Chapter 15
Xylina
The last thing Yosiah likely expected was to bring us here for his birthday and that was exactly what I wanted. It was time to show him that I paid attention to people other than myself. This resort set me back a pretty penny, but it was worth it to show Yosiah I cared about him.
After removing our shoes and sliding on the slippers, we headed to the front desk where a woman dressed in a black and red yukata greeted us. I took a sip of the tea the lady at the door offered, pleased by its sweet taste.
“Welcome to Ryokan Cashmere Spa and Resort, where we’re known for our tranquil hot springs, guaranteed to release tension and leave you feeling lighter than before. Do you have a reservation?” she asked, grinning at us.
I stepped forward while Yosiah grabbed one of the pamphlets from the countertop. “Yes, under Xylina Bedford.” I pulled my wallet out of my black Chanel crossbody as I spoke.
I waited for her to find the reservation as I looked around. There was light hustle and bustle from other guests leaving and returning. A few people sat around the fire talking lowly amongst themselves.
“Yes, here you are. You booked the East Villa suite with one bed, correct?”
I nodded. “Great! I’ll just need your ID and card you used to book.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Yosiah take his eyes off the pamphlet and look at me in concern but I kept my attention forward.
I used the money I’d gotten from Simone to book.
We would be here for three days and two nights.
Our room was one of the most expensive. It had a large king size bed, private pool, and a gazebo covered open air bath.
It also had a living room, heated floors, and a small dining area and kitchen.
What was nice about this place was there were two public hot springs, a spa, sauna, relaxation room, tearoom, lounge area, three different restaurants to choose from, and a small bakery.
There were thirty rooms in total. The ten connected to the building we were in were traditional Japanese-style rooms, with mats and futons, the other fifteen were more modern hotel-style rooms that ranged from normal to suites, and detached from the main building were five villas.
I was surprised to even get a reservation.
Since there were only five and they were in demand, they typically went quickly.
“Jason here will lead you to your rooms, and if you leave your car key and bags here, we’ll have them brought to you and park your vehicle. Just fill out this vehicle information form, please.”
The man next to her walked around the desk and bowed in front of us.
This time Yosiah stepped forward and grabbed the form, looking it over.
I readjusted my makeup bag and bit down on my bottom lip.
This resort was huge and there were many different areas to explore.
From the website, I knew the villas were in the back, past the koi river and garden area.
They had a perfect view of the mountains too.
Once everything was handled, Jason nodded for us to follow.
“This way, please.”
Grinning, I looped my arm through Yosiah’s, eager to get to our room.
It was a short walk to our villa, but it was nice and quiet. The scenery was beautiful. They had taken a lot of time laying out everything. There was just enough space between the villas to give privacy.
“Here we are. Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s it.”
“Thank you.” Yosiah handed him a green bill.
There was a small yard in front of us and a wooden porch with two bamboo chairs and a table.
Stepping toward the large wooden door, I used the key to unlock it and push it open.
The smile on my face grew wider as soon as I stepped over the threshold.
A soft scent of lavender and some kind of mint filled my nose.
The living room greeted us decorated in tan, white, black.
Cylinder lights hung from the ceiling and a large couch sat in the center with two large circle pillows on each side.
In front of it was a rectangular coffee table.
The kitchen and dining area could be seen off to the side.
The floor-to-ceiling windows on the side brought in natural lighting.
“Wow,” I heard Yosiah mumble.
“Let’s go see the bedroom.” I looked over my shoulder at him. He made eye contact with me. The look in his eyes caused goosebumps to spread on my arms and my stomach to flip.
Snatching my eyes from his, we stepped forward and a wooden divider greeted us.
Pulling it open, I halted my steps at the room.
The pictures online didn’t do it justice.
The king size bed sat low on the ground in front of a circular glass table with two glasses and a bottle resting in ice on top, along with some kind of snack platter.
Just like the living room, it had the windows that brought in natural lighting and lights hanging from the ceiling.
Over the bed was an abstract, watercolor painting.
Large glass mirrors hung on the walls on each side of the painting.
Behind everything, painted on the wall, was a large cherry blossom tree.
On the bed were two black robes known as tanzens.
Across from the bed, embedded in the wall, was a long fireplace with tan finishing and a TV mounted above it.
The floors were wooden outside of the large white carpet under the bed and table.
You could see the bathroom through the open door on one side of the room and through the other, the deck and pool.
A knock on the door gained our attention. “That’s probably our stuff,” Yosiah said, turning back to the living room.
While he went to get our bags, I went to the sliding doors that led outside and stepped onto the deck.
In the horizon was the mountains, but surrounding our deck and pool were trees and bamboo.
There was a sitting area when I first stepped outside and small lights embedded on the floor, along with a small fire pit.
It was closed off on the sides with a thin material that added shade, covered with wooden roofing, and open in the front, giving a perfect view of the pool.
On the sides were cushioned lounge chairs with a stone table between them.
The pool was clear blue, with the reflection of the sun beaming on it.
It was slightly raised and water ran off the edge.
I was lost in thought when Yosiah found me. He touched my arm, causing me to jump.
“Sorry. They said to fill out these meal cards for dinner and breakfast and set them outside the door.”
Tonight I thought it would be good to go to one of the restaurants, but tomorrow I had it so the chef assigned to our villa would cook and we’d have dinner brought to our rooms. Yosiah stared at me with a blank face. His eyes were intense and his lips pressed together tightly.
“How much is all this, Xylina? How are you paying for this?”
For a second I shifted my eyes from his before plastering another smile on my face. “Don’t worry about how much it was and I had money I never touched from brands I worked with and the money I made from Simone was paid to me right away.”
He still looked unsettled. “I appreciate you bringing me here, but there’s no reason to go broke for my birthday.”
Pouting, I pushed a heavy breath out and shook my head, walking so I was toe to toe with him. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck.
“Don’t worry, hubby. Plus I’m a working woman now, remember?” Grinning, I pushed up and pecked his lips.
While this stay might’ve put a small dent in my bank account, I tried not to think about it. Now that I was working with Simone, I’d be paid well and it’d replenish what I’d spent. It might not be what I was used to, but I was trying not to let that get to me either.
“We’re bringing your birthday in, in style; so just enjoy it.” My lips brushed against his as I spoke. He peered down at me silently a little longer before slowly wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.
“A’right, since you went out your way to plan this, I’ll let it go for now.”
“Good because we haven’t gotten started yet!” Giving him one last peck on the lips, I pulled away.
“Now, I’ve never been in an open air hot spring bath before. How about we freshen up and test it out, then head down to the spa? They have a seaweed wrap that’s supposed to be highly hydrating, detoxing, anti-aging, and soothing to the skin. We can book the couples’ session.”
“Seaweed?” His face bunched, causing me to giggle.
“Trust me, hubby, you’ve been working so much, your skin will thank you.”
Thankfully, this time Yosiah didn’t complain.
On top of the things here, the small town we passed through had things to do, not to mention the lake should be open and we could also do things closer to it and the mountain.
Lake Cashmere was well known for tourists and the activities it had to offer.
I wish we had more time to do everything.
While this stay was for his birthday, I also planned on regrouping from all the negative things that had been happening and starting brand new.
“Ihaven’t been to a place that does Teppanyaki in forever,” I expressed, looking at the different grills where the cooks were performing and cooking. I pulled my phone out to do a video of everything. I had been making sure to document our day for my socials.
“Yeah, me neither,” Yosiah said, eyes locked on the menu.