Page 2 of Nothing to Do

Alessia’s grin glittered. “I went through about fifty different combinations. I really don’t know… I keep second-guessing myself.”

“The light is different here.”

“Mm. Yeah!” Excitement burst from her sister. “Yeah, uh huh, it so is!”

“Why don’t you try some on?” The suggestion gave Alessia the excuse she wanted. “They said we had an hour before dinner.”

All her life, she’d admired her sister playing dress-up, trying on this outfit and that. Their minds were different, they viewed things in different ways, but when it came to supporting her sister, Thea did everything she could, with the little things and the big, and always would.

TWO

DINNER WAS WONDERFUL. In a curved dining room, a circle of water beneath and glass ceiling above allowed them to witness the light fading from the sky. Delicious food, gracious staff, beautiful environment, tick, tick, tick.

The mood was high and why wouldn’t it be? By design, the prize winners shared a passion. One they were eager to gush about. Here and there, spirits were tainted by the occasional glimpse of women circling, assessing, inspecting. Did they see each other as competition? Even the companions brought along for the ride threw an elbow here and there. Some were flat excited, others subdued. This would be an interesting month.

After food, music started. In true Alessia style, she’d already found herself a clique. They’d been huddled at the bar for the last half hour. Though relieved probably wasn’t the right word, pressure eased from her shoulders. She went to her sister’s side and rested a hand on her back to get her attention.

“Oh! Thea,” Alessia said, hooking an arm around her to bring her into the group. “Meet my people, this is Keri, Lark, Alana, and… Francesca!” Her sister sucked in a big breath. “Girls, this is my sister, Thea.”

She’d never remember those names. “It’s great to meet you all.”

“Let’s get you a drink!” Alessia exclaimed.

“No,” she said, intercepting her sister’s arm before it could get the bartender’s attention. “Thank you for the offer. I’m tired… I’m going back to the room.”

Alessia didn’t hide her disappointment. “Oh no, please stay. Stay and party with us.”

“Thank you.” A smile would settle any offense, that was the idea anyway. “I appreciate the offer. We’re here for a month, I’ll catch up with everyone in the morning.” She kissed Alessia’s cheek. “Be good, little sister.”

At home, leaving Alessia alone in a bar would be unthinkable. Being on a private island put her mind at ease. The only guys around were staff and none of them had been inappropriate. Their room wasn’t a city away either. If something happened, she could be with her sister in minutes.

Strolling out of the dining room, she crossed the ring of water without seeing another soul. Tiredness wasn’t the only reason for retiring. The noise and atmosphere were great, for Alessia and the like. In contrast, the beach was the only thing on her mind.

Okay, being there for her sister didn’t require embracing the vacation part of the equation. Not that it actually was a vacation; her boss, Anika, enjoyed reminding her of that. Like the show, work must go on. She couldn’t complain. What kind of job would allow anyone to duck out for a month straight? Not many. Her work could be done remotely, and that was exactly her plan. Sort of.

Since standing on the deck earlier, one urge tickled her consciousness. Embracing it, she kicked off her shoes at the end of her bed and kept on going to slide back the glass to the deck. Instead of going to the barrier that held her back earlier, she descended the smooth wooden steps to the beach.

Sinking her toes into the sand, she stopped, wiggling them deeper. The gentle crash of the mighty ocean worked the knots from her shoulders. Something about it invigorated her while at the same time grounding her. The ebb and flow suggested the great blue was in a good mood, a welcoming mood. Lethal as itcould be, that night, right then, it received her in friendship. The coast was one of her favorite places; the ocean was something different to what she got at home.

Its vastness. Its foreverness. Excited by the senses overload, she scampered toward the waves, like a child released from the constraints of civility. The tickle of water on her toes tempted her deeper. She wasn’t nuts enough to swim in the black void rippling beneath the moonlight. It just went on and on. Possibilities were endless. With the sea at her ankles, she walked through the surf, parallel to the beach.

The water’s massiveness put her insignificance into perspective. So much about life was unknown; anything could happen any time. Were they in control of their own fates? If this ocean decided to take her, there were only so many ways she could fight back or escape.

Optimism was a battle some days. In the city, surrounded by the rush and stress of everyday problems, concentrating wasn’t always easy. One thing kept her going: the unexpected. Every day was an adventure, if she stayed open to possibilities. No one knew what was right around the corner. If the worst happened, she’d face it head on. And something good was always welcome, especially if it was a surprise. A good surprise.

Like the ocean.

Being out there, in a remote corner of the world few people knew existed, excited her. Unexpectedly. Vacations had never featured in her life, as a kid or an adult. For the first time, she got it, how refreshing it could be to split from the day-to-day humdrum. Work wasn’t gone, she’d still have to clock in, as it were, but doing it there wouldn’t be the same as in the office.

People in the wider world rushed around, worrying about their lives, about deadlines and appointments, about hitting targets. On the island, she could breathe without all that.Concerns about parents or colleagues washed away in the surf. Even her boss’s demands seemed a world away.

Night on the beach didn’t scare her. Not out there. No one could hurt her. There was no one to try. How long had she been walking? It wouldn’t be a great idea to go too far. Was that a light up ahead? In the trees a ways away? Continuing, she kept an eye on it. The brightness cut through the trees, flashing as each leaf and trunk swayed, covering and revealing it depending on the breeze.

Hmm… what could it be? Closer, the water became less interesting as curiosity grew. The hotel was gone. When she glanced back, the lights of it were lost to the curve of the coast. There was a faint glow, but no building.

The light in the trees was too far from the hotel to be part of that main structure. Maybe employees lived somewhere around there. Details were difficult to pick out in the dark. Whatever it was attached to couldn’t be large, there was only one light.

With twenty guests arriving, rooms to service and meals to serve, how many staff members would a place like that need? Could five handle it? Ten?

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