by Leisa Rayven
"Ready to see your new home for the next few weeks?" Luis asks with a smile as we pull up near the giant front door.
"Sure," I say. My trip has been already so full of unbelievable experiences, might as well add another one to the list.
···
Jesus Harold Christ. You've got to be kidding me.
"Senhorita?"
When I was growing up, I'd often flick through Mom's copies of Home Beautiful. Every time I read the features on the homes of the rich and famous, I couldn't believe the amount of opulence with which some people lived.
"Senhorita Holt?"
Every one of those millionaire playgrounds looked like fixer-uppers compared to this place, with its open plan layout and floating wooden staircases. The entire front of the building is plate glass to make the most of the stunning ocean views. The decor is contemporary but comfortable, and it feels so familiar, I wonder if I’ve seen pictures of it before.
"Senhorita." A warm hand touches my arm, and I turn to see Luis's wife, Alba. She was waiting when we entered the house, and is now staring at me in concern. "You've been standing still for a while. Are you all right?"
I nod. "Sorry, Alba. Just trying to take everything in."
"You like the house?"
"Very much."
"Mr. Quinn thought you would. I can give you a tour if you'd like."
"Sure."
Over the next fifteen minutes, Alba shows me through the house as she highlights all of the features, including a state-of-the-art entertainment system, the well-stocked library, a massive sandstone balcony, complete with pool, and a gourmet kitchen that would make my mother scream in delight.
When she shows me upstairs into the main bedroom, I'm speechless. In the middle of the room is the largest four post bed I've ever seen, but unlike the heavy wooden versions I'm used to, this one is made of laser cut metal, so the posts look as though they're made of shiny 3-D lace. It's beyond beautiful.
"Wow."
Luis brings in my luggage and sets it by the foot of the bed. "Would you like us to unpack for you, Miss Holt?"
"Uh, no. That's fine, Luis. I can do it myself." The mere thought of anyone seeing the sheer volume of lingerie in my suitcase gives me cold sweats. They'd think I was some sort of sex maniac. I mean, it's true in regards to Liam, but no one needs to know that.
"If there's nothing else you need," Luis says, "we'll leave you to relax."
I go to give them both a cash tip, but Alba waves me away. "No need, Senhorita. Mr. Liam has taken care of everything."
"So it seems. Do you know when he might be arriving?"
They share a look. Then Luis pulls an envelope from his jacket and hands it to me. "Perhaps this will explain."
They both smile before taking their leave. When they're gone, I open the letter.
Darling Liss,
By now I'm sure you've already had a tour of the house and island. I hope you like it. When I think that we're going to be alone together with no one pointing, staring, or taking our picture for a whole month, I get stupidly excited. Total and absolute privacy is the only gift I want this Christmas. Screw the usual presents. Being with you is all I need. I hope it's okay that I've organized to have my gift a little early.
If everything goes to plan, I'll arrive on the island just before dinner tonight. So relax, have lunch, get Luis to show you the waterfall and have a swim. I'll be there soon, and goddammit, sweetheart, I can't wait to see you.
All my love,
Liam x
PS. Did you see the size of that bed?
Oh, the things I'm going to do to you on that thing.
I smile and flop back onto the feather-soft duvet. He'll be here soon. Thank God. The wait is almost over.
···
After having a shower to freshen up, I slip into one of the new bikinis I bought especially for the trip. Even though I could count on one hand the amount of times I've worn any sort of bathing suit, I'm surprised how comfortable this one feels, despite it being on the skimpy side.
I cover up with a floaty sarong tied around my neck before heading down to the main living area. Alba is in the giant kitchen, cooking something that smells delicious on the fancy glass cooktop.
"Perfect timing, Miss Elissa. Lunch is ready."
"You didn't have to do that, Alba."
"Oh, it was no trouble. Plus, Mr. Quinn didn't hire me just for my pretty face. I love to cook."
She turns off the stove and spoons a steaming dish of meat and vegetables onto a waiting bed of rice. "This is called feijoada. It is popular in Brazil and my husband's favorite."
