Chapter 10
10
STELLA
I was on my way to the induction. I’d already eaten breakfast at lightning speed because I was terrified that Max would turn up. Thankfully there was no sign of him and I hoped it was because he’d decided to go back to London. Assuming of course that was where he still lived.
For the first few years after we broke up I looked him up from time to time, but I never really found anything. Then I realised it wasn’t healthy and stopped.
It was so annoying that I’d successfully avoided him for years and now we’d be stuck in the same hotel together for two bloody weeks .
The induction was taking place by the pool. Just as I was about to take the corner that led me there, I spotted Max walking towards me. He was dressed in a dark blue vest, which of course showed off his incredible biceps and khaki shorts.
‘You stayed!’ He took off his sunglasses and as he looked at me, it was like his eyes were lasers, boring into my skin.
‘Ten out of ten for observation,’ I snapped.
‘You going to the induction? ’
‘Yes.’
‘See you there.’
‘It starts in ten minutes. Try not to be late. Again .’
‘Yeah, about last night, I didn’t get to apologise for not being on time. I would’ve been early, but there was this woman and she…’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ I replied, pushing my sunglasses further up my nose then striding off to the pool. I didn’t want to hear about Max chatting up another woman when he was supposed to be meeting me.
Pairs of chairs had been arranged near the pool in a semicircle. Soft music played in the background and a gentle sea breeze tickled my bare legs.
A few couples were already seated. I headed to the back row. If we sat at the front and Max was late, it’d disrupt the presentation. I readjusted my white kaftan and sat down.
We’d been told to wear swimwear, so I’d picked the new bikini I’d bought just for this trip. It was bright orange with a pretty green palm tree pattern. As soon as I saw it, I loved it.
It was the last one the shop had and although the top was a little tight, I’d reasoned that wasn’t a bad thing because it squished my boobs together, giving me extra cleavage. But if I’d known Max would be here, I would’ve brought a swimsuit that covered everything. He didn’t deserve to see my body.
Two more couples filtered in and took their seats. The sound of chatter vibrated in the air. Everyone seemed to be conversing happily. I was glad their matches were more successful than mine.
Jasmine headed to the front of the section of chairs and waved when she spotted me. I waved back then started to wonder what our first activity would be.
A delicious woody scent flooded my nostrils. I turned to see Max had sat next to me. Ugh . I moved my chair away to create some distance.
‘Hello, everyone! Welcome!’ Jasmine raised her voice, causing all the chatter to die down. ‘I’m Jasmine – one of the Love Alchemists here. Are you enjoying your stay at The Love Hotel so far?’
‘Yes!’ everyone cheered, except me and Max who kept our mouths firmly shut.
‘Great!’ Jasmine responded. ‘Now you’ve had a chance to meet your match, I’m going to explain how things will work. During your first week, usually there’ll be one organised couple’s activity each day in a group setting. Then in the second week, although we’ll be here to help and support you with whatever you need, you’ll organise your own one-to-one activities, based on what you think your Mr or Mrs Right will love. Sound good?’
‘Yes!’ everyone but us replied enthusiastically again.
I was glad that at least this week Max and I wouldn’t be stuck alone. With other people around that I could chat to, hopefully it’d be less awkward.
As for week two, I didn’t need to worry about that because I doubted we’d make it that far.
‘Wonderful!’ Jasmine smiled. ‘Loving your enthusiasm! As well as the scheduled daily activity, you’ll also have Love Tasks to complete in your own time. One of those tasks will be compiling a memory book.’
‘What’s that?’ a guy at the front asked.
‘I was just about to explain,’ Jasmine smiled.
‘Sorry!’ he said. ‘I’m too eager!’
‘No worries! So the memory book is like a photo album. You can of course use your phone to take pictures, but each of you will also be provided with a digital camera to take photos of the activities you do together. During group activities, our Love Alchemists will take photos for you. Each night, they’ll be uploaded and printed. Then the next day, we’d like you to spend time as a couple going through the pics from the previous day. You’ll then each pick one of your favourites to be put in your book. So by the end of your stay, you’ll have an album filled with happy memories!’
‘Awww,’ the woman in front of me gushed. ‘That’s a lovely idea!’
