Page 19 of Vitamin Sea
“Cheers to you!” she clinked her glass against her friend’s again. “Here’s to you, to vitamin sea,” she gestured towards the ocean, “and, if you’re lucky—some vitamin D.”
A smile spread across Chloe’s face, and she took a big drink of the margarita. Which immediately caused her to sputter.
“Christ!” she coughed hoarsely as the liquor burned her throat. “This is adouble?”
“That,” her friend said pointedly, “is the magic of the all-inclusive free pour,” Lala deadpanned before taking a big drink of her own.
“I took a walk around the resort while you were sleeping.” Lala put down her glass. “It’s so beautiful here. They’ve done a great job on the landscaping. Thanks again for taking me.”
“Of course. I’m so happy you could come,” Chloe said sincerely. “Without you I’d probably still be knee-deep in squalor and despair.”
Her best friend laughed.
The margarita and Lala’s presence served as a good distraction and completely took Chloe’s mind off the dark path that it had wandered down. They spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool before heading back to their cottage to get ready for dinner. The itinerary that Carmen, the front-desk clerk, had provided Chloe had tentative reservations scheduled at Costa Morpho’s Italian restaurant that evening. Lala, it turned out, had come across it, as well as two other restaurants and the buffet, while she had been out exploring.
Italian was a curious choice to Chloe. It seemed like an odd type of cuisine for a Latin country to be showcasing for a travel editor’s first night’s stay, but she supposed the resort catered to guests who didn’t want to venture too far outside their culinary comfort zone. Which wasn’t necessarily true for all ofStrut’s readership. Some subscribers craved adventure and unique experiences; others were happy to travel to exotic locations but only to high-end hotels with familiar amenities and food.
Despite finding the first night’s choice of restaurant a bit strange, she was looking forward to seeing the décor and what the chefs had to offer. Aside from getting to stay in places most people only dream of and experiencing different countries and culture, Chloe’s second favourite thing about her job was the food. Some high-end hotels had Michelin-starred or destinationrestaurants known throughout the world for their fare. As someone who considered herself to be a bit of a foodie, she loved being able to explore new restaurants. It was an experience that was only improved upon by being able to share it with someone she loved. Which she was fortunate to be doing on this trip.
Cucina Cibo, the Italian restaurant, was a pleasant surprise. It was done up in dark tones with warm lighting, and soft jazz music provided a soundtrack to their dinner which was punctuated by the bustling sounds of a busy restaurant. To Chloe’s amazement and horror, they discovered that patrons actually ate at the restaurant in the altogether. Which was in stark contrast to the dressy outfits Chloe and Lala were wearing. Funnily enough, while their fellow guests were clothing-free, most of the women were wearing makeup and some of them had accessorized their skin. Chloe had barely stifled a laugh when she saw a curly-haired redhead wearing nothing but a necklace with a large blue gemstone and a smile— shades of Rose DeWitt Bukater inTitanic.
Each guest, as the resort’s rules stipulated, brought a towel, which they draped over their seat and sat on. Napkins, mercifully, covered diners’ nether regions although Chloe wasn’t sure if that was for reasons of modesty or just to prevent crumbs and accidental burns in sensitive places. Still, it was weird and almost felt like she was eating dinner at an all-sexes topless bar. Even if it felt like a very upscale one sans flashing lights and pervy patrons.
Seating was available for around fifty people and a five-foot-long charcuterie buffet served as an appetizer or full-meal platter for the snacking-inclined. Fine cheeses, meats, breads, and spreads were laid out as nicely as any fine-dining establishment Chloe had encountered. She and Lala had grabbed a couple of items from the charcuterie spread and then ordered mains. Branzino for Lala and a mushroom tagliatelle forChloe, which they had with a glass of Super Tuscan wine. For dessert, the chefs, aware that they had a travel editor in their midst, put together a delectable and delicate tiramisu with a Latin twist.
Overall, it was a great meal and, with the exception of being a little put off by the naked people serving themselves up from the charcuterie buffet, it was a pleasant experience.
They left after giving their regards to the chef and headed towards the resort’s lobby. Just outside of it, in the back, was a tiki bar strung with lights and comfy padded furniture. Salsa music played softly in the background—the volume not loud enough to drown out the sound of the ocean waves—and brilliant pinks and oranges streaked across the darkened sky as the sun began to set.
Chloe leaned back into the squishy patterned chair and breathed in—the salty scent of the ocean enveloped her and the humid air lay sticky on her skin. This was relaxing. This was what she had been looking forward to. Her minor blip earlier about Liam had been a one-off. She figured it was all a part of the grieving process and instances like that would taper off with time.
In an identical chair across from her, Lala looked equally at peace—a happy expression on her face as she observed her surroundings. It was quiet—most of the resort’s patrons appeared to be having dinner—although they had passed a number of people sitting in the lobby.
Lala stifled a yawn. It had been an early morning for the pair, and Toronto was two hours ahead of Costa Rica.
“It’s not even six and I’m wiped,” Lala said sleepily.
“Technically it’s almost eight our time and we’ve been up since two a.m.,” Chloe reasoned.
“You’re just feeling refreshed because of your two-hour nap,” Lala teased back.
Despite the validity of Lala’s statement, Chloe found herself feeling rather sleepy.
They were both a bit toasty from the wine they had at dinner and decided to head back to their cottage and call it an early night.
Luxuriating in the perfectly made-up bed, which had been fluffed and fixed during turndown service, Chloe was fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Past
Chapter 7: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia?
Small beads of wax dripped down the side of a white pillar candle; its flame flickered intermittently. Tea lights dotted various surfaces in the condo—the kitchen counter, the media stand, the coffee table, but they had burned out long ago. The pillar candle perched on the dining room table was the only thing still burning—a bright flame flickering in the dim light. The remainder of the room was lit ever so slightly by the living room light’s dimmer switch.
On the dining room table there were also two wine glasses, a decanter, two dinner plates, two cloth napkins, two forks, and two knives. In front of one place setting, Chloe sat slumped at the table. The chair in front of the other setting sat empty. An expensive bottle of wine was down to its last five ounces and the crystal decanter sat there, untouched.Soft Jazz, Chloe’s carefully curated playlist for relaxing evenings that involvedcharcuterie and wine, contradicted the slow rage that was burning inside her.
Soft Jazzhad just started its second run-through. She knew this because Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’sStars Fell on Alabamawas on its second play. She had a feeling that her favourite playlist for relaxation was soon going to turn into her most hated one. Unless, of course, Liam had some damn good reason for being two-and-a-half hours late for dinner.
So far at least.
