Chapter 4 Adventure
ADVENTURE
I emerged from my room and grumpily slumped at a table in the bar, ordering another flamboyant drink that would probably give me both diabetes and heart tremors, and then looking up at the TV.
“Hey, can you turn this up?” I asked the waiter as he placed my drink carefully down on a paper coaster.
“It’s been three days now since Randall Jackson left Love Villa.
The show has lost four million viewers since his acrimonious exit as the villa’s ‘least liked member.’ But where is the person dubbed ‘The Worst Person in America’ now?
No one seems to know. His coach could only say that he’s expected to report for pre-season with the Ice-Hawks in two weeks; otherwise, there’s been no word on the Merryville winger.
Previous love interest, influencer Georgia Moss, has had plenty to say about Randy, but has so far said they have not been reunited. ”
“Hi Lucy!”
Leon had a light bounce in his step as he spotted me and came over. That bounce made me suspiciously nervous.
“Oh. Hey Leon, how’s your day?”
“It’s okay. We had to fish a dead iguana out of the pool, and the kids in room 212 have got some kind of vomiting bug.”
“Always something, huh?”
“Sure, sure. But hey, I had an idea.”
Please, no paragliding, swimming with sharks, river rafting, abseiling, or whatever nausea-inducing activity you’ve thought up now.
“I appreciate it and all, Leon, but honestly, I’m…”
“Wait, hear me out first. So, there’s a little town nearby, Clara St. Pico.
My brother’s friend owns a restaurant down there.
None of this crap.” Leon waved at the plates on the table next to us, then perhaps wished he hadn’t as the couple sat there stared back from their lunch at him in astonishment.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s not so bad. I was just making a point,” he said, trying unconvincingly to appease their horrified expressions.
“Anyway,” he continued, turning back to me. “It’s calm, quiet, no noisy, obnoxious tourists.”
He grimaced as he said it and glanced back to the table next to us again to offer up a quick, “Sorry, sorry. Not you, obviously.”
“The local town is very traditional and safe, the church there is so beautiful, there’s even a secluded beach where you won’t have to fight any assholes for sun-loungers…”
Another quick glance at the table next to us was followed by a “Sorry, sorry”. The disgruntled couple now got up and moved to another table, further away from the maniac who was insulting both them and their food.
“So, what do you say?” He beamed at me.
“Oh, I don’t know Leon. It sounds a bit adventurous for me.”
“And… You don’t want to do anything adventurous?”
Damnit. His face was so utterly thrilled by the idea, letting him down only seemed cruel. Also, didn’t I want to do something that wasn’t hiding in my room or eating on my own in the hotel restaurant?
I only had a few more days left to endure at Adonis Retreats. One of which I was trying to ignore was coming up, but with little to distract me, it was getting harder and harder to forget. A visit to a little Mexican town might at least help take my mind off of it.
“Okay, sure,” I conceded with a sigh. “You win, Leon.”
“Great!” He beamed back at me. “I’ll have a car take you tomorrow.”
I gave a half-hearted smile back at him. Really, what was the worst that could happen?