Chapter 11
11
S itting up in bed with a cup of tea beside her that Patrick had just brought up, Fleur had her iPad propped up on her knees and was flicking through Instagram looking at travel recommendations for Hawaii. The more she searched, the more attractive Hawaii became.
She scrolled up and watched a video of a beautiful Airbnb cottage surrounded by blue water, lush palm trees, and hibiscus flowers by the truckload. Another reel played where a woman in a straw hat, bikini, and white shirt strolled down to a secluded beach as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Fleur watched the reel, listened to the accompanying tinkling music, and thought that it was high time she treated herself to a proper holiday where she would be the one strolling in a sunhat down to a tropical beach or any beach, really.
It had been a long time since our Champo had sipped a cocktail or skipped through a holiday cottage, or immersed herself in holiday reading. Now that Patrick had firmly planted the idea in her head, she’d come around to it more and more. Why not book something and have a nice holiday to look forward to? After looking at the prices of the flights, she’d hesitated. It was hardly cheap, but it did look very nice. Did our Champo really need, though, to trek around the world to sit on a beach with nice soft sand, a brilliant blue sea, guitars playing in the background, and a lei around her neck? Did she ever? Oh yes, indeed.
Continuing to deep dive and getting lost in a world of mountains, lush green palms, crocheted white hammocks and beautiful white windows, Fleur was sold. Again and again, she scrolled through her feed and lost herself in videos where she couldn’t quite fathom how the sea was as blue as it was. It certainly gave Lovely a run for its money, that was for sure. She chuckled to herself as she watched a young girl, completely clad in white, jog in slow-motion through a hotel room to the tune of Hawaiian music, pull her hair back, open her (tanned, slim) arms wide and turn around in a twirl as she got to a private pool outside her room. Fleur chuckled to herself at how the other half lived and continued to scroll, swallowing up other people’s Hawaii holiday dreams as fast as she could.
Flicking to a hotel’s Instagram feed, she immersed herself in the pictures and imagined herself sitting under the gigantic wicker shade area in what she couldn’t quite believe was an open-air reception room. The pictures made even the hotel check-in look magical. On top of gorgeous buildings and lush native landscape, the decor was amazing; beautiful wicker panels on the walls, green palms, views of the mountains, gigantic beautifully dressed beds and just about everything looked like a dream. The boutique hotel was so nice that it felt, just by looking at the images, that Hawaiian history and mythology were in the walls of the hotel itself. The open-air entry and lobby area, with beautiful blinds and plants weaving through the hotel, looked amazing next to reclaimed teak furniture, lava stone walls, and handwoven ceilings made from what looked to Fleur like natural leaf fibre. All of it deliciously nice.
Getting more and more lost in the hotel, Fleur read a few descriptions, felt as if she wanted to pack her bags right away, and continued to lose herself in a hotel on the other side of the world. As she scrolled through the pictures of the rooms, she laughed at the idea of the handwoven doors, reclaimed teak, and traditional daybeds. A crescent-shaped bay with very blue water made her feel as if she didn’t have much choice but to book.
She stopped at a picture of one of the hotel suites, tilting her head as she took in the details; warm, honeyed wood, deep, earthy brown cushions that looked impossibly soft, a woven rattan coffee table, books, bowls of fruit, textured rugs, soft throws, louvred shuttered doors, neutral tones, understated luxury, and lamps, lamps, lamps. A bed beckoned dressed in soft linens, with a headboard of woven panels hinting at island tradition.
Fleur sighed, already picturing herself curled up with a book, the scent of salty air drifting through open balcony doors, a hush of waves in the distance, and yes lamps for days. A little slice of paradise, waiting just for her. The beachfront location, overlooking the beautiful Maui bay with waterfall-streaked mountains in the distance, looked to be one of the prettiest places on the planet and was certainly ticking all the boxes for the magical getaway that had always been a dream in Fleur’s head. A swimming pool, a beach at the front, a stunning adults-only pool, a sweet little town nearby for exploring, and lots of walks on a lush, jungle-like mountain track. The cutting-edge spa and wellness offerings weren’t too shabby either. No Elvis by the looks of it, but she could cope with that.
Fleur thought about the hotel and the beautiful plants around it; fern palms, coconut trees, birds of paradise, frangipani and grasses. She imagined herself in a swimsuit and snorkel, or shorts and hiking boots in the daytime, and not doing much in the evening at all. She imagined herself every morning opening the louvred shutters, getting back in bed, and just watching the bay almost like she did at home, only the tropical version. Bring it on.
