Page 24 of The Suite Life
Finally, the car pulls to a stop outside the Grand Palm Resort. Stepping out into the warm Hawaiian air, I take in my beautiful surroundings – right now I’m only in the carport, where people are dropped off, and I’m already in awe. Dare I say it, the flying feels worth it already, because something about the atmosphere here just relaxes me.
Nathan and I stand to the side as our bags are swiftly loaded onto a trolley, ready to be transported into the hotel lobby. I watch as Nathan tips the driver. Then he turns to me.
‘You can give me half later,’ he says. Classic Nathan – he’s always been tight, even though he has plenty of money.
I bite my tongue. You would think he would be more grateful, after all, I did let him keep the lavish double room we booked here together, so that Sunshine could share it with him. I, on the other hand, had to secure myself a relatively last-minute booking – the cheapest room available, it turns out. Only I could book an expensive week in paradise and end up in the only cheap and cheerful option they have – the price certainly wasn’t cheap or cheerful. Lucky me.
‘They forgot one of my bags,’ Nathan declares with a tut, his eyes scanning the area for the nearest employee.
‘Oi, you,’ he calls out, flagging over a man in a white shirt. I can’t help but cringe at the way Nathan is talking to him. ‘One of your colleagues just took our bags, but he forgot this one, take it, will you?’
The man just laughs, and Nathan’s frustration intensifies.
‘You think it’s funny?’ Nathan replies furiously. ‘I want to speak to your boss –now.’
‘Okay, well, you’ll have to hop on a flight back to England, mate,’ the man replies, his accent instantly giving him away as someone from the London area. ‘I don’t work here.’
Oh, God, I didn’t think I could cringe any harder.
Right on cue, another employee with a trolley appears, ready to load it with the man’s bags – the man who is so very clearly a guest.
‘Come on, let’s go in, I’ll just carry it,’ Nathan tells me, his face an especially intense shade of crimson.
I begin to follow Nathan, making eye contact with the random man as I pass him.
He gives me a cheeky wink. I can’t help but smile back at him, silently expressing solidarity because I’m no strangerto Nathan’s attitude problem, before following Nathan into the resort.
Wow, the Grand Palm Resort is even more beautiful inside – and yet I still feel like I’m outside, thanks to the open bifold doors that cover most of the walls, and all of the greenery dotted around. The lobby is as grand as the name suggests, decorated in warm creams and brown tones, finished off with fascinating artworks and sculptures. I can’t wait to explore every inch of the place.
Nathan steps up to the front desk to check in first – ever the gentleman.
I quietly wait my turn, but then I notice the woman behind the desk nodding in my direction.
‘Would you like an extra key card for your partner?’ she asks.
‘Oh, no, she’s not with me,’ Nathan insists, a little too firmly for my liking. ‘She’s not my partner.’
I can’t help but pull a face at his choice of words.
Nathan takes his key card, tells me he’ll see me later, and then heads off. My God, I hope I’m not flying home with him at the same time too because his presence alone was enough to keep me feeling stressed out.
‘Can I check in, please?’ I ask the woman behind the desk.
‘Of course,’ she replies. ‘Sorry for the mix-up. Can I have your name, please?’
‘Gigi Marsden,’ I tell her.
‘Sorry?’ the woman behind the desk replies, and I can’t help but notice a flicker of something in her eyes – panic, maybe, although perhaps I’m being paranoid.
‘Gigi Marsden,’ I repeat, saying it much slower this time, making sure that every syllable is clear.
‘All right, Ms Marsden, I’m just looking at the room we have you in, and, unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to be ableto put you there,’ she says, making me feel instantly anxious and imagining the worst. Isn’t this all just so on-brand for me?
‘No?’ I respond, attempting to maintain an air of calm that I have absolutely no right to possess.
‘No, but not to worry because, though we are fully booked, we can upgrade you,’ she explains, sounding a tad too rehearsed for my liking. I saw the look on her face, and I’ve been ‘upgraded’ before when really it was just a cover-up for a mix-up with the bookings. I’ll bet it’s the oldest trick in the hotel book, they act like they’re doing you a favour, but in reality, they’re just scrambling to cover up a hiccup. I’m not buying it, not for a minute. I will, however, take it, silently, because as I keep reminding myself, I have no other choice. It’s my sister’s wedding, so I have to be here, doing and enduring whatever needs to be done/endured.
‘Please, take a seat for a moment,’ she says as she gestures towards a nearby seating area.
