Soul Mates. The Beginning.

by Christine Wood

  I nod my head in thanks, and see her up close, wow she is something else, fresh and innocent. No, leave her alone, she’s still too young Christopher. I agree with myself and await my breakfast. It comes and as I sit and give my usual prayer for thanking Humpty for my egg, I bash off his head, and say sorry but I can’t put him together again. It was something that a nice person once did for me, when I was being a bratty child, and I was given a boiled egg and toast instead of the pancake and syrup that I wanted.

  I eat my baby breakfast, and thoroughly enjoy it too, but as I stare into the cold coffee I remember the times when I felt so loved, and part of a family. A brief few weeks in twenty-five years, and the only happy things I remember are the times sat at their table for breakfast, which is something I have to thank Maria and Hugh Humphries for, for all the times they were being nice and kind to a bratty kid. Damn I need to get a life because this one’s fucking depressing. The girl nudges my arm and apologises, but then asks me if I could possibly move to the reading room.

  We talk small talk, about the seemingly bratty Isabella, as she clears away the remnants of breakfast, smiling and speaking that sing song talk as she does. I take a call from Mel and have to leave. As I do, I thank her and ask her to join me for breakfast tomorrow. I know she won’t be able to, as she will be working, but I will ask about and find out who she is, and take her for coffee. I nearly fall over a stack of chairs waiting to come in as I continue to look at her and that jet black plait, which is right down her back, she has something stirring in me, and nope the trouser section is all calm, it’s my heart that’s beating, what the hell is wrong with me?

  “Mel, what can I do for you? Have you broken my jet?”

  “No, I’m calling to ask you how are the Humphries?”

  “Fine I think? I’m having lunch with Luis at the Hooters bar here.”

  “There’s a surprise, did you get your present, as I had it sent to the hotel? Watch, the girls in those owl tee shirts, tip well and don’t take one home.”

  “Umm, okay tip them over and take one home, just one not two?”

  “Christopher, I’m gonna tell Grandma, you’re being a naughty boy.” I’m down here, remember that brother dear.” Shit, those two will gang up on me again.

  “Right I got it, no partying with the Hooter Babes and tip well. What do you recommend I have to eat?”

  “I have their beef sliders and a chopped Cobb salad I have to be going, ask behind the front desk, your present was signed for this morning Bro, love you big brother.”

  “How much longer do you need the jet for?”

  “Two days?” I sigh.

  “Open up with the request next time alright? But three days is all I can spare, as I need it here, or I’m on the commercial flight to Australia.” She says goodbye and I head to reception.

  “You have a package for Christopher Holland?” She smiles and passes me the Jiffy Bag, and I head to my room to catch up on work, on the way to the lift, I see Miss Brown.

  “Argh just the lady I need to see. The girl waiting on the next table to me, she was very kind to me what was she called as she didn’t have a name badge on?”

  “Umm, what, no, err yes Estella, a temporary worker, sorry, can’t stop I have a million things to do.”

  “Estella, does she have a second name?”

  “No, well, yes, but I don’t know it, she’s still in the dining room go ask her yourself, she will be there all day too.” I smile and say thanks. As I get in the lift, Hugh is coming out.

  “Christopher my boy, you’re here, well of course you’re here, why are you not in the family suite?”

  “I am busy working all the hours on this deal, the time differences mean I’m shouting on the phone a lot to Australia, in the middle of the night. I’m fine in the suite I have and this way I’m not disturbing you all. I’m going out for lunch with Luis, are you coming too?”

  “No, no, God no, my Hooter days have passed me long ago.” I laugh he’s so not like my father. “How is the old man then, did he get over his heart attack okay?”

  “Yeah, shocked the hell outta me can tell you.”

  “Why was it bad?”

  “No, that they actually found he had a heart I thought it was just a cash register and an inflow valve for whiskey.” He laughed.

  “Now then, be kind. I know you love your father Christopher, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “I’m here for you and Bella, he had his five minutes’ yesterday. I’m to talk you into selling your hotels and get him the Eller Group.”

