Chapter 2
When I got inside the marble all around caught my eye first, it was everywhere. Columns, statues, it really did look as though you had stepped back in time to the days of Rome. There was a very friendly young woman at the desk who greeted me by name. I wondered if they treated all the guests the same. This place was expensive yes but not enough for this flattery. While I was signing in I saw my luggage go by on a rack and into an elevator.
Then another young man appeared next to me. As the girl behind the desk gave him a key. "Please Ma'am, this way I will take you to your room". I was impressed. As he walked through the lobby I was taken again by the view and also how few other people there were here. I saw one other person whom I'd thought to be a guest and that was all. I would have thought a place like this would be full of people. Either no one else thought it to be worth the trip or it was a well kept secret.
It was only a three floor building, how lost could I have gotten I wondered as he walked down the hall to the end suite. "The gym, pool and spa are all on the top floor and there is an outdoor pool, but the weather is getting pretty windy so I would suggest staying inside." He said as he was putting my luggage on the floor inside the room.
The room may as well have been an Italian Villa miniaturized, the first thing I looked for was the bathroom, I find you can always tell the true quality of a place by how its bathroom is kept, besides as the driver said, I needed it. You could have eaten dinner off the floor. It was all marble as the lobby - they must have spent an economies worth of money building this place. The bath tub was enormous. I thought about how it will be but for tonight a shower will have to do, I was very tired.
As I was going out the floor to ceiling window balcony window, I heard a knock at the door, I answered it and was surprised to see the driver, shocked actually. "This must have fallen out of your purse" He handed me my lip gloss. I felt flustered. "Thank you" I paused, I wanted him to tell me his name. "Delano" "Thank you Delano" he gave me that smile again. "If there is anything else I can help you with just ask and I am at your service, good night". He turned on his heel and strode down the hallway.
Oh My God he didn't just say that like that. Did he mean that literally. I started to wonder what kind of place this was, as I walked back into the room. It's not like it wasn't a tempting offer - if he really did mean that. Maybe that is why no one else was here, either they were scared off or those who know really did keep this a great secret. He was after all, only just the driver I thought.
I went to the phone and took and stepped out onto the balcony - the dryness hit me again. I called Emily, I got her machine so I just left a message and told I was there, everything was fine and I'd call her again later. I again was taken by the city at Sunset, I had to just stare for a bit. The boy was right the wind had picked up a bit. Maybe I would see a tumbleweed still.
I was getting very tired so I decided to just hop in the shower and go to sleep. The shower was lovely and warm, there was a smell of Roses all through the bathroom and lovely Rose scented lotion to follow. By the time I got to bed it was quite late and I was exhausted. I slept all night and most of the next day.
When I finally got up the next day I was very hungry but I wanted to talk to Emily first. I called her again and she again assured me she was fine and would be here by the end of the weekend. When I hung up with her I went to the door and pulled it open to step out onto the balcony. I sat down on a chair that was bolted to the floor, I wondered why - then a huge gust of wind came and I realized why everything up here had to be bolted. I ordered some to eat and told the one who answered, who I thought to be the same girl from the desk, to just bring it up and out here.
After about twenty minutes, I lost track of time just staring at the view, I was shocked to see it was the girl from the desk bringing the food in. Had she made it as well? Why was she bringing it in? What kind of place is this they don't have more staff. I asked her to also hand me my bag and I tipped her generously. The food was quite good and she left several extra bottles of water, she put in the mini fridge. Where was the waiter? Why did she have to do this, I wondered as I ate.
When I finished I decided to have a look upstairs. I got dressed and decided I wanted a massage as well. I took another bottle of water with me and headed out the door. As I walked down the hall I just got an uneasy feeling, but I just brushed it off. The elevator trip was short. When the doors opened the first thing I saw was the pool, which was really very large and marble like everything else and empty. Which I thought to be strange.
I walked along the edge, I could easily smell the chlorine in the water. I opened another door and saw it was the gym - it was also empty - where was everyone. No one here, no one in the pool, after another hot and dry day. The last door was locked. I also wondered why. I decided to go downstairs and have a look around outside.
As I got out the elevator I saw Delano behind the desk with the girl and the young man, he was telling them something and they both looked bewildered if I was to say - even frightened. There was again no one else around. I went up to Delano and asked him how to get outside. He showed me through the lobby to the far side. He opened the doors for me and checked my hand, he look at the bottle of water then looked away.
