Dominique kept an eye on Julian, because for some reason she didn’t completely trust him. Meanwhile, Lilian got into a conversation with the two American boys in the group, who up until that moment had carried on a rather difficult conversation with a middle-aged German couple who did not speak English very well, especially the woman.
“Hi, I’m Marc,” the smaller of the two boys said, while putting his hand out to Lilian.
Lilian shook his hand and looked at him for a moment. The guy had a perfect smile and soft eyes, and the freckles on his nose were kind of endearing, “Hi, Marc. I’m Lilian.”
While Marc introduced himself to Dominique, his considerably larger and sturdier friend shook Lilian’s hand, her hand completely disappeared in his. “Todd,” he said.
“Hello, Todd,” she answered, impressed by the power of his handshake. It was like a vise grip, though he probably didn’t notice it himself.
Todd used the opportunity to break free from the German couple and sat down close to Dominique.
“Do you like football?” he asked, after the introductions had finished. “I’m a quarterback.”
Dominique began to laugh and instantly forgot all about Julian.
“We’re from Holland; we play real football there.”
“Soccer?” the guy said with a both a hint of disappointment and disgust. “In the states, only women play soccer.”
He took a beer from the bucket for her and opened the lid with his teeth. While he moved his head closer to hers, he said softly: “Let me tell you something. In Texas, everyone loves football. They love it so much, in fact, that if I told them I loved women more than football they would think I was gay.”
Dominique threw her head back and laughed. For the first time tonight she was finally having fun.
23
The sun beamed down mercilessly into Lilian’s room when she woke up. Her head felt heavy and was pounding. She dragged herself out of bed, stood up moaning, and stumbled into the bathroom.
A long, hot shower and a glass of water brought her somewhat back to her senses.
What in the world had happened last night? Her memory was cloudy at best. She couldn’t remember much more than the campfire, the guitar, the American boys, and Julian’s six-pack.
Lilian dried herself off and wrapped a towel around her hair and sat at the edge of her bed. She looked around. Her bikini and her clothes were hanging off the chair. She must have kicked off her flip-flops, because they were far apart on the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to pick them up just yet.
There had been beer. A lot of beer. Followed by mixed drinks. She remembered Dominique roaring with laughter while she was busy mixing the contents of a variety of bottles together into plastic cups. She had stopped accepting Do’s concoctions when she realized her stomach could no longer handle it. Someone had also vomited in the sand.
In a flash she remembered a pill. Todd had offered her a pill. It would make her feel good, he had said. But Lilian had refused, even if Todd and Marc had insisted she take one. They had taken one themselves. What about Dominique? Didn’t she take one, too?
A wave of nausea came over her, but when she sat still and took a deep breath, it passed on its own.
She should go eat something, she decided. And drink lots of water today.
She put on her bikini in slow motion, followed by her shorts and a T-shirt. When she bent down to pick up her slippers, she felt a sudden dizzy spell. She managed to grab the chair just in time and stayed there for a while with her eyes closed until she felt better.
She walked into the kitchen as if she were sleepwalking. She took a pitcher of ice-cold apple juice from the fridge, pulled the plastic off, and drank a few full glasses in a row. It made her feel better. After she ate some fruit and a sandwich, she felt ready to face the world again.
Dominique was nowhere in sight. Lilian stretched out and looked around. The weather is entirely too nice to remain inside, she thought. She got up and opened the sliding doors. The warm air poured inside, along with the sounds of chirping birds and crickets and the distant roaring of the ocean waves.
She took in the beauty of Aruba once again, while standing in the doorway. Dominique and she had been so lucky: it was amazing to be here.
She wanted to stretch out again, but froze midway. Did she see that right? Was someone in one of the lawn chairs by the pool?
It was Marc. He was sprawled out across the chair, his arms hanging down on the sides. There was a little bit of dried-up drool in the corner of his mouth, and he was making soft snoring sounds.
That’s right! Marc and Todd had driven her and Dominique home. In a Jeep, a rental, which had been parked not far from the beach in a parking lot. She vaguely remembered a wild ride home with the rowdy boys. Marc had driven, while Todd had his arm around Dominique the whole time and kept kissing her.
Lilian walked back to the house. The Jeep was parked at an angle next to the garage. There was a T-shirt on the driver’s seat.
She stared at the sleeping boy from the kitchen. When they got to the house last night, Marc had tried to kiss her, she recalled. First she had allowed it, but then she had pushed him away. It was all moving too fast for her.
Dominique had been making out and laughing with Todd on the couch. At some point Lilian had gotten so tired that she bid everyone a good night and simply went to bed.
She kept staring at Marc sleeping. Good thing he had not pushed it any further after she told him no. But if Marc was sleeping out there, then where was Todd?
Right at that moment, she heard a male voice behind her, wishing her a good morning in English.
Wearing only a towel tied around his waist, Todd walked through the kitchen. His hair was pointing in all directions, from the leftover gel from the previous day. Now she could really see how muscular his body was. When he took a bottle of Coke from the fridge and put it to his mouth, his biceps swelled.
