Anyone But You, page 23
‘That’s what I like to hear. You going to tell me what the song you wrote yesterday is about?’
‘It’s a secret. And it’s not ready. I wish I had my guitar.’
‘You didn’t want to bring it with you?’
‘Roger suggested it, but I thought there was no point and didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself.’
‘I can understand that. Maybe we could get it delivered?’
‘Yeah, maybe.’
The doorbell rang.
‘That’ll be the rest of the food.’
‘There’s more?’
‘Yep! If you’re going to be writing some hit records and I’m going to be doing my first proper nails booking in years, we’ll need to keep our strength up.’
A couple of hours later, I was on my way to Sammie’s office to do her nails. My heart thundered against my chest.
I couldn’t fuck this up. This was a great opportunity to dip my toe back into the water and build my confidence. Apart from doing Vanessa’s nails, I hadn’t done anyone else’s for ages. If I messed up on myself or Vanessa, it was fine, I could shrug it off and start again, but I couldn’t do that today. Sammie was trusting me to do a good job and I didn’t want to let her down.
I knocked on the door.
‘Come in,’ she called out.
When I entered, her boyfriend, Romeo, was sitting on the edge of her desk.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,’ I said.
‘No worries! Romeo’s on a break, so he was just keeping me company.’
‘Nice to see you again, Halle,’ Romeo said. ‘Are you enjoying your time at the hotel?’
‘Loving it, thanks. Jake and I didn’t get off to the best start, but now we’re getting on like a house on fire.’
‘Reminds me of another couple.’ Romeo turned to Sammie and gave her a knowing look. I could literally feel the electricity crackling between them. I cleared my throat, worried that if I didn’t they might start banging on the table.
‘It’s so cool that you both work together.’
‘It is,’ Sammie smiled.
There was a knock on the door and a tall, elegantly dressed black woman walked in with an attractive man with dark hair and olive skin.
‘Halle, this is Jasmine and her partner Alejandro, who also works at the hotel.’
‘Good to meet you,’ Alejandro said.
‘Yes!’ Jasmine added. ‘It’s a real pleasure.’
‘Likewise,’ I said. ‘Wait, so you work as a Love Empress and Alejandro, what do you do here?’ I asked, hoping that it didn’t sound like an interview, but I was genuinely interested to find out. I had no idea there were so many couples here.
‘I am a Cuisine King, which is basically the head chef,’ he said in a deep accent which sounded Spanish.
‘We’re normally based at the Love Hotel in Spain, but we’re here for a few months to help the team here.’
‘Amazing! I’d love to hear how you all met!’
‘That’s enough to fill two books!’ Sammie chuckled. ‘We’re not supposed to talk about it, but in a nutshell, we met and fell in love at the Italian Love Hotel. At the time it was forbidden because Romeo was my Love Alchemist.’
‘No way!’ I gasped. ‘But what happened with your actual match?’
‘Let’s just say he was an arsehole.’ Sammie wrinkled her nose.
‘That is putting it politely,’ Romeo added in his thick Italian accent.
‘How come you got set up with him then? I thought the hotel were good at finding the perfect match?’
‘It wasn’t their fault,’ Sammie added quickly. ‘On paper my match seemed ideal, but let’s just say he lied about a few things… Anyway, doesn’t matter. I’m glad it didn’t work out with him. Otherwise I wouldn’t have found my real Mr Right.’ She looked at Romeo with love-heart eyes and he leant over and kissed her gently on the lips.
‘Ooops, sorry for the PDA!’ Sammie said. ‘We’re supposed to keep things professional at work, but it’s difficult. I mean, look how gorgeous he is! And with all the love floating around in the air at this place, sometimes it’s just too hard to resist sneaking a little kiss here and there.’ Sammie winked. ‘I know we’re not the only ones. Jasmine and Ale may look innocent but I’m telling you, they’re feral!’
