Beyond the Palms

by Amanda Aggie

  Family. He mulled the word over in his head. She was pretty, not too much younger than him, and his uncle wouldn’t have put her in the rooms for the convention. They didn’t take families. That made her safe. Alex thought about the last time he had talked to anyone romantically. Ever since his father died, and he took over the hotel, he had other responsibilities that kept him from any form of social life. How bad could it be to talk to her?

  “Fine, you can stay. My friend over there is James, by the way.”

  “Alex owns the hotel!” James gave away clearly against Alex’s will according to the quick huff and eye roll Alex gave to his friend.

  “You own the hotel? Oh, I didn’t mean that the hotel was boring. It’s beautiful, I just haven’t had a chance to do anything other than settle in since we got here,” Thea backtracked.

  “It’s ok, I knew what you meant. Where did you travel from?” Alex asked her, trying to lighten up.

  “We just flew in from the United States this morning. We’re from California.” Thea responded.

  “That’s cool. I grew up and currently live in Santa Maria, California.” When the words came out of his mouth, he instantly wanted to take them back, he shouldn’t have told her where he lived.

  “We live in San Diego. My father just retired from the U.S. Navy, and I think they plan to stay there with my brother still in high school and everything. Are you here for work then? I imagine it is hard running a hotel from so far away.”

  “My uncle manages it for me. My father passed away a couple of months ago, and there’s a big event that happens here around spring break every year. I came to help make sure everything is taken care of. I am only in Aruba for about another week or so.” Alex answered.

  Thea wasn’t sure how to reply, instead she reached down to fidget with he clothes. The best she could come up with was, “I am so sorry!” Which she knew was probably not what he wanted to hear.

  His calloused hands gripped the whiskey glass and brought it to his mouth. Alex took a long swig and then dangled the empty glass in the air, signaling James to bring him another one.

  “Thank you, James,” Alex said before swapping glasses.

  James carried away the old glass and pointed at Thea while walking back toward the opposite side of the bar.

  “Did you want another glass of wine too?” James asked nicely.

  “Sure! That would be great! You can just put it on my tab.”

  “What’s your room number?” James asked typing on the point of sale system.

  “My name is Thea, and my room is 801. Thank you!”

  James froze for a moment and then continued typing on the touch screen.

  “Ok all set, just sign here,” he said while handing her a slip of paper.

  James shot and excited looked at Alex before taking the receipt back to the drawer. Alex didn’t move, he had lost all train of thought other than the one phrase that repeated. “Why her.” Replaying it all in his mind, but it didn’t matter how he manipulated it, it didn’t make sense. The woman next to him just said she was here with her family; His uncle wouldn’t have made such a grave mistake. They took couples, or groups of two, not families, certainly not minors. This was the reason he refused to get to know any of the guests that stayed at his hotel, especially during convention week. Determined to get to the bottom of it, he turned to Thea, “It was lovely to get to know you, but I must be going.”

  “It was nice to meet you too, your drink…” she cut off and pointed to the full whiskey glass. However, Alex just walked away.

  “Well, that was odd.” She said to James, who just returned a head nod.

  “Yeah, him too.” She said to herself.

  She tipped the glass of wine up and finished it, placing the glass back on the bar.

  “Goodnight!” She called to James, who again stayed quiet but sent her off with a wave of a hand.

  After a second, she turned to look back at the bar trying to sort of the events that just unfolded in her head. Instead, she was met with James’ glance. The man quickly retreated and went back to cleaning. However, it wasn’t quick enough for Thea to miss the unnerving stare he aimed her way.

  She walked past the front desk and into the wing with the elevators and trying to brush off the uncomfortable feeling the bartender gave her. Thea stood in front of the golden doors.

  The doors opened with a ding, and she headed up to return to her room to join her family.

  Alex let out a breath once he was far enough away from her that he could think. pushed away from the bar. How could she be one of them? There had to be a mistake. Either that or maybe the bids had changed. Alex swiped his phone from his pocket and dialed the number he was sure would reach his uncle.