Todd placed the bottle on the counter and let out a loud burp. “That’s a relief,” he said, grinning. “Is there any food?”
“I’ll fry up some eggs,” Lilian said. She smiled and grabbed a pan. While the butter melted and she took the bacon and eggs from the fridge, she wondered where Todd had slept. Could it be … ?
As soon as the smell of fried bacon spread through the house, Dominique appeared. She was wearing her underwear and the shirt that Todd had worn the night before. Her hair was all disheveled. She kissed Todd on the lips in passing and stood next to Lilian in the kitchen, her butt leaning against the counter.
Smiling, she looked at Todd, who inspected the contents of the refrigerator and pulled out a milk carton.
“Lil,” she said, satisfied, “as far as I’m concerned, our vacation has finally begun!”
24
Dominique followed Todd with look of approval, while he walked through the room, stopped at the sliding doors, and yawned while scratching his back. Lilian thought about Marc, who was still outside, sleeping in the chair.
When a ding-dong sound rang out through the house, they didn’t know what it was at first. Only when it rang a second time did they realize it was the doorbell. With a quick glance at her friend’s lack of clothing, Lilian said, “I’ll get it!”
While she was on her way to answer the door, the doorbell rang a third time. Lilian opened the door. Two men stood before her in the bright sunlight. They looked like they did not belong on this holiday island, where pretty much everyone, except for waiters, casino employees, and hotel personnel, always wore casual wear. Both men wore gray suits and ties. They did not introduce themselves. The younger of the two, a short, well-built man, stood just behind and slightly off to the side of the other man and kept a close eye on their surroundings, while the older man said in English, “Good morning. We are looking for Mr. Charles Werner.”
Deep in thought, Lilian looked at one and then at the other. These men were clean-shaven and radiated a kind of unspoken authority, the kind of men you wouldn’t want to cross
. Getting rid of them with a simple excuse wasn’t going to work.
“One moment, please,” she said hesitantly. She walked back into the living room and announced, “Do, there are two men here looking for your father.”
“Well, he’s not here,” Dominique answered sarcastically, pouring coffee into a few mugs.
“Yes, I know that. But I think you better talk to them.”
Dominique shrugged her shoulders. “Fine.” With the coffee pot still in hand, she went to the front door.
The two men were waiting patiently.
“Hello,” Dominique said. “I hear you’re looking for my dad?”
When she realized the two men didn’t understand her, she switched to English and repeated the question.
“Is Charles Werner your father?” the older gentleman asked. “Is he here?”
“No, he’s in New York. What is this about?”
“It’s a business question. Is he the owner of this house?”
Dominique took a step back. “May I ask who you are?”
“Miller,” the older man introduced himself. “And this is my colleague, Zubowski.”
“And you’re with?”
“Let’s just say that we are business associates of your father’s. I assume this building is his property?”
Something about them made Dominique very uneasy, and she felt she should handle them carefully. So, she put on her sweetest smile and said, “I think you should probably contact my father’s company directly. I take it you’re familiar with WernComp?”
“Certainly, but we would like to …”
“Look, this isn’t a good time, as you can see.” Do gestured to her lack of clothes. “I suggest you call WernComp. My father’s assistant has his exact schedule, and she can tell you exactly when and where you can reach him. Have a nice day!”
“Miss Werner, if your father doesn’t contact us, we will not know where to find him. We really need to …”
“Sorry,” she interrupted and tried her best to make her voice sound as cold as possible. “But I really need to use the bathroom. I’m sure you can figure this out without me? Excuse me, and have a good day!”
Without missing a beat, she closed the door. While she walked back into the living room she kind of expected the doorbell to ring again.
But it remained quiet.
“Not bad!” Lilian said in admiration.
“Just act a little vulgar—men can’t handle that. If you want to make a man in a suit feel uncomfortable, just start talking about tampons or female body parts.”
“Who were those guys?” Todd wanted to know.
“I have no idea,” Dominique answered. “But I didn’t like that they came straight to our door at all. One moment.”
She grabbed her cell phone, walked outside out of earshot, and hit the speed dial for her father’s cell phone. As expected, she got his voicemail. So she left a message. “Hi, Dad! It’s amazing here in Aruba. Really super. Lilian says hello. She’s become completely addicted to this island. But what I’m calling for: There were two men at the door just now. They said they had some business they needed to discuss with you. Their names were Miller and Zubowski. I didn’t really tell them anything, but I referred them to Stephanie. So, anyway, I just thought you should know.”
She snapped her cell phone closed and put it away.
Todd was digging around in the fridge again.
“Where’s Lilian?” she asked.
“She’s waking up Marc.”
Dominique put her arms around Todd’s neck and kissed him softly on the lips. “Good. So, anyway, where did we leave off?” she asked provocatively.
25
They hung out at the pool with Todd and Marc all afternoon. During Todd’s inspection of the fridge, he had found a variety of meats, which they roasted on the kitchen’s built-in island grill. They ate potato salad, vegetables, and all sorts of fruits, washing it all down with wine and lots of beer.
After dinner, the foursome kicked back in the lawn chairs around the pool.
