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I’m waving my hands, trying to get the attention of a teenage boy who’s cutting through the lobby. He’s dressed head to toe in black; his outfit is replete with menacing chains rattling around his thighs, a poky little metal choker around his neck, and heavy dark eyeliner. He has his headphones in, and when he sees me trying to initiate conversation, he flips me off with both hands and keeps walking.
“Okay, well, he’s obviously already on his way to an activity. Strange, because I didn’t see any satanic rituals on the schedule, but I could have missed it ...”
Cole stands there, completely unperturbed. I’m only now realizing that when it comes to me, he has the patience of a saint.
“We’re moving staff into the hotel tonight,” he informs me with a defeated sigh. His hand runs through his hair. I see the fatigue in his expression.
“What?Why?It’s not even supposed to get bad until tomorrow morning.”
“Correct. And this way, everyone will already be here, safe and dry. I’m not spending all of tomorrow attempting rescues if shit hits the fan. It’s a waste of resources. Any employees who want to leave resort grounds are free to do so without consequence up until nine p.m. tonight, at which point we need to know that everyone is accounted for inside the hotel.”
I refuse to show my annoyance. He’s already succeeded in seeing too much of me over the last few months. I’ll have to get better about putting up a wall with him, tuning him out.
I look away and douse the fire in my tone as I continue. “Fine. Who am I rooming with?”
I already know he’s going to say him. Of course he’s going to put us together. He’s a maniacal scientist, and I’m the rare specimen he’s been hunting for the world over.I’ve got her! I’VE FINALLY GOT HER!
He doesn’t even need to consult a clipboard. He has it memorized. “Desiree, a masseuse from the spa.”
“Oh.”
If I sound disappointed, it’s only because I guessed wrong.
I mean, I wouldn’t have put it past him to have orchestrated this entire thing—hurricane included—just to torture me. To put me with Desiree—who is a little older than me and nice enough—issounlike him.
“And who areyouwith?”
Tamara’s name springs to mind so fast it’s troubling.
If he says Tamara, I’m going to hurl.
“Maddox.”
One of the boat captains.
I hate that I’m relieved.
Word about the room assignments spreads through the resort quickly. I figured there would be murmurs of insurrection or, at the very least, voiced annoyances, but mostly people are relieved to be moving into the hotel. The building is newer and safer, not to mention much more elevated than staff housing. Water collects around our dorms even in minor storms, so as much as it pains me to say this, Cole is probably right to take precautions.
I’m even excited to room with Desiree. I don’t know her well, and this will give us a chance to bond. Who knows, I might come away from all this with a new best friend.
It’s actually lucky that I ended up with the room assignment that I did. Camila and Lara are together, but they’re stuck in a two-queen suite with two other people.
“What the hell? One bathroom for four of us?!” Lara groans.
Camila shakes her head. “I’m claustrophobic just thinking about it.”
I try not to rub it in that I’ll be spared the worst of it. A king suite in a luxury hotel? That ain’t half-bad. I’m already excited about all the little fancy soaps and shampoos I’ll be able to pilfer. If Desiree wants them, too, we can always go halfsies. She gets the body wash, I’ll take the lotion, and so on. I’m busy all day, so I don’t manage to find the time to make it back to my dorm to grab my bag until after dinner. I check once more that I’ve taken everything I need for a few days, as well as anything I couldn’t easily replace in the event that it’s lost. It’s not exactly sad, just strange. The entire day has felt like a weird fever dream. And the rain. THE RAIN. I know I live on a tropical island, but it’s enough! We get it! As I leave my dorm, I have to tuck my duffel bag up under my poncho to keep it from getting completely soaked as I run back to the hotel.
At reception, there’s a line to get our room keys. When I reach the front, a tired woman asks me, “Last name?”
“Young.”
“Paige?”
I nod, and she passes over a silver key card with a discreet palm tree on it.
My vacation has officially begun! Pass me a cocktail, something served in a hollowed-out pineapple! Lather me up in sunscreen and plop me by a pool!