I could see how it would be romantic: if you hadn’t been set up with your ex. Spending time with Max was bad enough. The last thing I wanted was photographic evidence to remind me of the ordeal.
‘Your second daily Love Task will be creating a playlist for your match.’
‘What?’ I called out, my brows shooting to the sky. Everyone looked at me. Oops . I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Preparing a playlist was so romantic and intimate, so in our case it wouldn’t be appropriate. Hopefully Jasmine would understand and let Max and me skip it.
‘A playlist,’ Jasmine repeated. ‘You’ve all been set up with Spotify so we’d like you to select at least five songs each day, to reflect your feelings about your partner, so that by the end of the experience, you’ll have a soundtrack of how you both fell in love!’
I resisted the temptation to laugh. There was no way I’d fall in love with Max again.
Speaking of the devil himself, I wondered how he felt about all of this. Considering he was the one who dumped me, he couldn’t be happy about cosying up for photos together and making me a lovey-dovey playlist .
When I tried to steal a look at him from the corner of my eye, his face seemed expressionless. As he played with the hem of his shorts, I tried not to look at his muscular thighs which had a sprinkling of dark hair.
As my eyes roamed downwards, I noticed a scar on his right leg. I knew exactly how he’d got it, but it was the first time I’d seen it in the flesh.
‘What songs do we include today seeing as we’ve just met?’ someone asked. I wasn’t sure who, because I was distracted. I quickly tore my eyes from Max’s legs hoping he hadn’t noticed. Thank goodness I was wearing sunglasses.
‘Great question!’ Jasmine replied. ‘You can choose songs that reflect your first impressions of each other. So for example it could be “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt or “Happy” by Pharell Williams. You don’t have to think too deeply about every lyric. As long as it means something to you about how they made you feel for example during dinner last night or today’s activity, that’s the important thing. It’s a good way to document your journey together. And hopefully you’ll play this playlist for many years to come!’
Actually, now that Jasmine had explained, choosing songs for the first part of the playlist wouldn’t be difficult. ‘Caught Out There’ by Kelis sprang to mind. Max didn’t cheat, but I related to the part in the song where she screamed about how much she hated her ex right now .
That angry Alanis Morissette break-up anthem ‘You Oughta Know’ would be perfect too. This exercise could be quite therapeutic.
‘And do we wait until the end of the trip to share them?’ a guy with short locks asked.
‘No. We think it’s nice to share them as you make them. There’ll be instructions on how to do it on The Love Hotel manual which will be in your rooms when you return.’
Jasmine explained that they’d chosen to use a hard copy manual rather than a phone app because they wanted to encourage us to disconnect from our phones as much as possible during our stay.
‘Any other questions?’ Jasmine scanned the group. ‘No? Great! As you can see, it’s a glorious day.’ She pointed to the clear blue sky. ‘So today’s activity will be a Pool Volleyball Tournament! You and your match will work as a team to compete against the other seven couples here. The winning team from each round will go through to the next stage and so on until the finals and the winners will receive a prize.’
‘Oooh!’ a lady two rows in front called out. ‘What’s the prize?’
‘It’s a secret, but I’m sure you’ll love it! First, I need you to work with your match to think of a team name. You’ve got ten minutes, starting… now!’
Everyone turned to face their partners. Max got up and moved his seat opposite me.
‘Any ideas?’ he smiled and his dimples appeared.
Damn those dimples . My stomach flipped and I reminded myself that when it came to Max, stomach flipping was not allowed.
‘How about Nemesis ?’ I suggested.
‘Erm,’ he sighed. ‘I can see why you might think that’s valid…’
‘Or Team Mismatch ?’ I tilted my head. ‘Actually, no. How about Calamity , Worst Nightmare or just Misery ?’
‘Okay, I get it. You’d rather pull off your toenails with a pair of hot, rusty tweezers than spend time with me. But like I said last night, we’re here, so let’s try and make the most of it. How about something a bit more positive like Destiny , Fortune or… Serendipity ?’
‘The problem with those names is that they imply that us being reunited is a good thing. But we aren’t destined to be together. This situation isn’t good fortune and it isn’t remotely lucky that we’ve both ended up here.’
We sat in silence. I hated the anger simmering inside me. Normally I was fairly easy going, but it was hard to feel calm right now. Even though we broke up years ago, Max really hurt me and I could remember the pain like it happened recently. Seeing him just brought those emotions flooding back.
