“Watch out, mama!” Luis darted back as Paige almost ran him over at the door.
“Oh, sorry, Luis. I’m distracted this morning. I think I need about a gallon of coffee.” Paige said, steadying herself and taking a sip of her coffee.
“We all might. Shit’s about to go down.”
“Wait, what?”
“You didn’t hear?” Luis leaned back, bringing his hand to his chest, his mouth dropping open in surprise. “Well, I suppose that’s what you get when you ignore me when I wave you over.”
“I thought you were just waving to say hello,” Paige grumbled.
“Girl, I was not. I was calling you over because we need to get our plan together.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Paige’s eyes darted over his shoulder to where the others were huddled around the bar.
“The hurricane?” Luis raised an eyebrow at her.
“What!” Paige almost dropped her coffee.
“I tried to get you, mama, but you ran off like the hounds of hell were at your feet.”
“What’s happening? Is it going to hit us? What do we do? Where should we hide? We have to do something!” Panic racketed through Paige.
“Whoa. Just calm down. Breathe. We got a little time, yet. Better meet with the group to discuss the action plan.”
“But…but…we need to evacuate! We need to pack!”
“Oh, we aren’t going anywhere, mama. Don’t you know? The airport’s closed.”
“What? But…how? What if people need to get away? To safety? Are they just going to leave us here to die?” Paige’s breathing was coming faster and faster and little spots danced in front of her eyes.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Luis grabbed her arm and dragged her to a low-slung couch in one of the conversation areas. Grabbing her coffee and her bag, he put them on the table and pushed her onto the couch. “Breathe. Isn’t that what you yogis always say? Just breathe.”
“What’s wrong?” Jack said, having come to the couch, the rest of the group following in his wake. Unable to look at him, Paige bent her head between her knees and drew in long breaths. She’d just taken a long run down an isolated beach and done positive affirmations when a fricking hurricane was bearing down on the island. No wonder it had been so still and all the wind had disappeared. A massive storm had sucked it all up and was about to batter them.
“I think she’s having a little panic attack about the hurricane.”
“I’m not…” Paige took a few more deep breaths and brought her head up. She refused to look at Jack and instead focused on Luis. “I just needed a moment. Hurricanes are completely out of my depth. I have no idea what to do.”
“We’ll get an action plan together and we’ll alert the guests. Why don’t we do that now?” Jack spoke in a soothing tone, but still Paige turned from him. Instead her eyes landed on Mariposa, a strong island woman, and her calmness steadied Paige.
“You can do this.” Mariposa’s brown eyes held Paige’s, and she wondered if the bartender spoke of more than just the hurricane.
“Please. Can someone just tell me what they know?”
“Well, darling, we’ve been keeping an eye on this one. The weather center has been tracking a tropical depression this week and while we were alerted to it, at the time it seemed to be not much to worry about,” Whit said as he took a seat across from Paige. Grateful for anywhere to look but at Jack, Paige nodded for him to continue. “However, overnight it met up with another weather pattern that whipped it quickly into a Cat three. It’s bearing down on us directly.”
“A Cat three? That sounds bad.”
“It’s not the best news, no. But better than a Category four or five. Five can be catastrophic. Three is likely going to be a might bit painful.” Whit said this as casually as if he was commenting on a new item on the menu for dinner.
“Painful?” Paige asked.
“Well, Category Three hurricanes typically have around one hundred mile per hour winds. It’s certainly nothing to be trifled with.”
Paige’s mouth dropped open and her stomach sank.
“But…what are we going to do? We have to get off this island.”
“Not happening,” Jack bit out. “As we’ve mentioned…they’ve closed the airport. The hurricane should be here by nightfall. All we can do is alert the guests and begin our emergency action plan.”
“I don’t have a plan. Where’s the plan? I was never given a plan.” Paige’s hands fluttered weakly in front of her as she looked around. At everyone but Jack, of course.
“I’ve printed them out, gorgeous. We’ve got a stack at the bar to hand out. It’s best if we collect the guests and begin our safety procedures. It’s best not to panic, you know, as then the guests will panic. So, if you can’t pull yourself together, then I suggest you retire to your cabin until you can,” CeCe said, calmly smoothing a crease in her linen pants.
It was CeCe’s tone that had Paige snapping out of her panic. It spoke of disapproval and almost…disappointment? It was as though she expected better of Paige. Well, Paige had expected…actually, now that Paige thought about it, she hadn’t expected much of CeCe. The woman clearly did whatever she felt like – whenever she felt like. What a blissful life that must be to lead.
“Understood.” Paige took one more deep breath and then reached for her coffee. “I’m excellent at following checklists. If you can tell me what I need to do, I’ll get on it.”
“Time is of the essence. T-minus eight hours before this beast hits,” Whit said, studying the phone in his hand.
Why did his words feel like a death sentence?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Paige didn’t know what was causing her more anxiety – the impending storm or the fact that as soon as she’d decided to leave the island the airport had quite literally been closed to her. It was like the Universe was forcing her to stay in one spot and deal with her shit, even though all Paige wanted to do was run away, lick her wounds, and start fresh with all of this behind her. Never say the Universe doesn’t have a sense of humor, she thought.
