Page 16 of Here for a Good Time
“Eh, I think it’s kind of cool—” Zwe shrugs. “I’ve always wondered how it’d feel to be a millionaire with my own private island.”
“Well, lucky you,” Leila says. “Here we are.” She slows down and parks in front of a bungalow with a thatched roof and bamboo exterior. We get out and follow her to the door. “This—” A tap of a card on the unassuming black box by the door, a flash of green light, a beep. “—is your home for the next two weeks,” she says, pushing open the door.
The villa is perched on the edge of a cliff with uninterrupted panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Outside, there’s a small private infinity swimming pool with a hot-tub section. The entrance opens right into the living room, whose two large accordion glass doors leading to the exterior are currently pulled open, allowing the breeze to circulate through the whole place. The room is decorated with hardwood furniture and neutral-toned linen fabrics that give off a crisp, minimalist vibe.
Leila takes us to the bedroom, where a plush king-sized bed faces the water. On this side of the glass doors that lead out to the balcony, there are two large rattan one-seaters that face each other, a marble coffee table separating them. In the bathroom, there are two separate marble sinks, a spacious rainfall shower in one corner, and (my personal favorite) a stand-alone claw tub by the window so you can take a bath with a view.
“Holy shit,” Zwe breathes, jaw practically on the hardwood floor as we circle back to the living room.
“This is literally the most gorgeous place I’ve ever stepped foot in,” I say, unable to process it all even though I was the one who booked this. It’s like we’ve stepped foot in one of those celebrityArchitectural Digestvideos.
We stand in a row at the edge of the pool, stunned by the sand,sea, and sky. “Breathtaking, isn’t it?” Leila says. She closes her eyes and takes in a deep inhale. “My family has lived on this island for generations. When I was growing up, resorts like this were things we only saw on TV. Sometimes I can’t believe I work at a place like this now. In fact—” She points down to a spot on the beach. “—that’s where my parents got married. Of course, none of this is in their wedding photos. All you’ll see in the background is, well, jungle.”
“Does your family still live on the island?” I ask.
With a small smile, Leila looks back, over the villa and toward the mountains in the distance. Zwe and I follow her gaze, but all I see is the looming silhouettes of nature. “Only a few at this point. Most of my aunts and uncles moved to the Philippines, which is the closest mainland country, and the rest have gone a little farther down south to Indonesia. None of my cousins actually grew up here, although we visit each other regularly, which is how we’ve remained so close. The older members have stayed, though, like my grandparents and their siblings. They’ve relocated up there to the mountains in the woods. Less to worry about when a storm comes in,” she explains.
“So in a sense, this”—I make a wide sweeping motion with one hand—“is your hometown?”
She lets out a sweet laugh. “I suppose in a sense it is.” Stepping back toward the room, she walks over to the large wooden desk in the corner where there’s a welcome basket with an assortment of snacks. “Your key cards are over there. They’ll give you access to the gym and sauna as well. There’s also a book of all the activities we can arrange for you, complimentary of course. And if you need anything at all, my number is here—” She picks up the small business card (printed in the same style as Sandra’s) sitting at the front of the basket. “Whether you want me to book you in for the spa or one ofour activities—snorkeling is popular amongst our guests—or you require an extra set of towels, please don’t hesitate to text or call me. I’m on duty twenty-four hours.” My face scrunches at that, because surely she can’t be on call24/7.As though reading my mind, she adds politely, “It’s my job.”
“Thank yousomuch,” I say. “By the way, I was trying to recover from sea legs earlier so I didn’t get to tip Antonio and Eka, but if you three—” I’m reaching for my wallet in my bag but Leila raises a hand.
“We don’t accept gratuities here,” she says. I open my mouth to insist, but she insists first. “Management ensures that all employees are paid fair wages. I truly appreciate it, Ms. Poe, but any money you give me will simply be transferred to bar and dining credits for your stay.”
“Are you sure?” I ask after a pause. “I don’t—”
“Like I said, it isgenuinelyappreciated,” Leila assures me, smile still bright. “But I cannot accept it.”
“Okay, well, if there’s anything Icando to showmyappreciation, you’ll let me know?”
She nods. “Deal.” The sound of the doorbell travels down the corridor, and Zwe and I turn to each other, confused. Leila, though, is already heading for the door like she expects just this. “Oh, and speaking of deals—” she calls out while accepting something from the person on the other side. When she turns around, she’s carrying a small tray with a familiar light orange drink. She walks straight to Zwe and hands him the glass. “You didn’t think I forgot, did you?”
He grins, taking the drink. “Not a chance.”
It’s not on purpose, but I can’tnotnotice his fingers grazing hers during the few seconds where both of their hands are wrapped on either side of the tall, thin, translucent glass. He’s smiling thatbig Zwe smile, dimples imprinted, cheeks reddening like someone swiped on the lightest layer of blush. This time, they’rebothdefinitely flirting.
“By the way, will the bed—” Leila clears her throat, trying to pose the question tactfully. “—situation be… okay?” She gestures over at the bedroom, and it takes me a few beats to realize she’s referring to the fact that there’s only one bed. “This room has always been reserved by couples and we assumed since there were two names on the booking… but we could set up another villa,” she adds quickly.
In retrospect, I should’ve asked Zwe if he was cool with having to share a bed, especially because now it feels weird since he and Julia are in contact again. But none of the villas had an option for twin beds, and unless one of us took the couch (or worse, the floor) or forked out the money for an entire separate villa, this was the only solution. Besides, we’ve shared beds before in hostels and group trip scenarios, and given that it’s a massive bed, I’d assumed he would’ve been fine with it. It’s never been a big deal. If needs be, I figured we could sleep with our heads on either end.
Now, I’m scared that I’ve screwed up something so basic.
“Just so you’re aware, this one does have the best view out of all our rooms.” Leila indicates out the window at the magnificent view in question. “But we could arrange one nearby so you’ve got a similar view, that is, if you don’t mind giving us a couple of hours and the additional payment.”
“We don’t need another villa,” Zwe says quickly at the mention of more money being spent. “We don’t want to trouble you. This place is more than big enough for two people.”
“In that case, if you’d like, we can set up some sort of extra sleeping arrangement here. Maybe in the living room if you’d prefer?”Leila looks expectantly between the two of us. “I could swap out the sofa for a twin bed?”
“Do you—” I start.
“I’m good if—” he begins.
We shift in an awkward dance.
Finally, Zwe ventures, “I’m cool with it if you are?” I meet his gaze, nod, and then nod at Leila to double confirm. “It’ll be like we’re back in that hostel in Paris that only had one bunk bed left,” he adds with a lighthearted laugh.
“Ah yes, the one where the rat got into the lockers and chewed through my underwear,” I say.
