Page 19 of The Christmas Holiday
‘Here we are!’ Sandeep’s cheery voice rang out as the car slowed to a stop outside the five-star hotel.
Two tall doormen, each dressed in ornate Sikh robes, opened the doors of the car as another hotel employee brought a brass luggage trolley up to the car and began unloading our bags onto it. Hemade a gesture towards the one Hunter still carried, but Hunter just smiled and held up his hand, indicating he preferred to keep it with him. His photographic kit had been worth a fortune when we were living together and I could only imagine he’d upgraded it in the time since. It made sense he’d want it close to him at all times.
We entered through heavy glass doors, held open by the impressiveand elegant doormen, and were greeted immediately by two extremely pretty female staff members who welcomed us to the hotel with garlands of marigolds, which they placed around our necks. They led us over to two desks, with Sandeep and Olivia at one and Hunter and me taking our place opposite the clerk at another. The paperwork was done smoothly and efficiently and we were accompanied to thelifts by a customer manager who had appeared, announcing himself as being pleased to show us to our rooms. The rooms were all on the same floor, with Hunter’s and mine being next to each other, and Liv and Sandy further up the corridor in one of the luxury suites. Having said that, my own room wasn’t exactly basic.
Once the manager left, I set about exploring the room. On the bed sat a darkwooden tray which held a laundry bag and the requisite signs to hang on the door, along with an assortment of toiletries. More toiletries were artistically arranged on the vanity in the marble bathroom. A large bath and luxury shower took up one side, making me smile. I did love a bath and couldn’t wait to run one, relax back and soak for a while. Hopefully it would ease some of the tension I couldfeel tingling in my shoulders. I told myself it was from the travelling but I was fairly sure most of it had to do with having Hunter Scott back in my life, even temporarily.
Flopping onto the bed, I was soon up again as the doorbell rang and a quiet, polite man delivered my luggage, taking care to put my case on the luggage rack and enquiring as to whether there was anything else I required.I assured him there wasn’t and handed him a tip before closing the door. I sprawled out on the bed again, having grabbed the room-service menu. It seemed ages since we’d eaten on the plane and I’d been too nervous and excited to eat much anyway.
I ordered a sandwich and a drink and busied myself with unpacking the things I’d need for the next few days. The food arrived quickly and I finishedit even quicker, before setting about running a bath. Emptying the contents of the entire bubble-bath tube into the tub, I stripped off and grabbed one of the soft, fairly-enormous-on-me robes from the back of the door, snuggling into its softness as I sat on the edge of the bath, waiting for the level to get deep enough. When it came to me and baths, that pretty much meant as full as I could getit without causing a flood. Someone had once told me they had “hip-level” baths. I’d looked at them askew and had briefly wondered if we’d actually be able to be friends any more. Hip bath? Seriously? What was the point in that?
The bubbles skimmed the rim and I dropped the robe to the floor and stepped in. As I lowered myself into the warmth, I felt my worries and tension melt into the water.Relaxing back, the water licked up on my hairline and I closed my eyes. Which was when the doorbell rang. I waited for the announcement of “housekeeping” so I could call back that it wasn’t required, and cursed myself for not hanging the Do Not Disturb sign on the door before I’d got into the bath. But no further request came. I knew I’d put the catch on the door so I wasn’t worried about anystaff members coming in to do something and getting an unexpected surprise. I figured someone had just got the wrong door, realised and moved on. I sloshed about a bit more in the water, getting comfy, and closed my eyes again.
Diiiing doonnnng
‘Who is it?’ I yelled, fighting to maintain my politeness. After all, I was the one who had forgotten the Do Not Disturb tag.
‘It’s me.’ Thedeep South African tones came back, a slightly terse edge to them. ‘Are you going to open this damn door?’
‘No!’
‘Mia, don’t be—’
‘Remember how you wanted to know where I am at all times? I’m in the bloody bath! There! Happy now?’
So far, since meeting again, several of the heated exchanges Hunter and I had shared had been in whispers. I didn’t miss the fact that we had apparentlynow gone to the opposite end of the scale and progressed to yelling through doors at each other.
‘I’m ecstatic.’ His flat tone told me he was anything but. ‘I need to talk to you about the next couple of days’ itinerary.’
‘Now? I thought we were going to do that over breakfast tomorrow. Isn’t that what Sandeep said earlier?’
‘They’ve changed their minds. Liv’s seen the list of spatreatments on offer and wants to chill out and do a bunch of those tomorrow. Sandy’s happy to go along with that so things have been shuffled a bit. Plus, you and I have the extra stuff we’re doing for Jeremy to discuss. You know, your possible big break…’ His tone dripped with sarcasm and I thought about what else I’d like to put a big break in right now.
‘Can’t it wait?’
‘No.’
‘Halfan hour? I said I’m in the bath.’
‘No. I’m tired. I want to get to bed.’
‘Well, go to bed then! I’m not getting out. I just got in!’
‘Mia. Open the damn door.’
I seethed for a moment. Neither of us spoke.
‘Are you still there?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you going to go away?’
‘Nope.’
‘Oh, for…’ I stood, splashing water as I stepped out of the bath, and made a vicious grabfor one of the thankfully enormous bath sheets, wrappingit around myself. Stomping to the door, I slammed back the catch and yankedit open. Hunter stood there looking annoyingly fresh.
‘I seriously can’t believe this couldn’t wait. Or are you just trying to be intentionally irritating so I’ll give up and you can give Miss Booty Call a shout to come out and join you instead. Because if youthink that’s going to happen, it isn’t!’
