As the lunatic holding her laughed, the woman behind the counter assessed her in the way women size up their competition. Not that it was obvious, but Vanessa noticed the split-second crack in her Employee of the Month persona before picking up where she’d left off.
“Welcome to the Mau Loa, Miss Miller. It’s a pleasure to have you and Mr. Andrews at our resort. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you…” She glanced at the nametag that claimed her as the reservations manager. “Jillian. I’m sure everything will be fine. In regards to meeting with the wedding coordinator, can you please tell me when my—”
Jackson cleared his throat and gave her waist a squeeze. She barely stopped an eye roll.
“—our first appointment is?”
“Of course. Let me check that for you.” After a few moments clacking her nails over the keyboard, she said, “You’re scheduled to meet with him at four o’clock this afternoon in the Honu Café.”
“Great,” Jackson said with a light slap on the counter, as though it signaled the end of their discussion. “Now, Jilli, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long trip so I’d like to get Lucie to our bungalow so she can freshen up. She normally doesn’t look quite so haggard.”
The air from Vanessa’s lungs slammed out like he’d just punched her between the shoulder blades. Was he serious? Her pulse spiked and her need to fire back clouded her better judgment—and opened her big, fat mouth. “Well, at least I can fix my problem with a shower, darling. You need a tiny blue pill to fix yours.”
Jackson barked out a strange combination of choking and laughter, which he tried to bring under control behind his fist. Before she could stop, think, and regret the words she’d just put in her best friend’s mouth, she snatched the envelope and keys off the counter. “Why don’t you go make friends while I freshen up for you? I’ll probably be a while, so I’d take my time if I were you.”
Catching the eye of the woman who stood with equal parts shock and delight on her face, Vanessa gave her the best apologetic look she could muster. “I’m so sorry. I’m under a lot of stress right now with the wedding and all, so I’m not quite myself. Thank you so much for your help.”
Without a backward glance, Vanessa spun on her wedge sandals and strode in the opposite direction of the entrance, hoping it would lead her toward her bungalow. Stepping into the sunshine, she found a gigantic pool and several hot tubs surrounded by lush palm trees and occupied lounge chairs. A waterfall cascaded down a large rock face on one side, bringing a bit of the island inside the resort parameters.
As she followed one of the paths that led her around the more touristy areas, she peered at the guests through the cover of her sunglasses. Though she couldn’t be sure, she swore she saw Reese Witherspoon with her husband in the pool and someone who looked a lot like Alec Baldwin standing by the bar. Lucky for them she was too exhausted to be even remotely starstruck and kept on walking, eager to find her destination.
The Mau Loa wasn’t like the other commercial resorts on the island. It didn’t have hundreds of rooms in a gigantic hotel-style building. Instead, it housed several dozen private bungalows spread throughout the property. Essentially small homes in the lap of luxury surrounded by paradise. Not too shabby.
It only took her a few minutes to find her bungalow on the outermost boundary, making it one of the more private houses. Relieved, she quickly used her key and entered the white stucco home. The inside looked like something out of a travel magazine. Large, open, and breezy, everything in white or muted blues to match the ocean only a stone’s throw away from her front lanai.
The main room consisted of a cozy living area with inviting couches like clouds plucked out of the sky. The wall on the left was made entirely of sliding glass doors that opened onto a small yard, complete with kidney-shaped pool, hot tub, small bar, outdoor shower, and hammock, surrounded by an eight-foot-tall privacy fence. The small but fully stocked kitchen sat off to the right of the living area, separated by a breakfast bar and stools.
Vanessa crossed the room and opened the door on the far wall to find the most romantic bedroom she’d ever seen. A wispy canopy draped the sides of a gigantic four-poster bed and rippled in the sea breeze sweeping in from the open French doors that also led to the private yard.
Just then a porter arrived with her bags. She wasted no time grabbing fresh clothes and hopping in the shower. She couldn’t remember the last time hot water felt so good and the orange honeysuckle scent of all her bathing products relaxed and invigorated her at the same time. After toweling off and slipping into a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt, she headed straight for the bed.
“Caviar dreams and champagne wishes,” she whispered with a smile before falling back on the cloud they called a mattress…and dozed off.