Page 55 of The Suite Life
As I navigate through the lobby, I notice a few people sitting in the lobby bar, where a man is playing piano. It’s only as I look closer that I spot Donnie, sitting on one of the sofas, all on his own.
Now that I think about it, he doesn’t look too happy. I should check on him, before I go to bed. I feel like if the roles were reversed, that’s exactly what he would do.
‘Hey, Donnie,’ I greet him, snapping him from whatever deep thought he was stuck in. ‘Are you okay?’
He nods with a sigh.
‘Hi, yeah, I’m okay,’ he reassures me. ‘Just tired. It turns out sleeping in a room next to a twenty-four-hour club is impossible. It’s like trying to sleep in the middle of a party.’
‘I don’t know what I’m more surprised about: that there is a twenty-four-hour nightclub, or that they put rooms next to it,’ I say.
‘Yeah, and I’m certain it isn’t what I paid for, but they’re fully booked,’ he replies. ‘So I came here, for some peace and quiet. The pianist says, if I tip him, he’ll stop playing so I can have a nap.’
I laugh. Whether he’s joking or not, that’s kind of funny.
‘Hmm, if only you had a friend with a suite here, with a perfectly comfortable sofa, who wouldn’t mind you sleeping on it, if it meant that you could get some rest. Plus, now that you know my secret, I kind of feel like I need to bribe you to keep it, so consider us even.’
Donnie laughs.
‘Thanks, Gigi,’ he says with a smile. ‘I really don’t want to impose on you but it’s good to know that, if I get desperate, I can give you a call.’
‘It’s honestly no trouble,’ I tell him. ‘It’s a big suite, for one person.’
‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ he says with a laugh. ‘You on your way to bed?’
‘Yes – not to rub it in,’ I admit guiltily. ‘Hey, are you doing anything tomorrow morning?’
‘What do you think?’ he asks, chuckling as he makes a funny face.
‘How would you like to join me, at the spa – the one for gold card holders only?’ I suggest. ‘That might be just what you need, to de-stress, and relax yourself back into holiday mode.’
Donnie’s eyes light up.
‘Okay, thanks,’ he replies. ‘I’d really like that.’
‘I’ll drop you a message with the details,’ I say through a yawn. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to sleep on my sofa?’
‘I’ll give it one more night,’ he says. My yawn must be contagious, because now he’s yawning too. ‘See you in the morning.’
‘Yeah, sweet…’ My voice tapers off as I playfully wince. He’s not going to have sweet dreams, is he?
I do feel bad, heading back to my suite, when Donnie is trying to nap in the lobby, but I did offer. Perhaps, if he’s still having trouble sleeping tomorrow, he’ll accept my offer, and I’m sure a trip to the spa will do him the world of good.
And then there’s my dinner date with Jeff, tomorrow night, to look forward to.
I think I might actually be looking forward to it, you know…
27
I’ve never met a spa I didn’t like. I’ve also only ever been to comparatively cheap ones in the UK, it turns out, because I thought I knew what to expect today, but I was wrong.
This spa makes every other spa I’ve ever visited seem like a local swimming pool. Of course, this is the gold card spa, not the regular spa for the regular guests.
Everything here is so pristine and white – from the walls to the robes – but then there are these vibrant pops of colour everywhere in the form of these elaborate displays of fresh flowers, the kind that look too perfect to be real but, here, I know that they are.
When Donnie and I rocked up earlier we were first taken off in different directions. This place is unreal, with fountain walls along the corridors, and the most peaceful music playing ever so quietly, following you around wherever you go, like your own personal relaxation soundtrack.
I was given the softest, whitest robe to put on, and then I was led into a room for my massage. I genuinely feel like a new woman. At first it was painful, as she gave me a deep-tissue massage, but as she worked the tension from my muscles andthe stress from my body, suddenly, all at once, it all just melted away.