‘Excuse me?’ Jasmine raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. ‘I’ll have you know that Ale and I are always perfectly professional in front of guests.’
‘In front of guests, maybe, but don’t think I haven’t heard you two in your office,’ Sammie said.
‘Wh-what?’ Jasmine stuttered. ‘We’re always careful and I don’t… we always make sure that we don’t…’
‘Gotcha!’ Sammie cackled.
‘Wait. So you didn’t hear us?’
‘I was just pulling your leg. But your reaction told me everything I needed to know. See, Halle! I told you: feral!’
We all burst out laughing.
‘I think that is our cue to leave these ladies to it,’ Alejandro said to Romeo.
‘Sì.’ Romeo squeezed Sammie’s hand and Alejandro gave Jasmine a swoony look before both men left.
‘Shall we get started?’ I said. ‘Who’d like to go first?’
Jasmine’s nails were done and Sammie’s were almost finished.
Although Jasmine requested a French manicure like Sammie predicted, she was up for giving it a twist, so instead of a plain white tip, I’d created a seashell design and added a baby pearl in the centre of each nail.
Sammie said she was up for trying something more adventurous, so I gave her summery nails with a mixture of designs including palm trees and an orange starfish on her nude nails.
I was nervous at first, but they made me feel so at ease that it wasn’t long before I relaxed.
Happiness filled my chest. This was exactly how I’d envisaged things years ago: having my own clients and doing their nails whilst we had a chat and a giggle. I wished that I could do this all the time.
‘I can’t stop looking at my nails!’ Jasmine beamed. ‘They’re stunning. And you did them so quickly! Do you have your own salon back in New York?’
‘I wish!’ I said. ‘Then again, I’m not sure if I’d want my own salon. The dream would be to be freelance and work with different customers rather than in a fixed place. That’d keep my overheads low too.’
‘Great idea. Do you have an Instagram page with all of your creations?’
‘I don’t do social media,’ I winced. ‘I had a bad experience and it put me off.’
‘How so?’ Jasmine said.
‘I used to date someone famous and the comments got quite bitchy.’
‘That’s awful,’ Sammie said.
‘So sorry to hear that.’ Jasmine softened her voice. ‘Obviously it’s up to you, but maybe think about trying again. You can control how it’s used and I think the community would be supportive. Putting lots of photos will help you get your name out there and get more bookings. It’d be a shame for people not to see how talented you are.’
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Why don’t you take some pictures of Jasmine’s nails now?’ said Sammie. ‘We can take some of mine too when they’re dry. Then if you create a page, you’ll have some content ready.’
‘That’s really kind.’ I nodded, reaching for my phone, then tapping the camera button, before snapping away.
‘I’d better head to my meeting,’ Jasmine said. ‘Halle, could you get my purse out of my bag? My nails should be dry by now, but just in case.’
‘Oh, no, this is on the house!’ I said.
‘Sorry, but I can’t allow you to do that,’ Jasmine insisted and I reluctantly took her purse then opened it. ‘Take out fifty dollars, please.’
‘That’s too much!’ I shook my head.
‘My purse is on my desk, so you can take out the same amount from me too,’ Sammie said, ignoring my comment.
‘I can’t…’
Jasmine checked her nails were dry before taking both purses and carefully pulling out the bills.
‘Oops! Looks like neither of us have anything smaller, so you’ll just have to accept it.’ She handed the cash to me.
‘Thank you,’ I sighed. The money would come in handy.
‘No, thank you!’
My heart bloomed.
Vanessa was right before when she said I was living my best life.
I was staying in a dreamy five-star hotel, with the sweetest, kindest, hottest guy that ever walked the earth, enjoying amazing sex and now I was a step closer to pursuing my passion.
If I looked up the definition of being on cloud nine, there’d be a photo of me with a big cheesy smile.
The only snag was that things with Jake were temporary. But I wasn’t going to dwell on that. I wanted to focus on the here and now.
