A Year of Chasing Love

by Rosie Chambers

  ‘Hey, Livvie! Over here!’

  Hollie’s twin brother waved at her from the middle of a knot of anxious travellers, then began to weave his way towards her, grinning from ear to ear before pulling her into a bear hug. She happily handed over her holdall and followed him out of the airport that had been voted the best in the world an incredible six times in a row, towards a sleek, black limousine waiting at the kerb outside.

  ‘Welcome to the Lion City! How was Hawai’i?’

  Olivia smiled at Elliot’s pronunciation of ‘Hawaii’ – with a break between the ‘a’ and the ‘i’ – just as Alani had done.

  ‘I absolutely loved it. It’s been a dream of mine to visit Waikiki since I had a teenage crush on Tom Selleck in Magnum PI.’ She laughed, but had no intention of revealing that her obsession with the Hawaii-based detective had never truly evaporated. ‘You didn’t have to order a limo, Elliot, an ordinary taxi would do, you know!’

  She was overjoyed to see Hollie’s brother and loved how she felt as though she was in the company of a good friend even though she hadn’t seen him for well over a year. Like his sister, he had inherited their mother’s Scandinavian colouring and wore his marmalade-coloured hair cropped short with a smidgeon of gel to enhance the quiff at his forehead.

  ‘Oh, actually it’s the hotel’s – the title “Head Chef” at one of the most popular hotel restaurants in Singapore does have some perks, you know, and I thought it was about time I took advantage of them.’

  ‘How’s the new job going?’ she asked as she settled in the back seat of the fabulously air-conditioned car and leaned her head against the headrest.

  ‘Oh, I adore the job, Liv. The opportunity to try out new recipes is amazing – and there’s not an order of boring old battered fish and chips in sight! I’m in the Match Restaurant and Lounge, which is mainly modern American cuisine. There’s Open-Faced Lobster Ravioli and Brick-Flattened Chicken on the menu. But we also offer a more personalised dining experience.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘The dinner guest first has a choice of New Zealand Angus steak, Australian striploin or Wagyu Ribeye and there’s also Norwegian salmon, wild Atlantic cod or Maine lobster. Sadly not Cornish lobster, the best in the world in my humble opinion. Next, the ravenous diner gets to select from a list of accompanying sauces such as Morel Mushroom and Merlot or Roasted Jalapeño Chimichurri for the meat or Salsa Verde for the fish. Then, we have the side dishes like Rhubarb and Dry Cherry Chutney or Squid Ink Risotto Cakes.’

  Olivia recognised the feverish glow in Elliot’s deep blue eyes. It was exactly the same as his sister’s when she was worked up about a criminal case she was handling or recounting the finer details of a symphony she was rehearsing. And, just like Hollie, his West Country accent thickened as his passion for his chosen profession shone out from his very soul.

  Olivia thought back to the time when she had first met Elliot when she and Hollie had become friends after she’d qualified as a solicitor and landed a job in London. She had spent many summer days sunbathing on the beaches of Cornwall and the evenings waiting on tables at Hollie and Elliot’s parents’ upmarket fish restaurant, Marbles, in Newquay. As a child from a northern industrial city, Olivia had envied Hollie, Elliot and his best friend Matteo, growing up in such idyllic surroundings – swimming, fishing, drinking with friends on the beach.

  It had been an ambition of Elliot’s for as long as she’d known him to work as a chef at an internationally renowned hotel, and she was thrilled that his dream had come to fruition in an exotic South East Asian destination. Okay, it wasn’t Raffles, one of Elliot’s favourite hotels, but it was close. However, when she glanced across at him as they made their way towards the hotel overlooking Marina Bay, the happiness she saw fizzing in his eyes couldn’t only be attributable to his culinary passion and the fact that his sister’s best friend had arrived to stay for a few days.

  ‘What are you looking at me like that for?’ asked Elliot.

  ‘There’s something else, isn’t there, El? Or should I say someone else?’

  Olivia smiled in satisfaction as he sucked in his lips and ran his fingers through his hair.

  ‘Did Hollie tell you? I warned her not to gossip.’

