Page 4 of My Lucky Star
The car came to a halt, and I opened my eyes. We’d stopped in front of a pink, plastered building with curved corners and geometrical detailing. Art Deco, maybe. Despite its off-the-map location, I immediately liked the house. It had character.
“This is it,” the driver confirmed.
He didn’t move, so I got out of the car. “Can you get my bags?”
“What bags?” he asked, his forearm hanging out of the open window, eyes on my shoulder bag.
“My luggage.” I raised my brow, counting to ten in my mind. I’d come across some dim-witted staff during my career, but I prided myself on always controlling my temper. The day I took my frustration out on a servant, I’d become my own worst nightmare – the entitled asshole.
I was lucky, far luckier than most, and worked hard to keep that in mind.
The driver shook his head, his eyes widening almost comically. “I asked if you were ready to go and you nodded.”
I must have nodded twenty times when he first spoke to me. I’d spent hours wandering through hallways and passport checks at airports, dogs sniffing me for drugs and apples, filling out forms about my stay using the one brief email from my brother. I’d done my part and assumed everything else was taken care of. That’s how it usually worked.
Was I supposed to have done it myself? I hadn’t been near a baggage carousel in years. An uneasy feeling turned my stomach. Did this mean that I was an entitled asshole?
I forced my face to neutral. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how things work around here. Can you go back and pick them up?”
He winced. “I would, but I have another job. Sorry, mate.”
He continued with a detailed explanation I couldn’t quite follow. Something about a film shoot, drinks and ice creams.
The sound of the front door of the hotel opening cut him off. The hinges cried out as a rotund female appeared on the steps, waving madly at us. “Welcome, welcome!”
Her voice bellowed across the sidewalk and distracted me from the fact that my driver was getting away, speeding down the deserted road. Were there any other people, anywhere? Across the street, a vast view of grass, sand and ocean greeted me with desert island vibes. Empty and quiet.
I shook my head in disbelief, mentally preparing myself for whatever was coming. Taking my satchel and jacket, I approached my new residence. The lady held the door for me, sucking in her stomach to let me pass. She smelled of sweat and disinfectant but smiled enthusiastically.
“You must be Sam. You’ve had a long journey! Let’s get you settled.” She herded me into a worn-out, empty reception with an uneven wood floor.
I didn’t even have the energy to correct my name. I followed her up a curved, wooden staircase and along a carpeted hallway. The top note of the citrusy disinfectant emanating from both her and the house didn’t fully cover the musty smell of abandonment.
“Has this place been empty for a long time?” I asked as she guided me into a room with a king-sized bed.
She shrugged noncommittally. “It’s not peak season yet.”
I took a tentative step forward, surveying the state of the room. It had been cleaned, but no cleaning could fix the bald spots on the carpet, or the peeling floral wallpaper. Dear God.
“There’s some food in the kitchen for tonight, help yourself. I’ll come around later in the week to restock. There’s no microwave. It got rusted through and we had to toss it, but the oven works.”
My jet-lagged brain tried to catch up with the situation, like an engine revving in neutral. “You’re leaving? I’ll be... alone?” I wish my voice hadn’t wobbled in a very unmanly way.
“Bar the ghosts, I suppose.” She cackled.
With that, she shuffled away, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, my heart racing.
I’m not a spoilt brat, I told myself. I don’t need room service.
Emir had a lot to answer for, though.
The bang of the front door reverberated through the building, making the upturned glasses on the chrome-and-glass sideboard clatter. The sound woke me from my momentary paralysis. I sprinted down the stairs, desperate to catch her before she left, my mind forming questions I needed answers to.
Where was the nearest shop?
What was the wi-fi password?
How could I order a bottle of whiskey?