Instead, now she sat grouped with the guests and other employees in the reception hall, while Jack stood in front of them with a clipboard in hand.
“First of all, let me make this very clear. This is an extremely serious situation. In other times, we would have tried to move you inland, but the storm is already making its way up the coast and time is of the essence. Because of this, your safety is our priority. Those of you who want to go to our designated safe house may do so now – otherwise – those who are willing and able to help us prepare, well, we can use all hands on deck. So, who would like to retire to the safe house? Mariposa will explain what to bring with you from your cabins and she will lead that group.”
A smattering of people raised their hands. Paige didn’t blame them. She wanted to go with Mariposa, too, but knew that Tranquila Inn needed her help.
“No problem. All of you going with Mariposa, please leave now and listen to her instructions. When she tells you to only bring what is on her designated list, she means that. Your bag full of clothes is irrelevant. Medications, first-aid, food, and your phones or laptops are fine. The rest – if it can be replaced easily – it doesn’t matter.”
With that, Mariposa took her group to the other side of the hall and began to issue instructions.
“Where’s the safe house?” Stan asked. He’d stayed behind to help and now looked around curiously at the reception hall. Paige didn’t blame him for his question – not much about the hotel looked to be sturdy when a hurricane was bearing down on them.
“We have a concrete garage on the other side of the property. It has only small windows situated high for ventilation. It’s the safest spot on the resort.”
“Sounds good. What else can we do?” Stan asked.
“I’ll be breaking everyone else into teams with clearly designated roles so that nobody overlaps their duties. Our housekeeping and grounds staff will take
care of bringing in any furniture that can be potential projectiles. This means sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas, coconuts…the works. You all know what to do?” Jack addressed the staff and they all nodded. “I want to remind you that you don’t have to work here right now – I can’t force you to be here. If you need to go to your families, then do so now.” A few people got up and left without another word while others stayed. “Okay, for the rest of you – here is your list.”
Turning, Jack met her eyes, and Paige looked quickly away, her stomach roiling from anxiety. Even though she hated what she’d learned, he still looked good. Like, really good. Totally in charge, competent, and calm – his confidence made her want him even more.
Stupid hormones, Paige thought, and blinked down at the sheet in her hand. The sheer amount of tasks listed there seemed daunting.
“Next up, I need a group to go around and board up all the cottage windows, pull down the hurricane shutters for the bar, and duct-tape up any glass windows that can’t be boarded up. Volunteers?” Several men raised their hands at that task. Jack nodded to Luis. “Luis will answer your questions with all of that. He knows the grounds inside and out and can tell you where the biggest risks are.”
“Gentlemen? Shall we?” With that, Luis disappeared with the group of men, pointing to the windows of the cottages.
“Next up. We need food and medical supplies transported to the safe house. We’ll need ice put into coolers and any food that can be eaten easily but needs to be kept cool dropped into those coolers. Grab other non-perishable items that are easy to eat and bag them up. Water is the most important. We have an entire pantry full of water jugs. Those that aren’t filled will need to be filled and transported. There’s a golf cart out front that can be used to make the trip to the kitchen and back. Paige? Can you do that?”
“Sure, no problem,” Paige said automatically.
“Great. Everyone that can help with that, go with Paige. For the rest of you, I have various tasks. We need generators, sandbags, paperwork in pelican cases, gas tanks secured, radios, flashlights, candles and so on. We do have several hurricane kits prepared, but because this is a larger group than we’d usually have here for a storm, we have more to do.”
“Paige. The food?” Lily asked and Paige turned, blinking at the group of women who had collected around her.
“Okay. But before we even go to the kitchen, I want each of you to return to your cottages and get everything that is a must for you. That means your medication, your eyeglasses, your phone, phone chargers, and anything that you can’t replace. If you have a rain jacket or something to keep you warm, grab that, too. We’ll meet at the kitchen in fifteen minutes, but I don’t want you to forget anything that is absolutely essential to your well-being. That means heart medication and so-on. Understood?” Paige met the eyes of each member and they all nodded. “Okay, go team. Fifteen minutes.”
Paige glanced up as the wind began to pick up, the palm fronds fluttering wildly in the trees.
“And watch for coconuts!”
“Paige.” Jack grabbed her arm before she could race off. Turning, she finally met his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m about as fine as can be with a catastrophe bearing down on my head,” Paige bit out.
“About last night…” Jack lowered his voice.
“There’s nothing to be said about last night.” Paige wrenched her arm from his hand. “Now that I know you’re just like Horatio, I can promise you there won’t be a repeat.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Fury thundered across Jack’s face.
“You take advantage of women to get what you want. Whether they pay your salary or you just want to win the little one-up war you have going with Horatio. Happy, are you? Did you boast to him this morning that I chose you instead of him? Or were you too busy with your other women?” Paige couldn’t bring herself to say CeCe’s name. The thought of the two of them together made her stomach turn.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Jack started to grip her arm again, but Paige stepped back and out of his reach. “Being with you last night had nothing to do with Horatio. And I resent the fact you think I’m anything like that ego-driven piece of shit.”