  ‘She didn’t have to tell me anything. I can see there’s something going on just by looking at your expression. Come on, spill the details to Auntie Livvie, “love guru extraordinaire”.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  Olivia saw Elliot flash a quick look at the chauffeur before lowering his voice to a whisper.

  ‘Okay, okay, if you must know, I’ve met a girl out here. We’ve had a couple dates … erm, no, actually, we’ve seen each other every day since I’ve been here. She’s a receptionist at the Pan Pacific, a native Singaporean, but we’re being cautious. Not only because we both work at the hotel – it’s not a great idea to date a colleague, is it? – but because she’s been hurt before – divorced, actually. Also …’ He paused, unsure whether to continue with his confession. ‘… Ying’s only twenty-six.’

  ‘What does age have to do with it?’

  Surprisingly, her academic brain whirled into action and began dissecting what Elliot had just confided in her – Rachel would be proud, and surprised – and a twinge of anxiety crept into her thoughts. According to her research so far, Ying’s age was not the problem – no, it was her divorce that scored the negative strike against the relationship, but, of course, she maintained her counsel.

  ‘I know it makes no difference, but she’s ten years younger than me. It’s a huge gap when you say it out loud, but when we’re together it means nothing at all.’

  Elliot sighed, shook his head, and turned his attention back to Olivia, reaching over to lace his fingers through hers.

  ‘You’re going to love Singapore, Liv. As soon as Rachel told me you were coming, I asked for a couple of days off so we can do the zoo, take a Junk ride to Kusu Island, and a trip over to Sentosa Island via the cable car from Mount Faber. I definitely want to see the Gardens by the Bay – they look awesome. We can hit the shops in Orchard Road if you like, and then eat at Clarke Quay. Oh, and of course, we mustn’t forget to slurp Singapore Slings in the Long Bar at Raffles or partake in afternoon tea in the Tiffin Room.’

  Olivia laughed at Elliot’s bubbling enthusiasm for his new home. As she glanced out of the limo’s tinted windows at the ordered, sparklingly clean streets and the neighbourhood parks where elderly residents were practising their t’ai chi, she completely understood why. She vowed, there and then, to place a moratorium on the internal cross-examination of her flaws and constant reprimanding for the way her life had recently dive-bombed into the slurry of misery. Instead, she resolved to rekindle her enthusiasm for new discoveries and her natural curiosity in her fellow traveller.

  ‘All those things sound great, El. But would you mind if we just “hang loose” for a day or two first? I’ve overdosed on sightseeing in Hawaii and I’ve got a full ten days here so there’ll be lots of time to fit everything in.’

  ‘Sure. Oh, and we need to add a visit to Little India to our list – I’ve got to see the Sri Srinivasa Temple. It’s one of the oldest in Singapore. You must have seen photos of it? The entranceway is decorated with hundreds of Hindu deities; each one is unique and painted in such intricate detail. And whilst we’re in the area we can grab a curry – I’m craving an authentic chicken Madras!’

  The town car was now cruising past the futuristic skyscrapers of the Financial District, their roofs stretching like giant crystal shards into the clear sky. To Olivia, their soaring modernity appeared so incongruous next to the lush tropical palms and the vibrant architecture of the three-storey shop houses huddled in their shadow.

  A mere thirty minutes later, they glided to a stop under the Pan Pacific’s portico. Elliot ran around to grab her holdall from the boot whilst Olivia waited for him on the red carpet in front of the revolving doors that led into the lobby.


  ‘Does your schedule include meeting up with Nathan?’ asked Elliot, studiously avoiding her eyes.

  ‘It does not.’

  She had finally made her decision as the plane taxied to the gate at Changi.

  ‘Okay. Cool.’

  Without questioning her further, Elliot strode towards the reception desk in the hotel’s central atrium, which extended thirty-five floors into the sky, his broad smile lighting up his attractive features. There was no mistaking the mutual attraction between Elliot and the pretty, ebony-haired receptionist dressed in the hotel’s uniform.

  ‘This is my sister’s good friend, Olivia. Olivia, this is Ying.’

  The young woman offered her slender fingers and a perfect smile to Olivia, her dark almond-coloured eyes betraying no special relationship with Elliot to her colleagues.