  “Mine aren’t for sale and he knows it, the Eller groups in a mess so he needs to sell. Damien was turned down yesterday for another loan, that much I can tell you. He’s in a personal mess too, and the hotels need a lot of work, as he’s been lapsed in their up keep.” I sigh, because ‘Dad the Destroyer’ is not buying them to keep them running.

  “He doesn’t want to keep them open, he wants to knock them down, and ten are next to his hotels, ripe for the extending his already massive Empire Hotels.”

  “Argh well, then you make an offer and he will bite your hand off, but mine are never being knocked down, they turn a nice profit and I’m still fit enough to run the company. It’s just a pity the kids aren’t following in my footsteps, but I still have hopes of making Bella change her mind, she has a gift for it, but her hearts into design and architecture, and her damn horses.”

  “She likes horses? She’s a girl after my own heart. I was just thinking she was five when I saw her the last time.”

  “Time flies alright. I remember her coming home from hospital you seemed very taken with her way back then, what was it you called her, yes that’s right your nearly twin sister, because she was born on your birthday? You and she did get on or rather she didn’t run and hide as much when you were around playing with Luis? Argh, but what’s not to like, she was and still is as cute as a button, and now wow I’m standing watch with a gun, or rather her security do. Well, there’s work to be done, and apparently, Miss Brown’s looking for me?”

  “She’s by reception having a heart attack.”

  “I knew we should have had the picnic Bella wanted in the paddock at home. She’s only doing this for Maria, this is her grandiose affair, and my poor Bella would make do with the Cheesecake Factory delivering to her room.” Man hugs given and I sigh, yes, it has been too long.

  “See you later Hugh.”

  “You bet, get those glad rags on this may be the only party she lets us throw for a while.” I smile and head in the lift.

  I spend three hours arguing the toss with Australia about mining rights and land rights of the Aboriginals, which this fella wants to ride slipshod over and it is something that is never happening on my watch. Luis lets himself in, and I point to the sofa, as I rip the team leader a new one. These petty nit picking problems will slow down the opening of another seam, and as I rattle of my instructions for the elders to have all their requests met, as it’s their damn land, because they know their stuff, and in return for their knowledge, I have gifted back the land that is of importance to them, as a sign of my good faith. This bastard is undermining my good name and work in my absence, and I let him have it. Luis laughs as I finally finish and slam down the laptop lid.

  “Damn, that was epic. Rant like that much, do you?”

  “That chat has saved me a million in wasted trips into the back of beyond, and fees that don’t need to be paying, Iron ore I know about, but hitting Gold at the new place was a bit of a bonus.”

  “Lookout, Mr Meg-lo-maniac is in town. Anyway, are you still in the mood for Hooters Ville then?”

  “Yeah count me in, I need food and beer.” I grab my wallet.

  “You don’t need to get laid then?” Luis gives me the wink as he asks.

  “I don’t always need it, no, but if the opportunity presents itself, I don’t often refuse, unlike you, who never refuses.” I counter.

  “I know it was a stupid question Chris really stupid, come on t
here’s a girl with an owl on her titty, just waiting for me to call her name.” I laugh as he slaps my back.

  “Mature Luis, real mature.”

  “I am younger than you, old man, oh here, a gift.”

  “Why thank you what is it?” I open it and smile. Wow, he really is an ass.

  “Well what to buy the guy who has everything, but, now wait for it, it’s the must have, gold condom box, filled with extra small condoms, none the less.” Of course it is. “Did you get anything else as useful as those?”

  “I got this from Jameson and Glenda.” I show him the watch and chain and which now has got pride of place in my pocket. “This is, well I don’t know what from Mel.”

  I open the Jiffy Bag and a wrapped present falls out, as I unwrap it I see a beautiful pair of jet cufflinks, the black stones shine and there’s a cute note, ‘What to get for the man who has everything? It’s becoming harder and harder, but a little piggy tells me you lost the last lot of cufflinks, when a certain Miss Sheila Piglet ate them. Happy birthday Bro love you loads x’ Sweet, I did lose them or rather her piglet ate them and I ain’t searching through ten ton of mud for a gift my father once bought me.

