I'm snapped from my thought with the jingle of metal beside my ear. Turning around I look over at Rachel, the elderly woman jingling a set of keys at me with a grin spread across her lips. Cocking an eyebrow my gaze darts between her, the keys and the island as I try to work out just where I would be staying.
"Are those..." I begin to ask, pausing as Rachel rolls her eyes.
"Your room keys? Yes, and you have no idea how difficult it was to get them" Rachel sighs, placing the shimmering silver key into my palm. I look at the elderly woman in confusion, my eye twitching slightly as I try to wrap my head around her words.
"Difficult?..." I muse, looking down at the key before looking for Victoria in the crowd amassed around the railing. "I thought you said Victoria was desperate to have Luci come" I hiss through gritted teeth, watching as the older woman shrugs her shoulders slightly.
"She did..." she says with a croaking giggle. "We just didn't RSVP in time. Don't worry though, we found space for you... barely..." she explains, sighing a little.
"Where..." I begin to grumble, only to be cut off by Rachel.
"Oh Luci, with such late notice... We pulled some strings and managed to find you room in one of the cabins. Hopefully they finished the maintenance" Rachel explains, raising one of the wine glasses to her lips as she takes a long thoughtful sip. "It is on the far side of the island though, hence the maintenance, hopefully the fresh paint smell will be aired out before we..."
The older woman pauses mid-sentence as she looks at me, her gaze narrowing as she notices a brief fleeting look of relief spread across my adorable face.
Breathing a sigh of relief I revel in the idea of having a space on the island far away from the rest of the party. My skin still tingles and my heart still flutters as I think about the impromptu meeting, a shudder breath slowly coming out as I try to calm myself down.
I could ride this week out easily enough. I'd just need to hide out in my room, pretend I'm sick from something I ate or drank before the trip and then I'd be home free before I even knew it. I slowly begin to smile at the thought, the quiet cabin in isolation and the sound of the sea just beyond the door being all too perfect for a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
My hopes however are quickly shattered as I feel a pinch at my arm, the elderly Rachel giving me a glare as she pinches me.
"Oh I know what's running through your head Mr Hughes" she states, lowering her voice as she states my real name. "I've seen how you can lock yourself in your room for weeks at the time, not this time" she practically growl, the severe older woman sending a chill up my spine as she speaks.
Suddenly, her mood seems to turn as her phone buzzes in her pocket. Her thin lips twist into a delighted grin as she quickly silences the call, her withered hand quickly grabbing out the device as she opens up what appears to be a calendar.
"Sunbathing... Forest walks... Swimming... Family Games..." she lists off, the weight of each item weighing me down as my face grows pale. "We are guests here, we simply must participate in the activities that Vicky has so gracious invited us... or really you to" she states with a smirk, her scowl quickly returning as she hands her glass to one of the staff aboard the boat.
"Oh don't frown dear, it's how you get wrinkles" she grumbles, turning away from me as her phone begins to ring again. "We'll be ashore soon enough, do have some food while you can."
I spend the rest of my time aboard the boat ducking and weaving through the crowds, making brief pleasantries as I try to keep my distance from Victoria or Oliver. I knew that the moment I saw the athletic young man the deeply ingrained feelings permeating this body would begin to take over again, and I knew if I saw Victoria she would immediately call for her grandson again.
As we pull into dock I'm practically the first one off the boat, my eyes going wide as I feel just how fast I can run on my new slender yet firm legs. Pausing at the edge of the pier I try to work out just where I'm meant to be going, my eyes turning to the key I had been given as I look out over the long and pristine shoreline.
A small number is engraved on the silver key, tiny drilled dots spelling out the number 6 that sit just barely visible along the rounded section.
As I look back down the length of the beach I spot on of the cabin, my first step towards it only to be lost to the tide of party goers heading towards the main building. Jostling in amongst the crowd I watch as we all slowly pace up the artificially lengthened beach towards what looks like a mixture of a dormitory and function center. Across two stories sit various individual numbered room, a small balcony allowing access from stair wells near the center of the cross-shaped building. The central structure looks like some large repurposed hall, a function room that is used as the center for all sort of events on the island.
Suddenly, I feel myself get dragged from the crowd before myself and my savior erupt out onto the beach.
"Yes, I said today... No, I won't be there to let you in... just get a locksmith, or break the door just..." Rachel grumbles into her phone, her lip twitching into a snarl as she speaks to the stranger on the other end. "Just get it done" she snaps, hanging up before quickly turning her attention to me.
The elderly woman quickly snags my arms, wrapping her arm around the crook of my elbow for support as she begins to guide me across the white sands of the beach.
"Okay..." she mutters, bringing up something else on her cheap little phone. "Let me just..." she continues, squinting at the phone in her hand before simply letting out a sigh. "You know what, I'll just..."
With her phone still in hand she types out something before pressing send in a dramatic fashion. However, nothing happens and all that we both hear is the din of the crowd behind us and the waves crashing against the shore. Suddenly, a look of realization spreads across the older woman's face as she reaches up to pinch at her nose.
"You left your phone back in your apartment didn't you?" Rachel asks, already knowing the answer as I look at her in confusion.
"Who were you yelling..." I begin to ask, only to be cut short by Rachel as she snaps at me.
"Nobody important" she grumbles, rubbing the bridge of her nose more firmly as she tries to think. "Okay... I guess I will just write your schedule by hand at this point, I can't just be following you everywhere like a personal assistant.
The sound of footsteps quickly approach us from behind, my head whipping around to watch as a man quickly walks past with a set of all too familiar shopping bags in his hands. He quickly turns down a path into the treeline, disappearing from sight as he races to get my bags to my room before I could get there.
Rachel however stares at her phone, squinting slightly as she tries her best to read the small screen under the bright sunlight.
"Alright..." she sighs, turning off the screen as she puts the phone away. "I will write you something later, however, firstly..."
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