I perch on one of the stools that sit along the front of the massive marble island as Alba places the plate in front of me.
"It smells fantastic."
She smiles before turning away to clean up.
Turns out, it tastes even better than it looks, and I try to act like a lady while I shovel it into my mouth. I don’t think I fool Alba for a second, and she gives me a warm smile as she washes the dirty pan.
"Will you go to the beach after lunch? It's a beautiful day."
"Actually, Liam said I should check out the waterfall. Is it far?"
The pan slips from Alba's hands and hits the edge of the sink with a loud bang. When she looks over at me, she looks a little pale. "No. It isn't far. Luis can take you."
"Oh, I'm sure I can find it by myself if you point me in the right direction."
She picks up the pan and continues to wash it. "You should not go by yourself. There are wild creatures on the island. Best to have someone with you."
Wild creatures? What, like lions? And tigers? And bears? Oh, my ...
When Luis walks in, Alba has a hushed conversation with him in Portuguese. Whatever she says, Luis seems to reassure her. Then she smiles at him before coming over to collect my empty plate.
"Thank you, Alba."
"You're welcome, Miss Elissa."
"So," Luis says as he leans against the bench. "Alba tells me you'd like to see the waterfall."
"Yes, as long as that's okay. If you’ve got something else to do, I could—"
Luis raises his hand to cut me off. "My only concern is taking care of you, Miss Holt. Would you like to go now?"
"Sure."
Before we can leave, Alba takes a canvas beach bag from a nearby closet and hands it to me. "This contains a towel, hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. The bug repellent is most important. Many mosquitoes in the rain forest."
I take it from her and give her a smile. "Thanks, Mom."
She laughs as Luis and I head out the door to the waiting jeep.
···
Dense foliage whips by on both sides of the jeep as Luis speeds through the forest. Heeding Alba's warning, I concentrate on rubbing thick bug repellent all over myself.
"Is there something wrong with the waterfall?" I ask.
He looks confused. "No. Why?"
"I just got the impression Alba didn't want me going there."
He chuckles. "My lovely wife listens to too many ghost stories, and she believes the waterfall is cursed."
"A cursed house and a cursed waterfall? Wow. No wonder Liam got this place for a song."
Luis laughs again. "Well, if you believe my wife, the waterfall is the source of the evil spirits who haunt the house. You see, this island has not always been so idyllic. Many years ago, it was the home of a particularly brutal tribe who believed their god would only keep them safe if they offered human sacrifices. There's a large stone altar near the waterfall, and legends tell us that was where the sacrifices took place."
"You don't believe it?"
"Oh, I do. When the Sultan bought the island, they cleared nearly a hundred sets of human remains from the area. I just don't believe that means it's cursed. But then again, my wife has a far better imagination than I. When workers were building the Sultan's mansion, they claim to have seen something in the jungle they called, Espírito Vingativo, or The Vengeful Spirit. They swore it
sabotaged them on several occasions by moving their work tools or interfering with machinery." He gives me a quick glance. "Do you believe in these superstitions, Miss Holt?"
I shrug. "Not really. The only superstition I believe in is something called the ghostlight. You see, in most theaters, the stage managers leave a tall lamp in the middle of the stage when everyone goes home for the night. Some people think it's just for safety to stop people crossing a pitch black stage and plummeting into the orchestra pit. But a lot of theater folk believe that theaters are haunted, and the ghostlight allows the spirits to perform while no one is there. They think if the ghosts are happy, they won't cause accidents in the theater."
"Do you think that's true?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. But I still put a ghostlight on every night when I'm running a show. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"
He smiles. "Right."
We turn off the road and head down a dirt track, and it's not long before I hear the sound of running water. As the car emerges from the forest canopy, I get my first look at the sapphire-blue lake I saw from the air.
"Wow. It's gorgeous."
Luis pulls the car over and cuts the engine. "Yes, it's a beautiful spot."