Maybe we could talk about the future later in a few days. I didn’t want this to end and I was pretty sure that Jake had feelings for me too, so there was still hope. It wouldn’t be easy, but I’d like to at least try.
The same went for my career.
I could do this.
I owed it to myself to give it my best shot.
‘I’m sure I’ll see you before you leave,’ Jasmine added. ‘But if I don’t, good luck with your nail business. I’m sure it’ll be a huge success!’
Warmth flooded my stomach.
Just like Jake, Jasmine and Sammie really believed that I had talent.
Jasmine had no idea how much her words meant to me.
I didn’t even have a nail business, yet, but seeing how happy and impressed Jasmine and Sammie were made me more determined than ever to turn my dream into a reality.
41
JAKE
I rested my guitar down on the daybed in our villa’s garden and exhaled.
Another song written.
That made six this week, which was a new record.
It was always impossible to predict how long composing a song would take. Some of my biggest hits were penned in minutes. Others I’d mulled over for weeks, months and even had a couple that I’d started, but only been able to go back and finish years later.
But over the past few days, the words had flowed right out of me and straight onto the page.
I wrote that first song about Halle on Monday once we’d got back from Venice Beach.
On Tuesday, she was gone for a couple of hours doing Sammie and Jasmine’s nails and during that time I wrote another.
But on Wednesday night after Halle and I got back from checking out some farmers’ markets in Malibu and watching surfers at the popular Surfrider beach, magic happened. I’d told her I was gonna take her advice, call Roger and ask to meet so I could collect my guitar because I was on a roll with the songwriting.
But when I’d opened the door and stepped inside the villa, my eyes popped because right there, propped up on the sofa, was my guitar.
Halle had looked up the company Roger worked for and called him to ask if he could drop it off at the hotel because she knew it would help me write.
Damn.
I stood there in shock for minutes before I could speak. That was one of the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me.
Once I’d made sure I showed Halle my gratitude, I’d put her to bed, then taken my guitar, phone, notepad and a lamp to the beach.
I’d walked to the same hammock we’d used on Monday, sat in it and with just the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the light from the lamp, I’d written two more songs. Another one about Halle and one about Minnie.
Although I didn’t get to bed until five in the morning yesterday, I made sure I woke up to have breakfast with Halle. I’d ordered some waffles and pancakes from the Love Hotel’s restaurant to be delivered to our villa.
After devouring breakfast, we’d gone for a walk on the beach, before relaxing by the pool at our villa. Then whilst she did the nails for a guest who’d seen Sammie’s nails and asked if Halle could do the same design on hers, I’d liaised with Sammie to set up my final date with Halle tonight.
Yep. Today was Friday: our last full day at the hotel.
My stomach sank. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Halle. She meant too much to me.
But we’d agreed that it was only temporary, so I couldn’t go back on my word. I really wanted to, but it wouldn’t be fair to Halle.
Yeah, I’d written these songs, but I still had to find a way to record, distribute and market them and that would be intense and time-consuming. Halle deserved someone who could give her all the attention in the world and who lived in the same state as her. And that wasn’t me.
That was why I had to make sure tonight’s date was something she’d remember forever, for all the right reasons. What I was planning was ambitious, but thankfully Sammie said her partner Romeo and a French Love Alchemist guy I hadn’t met, called Claude, had the skills I needed to pull everything off. I hoped she was right.
My cell buzzed and my jaw tensed. This morning was the first time I’d turned it on it two days.
On Wednesday, Wilma had called again, demanding that I reveal Halle’s identity immediately. I refused. She called back and I told her no again. But when she called a third time, I switched it off.
The only reason I’d switched it on again was because Halle had another request to do a guest’s nails and she didn’t know when she’d be back so said she’d call to update me and the phone in the villa wasn’t working properly.
I was so damn proud of Halle. She was killing it with all the nails she’d done. Just like I knew she would.
