The Love Resort

by Faith Bleasdale

  ‘Of course they don’t.’

  ‘And you, you did. In my resort. Are you going to tell Philip?’

  ‘I’m leaving Philip.’

  ‘You’re what?’ Anne-Marie let out a pained wail.

  I’m going to ask him for a divorce.’ Abigail looked aghast as Anne-Marie collapsed on the floor and started sobbing. ‘Anne-Marie? I didn’t realise that you were that fond of Philip.’

  ‘I’m not,’ she sobbed.

  ‘So why?’

  ‘Because of the DIVORCE. No one in my novels ever, ever utters the word. It’s a terrible word, a nasty word, a word used by evil people,’ she spat.

  ‘Can I point out that this isn’t one of your novels? André and I are in love, really in love, and I’m leaving my husband for him.’

  ‘It’s The Love Resort, don’t you see? This is one of my novels. Living here was supposed to be like living in my novels. That’s exactly what it was supposed to be.’ Anne-Marie knew she was shouting but she didn’t care. How could the one person she could rely on not understand her at all? This was her novel. Her world was her books, and she was living in one. Until they ruined it.

  First the old, fat people with the bad dress sense. Then when she tried to do something about that, the competition winners with their drunken behaviour, their lying, and their cheating. Then Todd and Katie—oh, she would never have gay people in her novels, they weren’t even allowed in the resort. It was against her rules. They had all ruined it for her, just as they obviously set out to do. Now Abigail with her talk of divorce. Everyone was trying to destroy her. She was utterly alone; her against the world.

  ‘Anne-Marie, this is nothing like living in one of your novels. You talk about how no one cheats in your books, how no one gets divorced, how no one is gay, but how about swearing? You say no one swears in your books, but you sometimes have a mouth like a sewer. And then your women barely drink. Well, you drink copious amounts all the time. You can’t have it all ways, you know. You’re not the perfect heroine you claim to be, just as this place can’t live up to your expectations.’

  ‘You’re a liar. A cheat and a foul-mouthed liar.’ Tears streamed down the novelist’s face.

  ‘Anne-Marie, I want to help you, but I don’t know how.’

  ‘Give him up.’

  ‘I can’t. I love him.’

  Anne-Marie looked defiantly at her publisher, who showed no signs of backing down. Confusion enveloped her, as did despair. It wasn’t meant to be like this.

  ‘Give him up.’

  ‘No, Anne-Marie, no. I would do most things for you, but not this.’

  ‘Then you can no longer help me. I shall have to help myself.’

  *

  Lily rested her head on Ed’s chest. When he’d called to offer her breakfast in bed, she’d forgotten all about the trouble and let herself think only of him. It felt like a rare luxury.

  ‘I wonder where she went this early?’

  ‘No idea, although my guess would be that she went to Abigail. Where else would she go?’

  ‘Abigail seems to be more on our side, don’t you think?’

  ‘Yes. I hate her for introducing me to Anne-Marie and I blame her for how Anne-Marie turned out; Philip and Abigail kept pushing her to be this romance person, the whole package, and she did. Then when people loved her, she also became a complete bitch.’

  ‘But maybe she realises that now? Abigail, I mean.’

  ‘Maybe. Because there is no way she’s getting a book out of Anne-Marie. She used to write for eight or so hours every day—you couldn’t get her away from her keyboard. But since we moved here, which, by the way, was to help her writing, she hasn’t written a thing.’

  ‘What will happen?’

  ‘I don’t know and I’m a little frightened. Lily, this is all I care about, you and me. Anne-Marie and Abigail can shove their book and this resort up their arses.’

  ‘You don’t mean that. You’re worried about her.’

  ‘You’re right, darling. That’s the truth. I don’t love her but I am worried.’

  *

  ‘Edward,’ Anne-Marie shouted as she opened the door. There was a note on the table saying that he was waiting for the competition winners to take them to breakfast. She looked at her perfect house, and she knew that Abigail was lying. The one person she trusted was a liar. Now she had no one.

  The phone rang insistently, but she ignored it. If she was alone then she would have to deal with things alone. She had to decontaminate the resort. She had to get the pests out. She had to control things herself. She needed to fight the enemy. The answer dawned on her, and as soon as it did, she swept out of the house once more.

