of affection he gave her made Angelique even more keen to find the special one for her. She missed the tenderness of romance, but not the gut-wrenching agony when it all fell apart. Hell no, not again. This time she was in it for the long haul.
“Mostly everything’s organized,” Atreus said to Carla. “Just the final details to wrap up.”
“When are you guys leaving?” Angelique asked over Carla’s excited squeals. She was wondering how long she had to catch Theo’s eye, and how long she had left to make her choice.
Since Atreus’ ex-wife Serene and her lover Nikolas were due to take possession of Atreus’ Bahamian paradise, Little Ekali, he’d told all his staff they could choose redundancy with a handsome pay off, or to continue working for him in another capacity.
“A week or so,” said Atreus.
“Are you still thinking of coming with us?” Carla asked, winding her arms around Atreus’ waist.
Angelique twisted at a braid. “I’m not sure.”
As much as she loved being with Carla, her new found friend, and Atreus and Dios, a new, wild idea was forming in her head without her permission. She’d told herself it was too bizarre, too outlandish to become a reality, but it haunted her like a ghost and kept her up at night. She knew her soul would give her no rest if she followed them to Scotland as they started what would become the flagship of the newly formed Kostas Hotels brand.
She imagined the freezing cold her colleague Peterson had told her about when he’d gone to visit his father in New York. She couldn’t even begin to imagine it, having lived in the Bahamas every day of her twenty-four years.
“I … I kind of had an idea,” she said, turning away. She was so used to feeling confident, but she suddenly felt it all drain away.
“Shoot,” Atreus said, crossing back over to his papers.
Carla followed and snuggled up next to him, leaning her head on his strong shoulder.
“Promise you won’t laugh,” Angelique said. The uncertainty in her own voice sounded strange even to her own ears.
Carla gave her a withering look—the kind only true friends can share.
“Okay,” Angelique said. “My crazy idea is that, for the Kostas Hotel brand, we could do a spa retreat kind of hotel. Somewhere like where I come from, natural, you know?”
They both nodded and smiled, which empowered her to find some momentum.
“Like where there’s clear sea, good beach, some jungle, rivers, waterfall, birds singing, all that kind of thing. I really want people to be able to come there and relax. Relax like the world doesn’t even exist. Somewhere you can’t hear cars or clubs or anything like that,” she continued excitedly.
“That sounds incredible,” said Carla.
“Imagine they wake up in the morning,” Angelique said, now gesturing and pacing the room, “and all they can see from the window is nature. Flowers, the ocean, white sand. Then the staff brings them fresh food grown right there—organic, of course. Then they have all kind of massages or spa treatments, or go to the pool, chill out on the beach, whatever they want. A haven away from the whole world. Like paradise itself.”
“You’ve sold me,” said Atreus.
“I see it kind of like Little Ekali,” Angelique continued. “But more intimate. Greenheart cottages that open their doors right onto a white, sandy beach. Flowers and fruit trees everywhere.”
“Let’s do it,” said Carla, with such decisiveness that Atreus rocked back from her in surprise and Angelique felt her heart would burst.
“What about Scotland?” Atreus asked.
“We’ll still go,” Carla said. “Scotland will be the first, this one the next. How about it?”
“I like that,” said Atreus, then turned to Angelique. “Where were you thinking of? Bahamas?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve always wanted to visit St Lucia. Dominica is called the Nature Isle, so that might be worth looking into. Or Nevis, or Anguilla, or Guadeloupe. Or even
“Mostly everything’s organized,” Atreus said to Carla. “Just the final details to wrap up.”
“When are you guys leaving?” Angelique asked over Carla’s excited squeals. She was wondering how long she had to catch Theo’s eye, and how long she had left to make her choice.
Since Atreus’ ex-wife Serene and her lover Nikolas were due to take possession of Atreus’ Bahamian paradise, Little Ekali, he’d told all his staff they could choose redundancy with a handsome pay off, or to continue working for him in another capacity.
“A week or so,” said Atreus.
“Are you still thinking of coming with us?” Carla asked, winding her arms around Atreus’ waist.
Angelique twisted at a braid. “I’m not sure.”
As much as she loved being with Carla, her new found friend, and Atreus and Dios, a new, wild idea was forming in her head without her permission. She’d told herself it was too bizarre, too outlandish to become a reality, but it haunted her like a ghost and kept her up at night. She knew her soul would give her no rest if she followed them to Scotland as they started what would become the flagship of the newly formed Kostas Hotels brand.
She imagined the freezing cold her colleague Peterson had told her about when he’d gone to visit his father in New York. She couldn’t even begin to imagine it, having lived in the Bahamas every day of her twenty-four years.
“I … I kind of had an idea,” she said, turning away. She was so used to feeling confident, but she suddenly felt it all drain away.
“Shoot,” Atreus said, crossing back over to his papers.
Carla followed and snuggled up next to him, leaning her head on his strong shoulder.
“Promise you won’t laugh,” Angelique said. The uncertainty in her own voice sounded strange even to her own ears.
Carla gave her a withering look—the kind only true friends can share.
“Okay,” Angelique said. “My crazy idea is that, for the Kostas Hotel brand, we could do a spa retreat kind of hotel. Somewhere like where I come from, natural, you know?”
They both nodded and smiled, which empowered her to find some momentum.
“Like where there’s clear sea, good beach, some jungle, rivers, waterfall, birds singing, all that kind of thing. I really want people to be able to come there and relax. Relax like the world doesn’t even exist. Somewhere you can’t hear cars or clubs or anything like that,” she continued excitedly.
“That sounds incredible,” said Carla.
“Imagine they wake up in the morning,” Angelique said, now gesturing and pacing the room, “and all they can see from the window is nature. Flowers, the ocean, white sand. Then the staff brings them fresh food grown right there—organic, of course. Then they have all kind of massages or spa treatments, or go to the pool, chill out on the beach, whatever they want. A haven away from the whole world. Like paradise itself.”
“You’ve sold me,” said Atreus.
“I see it kind of like Little Ekali,” Angelique continued. “But more intimate. Greenheart cottages that open their doors right onto a white, sandy beach. Flowers and fruit trees everywhere.”
“Let’s do it,” said Carla, with such decisiveness that Atreus rocked back from her in surprise and Angelique felt her heart would burst.
“What about Scotland?” Atreus asked.
“We’ll still go,” Carla said. “Scotland will be the first, this one the next. How about it?”
“I like that,” said Atreus, then turned to Angelique. “Where were you thinking of? Bahamas?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve always wanted to visit St Lucia. Dominica is called the Nature Isle, so that might be worth looking into. Or Nevis, or Anguilla, or Guadeloupe. Or even
Similar Books
