Page 8 of Love By The Falls

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Good day, ma’am. Please follow me.”

It isn’t a long ride, thirty minutes maybe, before he turns onto a long driveway. Palm trees, bushes, and even a pond surround the paved road. There are flamingos in the garden as we near the building.

There aren’t any doors or windows like a typical hotel, instead it’s all exposed to the elements. A valet opens the car door for me and asks me to follow him.

My sandals click against the cream marble foyer and the large fans from the ceiling send a pleasant breeze into the lobby.

“Good afternoon. May I have your name please?” the gentleman at the check- in desk asks.

“Charlotte Tanner.”

“Very good. One moment, please.”

As I wait for him to pull up my information, a server comes by with a tray of mimosas. “Can I offer you a drink, ma’am?”

I never drink before five, but I’m on vacation, so I take one. The champagne bubbles tickle my tongue, and the cold orange juice cools me down immediately.Ah.

“Here we are,” says the man at the front desk. “You are in room 1088, and these are your keys.” He hands me a brochure with a map of the resort inside and two room keys.

“Thank you. Can you tell me in which direction that is?”

“Javier will show you to your room.”

A man wearing a floral shirt, whom I hadn’t noticed until now, appears next to me and grabs my luggage. “Follow me,” he says with a big, toothy smile.

We walk down a covered path toward the building on the left. But I freeze and stare at the most breathtaking view in front of me. I’d only ever seen water like this in pictures, never imagining how itwould blow me away in person. The ocean is a shade of blue and green that shifts effortlessly from one color to the other, and the palm trees on either side frame the scene as though I’m inside a living postcard. Only the view isn’t two dimensional. Everything is right here, in front of me—the wind, the salty air, the—

“Ma’am, right this way,” Javier says.

“Yes, sorry. I just couldn’t take my eyes off this view.”

As we turn the corner, Javier stops in front of a dark wooden door in a corridor with several similar-looking doors. He presses the room key to the silver pad and the lock clicks open with a quick green flash.

I’ve stayed in hotel rooms before, but this one is different. There is a foyer, a living room, and even a kitchen table with a modern chandelier hanging over it. The furniture is a light gray with blue pillows and everything looks brand new.

He brings my suitcase to the bedroom and sets it on a narrow table beneath the television screen.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?” he asks, with his arms folded behind his back.

I look around, thinking this bedroom is larger than the one at home. “Oh, no. No, this is all… well, it’s all so beautiful. Thank you.”

He remains standing, and I immediately reach into my purse to tip him. “Thank you again,” I say.

He raises his hand. “Oh, no. We do not accept tips here. The hotel pays us well to help our guests and if there is nothing else I can do for you, I’ll leave you to rest.”

I stand there, holding the cash in hand, and I’m not sure if I should insist on him taking it or if that would offend him. I decide to wait and see what the other guests do, and then I’ll seek him out later if necessary.

“Thank you. Everything is perfect.”

With a nod, he leaves the room, and I walk toward the patio doors in the bedroom. There are two sets of sliding doors in this room and the patio spans across the bedroom all the way to the living room. I shake my head at the grandeur and the view of the pool only a few steps away.

“This is freaking amazing,” I chuckle to myself.

Then, I grab my phone from my purse and FaceTime Jane. “Hey, Char, how’s it going?”

“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you guys. This suite is spectacular. Here, look at this.” I switch the phone’s view and show her the pool outside my room, then turn around and show her the inside.

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