The pool outside by the look of it had not been cleaned today. I walked all the way around it - it was very nice, same theme as inside. Statue's everywhere but again no one else. He waited just by the door - I wished he wouldn't do that. I saw him occasionally take a deep breath and sniff the air - what was he doing?
The pool was not that large, the one inside was much larger, when I got back to the door - I walked right past him. I sensed he was nervous. He didn't feel that way on the ride up here. "The say the wind is going to pick up bad, the Sun-Downers will come tonight I think" he said as he closed the doors behind him.
I saw the girl from behind the desk and the young man walking out the front door. I got an extremely uneasy feeling that except for him I was alone here. I saw the look on his face - he had hoped I had not seen that. I opened my mouth to ask him where they were going and he cut me off " Dinner will be at six o'clock, there are three eating terraces, one on each floor. Would you like dinner in your room or in one of those?"
He waited for me to answer, "Down here" I said, " I will knock for you at six" he said. He began walking if not herding me back to the elevator. He walked down the hall to my room and opened my door and waited for me to go in. "Six" he said as I passed by him, I just shook my head yes. He closed the door and I lock it from my side. Something was not right. In fact it was wrong - very wrong. I went to the phone I was going to call Emily but the phone did not work and there was a power surge in the lights and air conditioning. I heard what I expected was a backup generator.
I went for my cell and a knock came at the door, I jumped so that I dropped it. I slowly unlocked it - it was Delano again. "The power just went out. The generator will work for only a few hours a day but not for phone or Internet. Cell reception doe not work up here either" I just stared at him. " I am sorry about this" with that he left. I closed the door behind him and locked it again. "I'm stuck here" I thought but there was more to this I thought.
I saw the trees beginning to bend alot. The thought crossed my mind " I'm trapped here" I went to the balcony door. I listened and I heard wind high in the trees, it was so hot. Everything seemed to sparkle. 'Was it so bad bad being trapped here with him?' I thought. That still did not answer the question - where were the other guests and why did those two leave? Surely there had to be someone else here.
Other guests just staying in their room, as beautiful as this room was surely it wouldn't be hard to spend a vacation here away from the world . Being though cut off from the world - that still bothered me. It was four o'clock so I decided to just try my cell I didn't care what time it was back home. No bars no nothing, he was right, no reception. If I had known that earlier I wonder if I would have come. I went back outside and I saw him very near the edge of the cliff looking out at some smoke in the distance by the coast line.
He seemed to be too calm to me, I suppose he would be use to it by now thought but still was something just wrong with all of this. My skin felt so dry I thought I was going to blow away. I decided to to take a bath. I went into the bathroom and turned on the tub - you could have fit three people in there easily. I went back to my luggage and pulled out a silk nightgown and some other things and took them back into the bathroom.
The tub had filled rather quickly. The feeling of moisture on my skin was wonderful. My mind wandered again to where others were. I decided to ask him before dinner. I thought when he came to get me, I had already washed my hair before I realized I could not dry it. Great. I got out and wrapped it in a towel. I thought it wouldn't take long to dry in this anyway. I noticed the wind had picked up still. I wondered how bad it could get. I also looked again at where he had been looking and saw a huge black plume heading out over the water.
I heard a knock at the door, it was six on the button. I unlocked and opened the door. He had such a serious look on. I asked him what was wrong and he shook his head to say nothing. I got that uneasy feeling again. As he walked down the hall I could sense again he was very nervous. I blurted out to him "What's wrong?" He turned around and looked at me "Nothing" he said, and continued to walk to the stairs.
He opened a door toward the very end of the hallway and held it open, he handed me a flashlight. The stairs were steep. I stopped and let him go ahead of me, I figured if I fell I could fall on him at least, after a few short flight we got to another door, he opened it and there was light again. He walked out into the lobby. He was cold and silent. There was still no one around. I thought when should I ask him - would he get mad?, what was wrong with him. He led to the far end of the building to a room filled with only a smallish dining table and a few chairs and another single table against the wall.
I thought you could see forever from the suite, there was a completely unobstructed view. I looked out over to the black smoke. "That is Malibu" he said. I could see the trees below, the wind had gotten much worse. While he was lighting up candles I thought now is as good a time as any. "Where is everyone else?" He looked at me. "There is no one else" "You mean there is no one else here but you and I?" " That's right" "Where is the rest of the staff?" " Vacation" I stood there and tried to digest this. We really were here alone.
