What Happens in Paradise (The Love Hotel #2)

Chapter 40

40

JASMINE

My phone rang for the third time. I should’ve switched it off. I wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone right now. I didn’t know if I’d ever be.

The sound of ‘Hopelessly in Love,’ by a British reggae artist called Carroll Thompson, that Bob had played in Jamaica, vibrated around the room. It instantly brought memories of my time with Alejandro flooding back.

For the past two days, I’d been in bed, buried under the sheets, only dragging myself out to go to the toilet, get some water or to pick at the scraps of food in the fridge.

Last night, I had a grape sandwich for dinner. I kid you not. I didn’t have anything to put inside the last bit of stale bread I’d toasted except for fruit. And a grape sandwich seemed like a better option than an orange one.

When I reached over to pick up my phone, I caught a whiff of my armpits. Ugh. I needed to shower.

It was Stella again.

Every time the phone rang, I’d wished it was Alejandro, but I knew it wouldn’t be. I’d ruined his life.

First, I crushed his heart by not admitting my true feelings. Then I got him fired, ripping the job he loved so much from him and jeopardising his sister’s education, all because I couldn’t keep my libido in check. Because I’d given into temptation.

So fucking stupid.

‘Hi,’ I answered solemnly. If I didn’t answer, Stella would just keep calling. I was lucky to have such a good friend who cared.

‘Thank God!’ She exhaled. ‘I’ve been calling for days and you didn’t answer. So I called the hotel and they said you didn’t work there any more. What the fuck?’

‘That’s right.’ I dragged myself upright and propped the pillow behind my head. ‘Hazel found out about me and Alejandro. She wasn’t calling me to her office to promote me. She called to fire me.’

‘Noooooo!’ Stella gasped. ‘I don’t understand. How’d she find out? You were so careful?’

‘There was a video online. Someone filmed the sunset at a place we visited and there I was dry humping Alejandro in public.’

‘Oh my God!’ Stella fell silent. ‘Shit.’

‘That’s a polite way of describing the situation.’

‘Have you spoken to Alejandro?’

‘No. But one of my co-workers messaged because they’d heard we’d both been fired and asked what happened, so I know Hazel let him go too.’

‘But this is all so fucked up! You’re both amazing at your jobs! That’s the most important thing. Whether you two decide to screw or not should be irrelevant as long as you do what’s asked of you during working hours!’

‘I agree.’

‘So what are you going to do?’

‘Not sure yet. I have to try and do something to at least get Alejandro’s job back. And I promised Bob, a taxi driver there that I’d help him too, but…’

‘But what?’

‘I’m just… I’m struggling. I’ve been in bed since it happened. I’m just so embarrassed. So disappointed in myself. I’ve let so many people down. Alejandro, his sister, my team, my guests.’ A tear rolled down my cheek, rapidly followed by another one.

‘Stop that, right now! You haven’t let anyone down. If you ask me, you did nothing wrong! And you are Jasmine freaking Palmer! You are strong, you are brilliant and you excel at getting shit done. So you’re gonna get your fine arse out of bed, shower, have breakfast then make a kickass plan for how you’re going to get not just Alejandro and Bob their jobs back, but also your own job back. There are loads of singletons that need you back at the Love Hotel! They need you to work your sneaky, brilliant alchemy magic to help them find the love of their lives, just like you did for me and Max and so many other happy couples. The only way you’ll be disappointing anyone is if you give up without a fight!’

Hearing Stella’s words of encouragement made me tear up for a different reason. I was so happy to hear that despite how I’d screwed up, she still believed in me.

I wiped away my tears and blew out a breath.

‘Thank you. I agree. I have to fight this.’

‘Damn right! Me and Max will be behind you all the way. You’ve got this!’

A warm sensation flooded my stomach. A fire had now been lit inside me.

I was great at my job.

I didn’t deserve to be fired for falling in love.

‘I’ve got to go.’ I swung my legs out of the bed. ‘I need to shower, eat, then prepare to battle.’

‘That’s the spirit!’ Stella said. ‘Go get ’em, tiger!’