  ‘Welcome to Singapore, Mrs Fitzgerald. I hope your stay with us will be enjoyable.’

  Olivia was taken by surprise at the intensity of her reaction to being addressed as ‘Mrs Fitzgerald’. Another note on her list – she had to change her passport back to “Hamilton”.

  ‘Please, call me Olivia.’ She smiled.

  Elliot carried her luggage to the external, high-speed glass elevators, which offered a stunning panorama from the façade of the hotel. Twilight was beginning to descend, and a myriad of twinkling lights flickered from the futuristic glass and steel buildings, as well as a kaleidoscope of ships and junks plying the harbour. It was all a bit too much after her long flight and as the lifts whisked them skywards, Olivia felt a little light-headed.

  ‘I hope this is okay, Liv. I managed to upgrade your room to a Harbour Studio. The thirtieth floor has the best view of the bay and the South China Sea beyond.’

  Elliot dumped Olivia’s bag onto the pristine white sheets and strode across to the window to pull back the blinds and reveal the high-rise metropolis in all its glory.

  ‘There’s the Gardens by the Bay I was telling you about. And that’s the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Amazing, isn’t it?’

  Olivia went to stand next to Elliot in front of the full-height glass window, drinking in the stunning view of the most original hotel she’d ever seen, completely awed by the architect’s vision.

  ‘It looks like a set of cricket stumps with bales balanced on the top. What is that skateboard-like thing perched on the roof?’

  ‘That’s the Sands Skypark. It’s the world’s largest elevated swimming pool. I’ve only seen photos but there’s an amazing infinity pool with the most spectacular panorama beyond. We’ve got to go to the Observation Deck up there, too!’

  With his Cornish accent and irrepressible good humour, Elliot reminded Olivia so much of Hollie it was like having her best friend alongside her. Yet, a sudden wave of tiredness caused her to swoon slightly and she reached out to grasp hold of Elliot’s arm before lowering her numb, traveller’s buttocks onto the bed that had been expertly turned down, a foil-wrapped luxury chocolate placed on the crisp cuff.

  ‘Sorry, El, I feel so disorientated. I don’t know whether it’s breakfast time, dinner time or bedtime. My body clock is totally wrecked.’

  ‘Why don’t you grab some rest. I’m working this evening and tomorrow anyway, but I have the following two days off, so we can explore then, and maybe have dinner one night at Clarke Quay?’

  ‘Sure I won’t be intruding on your relationship?’

  ‘Ying is working tomorrow, too, but if it’s okay with you she’ll join us for dinner on Friday night?’

  ‘I’d love that. I’m excited to get to know her so I can report back to Hollie and Matteo. You know what they’ve got me doing, don’t you?’

  ‘No, what?’

  Olivia quickly filled Elliot in on the research project and the lessons in love they had cajoled her into sending home, before hugging him goodnight and locking the hotel room door behind him. She padded into the sleek bathroom, well stocked with a selection of Elemis products and a pyramid of the ubiquitous white towels and ran herself a bath filled to the brim with fragrant bubbles. With the grime of her journey sloughed from her pores and her body ensconced in a fluffy robe, she raided the minibar for a glass of Australian Sauvignon blanc.

  ‘Ahh,’ she sighed as she took the glass to the enormous window overlooking Marina Bay.

  Evening had now fully descended over the city and the vista was truly enchanting, like a fairy-tale metropolis, and she couldn’t wait to get out there and explore. The guide book she had studied on the flight had told her that Singapore was the ‘Gateway to the Orient’ – a melting pot of eastern cultures: Chinese, Indian, Malay, with a large dollop of western elegance – British, Dutch, Portuguese – thrown in for good measure. But the Singaporean philosophy of ‘Unity in Diversity’ was appropriate – it was clear the country, like its very beginnings, still boasted a robust economy, with a skilled workforce and efficient Government.

  Despite this being her first visit to South East Asia, she loved the place already. Much of the city she had glimpsed from the limousine’s tinted windows had seemed familiar; the Supreme Court, the Old Parliament House, the cricket pitch, the quayside and the Glaswegian-designed bridges were all relics from British colonial rule. However, you only had to scratch the surface and a fusion of Oriental and Asian traditions and cultures shone through.

