Chapter 14 Gone
GONE
I woke so peacefully the next morning that, for a moment, I nearly forgot what day it was.
Maybe being in a different country meant that all those dreaded feelings that came with that day couldn’t get to me?
They were stuck back home, wondering where I was for their yearly ritual of tormenting me, powerless to reach me out here.
It was wishful thinking. I padded over to my door, put the do not disturb sign outside, then went back to bed and pulled the duvet over my head.
At least I still had the tasty memories of the previous night to keep me distracted. It was hard to think of anything else, and I was pleased about that. I daydreamed through the morning, wondering with exquisite fascination what the night might hold in store.
Leon noticed my smile and raised an eyebrow at me as I crossed the lobby that afternoon. No longer slumped and shuffling reluctantly around the resort, looking for a place to be, and finding nowhere.
As the evening came, I really thought that this day might actually be okay, and I would make it through unscathed. I took the time to dress beautifully for the evening. There were no pretenses now. No fear of sending out false signals. I could be as fabulous as I wanted to feel.
I hadn’t even expected to take my favorite black dress out on the trip, but it had come with me anyway. It was as revealing and sexy as it was glamorous and sensual. I even used my best make-up, those special pieces that I always carried with me, but could never bring myself to use up.
As I walked past the front desk, feeling like a glittering movie star, the two men behind the front desk looked up in surprise. They hadn’t ever seen me dressed up like this, and it clearly had an effect.
I basked in the added attention and the eyes that followed me as I went to see my new superstar lover, barely concealing a grin at the very thought of it. This would be a good day, and perhaps an even better night. Inside me, a warm glow danced like fireflies on a perfect summer night.
As the car pulled up the driveway at our usual time, the villa was shrouded in darkness.
Just a single light shone from inside. It felt odd seeing it without the usual lights giving it life, but I’d find out soon enough, perhaps I could expect a candlelit dinner, or something else to delight the senses?
I stepped out of the car, my finest heels crunching pleasingly on the loose stones, and walked up to ring the doorbell.
As I did so, I found the door was already open a crack. Putting my hand against the wood, it creaked open. I pushed the door fully open and called inside, “Hello. Randall? Randy?”
The open door revealed a vacant house and a figure moving just out of my vision.
I walked in, confused, hearing a strange accent tunelessly singing to ‘Dancing In The Dark’.
For a moment, I watched the man in his blue jumpsuit, running a buffer over the floor while he belted out, “You can’t start a fire! ”.
He jumped in surprise when he looked up and saw me standing there, quickly pulling the headphones from his head.
“Um, hi. Where’s Randall?”
“Rain-doll? Oh. Maybe you mean Mr. Bobby Holiday! He’s left already. Gone.”
“He’s… Gone?”
The man nodded his head with certainty. “This afternoon. Gone to get a plane.”
For a second, I wondered if I’d got the wrong house, or if I’d forgotten some vital piece of information that explained what was happening.
I quickly realized that, no. No, I hadn’t. Randall fucking Jackson had left without a word.
“Absolutely fucking perfect,” I hissed under my breath, turning back to chase after the cab before it pulled away.
It was the same every year. I hated this day.