‘What about Team Chance ?’ Max said. ‘Or Team Unexpected ? No, I’ve got it: Thunderbolt . It’s a strong name and shows our shock at seeing each other again.’
I paused, considering his suggestion. As much as I wanted to get as far away from him as possible, I’d committed to stay and we’d been given a task, so I had to try my best to put my feelings aside and get on with it. We only had a few minutes left until Jasmine asked for our team names and I didn’t want us to be the only ones who hadn’t come up with something.
‘That could work,’ I replied. ‘No one likes when thunder strikes. It’s sudden and unpleasant. Just like the shitty situation we’re in right now.’
‘Yeah…’ His voice trailed off. ‘How are your volleyball skills these days?’
‘About as good as your communication skills.’
‘That bad?’ he grimaced. ‘You were pretty good that time we played volleyball on Brighton beach. We made a great team.’
I was surprised that he remembered. A group of us from college had driven there one weekend. Pretty sure we’d won too. Max was always good at sport so it wasn’t a big surprise.
‘Has everyone got their names?’ Jasmine called out .
She wrote them on a white board then announced that Max and I would be in the first round.
Once two hotel workers had set up the net in the pool and dropped the ball inside, Jasmine asked us to take our positions.
I walked over to one of the sun loungers at the opposite end of the pool so that I was as far away from Max as possible. I cautiously removed my kaftan and sunglasses, adjusted my bikini top which felt tighter than I remembered, then hurried down the steps and into the pool.
As I sank into the cool water, I exhaled. It felt so good. The other team were already in the water, which only left Max. I turned around to see where he was and immediately regretted it.
Just as I spotted him standing beside a daybed on the opposite side, Max peeled off his vest, revealing a torso that wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of a men’s fitness magazine.
His body looked like it’d been sculpted from marble. His pecs were toned and of course he couldn’t just settle for a six-pack. He had to go one step further with an eight-pack. No, wait. Maybe it was ten? Was that even possible?
Two, four, six…
I caught myself counting then quickly averted my gaze to his face.
‘Are you getting in?’ I called out.
‘Yep.’ He dropped his vest on the daybed then sauntered to the pool.
I tried really hard not to look but it was difficult. To get a body like that he must live in the gym. Maybe he was a personal trainer. He was always passionate about football, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up doing something sports related.
‘Finally!’ I huffed as he got in the pool and stood beside me on our side of the net. ‘Was it really necessary for you to show off your muscular chest? We’ve got a game to play. ’
‘I wasn’t showing off ,’ he replied. ‘I was taking off my vest, which is the normal thing to do before you get in a pool. Nice to know you think my chest is muscular, though.’ He smirked.
‘I… I was…’ I stuttered as my cheeks burned. There was no point in denying it. ‘Anyway, let’s just focus on winning this game.’
Once Jasmine explained the rules, the game started. We returned the other team’s shots consistently, securing almost every point. The fact that Max’s six foot three frame towered over our opponents worked in our favour.
The games were short and it wasn’t long before we won the first round.
After taking a break by the side of the pool whilst the other two couples played their round, we got back inside.
Turned out my volleyball skills weren’t so bad after all. And of course, Max played brilliantly. Now we were just a few points away from winning our second round and securing a spot in the semi-finals.
As the other team hit the ball over the net, Max rushed forward and whacked it back so hard it sped past them, crashing onto the water.
‘Yes!’ he cheered and my stomach flipped. Annoyingly, there was something attractive about his competence.
Max raised his hand in the air for me to high five him. Although I wanted to ignore him, I couldn’t leave his hand hanging, so I slapped his palm triumphantly, trying not to look at his sculpted bicep.
As my hand made contact with his, a shot of electricity raced through me. I quickly pulled away.
‘Next one’s mine,’ I shouted, trying to bring my thoughts back to the game.
‘Okay,’ he nodded .
The man from the other team launched the ball over the net. Determined not to miss it, I jumped up and whacked it with all my strength. Max wasn’t the only one who could hit well.
As the ball flew past them, our opponents’ eyes widened. They must have been impressed with my shot. A warm feeling of pride filled my belly.
I turned to face Max and was just about to lift my hand to high five him again when he grabbed my head and pushed it under the water.
