The Love Resort (31 page)

Anne-Marie put on a pale blue sundress, and tied her hair back. She didn’t apply her make-up; too impatient to get out. She closed the door with a bang, and started making her way towards Abigail’s bungalow. She felt lighter as she walked, with the knowledge that she would soon see Abigail comforting her. After all, Abigail had been her saviour last night. If it wasn’t for her, she’d never have coped. She shuddered again at the memory.

She reached the front door and knocked. Then she waited. There was no answer. Damn, Abigail must still be asleep. She tried the door handle; the door was open. She decided to go and wake her; after all, dear Abigail wouldn’t mind. She surveyed the mess of clothes, tossed around in the living room with some surprise. Even more so when she realised that draped over the back of the honey-coloured sofa were a pair of men’s shorts. Horror rushed around her head as, terrified, she moved towards the bedroom. She raised her knuckles to knock, but then she thought better of it. This was her resort, her publisher, hers, hers, hers. She opened the door, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark she saw her greatest fear realised.

‘Ahhhhhhhhhhh!’ she screamed.

‘Anne-Marie?’ Abigail sat up quickly.

‘What on earth...?’ André said.

‘How could you?’ Anne-Marie spat. ‘How could you?’

‘Anne-Marie, can you go on to the terrace and let me get dressed, and then I’ll explain?’ Abigail asked reasonably.

‘And him?’ Her eyes bore into André, the butler, who wasn’t quite as calm as her publisher.

‘André, will you go and get to work?’

‘Yes,’ he mumbled.

‘That’s assuming he still has a job,’ Anne-Marie pointed out.

‘Of course, but don’t do anything until we’ve had a chance to talk. Please, darling.’ Abigail gave her a beseeching look.

Anne-Marie stood, arms folded looking at them. Her publisher had picked up a gigolo at her resort; in fact, Anne-Marie had given him to her. She was supposed to be here for
her
, not for sex. Like some cheap slut, she was having an affair. And now the headaches and the absences all became clear. How could she do this to her? Oh God, all the things that went against her beliefs were happening here. She felt her chest constrict. She had to concentrate on breathing. What would happen if she lost Abigail?

‘I’ll wait. But don’t keep me waiting too long.’

‘Come inside?’ Abigail asked, as André slunk out, almost melting under Anne-Marie’s glare.

She shrugged her shoulders, pouting, then did so.

‘I’ve put some coffee on, would you like some?’

Like a petulant child, Anne-Marie shrugged again. Abigail went to the coffee pot and poured two cups. She put them down on the counter.

‘Will you say something?’ she asked.

‘How could you?’

‘How could I what? How could I fall for a gorgeous, charming, intelligent young man?’

‘You’re married.’

‘Yes, and you know that Philip is dull as dishwater. It’s a loveless marriage. He’s also become boring in bed—not that we ever have sex these days. All he cares about is the business, nothing else. I found something magical in André. You have to understand, you write about this sort of magic.’

‘You’re married.’

‘Are you telling me that you would stay married to Ed if you fell in love with someone else?’

‘How dare you? I am in love with my husband.’

‘That’s a joke.’

‘Abigail, how could you? I love Ed and I would never, ever cheat on him. No one in my books cheats. No one.’

‘Of course they don’t.’

‘And you, you did. In my resort. Are you going to tell Philip?’

‘I’m leaving Philip.’

‘You’re what?’ Anne-Marie let out a pained wail.

I’m going to ask him for a divorce.’ Abigail looked aghast as Anne-Marie collapsed on the floor and started sobbing. ‘Anne-Marie? I didn’t realise that you were that fond of Philip.’

‘I’m not,’ she sobbed.

‘So why?’

‘Because of the DIVORCE. No one in my novels ever, ever utters the word. It’s a terrible word, a nasty word, a word used by evil people,’ she spat.

‘Can I point out that this isn’t one of your novels? André and I are in love, really in love, and I’m leaving my husband for him.’

‘It’s The Love Resort, don’t you see? This
is
one of my novels. Living here was supposed to be like living in my novels. That’s
exactly
what it was supposed to be.’ Anne-Marie knew she was shouting but she didn’t care. How could the one person she could rely on not understand her at all? This was her novel. Her world was her books, and she was living in one. Until they ruined it.

