‘Bonzour, Doris. You’re looking well,’ he says as he strides past her.
The glare is quickly replaced by a swoony smile. Is it really that easy for a guy like Xavier to flip people’s opinion of him? ‘You too, darling boy.’
Darling boy! She wasn’t calling him a darling boy the first day I met her. No, Doris, the caftan-loving, immaculately made-up, jangly-bangle enthusiast previously claimed Xavier’s progress around the resort was a mistake and that his ego was running rampant, and now he’s ‘darling boy’?
When Xavier is out of sight she says, ‘Isn’t he just divine?’ Doris slinks up to the counter, her bangles jingling in harmony with each step. ‘Such a fine boy. Make a good husband, he would. Been raised right.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do say so. And I’m not often wrong either.’
Outside, Xavier stops to chat to someone. He soon raises his voice and Michel comes into view. What is with those two? Michel’s face is like thunder as boss man keeps up a steady stream of what sound distinctly like criticisms from the odd words I manage to snatch. Something about prying into private matters and leaving well enough alone. So much drama on one tiny island! ‘I suppose you’re not going to enlighten me about what’s going on with Xavier and Michel?’ I ask Doris.
‘It’s a clash of egos. Never mind all that. I’m here to invite you to a little game of gin rummy this evening. A few of us are getting together and putting a handful of rupees into the pot.’
I hold up a hand. ‘I might be new but I’m not naïve. I’ve been warned about your little side hustle…’
‘Whatever do you mean, dear?’ She plays the innocent perfectly with her raised eyebrows, hand on her heart like I’m close to offending her by daring to voice such a thing.
‘I mean, I’ve been prewarned about you and the three Lucys.’
She gasps. ‘Well, I never! Don’t you dare put me in the same sentence with them, young lady! That Lucy is the culprit, would cheat a person soon as look at them, and as for the other two, well…’
‘I get it, you fleece the uninitiated for a few bucks here and there.’
Conflicting emotions flick across her face before she settles on guileless. ‘I – I would never commit such atrocious acts. I’m here to pick up my book order and thought I’d invite you as a show of friendship, that’s all.’
She persists, so I look to the pigeonhole for her book order. Aha! ‘Oh yeah, how do you explain this then?’ I push the book closer to her. ‘How to Cheat at Cardsby Daniel Madison.’ I turn it over and read the back. ‘A guide to cheating techniques, sleight-of-hand and the mindset of a cheat.’
Her cheeks flame. Caught red handed! ‘Bloody Gus, I told him to wrap it for me. Give me that!’ She snatches the book from me. ‘This stays between us, Harper.’
‘Or what?’
Her eyes flash. ‘Or else I’ll fake a fall and say you pushed me over.’
I guffaw. ‘I don’t think that will work somehow, you little minx.’
‘Why?’
‘Security cameras.’ I point above and to the left of us.
‘Dammit.’
‘I won’t tell if you give me information.’
‘Such as?’
‘Such as what happened to Gus?’
Doris lets out a frustrated sigh. ‘He stole a bunch of money and took a speedboat to Mahé.’
I throw her a filthy look. ‘That’s how you’re going to play it?’
She shrugs. ‘Where do you see yourself in five years, Harper?’
The abrupt change in direction jars me. ‘What?’
She fiddles in her book tote and brandishes a flyer. ‘A pretty girl like you needs to consider her future. The future is female!’