  “Nice, how is Mel?” He smiled as he asked me about her, no hook up with my sister in a while Luis? I keep their secret.

  “Fine and cheers for hitting on my little sister, she explained the bruises you got back in the day, fancy hitting on her whilst paint balling.”

  “Old news, she was, I thought into women and I may have hit her titty one too many times.” No, I know my sister is into men, because she is a little like me, in fact Jameson says she is the female equivalent of me, a love ‘em and leave ‘em woman. “Enough talk of sisters, we need beers and boobs.”

  “Talking about sisters, I can’t believe yours is sixteen, she was five the last time I saw her. What’s she like and has she changed a lot?”

  “She’s brilliant, but she’s a shy girl, she prefers her horses to people, she is really smart and studious, she could be anything she wants and do anything she wants with her life. She’s damned older than me in her head and she’s sassy, she hates having the spooks watch us and err yeah Dad sleeps with a shot gun by his bed, she’s a bit of a looker alright, she’s so beautiful inside and out, I mean really stunning. I still think of her as my annoying Bella Pooh, my stinky baby sister, but hell she could be a model, she is that beautiful, and yes even without makeup. She was approached to do modelling in London and told them no, so yeah, we look out for her, not that she’s into men or boys, but hell when she is Dad’s ready with that there shot gun.”

  I should have gone over more to London, but I’d spent a lot of time with Mel, and had my family time with her, on skiing holidays and diving holidays, even spending time in Mexico with my grandmother. We both were shipped off to separate boarding schools and were the only two of the eight of Dad’s kids that actually got on. When we did get together, we made up for it, by having a ball.

  “Talking of lookers, who was the girl doing breakfast this morning, Estella I think the woman said she was called?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t go down for food, either Mum makes it or I call down for room service. This place is wall to wall titty.” He headed for the door. “We’re missing drinking time.”

  “What are you doing now Luis?”

  “I am interning at a place in New York, for a couple of years, it deals with all Dad’s legal stuff. I figured I can’t be as good at him at running them, but I can help with the legal stuff. Rachel does the interiors for them, so we sort of try to help in our own way, I think Dad was sort of hoping one of us would take over, he’s still hoping Bella will. She’s damn good at the ordering around and even working wherever they put her, she has her heart set on studying architecture at a university in Germany.

  She has been told she has a natural eye for the design and this new concept thing she does. She is so good at the art thing and her head is like, light years ahead. She loves the whole damn thing and yeah is really good. The stables she designed for home and Spain, were, and are state of the art, all for her horses too, shit they live like kings, enough about me and Bella, what about you Mr Mega Billionaire?”

  “Over exaggerated, I’m not there yet, but when this next seam is opened, probably. I’ve opened a massive foundry and processing plant too, but hell there’s still loads in the pipe work, as you know I have fingers in all sorts of pies, and with Gran gifting her hotels to me, I will have added hotel magnate to the list too. I swear I need my head examining, when is enough, just that enough?”

  “I guess when the enough doesn’t bring you joy anymore, or getting the enough becomes a chore? Don’t ask me I’m happy as I am I’m a ‘horses for courses’ kind of guy, dear chap.”

  “Horses, what horses does Bella have?”

  “What, I don’t know they are? They are tall, have great big teeth and poop a lot, two are brown, one is white and one looks like a patchwork thing, but her new one is a Mexican Azteca? Damned if I know, but she’s going to breed them in Spain, the new one is a dark brown foal? But I guess you’d know that crap, anyhow she stinks of horses ninety-nine percent of the time.”

  “I have an Aztec for ranch work and rodeos damn she has good taste in horses.”

  “I bought her a new saddle for the new demon, with her initials on the thing, she is damn sweet, have I told you how sweet she is?”

