Page 91 of What Happens in Paradise

So as much as every part of my body ached for Alejandro, the fun was over.

There was no other option.

32

ALEJANDRO

It was now Wednesday. The last few days had been torture. Not just because I did not like working with the Dudley, the head chef, but also because I had not seen Jasmine.

When I had messaged her on Monday after work to see if she would like to meet, Jasmine replied saying she did not think it would be a good idea.

I knew that when we returned here, it would be difficult. There were more staff around. But that did not mean we could not arrange to meet somewhere away from the resort.

In just three days, we would start our journey back to Spain and return to our normal lives. Although we would be doing a stopover in Miami this time and not in London, so would have time alone, I could not wait until then to discuss what had happened. And what this could be.

Last weekend may have been something casual for Jasmine, but this meant something to me. I really felt like we had a chance for this to become a real relationship.

That was why I was not going to give up easily.

I dialled Bob’s number.

‘Hola, Bob! Qué tal?’

‘Wah gwaan, bredrin?’I could feel his smile down the phone.

‘Do you know somewhere private that I could take someone special, away from the hotel? Early in the morning, before work?’

‘Yuh a luk fi sumweh tuh tek,Miss Jasmine?’

‘Is it that obvious?’ I said, pleased that I had understood that he was asking if I was looking for somewhere to take Jasmine.

‘Mi did si dem sparks a fly fram daii wan. Mi happy fi yuh!’

I laughed. I supposed it would not take a genius to see the way that I looked at her, but I did not realise Bob had noticed sparks flying between us from the first day. It was a good thing management were not there to see them too.

Bob said he knew just the place that we could visit, but then said there was a problem.

‘What is wrong?’ I asked.

‘Dem get rid ah mi.’

I frowned as I tried to work out what he meant.

‘Somebody got rid of you?’

‘Ya mon. Di management. Dem seh mi unprofessional.’

‘No!’ My mouth fell open. Bob was not like the chauffeurs the Love Hotel normally had, but he was not unprofessional. He always turned up when he was supposed to, he always put us at ease and when he had been drinking, he immediately said he was not fit to drive. Those were important qualities. ‘So you cannot work for the hotel any more?’

‘No mon.’

‘I am sorry to hear that.’ I really was. I needed to find out more about what had happened. Bob was a good man. ‘But just because you do not work for the hotel, I can still book you if I pay for it myself, right?’

‘Ya mon.’

‘That is fine then!’ The tension released in my shoulders. I trusted Bob. I had grown fond of him. I did not want to use anyone else.

Bob told me more about the location he had in mind for my surprise date with Jasmine, then we agreed on a plan. Everything was settled. All I had to do was one small thing: convince Jasmine to meet me, which would not be easy.

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