In front of us is a white beach, and on the opposite side of the circular lake is a tall, basalt cliff, over which is spilling a stunning waterfall. The lake is crystal clear, and I can't wait to see if it feels as good as it looks.
Luis leads me down to where a luxurious 'beach hut' sits by the water. By this point, I'm completely unsurprised to discover it's the size of a small house.
"There are drinks and snacks in the fridge here," he says as he opens the French doors to a spacious living area. "And also a full bathroom with spa. If you need me, just lift the handset over there and press the button. It will come straight to my phone."
"Thank you, Luis." I look around at the dark border of forest that surrounds the lake. "Alba said there were dangerous creatures here. Is that true?"
Luis shakes his head. "Not to my knowledge, and I've covered every square inch of this island over the past few months. There are some monkeys, the odd pygmy boar, and a whole bunch of reptiles, but nothing that should give you any trouble. Most of them will run a mile if they see you."
"Okay, cool. Just as long as there are no Elissa-eating jaguars or anything."
"Oh, there were a few of those,” he says with a smile. “But I made sure to banish them before you arrived. You’ll be perfectly safe.” He points to the hut's phone. "When you get bored, just buzz me and I'll come pick you up."
"Will do."
He waves before jumping into the jeep and driving away.
I have a quick snoop around the hut, and after uncapping an ice-cold cola, I discover a small library of books.
"Excellent."
I grab a random book and take my drink and bag out to the beach. The heat of the sun isn't too bad, so I ditch my sarong, spread out my towel, and make myself comfortable.
Sitting in the sun is a bizarre experience for someone who spends most of her time in the dark. Even though I'm a semi-vampiric New Yorker, I could get used to this.
I'm five chapters into a terrible book about a zombie apocalypse when I hear a noise behind me in the trees. When I turn to find out what made it, I see a clutch of long-limbed monkeys studying me from high in the canopy.
"Hey, guys. Wassup?" They blink at me. God, they're cute. "FYI, avoid this book. It's terrible. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to totally keep reading it, but get ready for some ranting, okay? The author has zero clue about how to fight zombies. Total idiot."
More wide-eyed blinking.
"Okay, good talk. I'm going to have a swim now. Watch my stuff for me, alright?"
I drop my book and walk down to the water. Without thinking too much, I run and dive in. The cool temperature is a shock to the system after the warm sun, but at least it's refreshing. Feeling energized, I swim out into the center of the lake. Even out here, the water is so clear, I can see fish below me, as well as crabs and rocks on the sandy bottom.
In awe of the incredible location, I lie back and float for a while, enjoying my first real tropical experience. I'm just bummed I'm not sharing it with Liam. I pray the time passes quickly until he arrives.
After a few minutes of floating, the sound of the waterfall lulls me into dozing, and I close my eyes as all my limbs relax.
Balancing on the edge of consciousness, I lose track of time. When I open my eyes again, the sun is lower in the sky and has been dulled by a bank of dark clouds on the horizon.
"Okay, that doesn't look good."
I swim back to the beach and grab my towel. As I'm drying myself, I see that the monkeys are still in their spot, staring at me. I also notice my book and drink are missing.
"Alright, who's the thief?" I wrap my towel around my chest and head toward them. "I asked you to watch my stuff, and you steal it. Not cool, guys." They watch warily as I approach. "You can keep the drink, but how about you give back the book? I have to see how that train wreck ends, okay?"
Looking up at them, I can't see any evidence of my stuff. Maybe they dropped it.
I scour the ground before going farther into the forest to see if it's in the undergrowth. I've only gone a few yards when I see a break in the trees. It's a clearing, and smack bang in the middle is a huge piece of rectangular stone.
"Oh, wow. Could that be the creepy death altar? I think so."
I walk over to examine it. The top is smooth, almost glassy, and there's an indentation leading off one side.
"Probably to drain all the blood," I whisper to myself like a total creeper. I've always been fascinated with the macabre. Guess that's what comes from reading a crapload of Stephen King and Dean Koontz while I was growing up.
