Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
The couple making out against the rail was too noisy now for him to concentrate. The girl screamed with enough volume for the whole boat to hear, and the man shook against her with loud grunts.
“Maybe you want to play a game?” she said seductively. “The naughty choir boy and the nun.”
The woman was relentless. Couldn’t she take a rejection graciously? “I didn’t let you touch me. What does that tell you?”
“That you’re shy.”
He was going to have to spell it out for her. “I’m not interested.”
Her eyes turned cold and hard like coal, rough carbon that couldn’t be shaped into diamond, no matter how much pressure or how many centuries were applied.
“Every man wants me.” She turned on her heel and blew a kiss at him from over her shoulder. “Later, lover boy.”
When her swaying ass had disappeared up the stairs, Sean threw the warm beer in the trashcan and turned away from the panting couple, only for his gaze to fall on the man and the woman in the lounge. The man was splayed out on the couch, and the woman’s head was bobbing between his legs.
He snapped the expensive watch from his wrist and threw it over the counter at the stunned barman. “Thanks for the drink. Keep the tip.”
Asia was appointed one of the shared cabins in the staff quarters. Her cabin partner hadn’t arrived, yet. She left her suitcase packed, waiting to see which of the two twin beds and cupboards her roommate wanted. The cabin was nothing like the luxury accommodation of the guests that faced the white beach. The staff cabins were thatched huts situated on the rocky part of the island. Instead of Jacuzzis and spa tubs, they came with cold water showers. They each had one bedroom and bathroom, but what more did anyone need on an island? The huts did have sea access via the steps off the rocks that ran into clear, turquoise water. From the terrace, she spotted colorful fish and coral on the shallow bottom. A huge palm tree stood on the side of the hut, throwing a patch of shade over the veranda. A hammock was tied between the tree and the veranda pole. She smiled. This was going to be the best working holiday of her life.
The organizer, Leona, was supposed to meet her in thirty minutes to show her the spa room where she’d pamper the guests with facials and massages, courtesy of Juan Hernandez. All treatments were complimentary, booked on a first-come, first-serve basis, but Leona had made it clear that Jeanne Hernandez would have a look at the schedule and adjust it as needed. Priority guests were to get preferential treatment. Whatever the schedule, it made no difference to her. She was paid a handsome flat rate. With that money, she’d be able to put down a deposit on the lease of Jerry’s Pub by the end of the month.
Sticky from the salty spray of the boat ride and her hair a tangled mess, Asia opted for a quick shower before her meeting. She got inside the cubicle and opened the tap. The only light came from a ventilation hole high in the wall. The staff had access to electricity a few hours per night, just enough to recharge their electronic equipment such as phones and laptops, as electricity was created with a fuel operated generator. The guests had longer access, enough to provide air conditioning in their units during the day and hot water at night. All of this had been explained to them during the boat ride along with the rules they had to abide.
At first, she shivered under the cold water, but her body adapted quickly. In the heat of the day, it was refreshing. She quickly soaped her body and rinsed her hair before turning off the water. As she reached for a towel, she spotted something dark scurrying across the floor, looking precariously like a very big and very black spider.
Uttering a shriek, she clutched the towel to her body and retreated until her back hit the wall. The eight-legged creature was somewhere behind the toilet pipe, no doubt ready to pounce if she moved. She didn’t mind bugs, not even snakes, but spiders were her special phobia.
A knock sounded on the door, followed by a man’s muffled voice. “Is everything all right in there?”
“No,” she called. “There’s a humongous spider in here.”
The man chuckled. “Do you need to be saved?”
“You can cut out the jokes,” she said with no little irritation. “Can you catch it?”
“Are you decent?”
She wrapped the towel around her. “Yes.”
The door opened. Sean River’s face appeared around it.
She gasped. She’d been so preoccupied with the spider she hadn’t paid attention to the voice that had come through the thick wood of the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a frown. “What are you doing in my bathroom?”