Secrecy (Part 2)

The red-orange light of the sunset was slowly covered by purple, then black, as the night sky descended on the sea. The cries of the seagulls became drowned by the chirping of the crickets.

Vivi Willows breathed in deeply, savoring the salty, fresh air as it poured into her lungs. She liked sitting by the beach and watching the sunset after a long day. Twilight was her favorite time of the day. It was the only time when she could allow herself to rest and be calmed by the gentle waves on the beach.

It’s been five years since she decided to move back to Foxgrove with her little sister to be with their grandmother, who was already in her retirement age. The Chocolate Kiss was a family business, one that has been passed on for generations.

At first, Vivi never wanted to inherit the business. She wanted to live a glamorous life that the island couldn’t give her. It was the reason why she begged her parents to let her move to the capital. She thought she could escape the fate of being tied to the island. Little did she expect that she would return voluntarily.

Since the death of her parents, Vivi took it upon herself to manage the inn and the cafe alongside her grandmother. By then, the once prosperous inn had been eclipsed by the towering buildings of modern hotels and resorts.

At the thought of her parents, Vivi’s hand automatically went up to her collarbone where a foxtail necklace with a blue gem pendant rests.

The light shone on the lamppost beside her. It was a signal that her break was over. She still has a few more tasks to finish before she can get off work.

She stood up and stretched her arms up to the sky, taking in one last breath of the salty air before heading towards the main building.

She passed by Cottage 2 on the way back and saw that its lights were on. The people at the front desk did tell her that they have a new guest. And a VIP at that.

The handheld CB radio that hung on her waist buzzed, followed by an old woman’s voice.

“Vivi, where are you?”

“I was just by the beach but I’m already on my way back.”

“We need your help in the kitchen.”

“Got it.”

She picked up her pace and walked briskly to the main building.

---------------------------

“Please deliver these to Cottage 2.”

Vivi stared at the basket of food that one of their senior staff members, Elena, was handing over. “Where are the boys? Why can’t they do it?” 

Room service delivery was usually handled by the younger male staff.

Elena pulled her hand and placed it around the basket’s handle. “It’s for the VIP guest. Your grandma wants to ensure that we give them the best service we could offer. And no one could do it better than you.”

Vivi gave an exasperated sigh. “That old woman really works me hard.”

Elena chuckled.

“I need a raise, Elena. Tell her for me.”

“Why can’t you ask her?”

Vivi wrinkled her nose. “That old woman would simply talk her way out if I do it. At least she listens to you.”

“Alright, I’ll try to talk to her. Now you better get going or you will be late.”

“Can’t leave a bad impression on the VIP on our first day.” Vivi straightened herself and walked down the path to Cottage 2.

She wondered what kind of person their VIP was. It was rare for them to receive such guests in the inn, as most of the rich individuals prefer to stay at the high-class resorts on the west side of the island.

She guessed the VIP would probably be some old man or woman, someone who had visited the island years ago and was used to staying in the inn. But she was fairly familiar with the inn’s regular patrons and she would automatically be informed of their visit.

The guest at Cottage 2 had piqued her curiosity. Perhaps it was someone who wanted to stay anonymous? Obviously.

She knocked on the door. “Room service.”

There was no answer, but she wasn’t really expecting one. The instructions were to enter the cottage and place the food on the dining table. Not standard procedure, but doable.

She took out her master key and opened the door. 

Quietly, she walked to the dining table. She began to understand why her grandmother insisted on making her deliver the food. If the guest wanted them to enter the cottage, then there was no one else her grandmother could trust more than her to maintain the security of their guests.

She took the items out of the basket one by one, careful not to make a sound. Thinking about the importance her grandmother had placed in their guest, she decided to also arrange the table setting. She saw from a quick glance in the foyer that there was only one pair of sneakers, hence she surmised that there was only one guest. Besides, judging by the amount of food she laid on the table, there was only enough for one person.

She was backing away to admire the work she had done when she suddenly bumped into something. She quickly turned around, but got outbalanced in her haste and tipped backwards.

In a split second, she felt a hand grip her arm and pulled her. Looking up, she was greeted by a pair of dark brown eyes. It took a moment for her to realize that she had seen that pair of eyes earlier that day, when she served lunch to a pair of men at the cafe. They had made eye contact.

“Are you okay?” His voice only confirmed her thoughts.

“I’m fi-” She stopped.

She had instinctively placed her hands in front of her when he had pulled her. So why was it that she felt bare skin on her palm?

She trailed her eyes downward and realized that the man was half-naked. She was touching his bare chest!

She gasped and pushed him away. She could feel her cheeks burning.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to touch your...” What in the world is she saying?! 

She bowed in apology, not trusting herself to speak anymore. But then she realized something even worse. He was only wearing a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body!

She prayed to the gods for the ground to swallow her up right at that instant.

“It’s alright. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head and took a step back. “I’ll be going now, sir. Enjoy your meal.”

Leo watched as she quickly turned on her heels and fled, an amused smile playing on his lips.