Raya shrugged philosophically. “Who says you can’t have it all?”
They drove in silence for a while, until they were well past the exit Erin had taken to the magic shop the other day.
At the palm tree-lined entrance to Le Nouveau Palmier, Erin wondered how they would pass the security gate, considering that they had no hotel reservation and no real reason to be there.
Raya rolled down her window to speak to the security guard. “We’re going to lunch,” she said, in a very un-Raya-like tone of mild amiability.
Erin turned her head away so the guard wouldn’t see her suppress a laugh.
“Of course,” said the guard. He tipped his navy blue hat. “You ladies have a marvelous day.”
“Why, thank you,” Raya said, with pure sugar in her voice.
“Thanks,” said Erin, giving a little wave to the guard as they pulled away. “What was that? ‘Oh, why thank you kindly, kind sir!’” she said, mimicking Raya’s delivery.
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“I guess some magic you don’t need a wand for,” said Erin.
“Now you’re catching on,” said Raya. “We’ll make a witch of you yet.”
Erin touched the crystal on her necklace.
After parking the truck, they approached the front of the hotel on a smooth sidewalk lined with stately palm trees and curved flower beds. Ornate twists of green-painted wrought iron criss-crossed over the porte cochere like graceful metallic vines. Flowers and trees glittered in fine mosaics across the facade. The stonework curved around windows and balconies all the way to the multicolored gingerbread roof tiles.
They crossed a threshold depicting a stylized mosaic palm tree encircled in two gold rings.
“This way,” said Raya, leading Erin through the glass-covered arcade enclosing the lobby.
It was tempting to stop and gawk, but Erin kept walking. “You’ve been here before,” she said.
“You bet I have. I love Art Deco stuff,” said Raya.
“This is amazing,” said Erin, stumbling slightly as she tried to look all around while keeping up with Raya.
“Wait till you see the pool.”
“Aren’t we supposed to be trying to figure out what Mark and Genevieve were doing?”
Raya waved away Erin’s objection like she was swatting a fly. “Sure, sure. After some drinks.”
They found a pair of vacant lounge chairs a short distance from the pool and settled into them.
Raya hailed the pool attendant. “Two Singapore Slings, please.” She turned to Erin. “My treat.”
The attendant, a young man garbed in a crisp white shirt and shorts, jogged off immediately to fulfill the order.
The sunlight sparkled on the surface of the pool and glinted its way through an assortment of playful fountains and tiny waterfalls ringing the pool area.
When Erin received her drink, she held it up to the light and admired it. “Isn’t that pretty?”
Raya sipped and smacked her lips. “Tastes as good as it looks.”
Erin tasted the drink carefully, knowing that even a little alcohol went straight to her head. “Mm. You’re not wrong.” She let her head rest against the pool chair while she held the cold cocktail glass in her hands. “Can I ask you something?”
Raya tipped her glass back. “Go for it.”
Erin glanced around to check if anyone was within earshot before speaking. “How did you become a witch?”