First the old, fat people with the bad dress sense. Then when she tried to do something about that, the competition winners with their drunken behaviour, their lying, and their cheating. Then Todd and Katie—oh, she would never have gay people in her novels, they weren’t even allowed in the resort. It was against her rules. They had all ruined it for her, just as they obviously set out to do. Now Abigail with her talk of divorce. Everyone was trying to destroy her. She was utterly alone; her against the world.

‘Anne-Marie, this is nothing like living in one of your novels. You talk about how no one cheats in your books, how no one gets divorced, how no one is gay, but how about swearing? You say no one swears in your books, but you sometimes have a mouth like a sewer. And then your women barely drink. Well, you drink copious amounts all the time. You can’t have it all ways, you know. You’re not the perfect heroine you claim to be, just as this place can’t live up to your expectations.’

‘You’re a liar. A cheat and a foul-mouthed liar.’ Tears streamed down the novelist’s face.

‘Anne-Marie, I want to help you, but I don’t know how.’

‘Give him up.’

‘I can’t. I love him.’

Anne-Marie looked defiantly at her publisher, who showed no signs of backing down. Confusion enveloped her, as did despair. It wasn’t meant to be like this.

‘Give him up.’

‘No, Anne-Marie, no. I would do most things for you, but not this.’

‘Then you can no longer help me. I shall have to help myself.’

*

Lily rested her head on Ed’s chest. When he’d called to offer her breakfast in bed, she’d forgotten all about the trouble and let herself think only of him. It felt like a rare luxury.

‘I wonder where she went this early?’

‘No idea, although my guess would be that she went to Abigail. Where else would she go?’

‘Abigail seems to be more on our side, don’t you think?’

‘Yes. I hate her for introducing me to Anne-Marie and I blame her for how Anne-Marie turned out; Philip and Abigail kept pushing her to be this romance person, the whole package, and she did. Then when people loved her, she also became a complete bitch.’

‘But maybe she realises that now? Abigail, I mean.’

‘Maybe. Because there is no way she’s getting a book out of Anne-Marie. She used to write for eight or so hours every day—you couldn’t get her away from her keyboard. But since we moved here, which, by the way, was to help her writing, she hasn’t written a thing.’

‘What will happen?’

‘I don’t know and I’m a little frightened. Lily, this is all I care about, you and me. Anne-Marie and Abigail can shove their book and this resort up their arses.’

‘You don’t mean that. You’re worried about her.’

‘You’re right, darling. That’s the truth. I don’t love her but I am worried.’

*

‘Edward,’ Anne-Marie shouted as she opened the door. There was a note on the table saying that he was waiting for the competition winners to take them to breakfast. She looked at her perfect house, and she knew that Abigail was lying. The one person she trusted was a liar. Now she had no one.

The phone rang insistently, but she ignored it. If she was alone then she would have to deal with things alone. She had to decontaminate the resort. She had to get the pests out. She had to control things herself. She needed to fight the enemy. The answer dawned on her, and as soon as it did, she swept out of the house once more.

She dialled Ed’s mobile.

‘Hello?’ he answered.

‘Ed, it’s me. Listen, I’m going to breakfast with the competition winners myself. You can go and man the office and make sure that Lily does all we need her to do.’

‘If you’re sure...’

‘I am.’

‘Darling, are you all right?’ he asked.

‘I’m absolutely fine,’ she said, before hanging up and wiping away her tears.

*

‘So?’ Lily asked, as she got out of bed and pulled on her robe.

‘She wants to handle them herself. We’re to go to the office as usual.’

‘That doesn’t sound right.’ Lily knew her boss well enough to know that she wouldn’t normally do that.

‘That’s what I thought.’ Ed sighed. ‘OK, let’s get showered, dressed and go and find her then.’

*

At least now she had a plan, Anne-Marie found her resolve. There was a bungalow above the resort that was going to be restored. About a week ago, the police had told her security that it had been broken into—local kids they thought. Ed himself had spoken to the owners, who were overseas, and assured them that they would secure it. Her own security had done the job. It was a safe place and one that wasn’t part of her resort.

She got hold of a guard in the security office and asked for the keys. He was unsure but gave them to her anyway, after she reminded him that she was the boss. Then she scribbled a list and told him to deliver everything himself to outside the bungalow straight away.

‘What for?’ he asked.

‘It doesn’t concern you. Now if you do as I ask, and keep this quiet, then I’ll make it worth your while.’ She pulled a thousand dollars out of her pink handbag and gave it to him.

He looked at Anne-Marie and nodded. She smiled and told him to call her when he was done.

