CHAPTER 3: The Villa

       Celine should barely realize the time when she found herself in the stranger’s room, a small and simplistically decorated villa similar to the style of its owner.

         He told her his name was Martin and that I should shower to wash off the seawater. Soon after, one simple white t-shirt and short trousers were handed to her. The clothes were clean; they smelled like a morning in summer.

         He seemed to be a man of modest means and talked only when necessary. To her, the silence was unbearable, but she didn’t know what she should talk to him about.

         “How long will you stay on this island? When do you plan to go back?” He asked as soon as he saw her come out of the bathroom. She dried her hair with his gray towel while answering.

         “Err, two weeks. I planned for a long holiday.” She answered softly. The initial plan of a spontaneous trip alone was more appealing before now when she was alone with only a stranger whom she took a shot at trusting to turn to and depend on.

         “Which hotel will you be staying at after this?”

       Whoa… Isn’t that too soon to ask me this? I just got robbed. I don’t have any time to catch my breath, let alone plan.

         “Martin… hmmm… Sir, I only knew less than half an hour ago that all my things were stolen and I have to change the place I stay. Can’t you just give me more time to think?”

         “One hour and a half.”

         “Huh?” She looked at him quizzically.

         “I don’t know precisely how your watch keeps track of time. Since we left the hotel, you spent one whole hour complaining to me about what happened and another half an hour showering.” He again turned indifferent and said it frankly.

         “….” Celine could only blink after she heard his explanation.

         “I could only imagine that you spent your time either lost in your thought during showering or in complaining to me. My apologies if I said anything untrue to reality.” He nodded his head slightly as a small gesture of apology. Celine stood still. She was speechless.

         “Anyways, if you haven’t thought about where you will be staying, there is a hotel nearby, they should have one or two room vacancies. If you are ready, let’s go and ask them?”

         Once she heard his suggestion, she simply nodded her head, her eyes shined with hope, the gesture similar to the time her papa gave her a snack when she was a kid. In a blink of an eye, she thought she saw him smile faintly. Could the man really be capable of smiling?

         She walked awkwardly beside him. Because she was not used to the clothes, she was wearing and losing half of her confidence. Not being able to wear the clothes she had just bought was unthinkable. She was furious again at that idea.

         She frowned and followed behind Martin. There was nothing much she could do at this point. At least today, if she gets a new hotel, she can relax in the room and maybe take a hot bath to forget all this disastrous day. She could go shopping tomorrow and buy new sets of clothes. She was lucky to still have credit cards.

         These five credit cards had saved her life countless times. Once she heard that this new hotel accepts credit cards, she smiled with glee. She handed her favorite card to the hotel receptionist after inquiring about available rooms. But something unexpected happened.

“Madam, your credit card is declined.” A handsome olive skin receptionist told her and inquired about another card and payment options.

What? That’s impossible. Just impossible!

“Err…try this one?” She handed him another card.

This one was also declined.

Another one… Also declined.

Another one… She barely used this one… Also declined.

What the hell is this?

She was busy trying to pull out all the cards she had. But it didn't work... the five cards... her five knights that had been through the thick and thin of life together in every season. This time... nothing worked.

She instinctively buried her face against the marble counter and covered her face with her hands. Celine wanted to scream, and she wished more than anything that all this nightmare would end. But she knew full well it was impossible.

Suddenly, she thought of her father. She picked up her phone to call her papa. She hoped he could help her explain the reason for the credit card declined incident because, in fact, all these cards belonged to him.

Once she looked at her phone, one message caught her eye. A message from her dearest papa, but what he wrote was something strange and long.

“I got multiple notifications that you spent almost a hundred pounds in one day. My lovely Celine, this spending spree of yours is the most unadorable habit yet. I propose that the first step of adulthood is reasonable frugality and money management. To impose the change in your character, I have temporary freeze all your credit cards for one month. I believe the cash I gave you in your account should be sufficient. Much love. And oh, your mother and I will go on a ten-day silent meditation retreat. No electronic devices are allowed. You can contact my secretary for anything urgent.” And he ended with multiple heart emojis.

Oh my, papa, I will not have a roof over my head, didn’t you know that? There was no need to freeze my cards at all!

Celine started to unfeelingly bang her head on the marble counter as if in a trance. She didn’t care about the hotel staff staring in confusion.

She couldn’t contact her papa. And she didn’t want to contact his secretaries, they would help, but of course, there will be some panic. She couldn’t predict what they would tell her papa. He will be mad for sure, and he might not allow her to go out on her own again. This will not be good for her in the long run.

Maybe she could get a small concussion that totally numbs her, or she could tease out some impossible ideas of how to proceed with her life from this point. Suddenly, she ceased all movement; her forehead still rested on the cold marble surface, then the first sight she turned to after she lifted her head was looking for him.

“Martin…” She confronted the quiet man she had just met today, calling his name softly. He was reading a newspaper while waiting for her in the hotel lobby.

“Yes?” He was being so attentive to the news that he didn’t hear all the commotions at the counter. He raised his brows questioningly, put down the newspaper, and walked closer.

“My credit cards have been suspended… I have no cash on me. I don’t know where the ATM is, and it’s already dark outside. I have no money to pay for the hotel.” She explained in a pleading voice. She studied him as his eyes began to close as if to process what she had just said.

She furrowed her brows and tried to come up with what to say. There is no room for much dignity because she had no choice. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all.

“Would you allow me to stay with you for two weeks? Please, please!"