“Our sister hotel next door?” Stella frowned. “But they’ve just reopened.”
“True, but they’ve had a lot of complaints apparently and they can’t keep up with the maintenance. It will take too much investment to bring it back to a reasonable standard, so Paradise Group is considering selling it to them. That way they can put the money into doing this place up. They’re just preliminary talks for now, though.” Kira gave her a quick nod to let her know their conversation was over, then put on her most charming smile as she approached the three men.
Stella watched her interact with them. The twenty-three-year-old graduate had proven to be more capable than the generally sceptical, more mature members of staff had initially expected. She was clever, funny and able to interact with people from all social classes, and she’d been a lifeline for the managers since they’d reopened, putting in ‘good words’ for them with Mr Avery when they urgently needed funding. The men laughed as she cracked a joke before leading them to the lift that would take them to the top floor penthouse, where the Paradise Group office was situated. Stella had been there many times over the years and on her most recent visit, during which she’d presented her plans and anticipated hurdles for the season, she’d noticed that even the penthouse was looking worse for wear. The previously immaculate white walls and ceiling were now stained from leaks, and she’d spotted a couple of cracks too. The ocean-facing roof terrace where they’d enjoyed the occasional staff meeting was not immaculate anymore, but overgrown with weeds, and the slate tiles were mouldy. If the board of directors didn’t have the budget to keep their own playground looking slick and pretty, then she suspected the situation must be bad, as selling off one of their hotels had never been part of the plan. Paradise Group owned seven hotels when Stella started working at Paradise and they now had eleven in their portfolio, all in and around Benidorm. She didn’t have much to do with Premier Sunsetherself; she was in charge of Paradise poolside and was rarely involved with their neighbouring sister hotel. But she knew people who worked there and was aware that a sale could lead to redundancies.
“What’s going on?” Manuel whispered as she joined him at the bar for a coffee before starting her late shift.
“The group is thinking of selling Premier Sunset, apparently.”
Manuel’s eyes widened. “Fuck.”
“I only just found out.” Stella lowered her voice. “I suppose it doesn’t concern my job, so they didn’t have to inform me. And nothing’s been set in stone according to Kira. They’re just talks, for now.” Her attention was spiked when she saw Lisa walking to the poolside, where she dropped down on a sunlounger with her iPad. When she took off her kaftan and started applying suntan lotion on her arms, legs and torso, Stella was unable to keep her eyes off her.
“Everything settled with Miss Grumpy now?” Manuel asked, following her gaze. “I’d apologise but you told me it was better to leave it so I—”
“Hey, don’t call her that.” Stella was aware that she sounded sharper than she intended. “I’m sorry. Yes, everything’s fine. And you don’t have to tread on eggshells around her as long as you don’t try to make her join in with the ‘fun’,” she said, making quote marks in the air.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Manuel quietly whistled through his teeth at the sight of Lisa in a tiny black bikini.
Lisa glanced around as if she could feel someone looking at her, and when she spotted Stella by the bar, she waved and shot her a beaming smile.
“What the fuck?” Manuel turned to Stella when she waved back. “What did you say to her?”
“Nothing, we just talked.” Stella didn’t mention that she’d been hanging out with Lisa. She wasn’t allowed to mingle with guests apart from in a professional capacity and she wasn’t sure if Manuel would be able to keep it to himself if she told him.
“You must be one hell of a talker,” he joked.
Stella chuckled and shook her head. “No, she’s just really nice, actually. People aren’t always what they seem at first glance.” Apparently, she was a bad liar. Manuel studied her, then slammed a hand on the bar.
“You have the hots for her.” His triumphant grimace would have been funny any other time, but right now, it made Stella blush profusely.
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do.”
Stella finished her coffee and got off her stool. “Be careful what you say, Manuel. This could get me into trouble.” She relaxed a little and rolled her eyes when he jutted out his bottom lip and pulled an innocent face. “And not a word about the sale of Premier Sunset either. I assume they’re keeping it quiet for a reason and I don’t want anyone to spread rumours.”
18
It was amazing what a little human interaction could do to one’s spirit. The poolside wasn’t as daunting today as it had been in the past weeks and Lisa even found herself smiling at a couple of people as she threw her towel over a sunlounger. She didn’t recognise any of the original guests and suspected they’d all left by now. It was a chance to start over in a way, and she felt much more at ease, now that no one was watching her. Well, apart from some of the men, but she’d gotten used to that and ignored their stares as she applied suntan lotion to her legs.
She felt more optimistic and even a little cheerful, and as she spotted Stella at the bar, her face pulled into a smile as she waved at her. The woman had not only put her at ease, but she’d been a great listener. Normally, Lisa would worry that she’d been a burden, but she didn’t feel that way with Stella.
Her eyes shifted to her phone as it rang, and she quickly dried her hands to take Ebony’s call. “Hey, babe. Sorry I didn’t call you back; I forgot.”
“That’s okay. How are you, honey? Feeling better?”
“A lot better, thanks. I was being silly the other night; it was nothing. Maybe I was just tired.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you sound chirpy again.”
Lisa took a sip from her water and poured some over her chest to cool down. “How was the rest of your date?”
“Oh, God, don’t get me started on him. I ended up sneaking off after he confessed he was looking for someone to join him and his wife in the bedroom.”
“What?” Lisa laughed. “He should have told you that upfront. It doesn’t seem fair to tell your date you’re married until you’re on the actual date.”
“Totally agree. Anyway… How’s Benidorm today?” Ebony snickered as she drew out the word in a dramatic tone. “Are you fried yet? Are you daytime drinking?”
