Page 31 of Places I've Never Been

Even when The Bellamy Sisters were at the height of their popularity, she hadn’t really enjoyed the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous. She’d avoided most of it, most of the time. She was always going to be the small-town girl from Tennessee. Even if she had lost most of the accent and roamed a long way from home, it was still a part of her.

Abayomi glanced over his shoulder and beamed at her. “Miss Mattie, we are in the villa near the turn far ahead. It is a long walk. Are you tired from your journey? We can take a car.”

“A car?” She hadn’t seen any sort of road, much less vehicle, until they reached a small clearing filled with several four-seater golf carts. Abayomi placed her suitcase on the back seat and ushered her into the passenger seat.

“I take you this way, so that you are not too tired. You relax now, Miss Mattie. I will get you home. See to the left? That is where we play the volleyball. If you go north from the landing, that is the path to the Big House on the cliff.”

She nodded and let him rattle on about the many things there were to do on the island. After a short drive, they approached a clearing, which opened up to reveal a large, thatched-roof, open-air building on the right and a pit of comfortable chairs on the sand to the left.

Abayomi stopped the cart and waved at it. “This is the dining place. You come here when you are hungry, yes? Or you call me. Or you go to the Big House. This on the right we call Sunset Beach. You will come here tonight, yes? Yes, it is very nice. There will be music, and dancing, and stars, and waves. What more could anyone want, yes?”

“It’s perfect,” she assured him.

By the time they reached the first villa, Mattie was glad they’d taken the cart.

Abayomi zipped past what looked like a large, open-air hut,with walls completely open to the elements and a living room that took full advantage of the view. Nobody was inside.

“How far down is my room?” Mattie asked.

“We are number nine, Miss Mattie. There are ten homes on this side of the island, not counting the Big House at the north end. It is very private. You will love this, it is an escape, no?”

“Yes, it is. There are ten of these? How many stay in each one?” She wondered if the band was all sharing one house. As they passed the second hut, she thought it looked more than big enough for seven people.

“It is your home, Miss Mattie. It is yours. None other will stay, unless of course you invite them.” He grinned at her. “This island has a way with love, so who is to say how long you will wish to be alone.”

She processed that information. “How big are these homes?”

“450 square meters.”

Mattie tried to do the math in her head, but the number she came up with couldn’t possibly be right. “These villas are five thousand square feet?”

Abayomi screwed up his nose in concentration, then brightened and nodded. “Yes, Miss Mattie. Each home has an indoor and outdoor shower, a pool, fully provided kitchen and bar, as well as space for massage and private exercise. Anything you want, you pick up the phone, Miss Mattie. I will make it happen. I am your, how they say, fairy godfather. I want to make your stay the best memory.”

She gaped at the next one they passed. How many had it been? Seven? Eight? “Do we each have our own villa?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Abayomi nodded emphatically. “Arrangements were made for each to have space to, what did they say, retreat. We are here, Miss Mattie.”

He brought the cart to a stop in front of Villa 9, accordingto the hand-carved sign out front. She could just make out Adam’s golf cart and Villa 10 through the trees ahead. He was right next door.

Why did she find the idea of that so disconcerting?

“This way, Miss Mattie. Just up these steps.” Abayomi led the way across a deck filled with overstuffed lounge chairs and a plunge pool to the open-air living room of the villa.

“There’s no wall?” Mattie stepped slowly over the threshold and glanced around, but there was nothing to stop the ocean breeze from flowing in and out the entire front of the villa along with the sound of the waves.

“The wall slides back to allow nature inside your heart, Miss Mattie.” Abayomi gestured to a control panel discreetly hidden behind a plant in the corner. “If you wish the glass to close, you simply press the button.”

The living room faced the ocean, with the kitchen and bar behind it also facing out. Everything from the furniture to the side walls was bamboo, tropical charm, and serenity. The overall effect was an invitation to escape into another reality, one where walls weren’t required. “There’s no front door? People just come in?”

It felt both too exposed and dangerously free.

Abayomi gave her an understanding smile. “This island is yours, Miss Mattie. None will bother you here. But the walls lock if you wish, as do the bedroom doors.”

She blinked, non-plussed by the idea of leaving the entire front of the house open.

Her phone buzzed. She must have stepped into a Wi-Fi hotspot because when she fished it out of her purse at least a dozen text messages pinged one after the other.

“This way, Miss Mattie.” Abayomi led her down a hall toward the bedrooms, pointing out the features of the villa along the way. “There are three bedrooms, each with a privatebath, plus the master suite. The library is to the right of the kitchen and includes a game system and other activities for your amusement. I will be here in the morning and evening, to be sure all is as it should be. If you require anything, you have but to pick up the house phone and ask.”

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