  She dialled Ed’s mobile.

  ‘Hello?’ he answered.

  ‘Ed, it’s me. Listen, I’m going to breakfast with the competition winners myself. You can go and man the office and make sure that Lily does all we need her to do.’

  ‘If you’re sure...’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Darling, are you all right?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m absolutely fine,’ she said, before hanging up and wiping away her tears.

  *

  ‘So?’ Lily asked, as she got out of bed and pulled on her robe.

  ‘She wants to handle them herself. We’re to go to the office as usual.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound right.’ Lily knew her boss well enough to know that she wouldn’t normally do that.

  ‘That’s what I thought.’ Ed sighed. ‘OK, let’s get showered, dressed and go and find her then.’

  *

  At least now she had a plan, Anne-Marie found her resolve. There was a bungalow above the resort that was going to be restored. About a week ago, the police had told her security that it had been broken into—local kids they thought. Ed himself had spoken to the owners, who were overseas, and assured them that they would secure it. Her own security had done the job. It was a safe place and one that wasn’t part of her resort.

  She got hold of a guard in the security office and asked for the keys. He was unsure but gave them to her anyway, after she reminded him that she was the boss. Then she scribbled a list and told him to deliver everything himself to outside the bungalow straight away.

  ‘What for?’ he asked.

  ‘It doesn’t concern you. Now if you do as I ask, and keep this quiet, then I’ll make it worth your while.’ She pulled a thousand dollars out of her pink handbag and gave it to him.

  He looked at Anne-Marie and nodded. She smiled and told him to call her when he was done.

  ‘Oh, and you’d better give me the keys to the rooms you padlocked last night.’ She smiled in satisfaction as he did what she said.

  Anne-Marie strode with renewed purpose to the hotel, where she went to the first door and opened it.

  ‘Uh.’ Jimmy jumped as he found himself facing Anne-Marie. Tim was in the bathroom. Jimmy told himself to stop shaking.

  ‘Jimmy, good morning,’ she said pleasantly, unnerving him further. ‘I need you to get dressed and meet me on the landing. Chop chop. There’s a surprise for you and I need you in ten minutes.’

  After delivering the same message to the others she waited for them. It was so simple, so beautiful. Once she had got them there safely she would go back for Todd and Katie. She debated putting Abigail there too, but she realised that she couldn’t do that to her, no matter how much she deserved it. No, this would be her solution, as she knew that she was the only person she could rely on in the whole wide world. She would tell no one else.

  As her six competition winners emerged from their rooms, looking sheepish, she tried to hide the contempt that she felt so keenly. Their good looks had faded for her the minute they behaved badly. Well, they would get their punishment, she was sure of it, just like everyone else. But first, she would make sure that they didn’t cause any more problems for her resort.

  ‘Come along, this way,’ Anne-Marie chirped as she led them up the hill to the edge of the resort. She kept
looking furtively around her, but it seemed that her route was attracting no attention. Good.

  ‘Where exactly are we going?’ Tim asked, huffing and puffing.

  ‘Ah, well, that’s the surprise. Now, I am going to give you a challenge for the day.’

  ‘A challenge?’ Thea eyed Anne-Marie suspiciously.

  Anne-Marie kept walking fast. So much for young people—they were all huffing and sweating in the heat, although they should have been far fitter than she was. Instead they all looked like messes. She had definitely made the right decision.

  ‘Well, you know that we can’t have you running around the resort? And I thought I’d spare you another of Ed’s dreary day trips.’

  ‘It was a bit dreary,’ Tim agreed.

  ‘Quite. So, I thought that I would set you a challenge. Something exciting.’

  ‘Sounds great,’ Lee said, holding on to Emily’s arm and helping her up the steep hill.

  They reached the edge of the resort, and Anne-Marie led them through a gate. The small bungalow was hidden by trees and bushes; it couldn’t be seen from the resort. It was rundown; ramshackle. Its paint was peeling, and the window frames were visibly cracked; it looked tired. As did the six guests by the time they reached the door.

