Even though the bar was thumping with loud music and the crowd was shoulder to shoulder, no one approached Cheryl. She stood alone, an island of calm in a roiling sea of bodies. It might have been the "fuck off" expression on her face, or the crisp cut of her expensive dress that told people she didn't belong in this neighborhood. It could have been because she walked with an arrogant swagger that made women get out of the way and men nudge their friends with interest.
Cheryl left the club and climbed into the waiting limousine, Nicola her friend and business partner had been nagging at cheryl to take a vacation maybe it was time she listened.
***
"Hate to say it, girl," Sarah told Kimberley as she flopped down on her queen-sized bed. "But this is the shittiest resort I've ever stayed in."
"It was free," Kimberley replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "You can't really complain about free."
"Uh-huh," Sarah said in a tone of voice that told Kimberley that she wasn't listening. Instead, she'd picked up the remote and, pointing it at the TV, began to hammer on the buttons. "They water down the drinks at the pool. Did you notice that?"
For the ninth time in two days, Kimberley regretted bringing Sarah. When she'd won the trip through her local radio station, she'd been just thrilled to go.
Seeing as how Kimberley was a waitress at a diner, she had no problem getting the time off. She'd simply asked for someone else to cover her shifts. Sarah had overheard Her conversation, though, and just happened to have a passport and enough vacation time to be able to make the trip. She'd broken up with her boyfriend, and she could really use a few days away, and wouldn't Kimberley want company on the trip?
Sarah was Kimberley's favorite coworker, they got along well enough. And Sarah had given her sad eyes and mentioned the trip so often that Kimberley had felt guilty about letting a second ticket go to waste. So she'd relented and brought Sarah along.
Big mistake.
After a rocky flight, during which Sarah had whined the whole time, a horrible ferry ride out to the island (Sarah had whined all the way through that, too), and now sharing the world's smallest hotel room? Kimberley was starting to think that next time she'd just go alone. Forty-eight hours with Sarah was about forty-seven too many.
Even though Kimberley was determined to enjoy the vacation, Sarah was making it difficult. She was a slob. Her clothing and shoes were strewn all over the small room. She hogged the bathroom and used all the hot water and took all the towels. She'd stayed out all night the previous night partying without Kimberley. And she'd nearly cleaned out the minibar already, despite the fact that kimberley had pointed out that it would be charged to Her credit card since the room was in her name. "This place is a total roach motel," Sarah said, tossing her suitcase onto the bed and throwing clothing onto the floor until she uncovered her pink bikini. "You should have asked them to upgrade you to the penthouse."
"The radio station gave me the vacation. I couldn't exactly demand anything."
"I would have demanded a room larger than a closet!" Sarah stripped off her sundress and began to change.
Kimberley went back to her guidebook, ignoring Sarah's incessant complaining. So the resort was a little on the . . . rundown side. Seaturtle Cay in the Bahamas was still a win in Kimberley's eyes. It was free, for starters. She hadn't spent a dime on travel or the hotel, thanks to the radio station. Which was a good thing, seeing as how she didn't have two nickels to rub together. Mostly, it was just nice to get away from work. The beaches were gorgeous, and she'd seen a few advertisements for fun excursions like parasailing and snorkeling.
It just had to stop raining.
She glanced out the window at the gray, gloomy skies and pouring rain and sighed flipping to the back of the guidebook, she wondered if it included a list of rainy weather events.
