‘Where is Gus?’
‘He’s taking a break.’
‘Let me guess, he stole a bunch of money and took a speedboat to Mahé.’
He gasps.
‘What?’ I ask.
‘You shouldn’t throw accusations like that around. Gus is a good man!’
‘I – it – Doris and the Lucys… ah… it was a joke.’
‘Oh.’ His face breaks into a wide smile. ‘I forget you’re British.’
‘What is that supposed to mean?’
‘The sense of humour thing.’
‘What?’
‘What, what?’
‘We’re going around in circles.’
The three Lucys don’t even pretend to read; instead, they watch our back and forth with intense interest, which means this conversation will be shared around the resort with some exaggerated flair by lunchtime. ‘How about I check Turt and you decide where I’m taking you for dinner?’
‘Excuse me?’ He skips ahead so fast I can’t keep up. A ploy to fool me into a dinner date probably. I’ve seen the way Michel glances at Mariola; this whole farce is just that – something to keep the boredom at bay.
‘Would you prefer I cooked you a nice romantic dinner at my place?’
Huh, his place… Which reminds me. ‘Why don’t you live in the resort like the other staff?’
There’s a glint of something hard in his eyes and when he crosses his arms he says, ‘I don’t like being told what to do when I’m not working.’
‘By Xavier, you mean?’
‘Who else?’
‘What’s with the crazy rivalry?’ I’m so sick of him sidestepping the question.
The three Lucys sit up on their sun loungers. ‘Oh God, everyone knows it’s best to keep those two apart. It’s like a bullfight when they circle each other. For what? Some machismo thing? Men, honestly, testosterone-fuelled fools at times,’ Lucy spits.
‘But why?’
‘Gee, thanks, Lucy.’ Michel sends a frown her way. ‘We used to be friends until he came back to “save” the resort and made changes that upset a lot of people. I don’t like a guy who has dollar signs for eyeballs, simple as that.’
It’s a wonder Michel hasn’t been fired. He doesn’t exactly hide his hostility for Xavier. I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of helicopter pilots on the island, much like there wasn’t a sous chef to be found when they needed one, so that’s Michel’s saving grace.
‘But isn’t it Xavier’s right as the owner to make changes?’
He contemplates that for a beat. ‘We all share this island, and the changes he is proposing will affect us all. Have you seen the plans for the Cabana Bar and the promenade? Why does he need to develop it when nature has already done it for us? It’s perfect as it is, simply as a shoreline with a small tiki bar that’s made from natural elements.’
‘Wait. You’ve seen the plans?’ Lucia asks. ‘We haven’t seen them. Not even Doris has and she’s Mrs Bastille’s best friend.’
Michel colours. ‘Forget I mentioned it.’ No doubt the cousins have schemed someone to get a hold of the plans by sweet-talking someone in the know.
I understand Michel’s point about not developing the beach into a fancy promenade, but Xavier is a business owner and guests do expect certain amenities when they pay top dollar to stay at a five-star resort. ‘It’s his prerogative and he’s only developing the land along the beachfront of the resort so there will still be plenty of the island that remains untouched, right?’ Yes, I’m probing when I am probably only helping enflame Michel’s upset with Xavier, but still, I’d like to know that his heart really does lie here at the Last Chance Resort and the people who make it a home.
