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Group therapy. I smirked, thinking about how Theo would hate that. He always came across as a very private person.
Lawrence climbed out of the golf cart. “Leave your bags. They’ll be taken to your bungalow. If you’d like to follow me, we’ll get you checked in.”
“When you say ‘bungalow,’ what exactly do you mean? Is all the accommodation here the same?”
He shook his head as we entered the spacious lobby, the air conditioning welcome after the humidity of the air outside. “Here at the recovery centre, we offer various forms of accommodation to cater to the varying needs of our guests. We have three resident buildings, which contain hotel-style rooms, and we also have hillside and waterside villa-style bungalows. You’ll be staying in one of our hillside bungalows. They’re usually reserved for those guests who need the least monitoring, and they offer the most privacy of all our accommodations.”
Okay, this was starting to sound like it might be alright. If I had to sit through some therapy sessions in order to get my own private villa on a tropical island for a few weeks, then I was actually getting a pretty good deal, truth be told.
“Cheers, Lawrence. Sounds good.”
The man had quite a haughty, posh air about him—he’d probably love Theo, come to think of it—but with my words, a corner of his mouth ticked up.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Emery. My nephew is a huge fan of yours.”
I flashed him a grin as he pressed the bell on the desk to call the receptionist. “Do you want me to sign something for him?”
“I’m afraid we are all bound by ironclad non-disclosure agreements. If I were to obtain your autograph, there would be questions regarding how I’d managed to get hold of it.”
“Leave it with me. I’ll send him a signed shirt when I get out of here. Just sneak me his address, and I’ll make up an excuse.”
Before Lawrence could reply, a petite brunette woman with a beaming white smile appeared behind the desk.
“Welcome to Black Diamond, Mr. Emery. My name’s Katlyn, and I’ll be checking you in today.”
“Call me Jordan.” I winked at her, and her cheeks flushed, her lashes fluttering at me. If only Theo was here to see the effect I had on women. Although…maybe not. I remembered the party and how Livvy had gone for him, even though I knew for a fact she was interested in me. There was no accounting for taste.
“Jordan.” Her beaming smile widened. “Your bungalow is all ready for you. I know you’ve travelled a long way, and you must be exhausted, not to mention the eleven-hour time difference. It’s late in the day, so I suggest we get you settled into your accommodation for now, and your intake session will take place in the morning at 10:00 a.m. You’ll meet your therapists then, and they’ll give you a rundown of what to expect during your stay.” She tapped on her computer keyboard. “You’ll find a room service menu inside your bungalow, so you can order refreshments, and you can enjoy your private pool and take in the beautiful views of our island.”
“Did you sayprivate pool?”
“I did indeed.”
My own villa with its very own private pool. I hoped Theo got put in the hotel room block so I could rub it in his face.
Katlyn asked for my passport and had me sign a couple of forms, then handed me a black wristband with a shiny glass oval face, which acted like a key card and would allow me to access the facilities in addition to my bungalow. She went over a few housekeeping items before informing me that there was a blanket 10:00 p.m. curfew for all guests, without exception. Then, she asked for my phone.
What the fuck? My entire life was on my phone. My social media followers would be expecting to hear from me. How could I show off my villa and private pool without it?
She read my panicked expression, giving me a placating smile. “Please don’t worry. Your phone will be kept in a secure lockbox for the duration of your stay, and none of the staff will have access to it. Your agent, Mr. Nash, left us with specific instructions and has provided you with an alternative phone for use during your stay. You’ll find it waiting for you in your room.”
Thanks, Rory. I’d better be able to access my social media, or we’d be having serious words.
When check-in was complete and my poor phone was placed in its temporary prison, Lawrence took me to my villa in the golf cart. The sun was just beginning to set, streaking the sky with pinks and oranges. Fuck, I needed my replacement phone ASAP. A selfie with this sunset would be fucking epic.
We wound our way through tropical vegetation, gradually ascending until we popped out into a clearing.
My jaw dropped. Before me was a villa, nestled into the hillside, all crisp white paint and rich brown wood. In front of the villa was a wooden decked area, partially covered, with sun loungers and an infinity pool. But that wasn’t even the jaw-dropping part. That came from what lay beyond the pool.
The view.
I could see down the hillside to the white sand beach. The tops of buildings peeked out from the vegetation, but because of the layout of the resort, it felt like I had my own completely private piece of paradise. The turquoise sea sparkled in the setting sun, the rays painting it with golds and pinks and burnished orange tones. In the far distance, right on the horizon, I could make out the outline of another island. A white sailboat cruised slowly past my line of sight, the water rippling in its wake. The air was heavy with the scent of tropical flowers and salt water, and birds sang from the trees, hidden from view, until one burst from the leaves to swoop past me.
It was completely fucking stunning, like nowhere I’d ever been before.
“Ahem.”
My head whipped around to see Lawrence eyeing me with what might have been amusement.