  Anne-Marie saw that the baskets were stacked up outside the front door, just as she requested. She took the keys out of her pocket and undid the padlock. She opened the second lock and the third, satisfied that it was secure enough.

  ‘Now,’ she turned to face her charges, ‘you will go in with all these baskets of goodies, and then I shall send up instructions for your challenge. It’s going to be very, very exciting; I can assure you of that.’

  ‘Really?’ Thea asked.

  ‘Thea, dear, believe me, it’s this or Ed.’ She looked at her, her head tilted sideways.

  ‘I’ll take this,’ Lee enthused, grabbing a basket and going inside. Jimmy followed suit, as did Emily and Carla.

  ‘Go on, Thea. Within the next few minutes you will receive your instructions and also a wonderful surprise.’ Anne-Marie gave her a little push. She reluctantly went in.

  ‘Tim, is there anything I can do for you?’ Anne-Marie asked, noticing him shuffling about outside.

  ‘I was just wondering, there wouldn’t be anything to drink in those baskets, would there?’

  She smiled at him sympathetically. ‘Well, there’s only one way to find out.’

  She shut the door behind him and relocked it. She had one more delivery to make to them before she could relax. Praising herself for her genius, she made her way to her next stop.

  *

  Thea led the way around the bungalow they were in. The entrance they’d been shown into led on to a large living room. There was no furniture, but there were a few empty wooden crates. The paint was peeling off the walls, as on the outside, and the filth made it almost impossible to see out of the heavily secured windows. Off the first room was a kitchen, grey where it had once been white, with a rusty old cooker, and a few empty cupboards. She turned the taps on at the cracked ceramic sink; water reluctantly spluttered forth. She then walked through the living room again, to a bedroom with a bathroom leading off it. Again, there was no furniture, but there was at least some loo roll. On the other side of the bedroom there was a dressing room, big enough to be a bedroom, but with built-in wardrobes and a full-length mirror, which was broken. As Thea shuddered, thinking about the sumptuous bed in the rooms, the crisp white sheets, the marble bathroom, and the decked terrace, she felt miserable. She walked back to the living room, her five companions hot on her heels.

  ‘What are we doing here?’ Carla asked.

  ‘She said it’s a challenge,’ Lee reminded her.

  ‘I don’t like it,’ Emily said. ‘It’s too hot.’

  ‘Open a window then,’ Jimmy suggested, and he went to do just that. ‘Oh, they seem to be locked.’

  ‘And they have bars on them. Why would they have bars on them?’

  ‘Unpack the baskets,’ Thea ordered, filling up with dread. They surveyed the food and the water, looking at each other suspiciously.

  ‘Well, she said she’d be back with our instructions soon,’ Tim pointed out.

  ‘There’s enough food here to last us a few days,’ Thea said, her mind whirring.

  ‘Yeah, but we won’t be here for more than today,’ Lee said. ‘What the hell is she playing at?’

  No one answered.

  *

  Anne-Marie knocked on the door. Mary opened it.

  ‘Ah, Mary, I need to speak to Todd and Katie. Now, can you go and organise breakfast to be brought up in half an hour, please?’

  ‘I don’t like to leave Katie,’ Mary said.

  ‘Mary, may I remind you who pays your wages? Now, I promise I won’t leave them alone until you come back.’

  Mary huffed but did as she was told.

  ‘Hello, Todd,’ Anne-Marie said, trying hard to be friendly.

  ‘Anne-Marie.’ His voice was grim.

  ‘Where’s your wife?’ she enquired sunnily, as if nothing was wrong. Just then Katie appeared from the bedroom, wearing a pretty top and slim skirt, and no shoes.

  ‘Hello.’ Her face was red and puffy; devoid of make-up she looked ordinary. The famous film star was pretty ordinary, Anne-Marie decided.

  ‘Right, now, I don’t want to go over last night again, but I do need you to come with me.’

  ‘Where?’ Todd asked.

  ‘Well, it’s a surprise.’

  ‘What sort of surprise?’ He narrowed his eyes.

  ‘After last night, you’re lucky I don’t throw you both out. So please do not question me, just follow me. Chop chop.’ Anne-Marie waited on the terrace for them to get their shoes. When they came out, she smiled, and gestured for them to follow her.