‘Oh, and you’d better give me the keys to the rooms you padlocked last night.’ She smiled in satisfaction as he did what she said.

Anne-Marie strode with renewed purpose to the hotel, where she went to the first door and opened it.

‘Uh.’ Jimmy jumped as he found himself facing Anne-Marie. Tim was in the bathroom. Jimmy told himself to stop shaking.

‘Jimmy, good morning,’ she said pleasantly, unnerving him further. ‘I need you to get dressed and meet me on the landing. Chop chop. There’s a surprise for you and I need you in ten minutes.’

After delivering the same message to the others she waited for them. It was so simple, so beautiful. Once she had got them there safely she would go back for Todd and Katie. She debated putting Abigail there too, but she realised that she couldn’t do that to her, no matter how much she deserved it. No, this would be her solution, as she knew that she was the only person she could rely on in the whole wide world. She would tell no one else.

As her six competition winners emerged from their rooms, looking sheepish, she tried to hide the contempt that she felt so keenly. Their good looks had faded for her the minute they behaved badly. Well, they would get their punishment, she was sure of it, just like everyone else. But first, she would make sure that they didn’t cause any more problems for her resort.

‘Come along, this way,’ Anne-Marie chirped as she led them up the hill to the edge of the resort. She kept looking furtively around her, but it seemed that her route was attracting no attention. Good.

‘Where exactly are we going?’ Tim asked, huffing and puffing.

‘Ah, well, that’s the surprise. Now, I am going to give you a challenge for the day.’

‘A challenge?’ Thea eyed Anne-Marie suspiciously.

Anne-Marie kept walking fast. So much for young people—they were all huffing and sweating in the heat, although they should have been far fitter than she was. Instead they all looked like messes. She had definitely made the right decision.

‘Well, you know that we can’t have you running around the resort? And I thought I’d spare you another of Ed’s dreary day trips.’

‘It was a bit dreary,’ Tim agreed.

‘Quite. So, I thought that I would set you a challenge. Something exciting.’

‘Sounds great,’ Lee said, holding on to Emily’s arm and helping her up the steep hill.

They reached the edge of the resort, and Anne-Marie led them through a gate. The small bungalow was hidden by trees and bushes; it couldn’t be seen from the resort. It was rundown; ramshackle. Its paint was peeling, and the window frames were visibly cracked; it looked tired. As did the six guests by the time they reached the door.

Anne-Marie saw that the baskets were stacked up outside the front door, just as she requested. She took the keys out of her pocket and undid the padlock. She opened the second lock and the third, satisfied that it was secure enough.

‘Now,’ she turned to face her charges, ‘you will go in with all these baskets of goodies, and then I shall send up instructions for your challenge. It’s going to be very, very exciting; I can assure you of that.’

‘Really?’ Thea asked.

‘Thea, dear, believe me, it’s this or Ed.’ She looked at her, her head tilted sideways.

‘I’ll take this,’ Lee enthused, grabbing a basket and going inside. Jimmy followed suit, as did Emily and Carla.

‘Go on, Thea. Within the next few minutes you will receive your instructions and also a wonderful surprise.’ Anne-Marie gave her a little push. She reluctantly went in.

‘Tim, is there anything I can do for you?’ Anne-Marie asked, noticing him shuffling about outside.

‘I was just wondering, there wouldn’t be anything to drink in those baskets, would there?’

She smiled at him sympathetically. ‘Well, there’s only one way to find out.’

She shut the door behind him and relocked it. She had one more delivery to make to them before she could relax. Praising herself for her genius, she made her way to her next stop.

*

Thea led the way around the bungalow they were in. The entrance they’d been shown into led on to a large living room. There was no furniture, but there were a few empty wooden crates. The paint was peeling off the walls, as on the outside, and the filth made it almost impossible to see out of the heavily secured windows. Off the first room was a kitchen, grey where it had once been white, with a rusty old cooker, and a few empty cupboards. She turned the taps on at the cracked ceramic sink; water reluctantly spluttered forth. She then walked through the living room again, to a bedroom with a bathroom leading off it. Again, there was no furniture, but there was at least some loo roll. On the other side of the bedroom there was a dressing room, big enough to be a bedroom, but with built-in wardrobes and a full-length mirror, which was broken. As Thea shuddered, thinking about the sumptuous bed in the rooms, the crisp white sheets, the marble bathroom, and the decked terrace, she felt miserable. She walked back to the living room, her five companions hot on her heels.