CHAPTER 17
Antonio sat in the foyer that led to the main gardens while Jackie freshened up. As much as he’d love to watch her take a shower, he decided to give her some privacy.
Not that she had extended him the same courtesy.
He’d peeped her stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel and watching him.
So, he’d shamelessly flexed his back and let the water run down longer than he should have.
He had all the time in the world to put on a show for her.
If she wanted to watch, he’d let her. Honestly, he’d let her do anything she wanted to do.
Antonio pulled out his phone. He went to check his messages.
He didn’t know why, but he’d hoped PJ would have checked in.
He hadn’t. He did have one text from his parents, but it wasn’t loading without the Wi-Fi.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their attendant, Lupe, with her brown braided crown and pristine white uniform.
“Perdona?” Antonio said.
“Sí, Senor?
In the best Spanish he could remember from his days of flying to the Dominican Republic to scout players, Antonio whispered, “?Conoces la contrasena Wi-Fi?
The woman paused, tilted her head, and gave him wide smile. “One thousand dolares.”
“What!” Antonio whisper-yelled. “Yo, that’s bananas, lady! A grand for a password? You’re bugging.”
She shrugged. “No Wi-Fi, then.” As she was about to walk away, Antonio gently grabbed her arm. “Look, I’ve got like $600 on me.”
“Deal.”
Antonio removed his wallet and counted out the money. Lupe folded his bills and swiftly tucked them into her bosom. She motioned for his phone, where she connected the Wi-Fi.
“?Gracias!” she said, giving him a wink before moving along. Ant had never been so politely robbed in all his life.
He sat in an impossibly uncomfortable chair and opened the message from his parents. It was a video.
“Hey Ant, baby!” his mother said, holding a wide-brimmed hat. “We’re in Egypt! Look!” She panned the camera to show him the pyramids of Giza. “It’s beautiful!”
“It’s hot as Satan’s asshole out here!” his father yelled in the background.
“Horace! Please!” his mother sighed, exasperated. “Anyway, just saying hey! Hope the work trip is going well! Mexico sounds nice. Send our love to PJ! And—”
Before she could finish, his father snatched the phone. “See if you can get me an autograph from Mo Williams! I lost fifty bucks on his last fight, so he owes me!”
“Horace!” his mother scolded, coming back into view. “Bye baby! Try and have some fun! Life is short! Remember that! Love you, Ant!”
Antonio smiled at the message and decided to send a video of his own.
“Hey Ma. Pops. I’m in Mexico. At a wellness resort.
Wi-Fi is sporadic here, and they don’t have any meat on the premises, but it’s really”—he flipped the camera around to pan across the area—“beautiful.” The words died on his lips as Jackie came into view.
She had on designer yoga gear and a pair of sneakers; the leggings she wore left very little to the imagination, and her crop top barely concealed her juicy middle.
He’d never seen her in anything other than business attire and skyscraper-high heels.
Well, never wasn’t true. Once upon a time, I saw her in far less.
Jackie furrowed her brow as she stepped in front of him. Antonio hadn’t realized he was still holding the phone, recording. He quickly ended the video, tucking the phone in his pocket. He’d have to edit it before he sent it to his parents. “Sorry. I was showing my parents the resort.”
Jackie smirked and pulled out her phone to reply. “I take it you got the Wi-Fi from Lupe,” her app said.
“Yeah, and it cost me $600!”
Jackie typed. “She got me for $500.”
“Damn,” Antonio laughed. “She’s running a racket up in here.”
A gong sounded, and a voice came on over the intercom. “Afternoon activities shall begin in fifteen minutes.”
Antonio and Jackie watched as people began to shuffle about the resort, heading quietly in different directions.
“Ah, there you are,” Graciela announced, popping up out of thin air. “I have your schedule here.”
“Schedule?” Antonio repeated. “I thought this was a pick-your-poison kind of place? You know, find your Zen on your own.”
“Well, Senor Steele, you can do that. But here at Alma y Tierra, we take the initiative to carve out something based on your needs.”
“And how do you know our needs?” asked Jackie via her app.
Graciela was confused by the question. “Well, Senora Miles, it was in the questionnaire you filled out for the resort. It was the accelerated couple’s connectivity plan. To strengthen your relationship, si? Do you not remember filling out the survey?”
Antonio didn’t remember filling out any survey or plan. He’d just told Calvin to book their accommodations.
Jackie whipped her head in Antonio’s direction, her eye twitching. Clearly, Calvin had taken it upon himself to plan the details of this trip, enacting revenge on Jackie for being a demanding boss. She was definitely going to fire him, and Antonio wouldn’t try to stop her.
“Listen, we aren’t here trying to connect as a couple. This is actually a work trip,” Antonio confessed.
“Work?” Graciela looked between the two of them, confused. “Why would you come to Alma y Tierra to work?”
Antonio rubbed his neck. Shit. He couldn’t come out and say they were on a covert mission to sign a celebrity athlete who was at a retreat center trying to hide from the world. That would have sounded shady.
“What he means is, we are here to get in tune with ourselves to be better at our jobs,” Jackie said via the app.
“Right,” said Antonio. “To get in tune with ourselves. As colleagues.”
“I see.” Graciela looked between them. “Is this why you choose not to use your voice, Ms. Miles? To be in tune with yourself?”
Jackie nodded.
“Oh.” Graciela placed a bangled hand over her heart. “How commendable! Many take a vow of silence for the duration of their stay. May it bring you enlightenment on your path for self-reflection.” Graciela gave Jackie an exaggerated bow. Antonio was more than amused.
“So, we can skip these activities, right?” asked Antonio, hoping the misunderstanding was cleared up.
Graciela began to shake her head. “Oh no! These activities are designed to bring people together. To strengthen your minds and foster healing. It can be transformational for colleagues such as yourselves, not just couples. I believe you will benefit! Now, come! Your first of two sessions for the day is about to begin. Follow me.”
As they followed behind Graciela, Jackie typed on her phone and turned it toward Antonio. “I’m going to kill Calvin!”
“Get in line,” Antonio said.