before a panoramic backdrop in a 'All of this could be yours' kind of way. Maybe that's the intention. Or maybe only official members get to go to CC HQ.

'I've got tingles!' Zoë squeaks with excitement. She's scooted so far forward with eagerness that her bottom is only making the most token contact with the sofa. Any second now I expect her to drop to the floor adopting the 'on your marks' position, cocking her ear for the starter pistol. She's so ready for this.

'My name is Alex Daniels and I'm the Club President. Helen has asked me here today as she would very much like you to share in the rewards she has experienced as a direct result from joining our cult, er—'

'What?' There's a gasp of horror from his audience. Even Zoë flinches.

He looks stricken at his mistake. 'Er, club!' he corrects himself. And then breaks into a giant grin. 'Just fooling!’

‘There's a wobbly sense of relief in the room.

'I realize some of you may have reservations about our organization but The California Club has no intention of turning you into identikit zombies. Quite the opposite. Our aim is to wake you up to the thrill and fulfillment of being the best possible you.' He takes a breath. 'So my first question is this: Are you ready to change your lives?'

'Yes!' hoots a lone voice.

He steps towards it. 'I'm guessing you're Zoë?'

She nods wide-eyed, as if he just told her she was the Chosen One.

He extends his hand. 'Good to meet you.'

She shakes it with ligament-dislocating vigor.

He laughs, 'I can see we're going to have some fun channeling that energy of yours!'

She has no idea what he means but looks enthralled.

'You must be Sasha.' He moves on.

She nods shyly, staring at his Italian leather shoes. He continues to hold her hand until she looks up into his dark blue eyes.

'You're going to be fine,' he assures her. 'More than fine.'

Sasha looks doubtful.

'Try to believe me. If you go with this you could be the biggest surprise of the group.'

Sasha looks ruffled and turns away, eyes glossing with tears as she attempts to control the sea-swell of emotions within.

I'm next. Surreptitiously I wipe my clammy palm in anticipation of the handshake but he switches direction and moves towards Elise. Oh no! I've been deliberately overlooked. Why?

'Elise?' He stands before her.

'However did you guess?' she sneers, giving him a challenging look.

'Why, Helen told me, of course. This isn't Amateur Psychic Hour.'

Hah! She chews her lip like a petulant teenager.

'Anyway,' he continues. 'It's always nice to have a cynic to convert, so welcome.'

Before Elise can froth a reply he addresses a denim knee, 'Is that Elliot under there?'

Elliot struggles to free his arm, quickly shaking off the pins and needles before his hand meets Alex's.

'Hi!'

'I guess you're wondering what you've got yourself into?' Alex raises a knowing eyebrow.

Presumably he's referring to The California Club but I allow myself to think he's picking up on some kind of reservation Elliot may have about Elise.

'I can handle it!' Elliot struts his macho stuff.

Alex smiles and says, 'It's you who's into roller-coaster rides, right?'

'Yeah,' Elliot grins.

‘Well, you're going to get one!'

'Sounds good to me!'

I wouldn't be so thrilled if Alex said that to me, it sounds vaguely threatening. But why would The California Club want to rattle our cages? We've come here for pleasure, we made that quite clear at Passport Control.

'Lara!' he turns suddenly to face me.

Oh thank god!

He leans close.

'What's it going to be with you?' He studies me, boring into my soul.

I try to project flair, confidence and success but suspect he can see through to my confusion, fears and lonely wee heart.

'I guess we'll have to wait and see.'

Oh no! I'm an unknown quantity. I want to be fine, more than fine! Not wait and see! I demand a recount! You've got to give me more than that!

Seemingly sensing my needs he adds, 'But I suspect it may be your turn.'

My turn for what? Am I supposed to know what he means? My turn to be with Elliot? My turn for love? My turn to put the rubbish out? What?!

Alex strolls back over to the window and takes a more casual position to address us now, resting on the arm of a dark violet chair. 'My second question is: Are you really ready to get what you really want?'

Zoë jolts a 'Yes!' out of me. The best he can hope for from Sasha and Elliot is a tentative nod. As for Elise, he doesn't know how lucky he is that she's making no response at all.

'Okay. Last night each of you wrote a wish on a piece of paper. Today we're going to take the first step to making those wishes come true.'

'Oh great!' Elise rolls her eyes.

'On behalf of The California Club I'm going to make you an offer. It's entirely up to you as a group whether or not you take it—'

'We'll take it!' blurts Zoë.

Elliot urges Zoë to cool her jets until we've heard the whole proposition.

'Now this isn't a one-tap-of-the-wand thing. Ninety per cent of the work will come from you,' Alex informs us.

My heart sinks. There's always a catch, isn't there? Always the word 'work' running alongside any chance of dreams being fulfilled. I'm off the idea already. Let's just have a holiday and have done with it.

'So my third question is this: Would you be prepared to give up one week of your stay in California to make your wish come true?'

Wary silence. Even Zoë is mute, not wanting to be selfish and put her desires ahead of the group.

'What exactly do you mean by that?' I query.

'The California Club has arranged for each of you to spend seven days in pursuit of your wish.' Again Zoë flutters with excitement. But she's the only one.

'Because of the variety and nature of your wishes, each of you will be sent to separate locations.'

There's a muttering of solidarity: no way – we're sticking together.

'You'd send us all to different places?' Zoë hopes she's misheard.

'Yes,' Alex confirms. 'Well, all, that is, except for Lara, but I'll come to why later.'