Patrick shouted up the stairs. ‘Coffee?’
‘Yes, please!’
‘What are you doing up there? Are you out of bed yet?’
‘No, I’m not. I’m lost on a tropical island in the middle of the sea.’ Fleur stretched her legs out under the duvet. ‘There’s a lot of white linen and coconut cocktails.’
‘What?’
‘I’m looking at Hawaii stuff,’ Fleur clarified, scrolling through another set of pictures.
Patrick’s voice carried up. ‘Alright, so I take it from that, we’re going then?’
‘After what I’ve been looking at this morning? Yes, we are.’ Fleur chuckled as she adjusted the iPad on her lap. ‘I’m going for the coconuts alone.’
Five or ten minutes later, Patrick arrived with a mug of coffee, topped with squirty cream and chocolate shavings. She smiled as she took the mug. ‘I get the best treats when you’re here.’
‘Make the most of it, because I won’t be here tomorrow and you’ll be back at work,’ Patrick reminded her as he perched on the edge of the bed.
‘Don’t remind me.’ Fleur groaned and turned the iPad around so he could see the screen. ‘I’ve found this fabulous boutique hotel. It looks amazing, but it’s really expensive. Like next level expensive. Like I’m surprised they can charge; it’s that expensive.’
Patrick rolled his eyes. ‘It doesn’t really matter how much it costs when I’m paying. And tell me, when was the last time you went on holiday? So, the cost per night isn’t really that much if you look at it like that.’
Fleur raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think that’s how it works.’
‘It does in my world. Trust me, we’re going. No more talking about it…’ Patrick took the iPad and flicked through the hotel photos. He nodded in approval. ‘You’re right. This place looks amazing; definitely our kind of thing.’
‘So, what do you think? It means we’d have to take another short flight when we got there, I think but we can cope with that, can’t we? We might be able to go directly from LA.’
‘I’m sure we’ll manage,’ Patrick grinned. ‘We’re going to Hawaii, baby.’
Fleur shifted under the duvet and cradled the mug of coffee. ‘I never actually thought I’d get to go somewhere like this. It’s one of those places you dream about but never really expect to visit, like the Maldives or Bora Bora.’
‘Well, we are going and I don’t just mean in the hypothetical, let’s-talk-about-it way. I mean properly. Let’s book it today. We said we’d do it in Essex but it didn’t happen.’
Fleur’s breath caught. She sat up straighter, shifting the coffee onto the bedside table, suddenly feeling as though she needed to be fully awake for the conversation. ‘You’re serious?’
‘Would I joke about something this important?’
‘You actually want to book it now? As in right now.’
‘We’ve been talking about it for long enough. Why not?’ Patrick gestured at the iPad. ‘It’s the perfect place, the right time of year, and you’re clearly in love with it. Plus, you’ve got the time off work, and I’m going to confirm that conference. What’s stopping us?’
Fleur pressed her hands to her face, trying to suppress the ridiculous, giddy grin on her face. ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening! You’re such an enabler. I love it.’
Patrick chuckled. ‘We’re getting the best room they’ve got. The one with the private pool and the outdoor shower.’
‘You realise we’ll never leave the room, don’t you?’
Patrick chuckled. ‘That’s the idea. Right, well, let’s see if it’s available.’
Patrick navigated through the booking process. Fleur curled up against his side, eyes flicking between the screen and his face, trying to read his expression as he scrolled. ‘Okay, we’re in luck. The suite is available for the dates we want. Ten nights. Sound good?’
Fleur nodded enthusiastically. ‘Perfect. Absolutely perfect.’
‘Alright, I’m pressing to commit. This is your last chance to back out. Joking, it’s fully refundable up to a few weeks before.’
‘Ahh!’
Patrick grinned and tapped the screen. A loading icon spun for a few seconds before a confirmation page appeared. Fleur let out a squeal and threw her arms around Patrick’s neck. ‘We’re going to Hawaii! Maui! I cannot believe it!’
‘Hawaii and Maui. Tropical islands. Champo and ten nights in paradise.’
Fleur felt as if she was absolutely glowing with happiness and that she’d just made the best decision she’d made for a long time. What she didn't know was that another one was just around the corner.