“Yes, because being called crazy does wonders for women. You men are all the same.” Paige looked pointedly to where Whit soothed a distraught Lily. “Whoever strokes your ego enough gets your attention. I’m not interested in being a pawn in your game. Leave me alone – I have to go do my job. While I still have one, that is…” Paige turned from him and raced to her office, but not before she saw the look of hurt cross his face. How could he be hurt? It wasn’t like she was the one leading a double life.
Annoyed, she ducked under her desk and pulled out a waterproof pelican case and began dumping all the important paperwork into the case. Once she’d finished that, she added her laptop and anything else that she thought the hotel would need copies for insurance claims. Once she was finished, she dragged the case into the reception hall, dropped it by the kitchen door, and raced back to her cabin. Heart pounding, Paige scooped up a backpack and stuffed her birth control pills, a first-aid kit, a few pieces of protective clothing, and her phone charger in the bag. Stopping, she took a quick scan. Her entire life, aside from what was stuffed in the shed behind Jane’s house, was in this cottage. In the closet were her favorite dresses, her best yoga clothes, and shoes she’d had for years. It might not be much, but Paige had worked hard for everything she had and it hurt to close the door behind her, knowing she couldn’t bring it with her.
As a guest raced by her, Paige shook off her sadness. There was really no time to waste worrying about things she could replace if she had to. Threading her arms through the strap of her backpack, Paige rushed to meet the group that had gathered by the kitchen door.
“Okay. Okay. Did everyone get what they needed from their cabins?”
The group all replied in the affirmative.
“How about two of you take everyone’s bags to the garage? There’s the golf cart.” Paige pointed to the front drive where a golf cart that resembled more of a mini pick-up truck sat, ready for use. “The rest of us will start packing food.”
Two women broke off from the group and started picking up bags, and Paige pulled the rest of the women into the kitchen.
“We need water jugs. Coolers with ice. Easy-to-eat food. Grab all the fruit, the muffins, any granola bars, cereal…that kind of stuff.” Paige started opening drawers and digging around. “Here. I’ve got large trash bags. Dump all the food in these. We don’t know how long we’ll be in there so take as much as you can.”
The women grabbed bags from the box and split up. Paige pulled the folded paper from her pocket and scanned the list.
“Candles. Knives. Can openers. Matches.” Paige opened drawers at random and began to add stuff to her bag, her heart racing as sweat trickled down her neck. It felt like they had so much to do and so little time. However, in under an hour the group had assembled a large portion of the kitchen contents and had divided it into bags and coolers as needed. One by one, they carried everything out into the reception hall and Paige’s mouth dropped open when she emerged.
Everything was gone.
The bar across the way had steel hurricane proof shutters that had been pulled down and secured, essentially eradicating any chance of liquor bottles becoming flying projectiles. All the bar stools, side tables, chairs and even the couches had been stacked and roped together on one side of the hall. Turning, Paige saw that the beach had been cleared and the cottages all had their shutters secured. A group of people loaded any vehicles they had with supplies in the front drive.
Everyone was quiet.
It was the silence that raised Paige’s anxiety more than anything. Aside from the sound of increasing wind and a few grunts from people as they hefted bags into the trucks, the quiet enveloped them like a funeral shroud.
The entire island seemed to have drawn a collectiv
e breath, and now they waited.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was smelly.
That was one thing Paige quickly realized and hadn’t been expecting about being in a concrete bunker with a large group of people. Granted, she hadn’t given much thought to what it would be like stuck in a concrete bunker with fifty people before, but nevertheless, here she was. It made sense, though. They had all just run around for hours securing the property, and the heat certainly hadn’t abated. Paige couldn’t have been the only one dripping in sweat as they worked. Now she could say with absolute certainty that being stuck in a lightly ventilated area with a group of sweaty people was…stinky.
Someone had taken it upon themselves to load the lounge cushions into the truck and had laid them across the floor of the garage, which helped to make the space significantly more comfortable. Grateful for small comforts, Paige shifted on her cushion, ignoring the twinges of soreness from her night with Jack. Paige had stationed herself in one corner, a bit away from the main group, as she just didn’t have it in her to do any more customer-servicing. Luckily, Horatio was avoiding her and had gathered a group of his “followers” in another corner to lead them in some sort of anti-hurricane prayer or meditation. She wasn’t really sure and honestly didn’t care. After Horatio had spent a good portion of an hour having a melt-down about what he was allowed to bring with him from his cabin, Paige had handed him off to CeCe who had dealt with his antics masterfully. As far as Paige was concerned, Horatio could do without his comfort tunics or his gong. In fact, he could just go stay in his cabin if that was what he needed. Feeling surly, Paige wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. Closing her eyes for the first time in hours, she allowed herself to rest as her brain tried to take stock of everything that had happened that day.
One Way Ticket Page 16