‘What the hell!’ I screamed, water rushing in my mouth and up my nose.
Max joined me underwater and before I could register what was happening, he yanked my arms up to my chest and pressed them against my boobs.
‘Look down,’ he commanded. I frowned, gasping for breath.
When I glanced at my chest, my soul left my body.
My bikini top wasn’t there. It’d flown off.
Shit.
I’d just flashed my boobs to Max.
And the entire hotel.
My heart raced and my stomach churned. I was mortified.
Yes, Max had seen my breasts before, but that was years ago. My body had changed since then and I had no intention of exposing myself to him or to a group of strangers.
I was tempted to stay under the water indefinitely, but I needed air so quickly pushed my head above the surface, just as Max did the same.
‘Wait there,’ he said. ‘Don’t move!’
That wasn’t likely. There was no way I could get out of the pool like this. I’d need my hands to hold on to the stairs and it was impossible to do that and cover my chest at the same time.
Max dived back below the water as I clutched my boobs tighter and looked around me. The couple we were playing against were still staring.
Seconds later, Max appeared.
‘I’ve got your bikini top, but it’s probably too complicated to put on in the pool, so hold on.’ He jumped out, raced to his daybed, grabbed his vest then dived back in again. ‘Put this on. Because it’s dark, it won’t be see-through when it’s wet. I’ll put my back to you to act as a shield so no one will see, okay?’
‘Okay,’ I nodded, my heart rate stabilising.
‘I’m gonna count and when I get to three, let’s go back under the water. Ready?’
I nodded again.
‘One, two, three .’
We both ducked beneath the surface and Max put his back to me, just like he’d promised. I quickly slid his vest over my head. Although it was now sodden, I could still smell Max’s woody scent.
As I pulled the fabric down over my breasts, I exhaled then tapped him on his shoulder. It was just as firm as I’d imagined.
Max turned his head slowly, keeping his eyes firmly fixed to my face. I pointed upwards, signalling that I was about to go up for air.
We both pushed our heads above water and then stood up.
Jasmine was now at the edge of the pool.
‘Are you okay?’ Her face creased with concern.
‘Yeah. I am now. Sorry, I didn’t mean to put on an X-rated show!’ I squeezed my eyes shut with embarrassment, wishing I could escape down the pool drain and never resurface.
‘Maybe we could take a break?’ Max said. ‘Give Stella a chance to get changed into something more comfortable?’
My heart swelled a little. It was sweet of Max to suggest that.
‘Of course!’ Jasmine confirmed .
Now I wished I’d had the foresight to bring a towel. Even though my bikini bottoms were still firmly intact, knowing everyone was still staring made me feel self-conscious so I wanted to cover up as much as possible.
‘Let me get you a towel.’ Max climbed out of the pool.
The man was a mind reader.
He strode over to a little wooden hut I hadn’t noticed before. After speaking to the hotel worker standing inside it, Max walked away with a towel and returned to the pool.
‘Come over by the stairs,’ he commanded. I did what he asked and Max stood at the top holding open the towel for me to step into.
As he wrapped the soft, fluffy fabric around my body, relief washed over me.
I never thought I’d say this, but I was grateful that Max was here.
Who knows how long I would’ve flashed everyone if he hadn’t pushed me under the water when he did.
And if he hadn’t got his vest, I would’ve had to get out of the pool topless. My hands weren’t big enough to cover my boobs completely, so it would’ve been so humiliating.
‘What a hero!’ A grin spread across Jasmine’s face. ‘I bet you’re glad Max was there to help.’
‘Yeah,’ I said, quickly stepping back from him. It wasn’t a good idea for us to stand too close, especially given how my body had reacted when our palms touched earlier. ‘Thanks.’ I looked up at him.
‘It was nothing.’ He waved his hand dismissively. As his gaze met mine, butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I chastised myself.
Max had done a kind thing and I was grateful. I truly was. But that didn’t mean I’d forgiven him. And it definitely didn’t mean my feelings had changed. One nice gesture didn’t mean I was about to fall for him. I was too smart for that.
But then he smiled at me and the butterflies started dancing again.
Shit.
My mind might have decided not to be affected by Max’s presence, but unfortunately my body hadn’t quite got the message.