When the first guest request came in, she was gonna turn it down because she said we were on holiday and she wanted to spend the time with me, but I reminded her that this was her future and I wanted her to succeed.
Plus, I might’ve offered to congratulate her with my tongue if she accepted the job… That incentive seemed to work. And whilst she was gone, I wrote another song, so it worked out well for both of us.
We worked well together. Everything felt so… effortless. There was no drama, we just connected on every level.
My cell stopped ringing, then started again. I’d gotten so distracted thinking about Halle that I’d forgotten to even look at it.
It was Wilma.
Fuck it. I’d be leaving the hotel tomorrow, so I’d call her back once I’d left. I wasn’t gonna let her ruin my mood or my last day here with Halle.
I switched off the phone. Halle would try and call but hopefully when she couldn’t get through, she’d just come back to the villa.
About an hour later, the villa door opened.
‘Hey!’ Halle waved, then walked out to the garden. ‘You’re here! I was trying to call you.’
‘Yeah, sorry.’ I got up to kiss her. ‘My cell was on but Wilma called again, so I switched it off.’
‘She still hassling you about posting a proper photo of me?’
‘Yep.’
‘Maybe I could…’
‘No,’ I said firmly. ‘You’ve already done enough. It’s fine. We’ll be leaving tomorrow, so…’
My words lingered in the air and our eyes locked. I wondered if she was dreading saying goodbye forever as much as I was.
‘How’d it go with your customer?’ I changed the subject.
‘Amazing!’ Halle beamed. ‘She was so happy and asked if I’d have time to do her girlfriend’s nails too for their final date tonight too. They’re the cutest couple. Apparently, they hit it off straightaway and put a label on their relationship by day two. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got engaged tonight!’
‘Wow.’
‘She said, when you know, you know…’ Halle held my gaze. ‘Anyway, I said I couldn’t because I had my own match to spend time with.’
‘You should do it!’ I said. ‘Just think of the extra photos you’ll get to add to your portfolio. And, if I’m honest, I need to spend a couple of hours preparing for our date tonight.’
‘Oooh, I’m dying to know what you’ve got planned. Can’t you give me a little hint?’
‘Nope. It’s a surprise. But I think you’ll like it. At least I hope so.’
‘Aaargh! Such a tease! You won’t tell me anything about all the songs you’ve been writing this week and now you won’t tell me about our date! How will I know what to wear if I don’t know where we’re going?’
‘Doesn’t matter what you wear. You’ll look beautiful.’
‘Such a smooth talker!’ Halle wrapped her arms around my waist, then kissed me softly. I was just about to lift her onto the daybed and ask her if she wanted a little afternoon delight, when the doorbell rang.
‘Dammit,’ I groaned. ‘Talk about bad timing. I’ll be right back.’
I strode to the door and when I opened it, my jaw crashed to the ground.
‘Good afternoon, sir, Ms Beaker is here to see you. I tried to call but your phone was off and the villa phone wasn’t working and she said it was an emergency so I decided to escort her—’
‘I’ll take it from here.’ Wilma jumped in before pushing past the staff member, stepping inside the villa and slamming the door behind her.
‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ I spat, my heart thundering against my ribcage.
‘You’ve been avoiding my calls,’ she poked at my chest with her finger, ‘so I had to come and find you. Is that her?’ Wilma strained her neck to look out onto the patio where Halle was relaxing on the daybed. ‘Jake, she’s a fucking babe! Why aren’t you putting photos of her online?’ She reached in her purse, pulled out her cell, then headed towards Halle.
‘Don’t you fucking dare, Wilma!’ I shouted, racing in front of her. ‘Baby!’ I called out, in desperation, deliberately not using Halle’s name. I didn’t want Wilma to know anything about her. ‘Go to the bedroom.’
‘Jake?’ Halle came rushing in. ‘What’s wrong? Who’s this?’
‘This is Wilma. Go! She’s gonna try and take photos of you!’ I held out my arms and stood in front of Halle, trying to shield her.