What? Me? What have I done now?

'Why can't we stay together?' Zoë pouts.

'Because you all want different things.'

'Can I change my wish?' Elise asks.

Alex shakes his head. 'We go with what you wrote last night.'

'Then forget it!' she huffs.

Zoë looks pleadingly at her.

'I'm sorry but my wish is crap.'

'And yet it was your choice. Your wish.' Alex reminds her.

‘Yeah but I didn't know it was going to lead to this.'

'None of us know where things will lead in life but it's an important lesson – your thoughts and words are powerful. Choose them wisely.'

Elise wrestles herself free from the chair and turns on the group. 'Are you just going to sit around and listen to this crap?'

'Let's at least hear the thing out – we're not committing to anything,' Elliot reasons.

Oooh goody – does that include each other?

Elise groans and goes to stomp off but Elliot tugs her back on to his lap, winding himself in the process.

'Why does it have to be for a whole week?' Elliot asks, trying to position Elise so she's not compressing any vital organs. 'Couldn't we just do it for one or two days? I don't know about the rest of the wishes but mine could easily come true in an afternoon.'

There's a murmur of assent.

I could certainly have quality time with everyone of my friends in a day – breakfast with Sasha, lunch with Zoë, tea with Helen and dinner with Elliot. And maybe a bit of the night-time for good measure. Just through to sunrise or something. Elise is no friend of mine so she doesn't count. Sorted!

Alex shakes his head. 'Unfortunately there is a process in making these wishes come true. If you do not experience the process, the wish itself will be invalid.'

'What are you proposing?' I dare to ask.

'Yeah?' the others chorus.

'I'm afraid I am not able to disclose the details until you have committed to the seven days.'

'You want us to say yes to giving up a week of our holiday without knowing where we're going or what we're doing?' Elliot talks it back to him in his most unconvinced tone.

'There is a very special incentive at the end of all this' Helen prompts Alex: sensing we need a carrot and fast. 'Yesterday you all visited the Hotel Del Coronado, yes?'

'Yes.'

'And you liked it?'

'Gorgeous/beautiful/magical!' Our adjectives overlap. ‘Well,' he smiles, confidently. 'If you all complete your week, you will earn yourselves five nights' complimentary stay.'

Now that's tempting.

'Helen's afternoon teas!' Sasha's eyes light up.

'Sunset martinis!’ I cheer.

‘Watching the Navy SEALS training,' Zoë gurgles.

‘We could make our own mini movie!’ Elliot cheers. ‘I’ve got this great new camcorder…’

'All for free?' Elise speaks.

A-ha. Alex has just discovered the way to her heart.

‘So we’d be up $300 a night there?' she asks.

‘Well, we’d be going a few steps beyond a standard room …' Helen can't keep it in any longer:
'We're offering you the Marilyn Monroe beach house!'

Oh my god! I gasp. That's some carrot!

Zoë has now become a human firework of excitement and instantly starts campaigning: 'So, in a way, we'd be earning, what? $15,000-worth of prize for seven days work!'

'Still. Seven days,' Elliot's not convinced.

Helen steps in. 'I realize you guys are just out here for two weeks and to spend half of it on some crazy scheme seems a bit excessive but trust me, it'll be one of the best things to ever happen to you.'

We all stop flapping to listen to Helen.

'California will always be here – the beaches, the palm trees, the convertibles, the babes – but you might never get this chance again. I'm not going to force you, but I will get down on my knees and beg you to do this because I know how happy it can make each and every one of you.' Her voice quavers with genuine emotion.

We take a moment to mull over her words. Her insistence seems to be born out of real concern for our lives. Maybe we're in a bigger mess than we thought. I look at Sasha. She's definitely on the brink. If not this, what? What will save her? Zoë's so wound up, she's likely to explode any minute. Maybe this could switch her to implode, which would be considerably less messy. Elise. Well, that girl has issues. Elliot. He does look tired. A bit pallid. Maybe he needs a dose of greenery. And what about me? I came here to escape the biggest upheaval in my life, hoping to regain some feelings of security, and yet here I am being presented with more uncertainty. Maybe that's the point. Maybe I'm supposed to have a practice run here so when I get back, things won't seem so daunting. All the same …

'Why don't you take a moment to decide?' Alex says, as he escorts Helen through to the lobby, leaving us to debate…

‘Come on you guys, it's the chance of a lifetime.' Zoë remains the constant positive.

'For you, maybe,' Elise mutters.

'Zoë, perhaps you'd like to get us some drinks?' I suggest. Her peppiness is only making Elise more cantankerous.

Zoë obliges but Elise strops off regardless. Elliot follows, leaving Sasha and me alone.

She turns to me. 'So, what do you think?'

There's a glimmer of hope in her eyes. I can't risk extinguishing that.

'Maybe it's the chance we've been waiting for?' Do I sound convincing enough?

Sasha holds her hands up to her face, making a little teepee over her nose, then takes a breath. 'We've got to do this, haven't we?'

'What have we got to lose?' I'm still not sure.

'I think we need to want this.' Sasha gives me a serious look.

I look back at her. She's right. If we're going to go for it, we have to be wholehearted.

'Of course, if Elise doesn't agree in the first place, none of us get to try,' Sasha notes.

Suddenly I want this more than anything. If she's got the power to take it away from me, I want it all the more.

'I'm in,' I tell her.

Sasha inhales, looking both terrified and excited, a new determination forming in her eyes. 'Me too!'