Then another young man appeared next to me. As the girl behind the desk gave him a key. "Please Ma'am, this way I will take you to your room". I was impressed. As he walked through the lobby I was taken again by the view and also how few other people there were here. I saw one other person whom I'd thought to be a guest and that was all. I would have thought a place like this would be full of people. Either no one else thought it to be worth the trip or it was a well kept secret.
It was only a three floor building, how lost could I have gotten I wondered as he walked down the hall to the end suite. "The gym, pool and spa are all on the top floor and there is an outdoor pool, but the weather is getting pretty windy so I would suggest staying inside." He said as he was putting my luggage on the floor inside the room.
The room may as well have been an Italian Villa miniaturized, the first thing I looked for was the bathroom, I find you can always tell the true quality of a place by how its bathroom is kept, besides as the driver said, I needed it. You could have eaten dinner off the floor. It was all marble as the lobby - they must have spent an economies worth of money building this place. The bath tub was enormous. I thought about how it will be but for tonight a shower will have to do, I was very tired.
As I was going out the floor to ceiling window balcony window, I heard a knock at the door, I answered it and was surprised to see the driver, shocked actually. "This must have fallen out of your purse" He handed me my lip gloss. I felt flustered. "Thank you" I paused, I wanted him to tell me his name. "Delano" "Thank you Delano" he gave me that smile again. "If there is anything else I can help you with just ask and I am at your service, good night". He turned on his heel and strode down the hallway.
Oh My God he didn't just say that like that. Did he mean that literally. I started to wonder what kind of place this was, as I walked back into the room. It's not like it wasn't a tempting offer - if he really did mean that. Maybe that is why no one else was here, either they were scared off or those who know really did keep this a great secret. He was after all, only just the driver I thought.
I went to the phone and took and stepped out onto the balcony - the dryness hit me again. I called Emily, I got her machine so I just left a message and told I was there, everything was fine and I'd call her again later. I again was taken by the city at Sunset, I had to just stare for a bit. The boy was right the wind had picked up a bit. Maybe I would see a tumbleweed still.
I was getting very tired so I decided to just hop in the shower and go to sleep. The shower was lovely and warm, there was a smell of Roses all through the bathroom and lovely Rose scented lotion to follow. By the time I got to bed it was quite late and I was exhausted. I slept all night and most of the next day.
When I finally got up the next day I was very hungry but I wanted to talk to Emily first. I called her again and she again assured me she was fine and would be here by the end of the weekend. When I hung up with her I went to the door and pulled it open to step out onto the balcony. I sat down on a chair that was bolted to the floor, I wondered why - then a huge gust of wind came and I realized why everything up here had to be bolted. I ordered some to eat and told the one who answered, who I thought to be the same girl from the desk, to just bring it up and out here.
After about twenty minutes, I lost track of time just staring at the view, I was shocked to see it was the girl from the desk bringing the food in. Had she made it as well? Why was she bringing it in? What kind of place is this they don't have more staff. I asked her to also hand me my bag and I tipped her generously. The food was quite good and she left several extra bottles of water, she put in the mini fridge. Where was the waiter? Why did she have to do this, I wondered as I ate.
When I finished I decided to have a look upstairs. I got dressed and decided I wanted a massage as well. I took another bottle of water with me and headed out the door. As I walked down the hall I just got an uneasy feeling, but I just brushed it off. The elevator trip was short. When the doors opened the first thing I saw was the pool, which was really very large and marble like everything else and empty. Which I thought to be strange.
I walked along the edge, I could easily smell the chlorine in the water. I opened another door and saw it was the gym - it was also empty - where was everyone. No one here, no one in the pool, after another hot and dry day. The last door was locked. I also wondered why. I decided to go downstairs and have a look around outside.
As I got out the elevator I saw Delano behind the desk with the girl and the young man, he was telling them something and they both looked bewildered if I was to say - even frightened. There was again no one else around. I went up to Delano and asked him how to get outside. He showed me through the lobby to the far side. He opened the doors for me and checked my hand, he look at the bottle of water then looked away.