  I laugh as he starts to fall asleep at the bar after drinking a large liquid lunch, from where we nearly got thrown out, because Luis wanted to hoot on all the girls’ owls. Those sliders cost me a fortune, as the girls were tipped well and smiled as I carried him to the car. Next, we headed to the strip and hit a few more bars. Then as he finally insulted one man too people, I decided we’d had enough.

  “Wow, let’s get you back and sober you up. The party is in four hours.” I get him back to the hotel and drop him at his door, the maid lets him in and I tell her to pump him with strong coffee, I didn’t know he’d only flown in that night from London and was still jet lagged. I would have stopped here with him had I realised.

  I pop down to the dining room, but the girl has gone, and nobody knows her surname. Damn it, and for some strange reason she has me wondering why finding her matters, as I have never done the chasing before, shit am I doing the chasing now? I return to my room and grab an afternoon power nap, as all my work is done and I can’t and don’t want to disturb the Humphries as there were all manner of people in their rooms, as they are apparently getting ready for tonight, but that’s ages off.

  I get a phone call from Daddy Dearest and send it through to voice mail and though I’m really tempted to block his number, I simply mute my phone. I wake to a barrage of texts and voice mails basically, I’m an ungrateful bastard who better get him the hotels. I might just get them to piss him off, but buy them for myself and turn them into a chain of bargain hotels, like the ones they do in Europe. Nah, I’m happy with the few I do have in Mexico and Asia. I bathe, change and have a drink in my room. Luis knocks on the door and looks amazingly refreshed.

  “Cheers for getting me back I’ve been on drip fed coffee and am now back, and in the land of the living. I don’t know how I did it, one minute up and next minute out for the count.”

  “Not quite out for the count you harassed half, if not all the Hooter Girls, got up to pole dance in a very posh wine bar. Threw up in a pot plant in another, and then fell asleep, whilst talking to someone you thought looked like Wayne Newton, told him he needed to stop with the fake tan and Botox, then passed out in his lap, oh and it was Wayne Newton by the way, so I guess you’re off his Christmas card list.”

  “Shit, did we see Elvis too? I am never drinking again, well for a while anyway. Let’s get down, there’s about to be world war three in the suite, Dad isn’t happy with Bella’s dress, her makeup or her hair, and let’s not go there on the underwear, he wanted to sack Tanner, her poor protection officer for allowing her to buy the stuff, but Bella’s threate
ned not to have the protection if he fired her. Tanner was saved by an almighty tantrum and rant, as Daddy’s Girl won the battle, but that war is far from over.”

  “Baby Sisters do grow up. I have three, and they are a nightmare.”

  “I thought you had four?” Wow, he remembered?

  “I did, Sommer died of a drugs overdose at the end of summer last year, her body was found in a squat she was a mess and that was despite being offered and refusing the best counselling and support I could get her. She was already deeply disturbed and when her mum threw herself from the top of one of dad’s hotels at the start of summer to get his attention, after that she spiralled out of control fast, she was always troubled you know that, in fact I’d say she’s in a better place, but she isn’t and Dad? Well he didn’t even go to or pay for their funerals I did, and he is still being an ass with the others too. Anyway enough of that let’s get us a drink, and see if this Estella girl is there.”

  I had tried and there was only so much I could do to help poor Sommer, because if someone is hell bent on hiding away and ruining their lives you have to fess up and admit you can’t always help someone who doesn’t want help, and she didn’t. I had an intervention team all lined up and she hid out when she spotted me and later that week died, her mum was just as bad. I paid for hours of counselling and crap, gave her a nice home and still she jumped, leaving Sommer alone and already troubled. She was ruined by Dad, they both were and when Dad turned his back on them I feel on some level he felt some sadness, because that was the summer he changed, I did wonder if he had a heart and regretted what he did, he had the heart attach soon after and then turned into Howard-Fucking-Hughes. Luis is talking again I think he may have had too much coffee now.

  “What is it with this girl, you don’t chase after skirt?”

  “I know that’s what’s killing me I never have too.”

  “Did she give you the come on then, the old green light thing?”

  “No, far from it she was just sweet and nice and different, I can’t bloody explain the pull she had on me, and it seems she still does.”