I run my hand over the surface. It's cold, but the temperature isn't what makes me shiver. I'm tracing my fingers over the blood channel when I hear a noise over to my right. I look up into the trees to see if my friendly neighborhood spider monkeys have followed me, but the canopy is empty. Then, I hear the noise again and realize it's not coming from above.
My breath catches in my throat when I catch a glimpse of what seems to be a figure standing there, watching me, half obscured by a tree.
"Luis?"
There's only the outline of a head, but even in the dim light I know it's not Luis.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "Whoever you are, I'm warning you, I've been trained to kill a man with my bare hands." Well, I've been trained to punch a man in the balls with deadly force, at least. Liam didn't get to the part where he transformed me into a walking weapon.
There's a hooting sound right above my head, and I glance up to see the monkeys also staring toward the mysterious figure. When I glance back, there's nothing there.
"Lost tourist?" I whisper to myself. "Or vengeful spirit?" Okay, that's too scary to contemplate, even for me.
With a tight whimper, I take off toward the beach as fast as I can, which isn't terribly fast considering my main form of exercise is walking to the fridge to get cheese.
I'm pushing through the last patch of bushes on the edge of the beach when a strong hand grabs my arm.
I scream and turn to see Luis's concerned face. "Miss Holt? Are you all right?"
"Luis! Were you just over near the altar?"
"No. There's a storm on the way, so I thought I should come get you. Why?"
"Nothing. I thought I saw someone in the forest."
He looks to where I've come from and frowns. "Well, we're the only people on the island right now, so I doubt it." He turns back to me. "Perhaps we shouldn't mention this to Alba. If she thinks you saw Espírito Vingativo, I'd never hear the end of it.” He pats my shoulder. “I'm sure you just saw a shadow. Sometimes the light plays tricks with our eyes in the jungle."
"Yeah, I guess."
As I go back to the beach and grab my towel and bag, there's a rumble of thunder from the dark clouds closing in
on the island. "Sure. A shadow. That's all it was. No problem."
Except shadows don't disappear when they realize they've been seen.
···
By the time I finish up dinner, torrential rain is pelting the plate-glass windows as lightning carves up the sky.
"Maybe you should stay here tonight," I suggest as Alba cleans up. "You're going to get drenched if you try to go home in this."
"Oh, I'll be fine. My Luis will be here soon. He'll take good care of me."
We both jump when the back door bangs open, and Luis appears in head-to-toe rain gear. He looks like Captain Nemo if he'd still been on deck when the Nautilus submerged.
He slams the door behind him and stands in the back hallway, dripping onto the tiles. "Okay, so ... it's raining."
Alma laughs. "Really? We hadn't noticed. I'm almost ready to go."
"Actually, I came early to give Miss Holt some bad news." He looks at me with a regretful expression. "I was meant to pick up Mr. Quinn from the mainland an hour ago, but because of this weather, the helicopter is grounded until it passes. I'm sorry."
My heart sinks. "Have you spoken to Liam?"
"No. I tried to call, but I can't get through. As soon as the storm dies down, I'll try again. It seems we won't be able to collect him until tomorrow."
I sigh. Of course this would happen. We haven't seen each other for a quarter of a year, so it's not like I'm dying of anticipation or anything.
Goddammit.
I take a giant mouthful of wine and swallow, hard. "It's not your fault, Luis. Thanks for letting me know."
"No problem. If I find out more, I'll call you."
"Thanks."
I feel deflated. I thought I'd finally be going to bed wrapped around my gorgeous man, but it seems I'm soloing it, yet again. God, I'm so tired of sleeping alone.
After Alba and Luis leave, I grab my wine, head upstairs, and go into the obscenely large bathroom to run myself a bath. Might as well make the most of my alone time. I dig through the cabinets to find bath salts and candles, and when the tub is full, I strip off and sink beneath the bubbles. It feels so good, I moan.
As the warm water relaxes my muscles, I close my eyes and listen to the storm raging outside. Knowing my luck, this stupid weather will set in for days, leaving Liam stranded on the mainland for God knows how long.