  His uncle answered the phone.

  “Hello? Alex?” His uncles voice ran through the phone.

  “Hey, can you meet me upstairs in my room, please. We need to talk,” Alex said, hoping his uncle would meet him quickly so that he didn’t have to worry or stress any longer than he had to.

  “I will be there in ten,” His uncle said ending the call with a ‘beep’.

  Alex walked over to the restricted elevator behind the lounge. Punched the up button, the doors dinged open, and he stepped inside. A large man followed him in and leaned against the mirrored metal surface of the wall in the back of the elevator. Alex selected the 12th floor from the group of buttons on the panel before leaning next to him.

  “Hey, Alex, nice to see you. I am sorry about your father,” the man said.

  “I appreciate that, it is nice to see you to Bryce. How have you been? I heard you were elected Governor.” Alex stated, trying to make small talk.

  “Yes sir, I won with a landslide. The state of Oklahoma has never been better. It has been good! My girls just started high school this year,” The man explained proudly, his country accent prevalent in each word.

  “Oh, good for them! I am sure they will do great.” Alex said looking at the numbers of the screen above the door go up one by one.

  The elevator arrived on the 9th floor. The 9th floor was specifically for those who came for the convention. It consisted of 30 extra-large suites that the members of the Black Arbor Convention paid for each year with their dues. It allowed the members to visit whenever they wanted to and have a luxurious stay beyond the average guests. They could come at any point in the year, but most only visited for the convention during spring break. The man stepped off the elevator when the doors reopened.

  “It was nice to see you again. I look forward to seeing you this Saturday!” the man winked before heading to his room. The elevator doors closed behind him and then began heading up again.

  The elevator halted on the 11th floor. When the doors dinged open, his uncle walked inside.

  “Just the man I needed to see. Why were you on 11?” Alex asked, confused. It was odd for him to be there at this time of day.

  “Well, someone has to make sure that they get fed. Or did you think the maids did that? The convention can’t go on if the subjects are all dead already.” Eric explained.

  “Good point. I didn’t realize you do that, though. I guess I always figured someone else did.” Alex replied, trying piece everything together in his head.

  “Your father used to insist on taking care of them himself to see that they fit what the convention needed. Particularly, their appearance and demeanor compared to what certain members of the convention preferred. The closer he was to the member’s ‘type,’ the more money they would bid. However, with his death and you living so far away, that role has now fallen on to me.” His uncle paused.

  Alex shuffled impatiently, wanting to be out of the elevator and secluded to his room, and desperately wanted this week to be over. He didn’t want to know the answer to whether or not they planned to have that girl’s family in the convention this year. He hoped that with his father gone, they wouldn’t stoop to that level. Then again, his father was the only thing stopping them from doing so.

&
nbsp; “So, what did you need to talk about?” His uncle’s words hung in the air. His nephew froze, unable to get the question out of his mouth.

  The elevator door dinged open on the 12th floor. Alex walked into the corridor before sliding his room card into the door. It opened up into his penthouse. His uncle followed him inside, his eyebrows furrowed together, trying to figure out what could be bothering his nephew so much that he was this uneasy.

  “Why the hell is there a family staying in 801?” Alex finally spit out the words; they came out harsher and more demanding of an answer than he intended.

  “The timeshare got mixed up. All of the other rooms were full, so instead, Eddie and I flipped another room quicker than normal. We are emptying that one for the second time tonight. We still have the six we need, but we just didn’t have a choice but to let them stay in there. I have it under control, if I didn’t, I would tell you.” Alex’s uncle said reassuringly.

  It was true. The man knew more about this whole situation than anyone else.

  “The family is not to be touched,” Alex demanded.

  “We don’t orphan kids, and according to the rules my father established, kids are not welcome in the convention.” Alex continued, breaking open a bottle of wine and pouring it into a glass.

  “You think I don’t know this? I have been around and doing this before you could walk. Your father welcomed me into the BAC before you were even born. I have been managing it for over 20 years. Don’t tell me about the rules. I have it under control.” His uncle’s voice sounded irritated. Alex didn’t feel sorry for saying it. He would rather his uncle be mad at him than for a family to go through what happened on the 11th floor.

