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Could it be true?
“What’s up, Heathcliff?” said Jim to me, slapping me on the back. “I thought even you’d be celebrating now that we’re done.”
I grinned. “I’ll start celebrating once everyone’s here,” I said. Our guests would begin arriving tonight, but for now, we were having a private reception for the fashion crew, most of whom would be flying out tomorrow, eager to get back to their families.
“Well, you’re in luck. It’s barbecued shrimp for lunch today,” Jim said.
I wrinkled my nose. I hated shrimp; I never ate it, and as I joined the buffet crew, all I could manage to find at the table to satisfy my considerable hunger was a salad.
I looked around for Lena.
“Where’s the star of the show?” I said casually to Jim.
“Oh, she didn’t want to eat. I told her it was shrimp: I love shrimp,” said Jim, who by now was already stuffing his face.
“Well, save some room for tonight,” I said. “We’re having dinner down the coast at LaMina.” It was a fancy restaurant, one that was in all the guides. I’d wanted to treat the fourteen or fifteen people who’d be joining us.
For now, though, I decided to go up to my makeshift office, which, as one half of the bridal suite, was doubling as my private quarters over the next week.
But I knew all I’d be able to do once I got there was to think about the beautiful woman whose photographs, and mere presence in my life, were changing me in ways I didn’t yet understand.
Iworkedforalittle while and then decided to take a short nap. I’d been up since five that morning, first for a swim, and then back to the hotel’s gym, where I lifted some weights. It was strange to wander around a place that would soon play home to thousands—tens of thousands—of guests each year. The hotel was beautiful but in a ghostly kind of way. I was looking forward to its maiden voyage when our guests arrived tomorrow.
When I was done, I went down to my driver Charlie’s room. Charlie was an old military buddy of mine, and as much a friend as a pilot. We’d gone down different paths—I through the SEALs, Charlie to becoming a helicopter pilot. But we’d kept in touch, and when I found out my old buddy was teaching rich kids and bored amateurs to fly the helicopter back in Ohio, he jumped at the chance to come out and work for me.
I knocked on the door, but there was no reply.
“How are you, Charlie?” I said, but still nothing.
I began to grow concerned since Charlie was supposed to be driving me to the restaurant and joining us that night. So eventually I unlocked the door. I had a master key that opened all the hotel bedrooms (I wasn’t taking any chances after the time at the penthouse suite, wonderful as it had been).
When I got inside, I almost retched, smelling, as I did, the unpleasant smell of vomit.
“Charlie!” I said. “Are you okay in there, buddy?”
“Just fine,” said a voice weakly. “I ain’t got a temperature. Must have been something I ate.”
“You’re stinking out the head there,” I said. “I’m calling you a doctor.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll drive you in a sec, just let me—“ he trailed off, as I heard more vomiting.
“The hell you are,” I said, calling the hotel doctor on my phone.
The doc came up, and I let him into Charlie’s room. He came out a few minutes later, looking a little green.
“Well, he doesn’t have a temperature, and the rest of his vitals are fine. I’m guessing it was something he ate.”
“He and I have eaten the same thing,” I said. “How come I’m not sick.”
Then I thought of the shrimp.
“He should rest for tonight,” said the doc. “I’ll come to check on him in a little bit. I’ll have to catch you later, Mr. Alson. I’ve also got a lady in Room 6 who isn’t feeling well.”
“Room 6?” I said. That was where the stylist was staying.
Icalledacab,and by the time we were down the coast and I could see the lights of the little town where LaMina was in the distance, my phone was blowing up with cancellations. Everyone at the shoot was ill: the party was ruined.
I was worried about Lena. Had she eaten the bad shrimp too? I made a mental note to talk to the chef about this. If we pulled a stunt like this next week, or when the guests started arriving, I’d be out of business within a month!