The pool outside by the look of it had not been cleaned today. I walked all the way around it - it was very nice, same theme as inside. Statue's everywhere but again no one else. He waited just by the door - I wished he wouldn't do that. I saw him occasionally take a deep breath and sniff the air - what was he doing?
The pool was not that large, the one inside was much larger, when I got back to the door - I walked right past him. I sensed he was nervous. He didn't feel that way on the ride up here. "The say the wind is going to pick up bad, the Sun-Downers will come tonight I think" he said as he closed the doors behind him.
I saw the girl from behind the desk and the young man walking out the front door. I got an extremely uneasy feeling that except for him I was alone here. I saw the look on his face - he had hoped I had not seen that. I opened my mouth to ask him where they were going and he cut me off " Dinner will be at six o'clock, there are three eating terraces, one on each floor. Would you like dinner in your room or in one of those?"
He waited for me to answer, "Down here" I said, " I will knock for you at six" he said. He began walking if not herding me back to the elevator. He walked down the hall to my room and opened my door and waited for me to go in. "Six" he said as I passed by him, I just shook my head yes. He closed the door and I lock it from my side. Something was not right. In fact it was wrong - very wrong. I went to the phone I was going to call Emily but the phone did not work and there was a power surge in the lights and air conditioning. I heard what I expected was a backup generator.
I went for my cell and a knock came at the door, I jumped so that I dropped it. I slowly unlocked it - it was Delano again. "The power just went out. The generator will work for only a few hours a day but not for phone or Internet. Cell reception doe not work up here either" I just stared at him. " I am sorry about this" with that he left. I closed the door behind him and locked it again. "I'm stuck here" I thought but there was more to this I thought.
I saw the trees beginning to bend alot. The thought crossed my mind " I'm trapped here" I went to the balcony door. I listened and I heard wind high in the trees, it was so hot. Everything seemed to sparkle. 'Was it so bad bad being trapped here with him?' I thought. That still did not answer the question - where were the other guests and why did those two leave? Surely there had to be someone else here.
Other guests just staying in their room, as beautiful as this room was surely it wouldn't be hard to spend a vacation here away from the world . Being though cut off from the world - that still bothered me. It was four o'clock so I decided to just try my cell I didn't care what time it was back home. No bars no nothing, he was right, no reception. If I had known that earlier I wonder if I would have come. I went back outside and I saw him very near the edge of the cliff looking out at some smoke in the distance by the coast line.
He seemed to be too calm to me, I suppose he would be use to it by now thought but still was something just wrong with all of this. My skin felt so dry I thought I was going to blow away. I decided to to take a bath. I went into the bathroom and turned on the tub - you could have fit three people in there easily. I went back to my luggage and pulled out a silk nightgown and some other things and took them back into the bathroom.
The tub had filled rather quickly. The feeling of moisture on my skin was wonderful. My mind wandered again to where others were. I decided to ask him before dinner. I thought when he came to get me, I had already washed my hair before I realized I could not dry it. Great. I got out and wrapped it in a towel. I thought it wouldn't take long to dry in this anyway. I noticed the wind had picked up still. I wondered how bad it could get. I also looked again at where he had been looking and saw a huge black plume heading out over the water.
I heard a knock at the door, it was six on the button. I unlocked and opened the door. He had such a serious look on. I asked him what was wrong and he shook his head to say nothing. I got that uneasy feeling again. As he walked down the hall I could sense again he was very nervous. I blurted out to him "What's wrong?" He turned around and looked at me "Nothing" he said, and continued to walk to the stairs.
He opened a door toward the very end of the hallway and held it open, he handed me a flashlight. The stairs were steep. I stopped and let him go ahead of me, I figured if I fell I could fall on him at least, after a few short flight we got to another door, he opened it and there was light again. He walked out into the lobby. He was cold and silent. There was still no one around. I thought when should I ask him - would he get mad?, what was wrong with him. He led to the far end of the building to a room filled with only a smallish dining table and a few chairs and another single table against the wall.
I thought you could see forever from the suite, there was a completely unobstructed view. I looked out over to the black smoke. "That is Malibu" he said. I could see the trees below, the wind had gotten much worse. While he was lighting up candles I thought now is as good a time as any. "Where is everyone else?" He looked at me. "There is no one else" "You mean there is no one else here but you and I?" " That's right" "Where is the rest of the staff?" " Vacation" I stood there and tried to digest this. We really were here alone.