  “I just wanted to make sure. I just met the young lady that is in 801 at the bar.” Alex explained.

  “Don’t you dare get any ideas, Alex. You know the rules after your last one.” His uncle stubbed a finger into Alex’s chest, with a sense of fatherly emotion.

  “I know what happened. Regardless, my Father sent her packing and ended anything that it could’ve been. It won’t happen again, but I am also old enough to make my own decisions. I don’t need you to fill the parent’s shoes.” Alex copped an attitude that didn’t sit right with his uncle.

  “Alex, leave the girl alone. You would be giving her a death sentence. Do you think she will accept you and your lifestyle? Look the other way with what we do? You cant’ tell me you’re old enough, when you just learned that normal people couldn’t accept it last year.”

  Alex rolled his eyes at his uncles threats; he didn’t intend on ever seeing the woman again. He was simply worried about the family situation. The woman was breathtaking, though, and her voice made him feel human again, made him feel normal. Alex shook his head clear.

  “I am well aware of what could happen. Thank you for coming up here, I just wanted to make sure.” Alex ended the conversation, making it clear that anything else his uncle said would be going in one ear and out the other.

  His uncle hesitated to leave. The uncertainty of his nephew not heading the warning made Eric worried. He laid witness to the events that unfolded last year. When Alex had confided in him that he had started seeing someone, dating for months in fact and that he was now engaged. Eric was unsure what he should do. For his nephew’s safety, he decided that telling his father would be the best option. Eric never intended for his brother to do what he did. When he explained to Alex that his father knew and disapproved, Alex had blatantly ignored his father’s demands to leave the woman alone.

  For all Alex knew, his father had scared the girl away, but Eric knew the truth. Even if Alex’s father had handled it, then his father wasn’t around to handle it now. Eric was sure that his nephew believed that in his fathers absence, he was now free to do whatever and see whomever he wanted without his father’s demands. His father had those demands for a reason, and now that Alex had agreed to lead the BAC in his father’s footsteps, he would learn very quickly why those rules existed.

  6

  The Maid’s Cart

  John and Eleanor had just returned to the room after dinner. He placed his things back on the mantel and hopped into bed. Eleanor eyed the recliner; she wanted to read again before bed. Her book was getting good, and it made it hard to wait to find out what happened. She wondered, stepping back. Could she move the recliner closer to the fireplace? It was drafty, surprisingly, in the room, and she wanted the warmth of the heater.

  John basically read her mind, got up from his bed, and walked over. He bear-hugged the recliner and tried to lift it, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Huh, it’s like it is attached,” John said trying to jiggle the chair free from whatever it was caught on.

  He peered down the bottom, where he saw metal pieces bolted to the recliner as well as the floor.

  “Well, honey, I guess they assumed you’d steal it because it’s hard-mounted to the floor. I don’t think you’ll get that thing to move,” He said seeing the disappointment form on his wife’s face.

  “It’s OK, I was just kind of cold and would love to have had it closer to the heater on the fireplace,” Eleanor replied.

  She sat down reluctantly. John walked over to where her book sat on the nightstand and brought it to her. He then tore off the thick quilted blanket from the bed and laid it across her lap.

  “Thank you for being sweet! It’s almost like you want something. You’re never like this” Eleanor said enthusiastically.

  “Do you mind if I watch TV while you read?” he asked his wife.

  “Oh, no. Go ahead!” Eleanor grinned back at him, just happy to be able to relax. She cracked open the book, running her fingers over the rough pages.

  “So, this has been fun, right? The kids seem to be having a blast. Thea is downstairs, and Jack is in the arcade room that he found off the restaurant. You seem to be loving the time to read-“John trailed off.

  “I think it’s fun, and you’re right, the kids have been enjoying it so far. Taking this trip was a good idea!” Eleanor assured John, knowing he was overly worried and needed to hear someone say it.

