who invited you to Hawaii in the first place. I was the one who insisted on this stupid hotel idea and its brought nothing but trouble. I was the one who brought you to this piece of land.”
“Don’t talk like that,” he spoke calmly to her. “Whenever you have a bold vision there’s always stuff that gets in the way, stuff will go wrong. I always say the more things that go wrong, the more I know I’m on the right track. This is just one of those wrong things.”
“I don’t know, Theo,” she said as she swung the car off the dirt track and onto the main road. “I’m losing my enthusiasm for this whole thing.”
“For us?”
“No, no, not for us,” she said quickly. “I think … I love you. I do. I love you.”
It was still strange, hearing the words come from her lips. She’d never gone so fast with a man, sleeping together and declaring their love after only a few days. She was still running off adrenaline, but she didn’t care.
“You don’t sound so sure,” Theo joked with her.
“I am. It is all happening so fast though. And now I am taking you to the ER! This is craziness.”
Theo laughed and Angelique immediately felt her anxiety melt away.
“It’s this spa hotel. I mean, what do I know about starting a hotel, really? I’m just a masseuse,” she said, only half joking.
“What do I know about writing a book? Nothing, but I’m doing it. What did a boy from the slums of Perama know about hedge funds? Nothing, but I did it. Everyone starts out knowing nothing, that’s normal. You learn as you go.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready.”
“Well that’s different,” he said. “Maybe you should give it some time and see how you feel in a day or two. We will need to find another place anyway. That one is clearly not an option anymore!”
She knew he was right but she couldn’t help feeling defeated. It wasn’t like her to give up so easily though. She had a nagging feeling that it was something more than this temporary setback that was causing her to feel sad.
“You’re right. You always keep a level head and I love that about you. Thank you,” she said touching his leg.
“No. Thank you. Your spirit and enthusiasm is special and I love being around them … and you.”
She draped her arm over the steering wheel and kept a look out for directions to the hospital. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“What, this?” he said, gesturing at the wound. “This is nothing. Did you forget where I came from? Let’s go back to the hotel and forget this ever happened.”
*****
“I still need to read your book,” Angelique said as she helped Theo finish dressing his wound. He’d adamantly refused to go to the hospital, saying the wound was merely superficial. She probably should have argued more but she didn’t have the energy, so she’d driven directly back to the hotel.
“Please,” he said. “I never knew a memoir could be so gut-wrenching to write, but as I go through it I can feel … myself coming into place. Do you get what I mean?”
“I think so.” She said distractedly. Her disappointment about the spa was really nagging at her.
Theo seemed to read her mind. “Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place,” he said.
“For what?”
“The hotel. Why not start the hotel at home, where you feel more comfortable?”
“The Bahamas?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I don’t know.” She didn’t know. She should have looked there first, she thought. “I thought maybe I should see the world? I’m not sure, Theo, honestly.”
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page,” he said. “Saint Augustine said that. I kind of agree. Traveling is great, everyone should do it, but there’s no place like home. Sometimes you have to leave it before you appreciate it, though.”
“Right,” said Angelique. He was right. She missed home—she missed sitting on the verandah swing seat with a Switcha lemonade and a
“Don’t talk like that,” he spoke calmly to her. “Whenever you have a bold vision there’s always stuff that gets in the way, stuff will go wrong. I always say the more things that go wrong, the more I know I’m on the right track. This is just one of those wrong things.”
“I don’t know, Theo,” she said as she swung the car off the dirt track and onto the main road. “I’m losing my enthusiasm for this whole thing.”
“For us?”
“No, no, not for us,” she said quickly. “I think … I love you. I do. I love you.”
It was still strange, hearing the words come from her lips. She’d never gone so fast with a man, sleeping together and declaring their love after only a few days. She was still running off adrenaline, but she didn’t care.
“You don’t sound so sure,” Theo joked with her.
“I am. It is all happening so fast though. And now I am taking you to the ER! This is craziness.”
Theo laughed and Angelique immediately felt her anxiety melt away.
“It’s this spa hotel. I mean, what do I know about starting a hotel, really? I’m just a masseuse,” she said, only half joking.
“What do I know about writing a book? Nothing, but I’m doing it. What did a boy from the slums of Perama know about hedge funds? Nothing, but I did it. Everyone starts out knowing nothing, that’s normal. You learn as you go.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready.”
“Well that’s different,” he said. “Maybe you should give it some time and see how you feel in a day or two. We will need to find another place anyway. That one is clearly not an option anymore!”
She knew he was right but she couldn’t help feeling defeated. It wasn’t like her to give up so easily though. She had a nagging feeling that it was something more than this temporary setback that was causing her to feel sad.
“You’re right. You always keep a level head and I love that about you. Thank you,” she said touching his leg.
“No. Thank you. Your spirit and enthusiasm is special and I love being around them … and you.”
She draped her arm over the steering wheel and kept a look out for directions to the hospital. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“What, this?” he said, gesturing at the wound. “This is nothing. Did you forget where I came from? Let’s go back to the hotel and forget this ever happened.”
*****
“I still need to read your book,” Angelique said as she helped Theo finish dressing his wound. He’d adamantly refused to go to the hospital, saying the wound was merely superficial. She probably should have argued more but she didn’t have the energy, so she’d driven directly back to the hotel.
“Please,” he said. “I never knew a memoir could be so gut-wrenching to write, but as I go through it I can feel … myself coming into place. Do you get what I mean?”
“I think so.” She said distractedly. Her disappointment about the spa was really nagging at her.
Theo seemed to read her mind. “Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place,” he said.
“For what?”
“The hotel. Why not start the hotel at home, where you feel more comfortable?”
“The Bahamas?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I don’t know.” She didn’t know. She should have looked there first, she thought. “I thought maybe I should see the world? I’m not sure, Theo, honestly.”
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page,” he said. “Saint Augustine said that. I kind of agree. Traveling is great, everyone should do it, but there’s no place like home. Sometimes you have to leave it before you appreciate it, though.”
“Right,” said Angelique. He was right. She missed home—she missed sitting on the verandah swing seat with a Switcha lemonade and a
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