  Excitement tingled in her fingertips at the anticipation of gathering a few more experiences to add to her expanding treasure trove of memories, but as her swollen eyelids began to droop and she dragged the duvet up to her chin, that persistent niggle of doubt refused to be extinguished.

  Was she a coward for refusing to meet with Nathan?

  Chapter 17

  For the last two nights, Olivia had been gifted with refreshing, uninterrupted sleep. She didn’t want to jinx the welcome injection of energy that gave her, but could her insomnia finally be cured?

  ‘So, are you ready to be amazed?’

  Elliot bounced from the taxi towards the cable car that would fly them from the summit of Mount Faber across to the playground of Sentosa Island like Tigger’s younger brother. Olivia was surprised to see that there were different versions of the glass bubble pods to choose from – from crystal-studded VIP cabins, to dining cabins, to superhero cabins that projected images of the various intrepid characters flying past the windows; thankfully, Elliot chose the natural wonders of the Singapore skyline as all the entertainment they needed.

  As their car sped smoothly away from land, Olivia’s jaw slackened. The views over the harbour, complete with luxury cruise liners docked side-by-side with traditional Chinese junks, across to Sentosa Island and beyond were eye-popping. But she wasn’t the only one in their cabin to be rendered mute in amazement. She remembered this expedition was also Elliot’s first day away from the kitchen since he’d arrived and she was excited to be exploring the multiple attractions on offer together.

  ‘Sentosa is almost an entirely man-made island,’ said Elliot, launching into his tour guide spiel immediately as she peered out of the window to the ground below. ‘The beaches were constructed from imported sand, the boulders are fake, and some of the attractions might be a little cheesy, but I intend to do everything! I’m even going to climb to the top of the Merlion. And Ying says it’s worth hanging around for the fountain-and-laser show this evening before we head back for dinner.’

  ‘So we won’t be dining at Raffles tonight, then?’ Olivia teased.

  ‘Have you robbed a bank?’ Elliot smirked, as he held out his hand to steady her exit from the cabin before scampering like an excited toddler towards the flashing lights of the Imbiah Lookout.

  ‘Aren’t we starting with the culture show?’ she asked, her face straight and serious. ‘I was hoping to explore Fort Siloso, maybe ponder a while over the fascinating historical exhibits in the museum and explore the underground passageways. Didn’t the Japanese invade the island when the British Army’s cannons were pointing the wrong way, and then use the fort as a prison?’

  Elliot
paused, his eyes anxiously searching Olivia’s.

  ‘Ah, I get it! Funny lady! Come on!’

  Olivia giggled and allowed herself to be dragged along in Elliot’s wake to watch him ride the MegaZip. She refused to join him whizzing through the jungle canopy, suspended seventy-two metres from the ground on a zipwire, but he was in his element. His exuberance brought back happy, carefree memories of the trips she and Nathan had taken down to Cornwall to visit Hollie and her family before they were married, before their respective careers nudged their sharp elbows into their lives and plonked their fat butts in the space where fun and laughter should have resided.

  Next on the agenda were Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon where they fed the stingrays and marvelled at the sea dragons and fur seals.

  ‘Fancy a dive with the sharks, Liv? Only a hundred and thirty dollars? Or what about a spot of fish reflexology?’

  Olivia laughed. ‘I’ll give the water a miss if you don’t mind. Did I tell you about the surfing lesson Alani organised for me on Waikiki Beach? Anyway, I’m starving, let’s go and grab something to eat.’

  ‘How does a carton of fire-seared noodles with chilli crab and soy sauce sound?’

  ‘Delicious, lead me to it, Chef!’

  ‘You’ve got to try the pork rib soup, too. Oh, and the chicken rice – it’s the Singaporean national dish. Perfect with cucumber salad, and a little soy or chilli sauce dribbled on the rice. And the fruit here is amazing! There’re mangos and passion fruit, but also lychees and dragon fruit and jackfruit. And you’ve got to experience the taste of the durian!’

  Olivia grinned at Elliot’s heightened enthusiasm whenever the conversation turned to food.

  ‘I think I’ll give the durian a miss, thank you. I read in the in-flight magazine that they smell so foul they’re banned from public transport.’