I’m confused. “What?” My voice hardly carries in the noisy airport.
She’s still doing it, grinning like it’s her birthday.
“What?!” Is she just excited to fly? I’m confused—what’s going on?
“Mr. Easton upgraded her ticket to first class,” a voice supplies over my shoulder.
“Oh.” Why would he do that? A queasy feeling starts in my stomach. I push it away and wave at Nat with a big smile.
She blows kisses back at me and then disappears through the door.
I drop my hand and blow out a breath.
I’m alone.
With only a few strokes of the pen, I’ve sealed my fate in Magic Island for the next three weeks. Only time will tell if I’ve made the right decision.
“Can we leave now?” Ralph says.
“Sure.” I follow them out of the airport.
Despite the foot we started on today, the men are okay. Mostly silent but still proactive and Chance trusts them, so I don’t care to ask where we’re going.
They bring me back to the Resort.
I sit up, ready to get out, but they drive straight past the hotel and deeper into the expansive grounds of the Resort.
Curious, I lean against the window and watch the villas we drive past. They are wooden structures with finely carved porch railings. In between them are paths for walking, then flowers and trees.
The car stops.
“We’re here,” Ralph announces.
I get out and look up at the villa in front of us. “Here?”
“Yes,” he answers. He comes round the car and takes my suitcase out of the trunk. Then he leads the way up the porch steps to the door.
He waits until I’m next to him to hand me a key. “This will be your home while you’re here.”
“This? Are you sure?”
His dark glasses cover his eyes but I can tell he’s looking at me like I’m being ridiculous.
I shut my gaping mouth and insert the key. If a look through the Resort’s website didn’t prepare me for the luxury of the villas, I’d have passed out seeing this for the first time. Even so, I’m so awed I don’t walk in. Just stand at the door and worry that this is too much.
Nat and I flipped through the images and guffawed at the thought that my job would give us a villa to stay in. Now, look at me. For a job I haven’t even started, my new boss is assigning me a luxury apartment.
What?
“Is it… to your liking?” Ralph asks.
My head whips sideways. “Yes, it is. Very much so,” I chuckle.
He doesn’t share my joke. “Good. If you need anything, there are numbers on the phone to call the Resort staff. Enjoy your stay, Miss Maddie.”
He turns and leaves.
I’m still standing there when the car drives off. Eventually, I pull myself out of my daze and wheel my suitcase in.