  He walked up to her and kissed her forehead.

  “I love you! I’m glad that you’re happy.” John’s voice soft and muffled by her hair.

  It assured John to know that he seemed to be doing something right. Seeing her smile at him reminded him of before it all went to crap. “Thank you, Hendricks!” he said to himself.

  “I love you too. I’m sorry that I’ve been so hard on you.”

  “It’s OK! I deserved every bit of it,” John replied, trying to make her feel better.

  He pulled her in for a hug, the wayward strands of her hair attacked his face, intertwining themselves into his beard, leaving him with he scent of her flowery shampoo.

  She pulled away just far enough to push herself up on her tippy toes and kiss him. Her body melted into his. How long had it been since she shared a simple kiss with him? Weeks? Months? She didn’t know. All she knew was at this point she didn’t care how mad she had been up to this moment. Here, all she cared about was how much she loved him. He was her other half, the thing that pushed her to become a better person. John was her rock when she needed one, and with that thought, all the anger, the hurt, the distaste went away. She loved him with every inch of her being, and that was why she stayed. That love was what made her wait for his return every time he left and what gave her strength to hold the fort down.

  John pulled away and cupped her face with his hand. He caressed her cheek with his thumb.

  “I’m going to take it that we’re not fighting anymore?” John asked, hoping to put everything behind him.

  “No,” Eleanor replied. “Were not.”

  They snuggled up in the bed and rented a Pay-Per-View movie that they have wanted to see but hadn’t got the chance. The two of them simply enjoyed the time together by themselves.

  A few hours later, Jack came strolling through the hotel room door. Looking down at his phone Jack called out to
his parents.

  “Hey! I’m back!”

  When they didn’t respond, he walked out of the small hallway and into the room.

  “Hey, Dad, did you ever get the Wi-Fi password?”

  He asked, watching the realization cross his father’s face. Jack’s face fell, his hands dropped to his sides. He shot his father a disappointed look across the room.

  “Oh, crap. No, I didn’t. I’m sorry! Do you need it right now, or can we get it tomorrow?”

  John asked, hoping that the boy would survive a night without Wi fi, but knowing what the answer would be.

  “I’ll just go downstairs and get it. I need it to watch Cameron’s new podcast video he just uploaded. He’s pretty excited about it and wants my opinion.”

  Jack said, turning on his heels and staring back down at his phone in his hand.

  “You kids and all of these terms! What is a podcast? You know what, never mind. It’s probably going to be more complicated than when you and your sister tried to explain to me what social media was. Are you sure that you don’t mind going to get it?”

  He saw his son nod and then disappear out of the hotel room door again.

  Jack headed back down the hallway. He stared at his phone while he walked, determined to beat his current level of his pipe game, and swiped colorful lines across the screen. Consumed by his game, Jack didn’t see the maid cart half pushed out into the narrow walkway. He walked straight into it at a full walking pace knocking the cart over onto the floor. To add insult to injury, the door that the cart held open slammed shut with a loud bang. Baby shampoos, conditioners, toilet paper rolls, towels, and trash spilled out into the hallway.

  Jack panicked. He flew back up to his feet and instantly searched for the owner of the cart to apologize. He finally settled down and saw two ladies poking their heads out of the cracked open door.

  “I am so sorry! Let me help pick this up. I wasn’t paying attention and—”

  He was cut off by one of the women yelling at him in another language. They had been so lucky up to this point, and most of the people they have encountered spoke English. This woman didn’t seem to do so. Taking a few steps back, Jack squinted to see the word ‘Maria’ engraved on the nameplate pinned to the front of her shirt. He witnessed Maria turn her attention to the woman to her left, mumbling hate words in a foreign language. The two ladies fumbled through the doorway and out into the hallway. Though Maria tried to shew his way, Jack knelt to start picking up some of the items that he was responsible for scattering. He pulled the cart right side up, and the two women that were frantically speaking silenced. He noticed the atmosphere in the room change. He saw their eyes locked on the floor on the other side of the cart and leaned over to see what had them so frightened.