  ‘Where’s Mary?’ Katie asked.

  ‘She’ll be joining you soon,’ Anne-Marie promised. ‘Now, please just do as I say, and I won’t ask for anything again. I won’t go to the press; I won’t ruin your lives, which I think is very generous of me under the circumstances.’ They nodded and followed her.

  The sun was beating down as they made their way up to the top of the resort. It was a twenty-minute walk, and Katie was dripping with sweat. When they reached the bungalow, Anne-Marie stopped.

  ‘What are we doing here?’ Todd asked. He still looked so handsome, she couldn’t believe what a terrible waste of a man he was.

  ‘There’s a surprise for you in there. What I have decided, being the woman I am, is that you should spend some time alone, to talk. Now, I think that that is the best solution. To be honest with each other.’

  ‘We could have done that in our place,’ Katie pointed out.

  ‘No, not without interruption. Now, in there is everything you need. I shall come back for you in a few hours and hopefully you will both be feeling much better.’ She smiled widely.

  ‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Katie conceded.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Todd asked.

  ‘Yes, Todd, I think it’s time we sorted this out once and for all.’

  Anne-Marie opened the door and ushered them in. Then she closed it behind them and locked each and every lock.

  *

  ‘Oh, hi, Abigail,’ Lily said. She had just pulled on her work uniform before the knock on the door.

  ‘Lily, I need to see Ed.’

  ‘Ed? But why would he be here?’

  André appeared from behind Abigail, looking grim.

  ‘She knows; I told her,’ he said simply.

  Lily wondered if all the staff knew about them as she led them inside.

  ‘Ed,’ she called, ‘it’s Abigail.’

  Seconds later, Ed appeared, dressed in his chinos and a white shirt. His face was red.

  ‘We were just going to find her. Did she send you?’ he asked.

  ‘No. Ed, I think you’d better listen.’

  Abigail and André sat side by side on Lily’s cream sofa. Lily sat down on a wood
en chair and Ed stood beside her as Abigail told him the story.

  ‘So, you mean you two have been together all this time?’ Ed asked; he found the idea of the iron lady and André incredible.

  ‘Well, I didn’t seduce him the minute I met him, if that’s what you mean?’

  ‘When did you then?’

  ‘Ed, don’t you think this is a bit off the point?’ Lily asked.

  ‘I’m just asking.’

  ‘I seduced her,’ André said. ‘After three days of her being here, I thought she was hot.’

  Ed tried not to look surprised. He wasn’t sure how anyone could find Abigail hot.

  ‘No one has thought that about me in a long time. Anyway, I told your wife that we’re in love. She didn’t seem very happy for us,’ Abigail said tightly.

  ‘What do you think she’s going to do?’

  ‘Or what has she done?’ André pointed out.

  ‘Ed, she was crazed.’

  ‘Have you tried the house?’

  ‘I called there, but there was no answer.’

  ‘Look, I’ll go there. Lily, can you go and check on Todd and Katie? Can you two go and check on the competition winners?’

  ‘Sure.’ They went off in separate directions, unsure of what they were looking for, but knowing that whatever it was, they were dealing with a mad woman.

  ‘What on earth...?’ Todd asked, as he and Katie stepped into the living room. They turned back towards the door as they heard the locks being turned. Then they turned round and looked at the six people perched on wooden crates in front of them.

  ‘Is this our challenge?’ Lee asked uneasily.

  ‘What challenge?’ Katie replied, looking at him as if he were mad.

  ‘Are you—?’ Thea stopped in her tracks.

  ‘Do you know what’s going on?’ Todd asked.

  ‘We were rather hoping you’d tell us.’

  Todd sighed. Everything was getting weirder. ‘I’m Todd Cortes, and this is Katie Ray.’

  ‘Katie Ray-Cortes,’ she reminded him.

  ‘The film stars,’ Thea said, staring at them shamelessly.

  ‘Oh my God, but you normally look so glamorous,’ Emily said gawping. Katie scowled at her.

  ‘Did Anne-Marie send you here for us?’ Lee asked.