Page 18 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Ella took a step backwards. “Senhor Arenoso.” The official fun sponge himself.

“Ooh, you lucky kitten. I hear he’s the best.”

Ella snorted. Lucky wasn’t a word she would choose to describe herself. Instead, she had to be on her best behaviour. She couldn’t exactly skip the sessions to practise her candid photo shots. The last thing she needed was the course leader on her back too.

“Are you going on the hike to the ruins this afternoon?” Pauline asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I hear they’re stunning, and you get the best view of the whole island from up there. But we can only go when the tide is out.”

“No, thanks. I think I’ll pass.” All of Ella’s earlier lightness was already seeping away. That was the trouble with this sort of thing; it never lasted. The bubble always burst. “I’m gonna hang around the docks, see if I can bribe someone to fetch me alcohol from somewhere.”

Pauline laughed uncertainly, unsure if Ella was joking. Ella wasn’t sure either. But it sure beat an afternoon drowning in the sea.

“Do you want to walk to breakfast together?” Pauline asked.

Sensing there was no use in resisting their budding friendship, Ella accepted. She rolled up her yoga mat, tucking it into one of the cubbies at the side of the reception building, before making her way to the front. Pauline trotted behind her.

Riley looked up as they approached and gave them a small smile. “Hi. How did you find your first class?”

Ella searched her gaze for any flicker of playfulness, but Riley’s stance exuded formality. “It was…fine, thanks.”

“I loved it!” Pauline squealed next to her, the sound echoing through the courtyard.

“I’m glad you enjoyed our first session, Pauline. I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow.”

And that was that.

After breakfast, Ella and Pauline went their separate ways for their first energy alignment sessions. With a happy bellyful of fresh fruit and pastries, Ella took the stone steps down to Senhor Arenoso’s hut. Grass coated the clifftops, small yellow flowers sprouting from the cracks. The humid summer air carried the fresh blend of earth, salt, and pollen, and she inhaled deeply as she passed some derelict cabins with crumbling roofs, wondering what was inside. Compared to the rest of Sandy Springs, they were an eyesore. She’d have to have a peek inside another time.

She descended the steps further, carefully stepping over a colony of ants as they carried what looked like flakes of pastry across the path, and then another hut came into view before her. Nestled in the edge of the cliff, its huge round window looked out across the ocean, and moss and wildflowers sprouted from the roof and clay walls. The wooden bifold doors hung open, a gentle breeze tousling Senhor Arenoso’s shoulder-length dark hair as he sat cross-legged in the centre of the room.

Ella approached him quietly, unsure whether to alert him to her presence or not. Was it against conduct to disturb someone meditating? Were they like sleepwalkers, and waking him could result in a startled fight and end with her broken body at the bottom of the cliffs?

She waited outside the doors for a moment, admiring his rich copper skin and thick, black moustache. He was dressed in a simple red kaftan embroidered with gold markings, very casual compared to his decadent dress for the introductions yesterday.

Just when Ella was about to leave, he blew out a loud breath and turned to face her.

“Ella. Bem-vinda. Welcome. Please take a seat.”

She stepped inside, the strong aroma of incense tickling her nose. Dark wooden slats coated the interior, with colourful artwork adorning the walls. A tall bookcase lined the back, with leafy plants hanging from the ceilings in cream macramé baskets. Ella glanced at the long table centred in the middle of the room and opted to sit in a rickety-looking chair in the corner.

“Interessante,” Senhor Arenoso commented in his thick accent, tilting his chin towards her. “Why did you choose to sit there?”

“Erm…” Ella scanned the room, noticing several comfier chairs behind the table that she’d missed. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t think it mattered.”

“Everything matters. Even the teeniest, tiniest of things.” He stood, the breeze wafting his kaftan as he crossed to the other side of the room. I hope he’s wearing underwear under there. “Can I offer you a drink? Water? Tea, perhaps?”

“Tea sounds great, thank you.” Ella swallowed, picking at the skin of her thumb. Was that a trick question too?

“What flavour would you like?”

He opened a creaky cupboard, revealing far too many variations of tea. Ella just wanted Yorkshire Tea from back home. That many flavours is just ridiculous. “I’m happy with any,” she lied.

No doubt I failed that secret test too.

“Very well.” He plucked two bags from his collection, flipped on the kettle, and spun to face her. “Ella, just by looking at you, I can tell you’re deeply troubled.”

Her mouth dropped open before she could mask it. Talk about brutal honesty. His directness almost made her miss her mother’s not-so-subtle ‘your brother is the best’ digs.

“Most people are troubled,” he continued. “Modern-day living takes a toll on our minds and bodies, trapping us in a vicious cycle of disrepair. But being alive is a gift. The greatest gift of all. We can’t treat ourselves like we’re expendable. There is and only will be one of you, Ella Cargill. Ever.”