“What shall we do tonight?” Marc asked, putting his hand on Lilian’s bare leg.
Lilian withdrew her leg but answered him in a very friendly tone, “We’re going to Oranjestad, aren’t we?”
“That’s a given,” Todd decided, putting his lawn chair closer to Dominique’s chair. “But there’s so much to choose from there. Do you feel like dancing? Or shall we go to a casino? It’s up to you.”
“I’ve got an idea!” Dominique sat up straight. “Have any of you ever been to Enlightenment Island?”
The two guys looked at each other.
“Isn’t that part of that hotel? You can’t just get in,” Marc said.
Dominique smiled and got up. “You wait and see!”
She walked to the veranda, searched through her phone’s address book for a moment, and tapped on a name.
“Hello?” a voice said on the phone.
“Dave? It’s Dominique.”
“Hey, Dominique! How are you? Have you recovered?”
“Yup, I’m all better! Listen, I would like to come to Enlightenment Island tonight. Is that possible?”
“Of course, no problem. Just call me when you get to the hotel, and I will come and get you.”
“That’s great, Dave. And, uh … is it okay if I bring a couple of friends along?”
“Sure, the more the merrier. I’ll see you later then!”
“Thanks so much! Yes, see you later!”
She closed her cell phone and walked back to the group with a very satisfied look on her face.
“Okay, I arranged it. The four of us can go to Enlightenment Island.”
“Good job!” Lilian said.
“Some girls have all the luck,” Todd said. “I wish I was blessed with a rich father like you are.”
“My father has nothing to do with this,” Dominique answered with a snippy tone. “It’s all about connections, young man. That’s what life is about!”
“Yeah, connections, that’s it.” Todd stretched out. “But before we leave here, I’m definitely going to need a shower; you think you can help me with that?”
Her smile returned instantly. “Of course! Help is my middle name!”
The pair returned to the house, laughing and kissing, while Lilian and Marc stayed behind on their chairs.
“I would also love a shower,” Marc said, hopeful.
“Sure, I’ll get you a few towels,” Lilian answered, neutral. “Just use the shower in one of the unused bedrooms.”
26
A low-flying plane passed overhead as Marc helped them out of the Jeep. Todd parked the car in a parking lot and caught up with them quickly.
The towering hotels all had an orange glow from the setting sun. Dominique called Dave, and the four of them waited on a bench next to a palm tree for him to come. A few minutes later, Dave showed up. He recognized Dominique and Lilian from afar, and walked toward them with a big smile.
But his smile dimmed quickly when he noticed they were there with two men.
“Hi, Dave!” Dominique called out excitedly as she got up and kissed him on both cheeks. Lilian greeted him with two kisses as well.
While the Canadian and the two Americans shook hands, they sized each other up.
“You look great!” Dominique said, pointing at the hotel uniform Dave was wearing.
“Yeah, it’s for work, you know,” he answered. “Listen, I arranged wristbands for you and Lilian. They give you access to the whole island, to all the pools and terraces, hotels, the casino, and the resorts. Even to the barbecues and buffets for the hotel guests.”
“Terrific!” Dominique accepted both wristbands, handing one to Lilian. “What about the guys?”
Dave took a deep breath. “To be honest, I figured your friends could take care of themselves, but I will see what I can do. Just follow me.”
They followed him to one of the large hotel lounges, where he indicated they should take a seat at the bar. Todd orde
red four beers and started eating the peanuts at the bar. It took a while before Dave returned. This time he was joined by Chuck, who was also dressed in a hotel uniform. “I managed to get two more,” he said, holding two more wristbands in his hand.
Dominique looked at the wristbands that Lilian and she had put on. They were pink and gold. The wristbands in Dave’s hand were black with silver.
“Hey, those are different than ours,” she noted.
Dave nodded. “That’s right. These were the only ones they were willing to give me, because I’d already scored two golden wristbands. But don’t worry; these are good, too.”
“Yup. They get you access to all the hotel facilities. But just not to the resorts,” Chuck added.
He was also kissed by Dominique and Lilian. Then he politely introduced himself to Marc. When he got to Todd, the large Texan got up from his barstool and gave his fellow countryman a solid handshake. Todd’s biceps tightened quite a bit, but Chuck didn’t even blink and continued to stare him right in the eyes.
“Can we play nice, please?” Dominique asked, irritated. She turned to Lilian and said in English, “This is what I find most irritating about men. They always have to turn everything into a pissing contest. Especially when it involves girls.”
“Definitively, if it involves two girls as hot as you are!” Marc added quickly.
The tension lifted instantly. Everyone laughed, though Todd and Chuck kept an eye on each other.
Dave and Chuck apologized for not being able to join them, and they all agreed to meet up after their shifts ended at a barbecue near Flamingo Beach.
“Flamingo Beach?” Dominique asked.
“Yes, they live here in the wild—also on Bonaire and the other islands,” Chuck explained. “But, here at the resorts, they have a few tame flamingos walking around.”
“I think they’ve become quite full of themselves,” Dave said with a smile. “I think they might be the most photographed birds in the world.”
Bon Bini Beach: A Thriller Page 8